Rise & Fall

~Land of Dragons~

*How Mulan's bumbling through the brush didn't give them away is a mystery, but in any case she charges forward shouting, "For China!" only to trip & drop her sword. After it slides under some bushes, she frantically sifts through them trying to find it. Thiera hurls the Oathkeeper near Artexi's feet, causing a puddle to form that she begins to sink into.*
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~Arendelle~

Hans<Of course. I swear I won't fail you, Your Majesty-->

*He leans in closer to whisper.*

Hans<And please be careful.>
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*Once on the roof, they see Anna, heading for a horse with Eve. Euryale looks to the mountains, where storm clouds are coming in, snow already building at an alarming rate.*

E"I don't see the other 2."
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*By the time they get into the mountains, Lilith's & Monu's views are obscured by thick sheets of snow. Heavy winds blow them off course as hail starts to pelt them.*

L"We might have to continue on foot!"
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V<...Make no mistake, the enemies of Arendelle will return, if they are not here already. Their magics can be very deceptive.>

Duke<Yes, and you say you have a way to fight that magic?>

V<The best way to slay evil is with the power of God. Observe.>

*He holds up his hand as if he were praying, & a quartet of Angel Stars appear in bursts of light behind him. The duke & his guards stumble back, but Hans merely frowns.*

Hans<Are you sure about this?>

V<Most definitely. Some of the angels may have frightening appearances, but I assure you, they will obey your every command.>
===============================
~Traverse Town~

Maleficent<Hardly the most impressive sales pitch. Tell me, child, do you even know just what it is that you are agreeing to?>

Hitomi casts Stop Flow on Artexi while Azuma readies a Dark Flare.

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

Taiyo: "Maybe they made it to the mountains already?"

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

Irritum: "I have to find prey for the Heartless."

*Artexi dismisses her keyblade, holding both her hands out, palms facing forward. She does nothing to resist*

Artexi:<You're attacking the wrong person! The Huns are...>

*Artexi's voice presumably cuts off as she is stopped. Safian slinks around the puddle, still growling*
---
Monu:<I think you're probably right!>

*He heads towards the ground*
===
*Eve follows behind Anna, obeying any instructions that come her way. She scans the sky out of the corners of her eyes*

Eve:<We should hurry before we are snowed in.>

~Land of Dragons~

*The area noticeably brightens & the dark orb formed by Azuma breaks down as all of the shadows flow into the treeline, where the Darker Than Dark greedily gobbles them up. The shadows then seem to flow over Nero until he himself is made of shadows. He uses Collision Magnet to pull Artexi towards him. With the help of the light, Mulan finally finds her sword, but is having trouble dislodging it from the tangled brambles. Thiera opts to move into position to use Aero on all of her allies.*
================================
~Arendelle~

*Eve is right to worry, as it doesn't take long for the clouds to extend over Arendelle & start pouring down snow.*

Anna<Snow in the middle of July? I guess Elsa must not be able to turn her powers off...alright, hop on & let's get going!>
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Hans<...If Princess Anna trusts you, then I will give you a chance. But only on the condition that they stay away from the townspeople.>

V<That should not be a problem. Well, you heard him, go on.>

*As he waves them off, the Angel Stars vanish. Vexen then waves his hand, a thin layer of darkness following over all assembled.*

V<There you are. If you have the strength of heart to command these powers, then they should answer to you as well. And you--Vargus, or whatever you call yourself--are you still struggling with that door? How could you be so stupid that you don't know how to open a door? With a Keyblade, no less?>

Hans<Keyblade?>
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E"Maybe, but I have a bad feeling they're trying to stir up trouble here. Probably best to just let Lilith & Monu know about this."

*Euryale puts a hand to her heart & closes her eyes. As she is doing this, a quartet of Angel Stars appears around them, which proceed to each rapidly fire a trio of white lightning orbs at them.*
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*Close to the ground, Lilith dismisses her Glider & armor. She looks back, trying to pull her cloak closer to herself.*

L"I wish I'd dressed for winter weather--Euryale says Princess Anna is coming up the mountain with 1 of the Organization. They don't know where the others are, so they're going to continue standing guard in town."
=============================
~Traverse Town~

Maleficent<Do you really think me that short-sighted, child? I care not for creatures so base & inconsequential.>

*The armored Heartless stands idly by, awkwardly clacking its claws together.*

Maleficent<Have you something to say?>

Heartless<Of course not. Feel free to continue your pop quiz.>

Azuma hurls a Blizzaga Raid at the Organization members while Hitomi casts Snowstorm from both Keyblades.

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

Vega: "By not trying to open the door."

Otherwise he would have just obliterated it rather than open it.

Meanwhile Taiyo use her Keyblades to deflect the incoming attacks.

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

Irritum: "No, I don't."

*Eve hops on the horse, sitting behind Anna*

Eve:<If that is the case, this whole region may be in grave danger. Let's hurry before that becomes the case.>
===
*Monu dismisses his armor and glider as well, then puts an arm around Lilith to warm them both up*

Monu:<We need to get out of this wind!>

*He looks around for a boulder or something that will block the wind. If he finds one, Monu brings Lilith behind it*
---
*Safian adds in some fire balls of her own, aimed squarely at Nero and Artexi*

~Arendelle~

*Sure, let's say there's a boulder for them to get behind, & as they peer out behind it, they see the horse approaching through the haze of snow.*

L"There they are. So what are we going to do?"
----------------------------------------------------
*Vexen walks towards Vega as the others hang back, watching curiously.*

V<You dare defy No. 5 of the Organization?>
----------------------------------------------------
*Assuming Taiyo went with a static block, the attacks aimed at her all sail harmlessly away. Euryale is caught unawares, & so barely has enough time to roll & block the next pair of lightning balls. However, the 4th Angel Star has a significantly different angle of attack that she is struck twice. As a counterattack, she scoops up some rocks & starts shooting them at the Angel Stars, which buckle under the attacks before folding their wings to block. The other pair sail around Taiyo in opposite directions, their lanters glowing pink.*
=================================
~Land of Dragons~

*Nero dives behind a tree, using Dark Barrier to cover himself. Noticing Artexi is starting to move again, he warps behind Mulan, putting her in a choke hold & holding his Keyblade up threateningly.*

N"Stand down & no one needs to get hurt."

Th"So you would sink as low as to threaten a hostage? You are despicable."

N"As I recall, you attacked us without warning, despite outnumbering us almost 2-to-1."

*Nero is surprised to see a red lizard scrabble out from under Mulan's armor & spit fire at his face, but he manages to avoid it by ducking his head to the side.*
=================================
~Traverse Town~

Maleficent<Then perhaps you have a guess as to what my true agenda is?>

Monu:<If we attack, we risk injuring the princess. I think we should follow from a distance, that way we'll be there if things go sour.>

*Meanwhile, Eve pulls her black Organization cloak closer around herself, scanning the landscape for threats*

Eve:<...I don't think I ever mentioned my name. I'm Eve...just so you know.>
---
*Since Artexi is starting to move again, she starts to speak as soon as she can*

Artexi:<That's so bullshit! You lot still attacked me after I put my hands up and everything!>

*Safian snaps in her direction, but Artexi doesn't seem to notice*

Artexi:<Look, I get that you hate our fucking guts, but that doesn't matter right now. The Huns are going to obliterate China unless we can stop them.>

Azuma: "Like we have any reason to believe you won't benefit from that."

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

Vega: "This isn't the place for engaging the enemy."

It takes a lot of self-control to not open the door with Vexen's face. Or open Vexen's chest like a door.

Meanwhile Taiyo casts Tiger Ambush to attack each Angel Star.

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Irritum: "Overthrow the Organization?"

~Arendelle~

V<You were not brought here to strain your feeble mind contradicting our decisions!>
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*Lilith nods & drags Monu around the boulder as they pass. As soon as they're out of sight, she starts running along after the tracks.*

Anna<Oh yeah! Great to meet you! Sorry, I've just been a bit distracted.>
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*Once the pair of Angel Stars are together & the tigers hit them, they jerk. Cracked & with their feathers falling off, Euryale finishes them off by shooting rocks through them. As she does so, the other pair unfurl their wings & ram into her from behind.*
==============================
~Land of Dragons~

*When Mushu inhales again, Nero grabs him to clamp his mouth shut. Mulan continues to look at everyone, unsure of what to do.*

N"Senthose doesn't want Shan Yu to gain an army of Heartless that could pose a threat to the Organization. We may be enemies, but for now, our interests align. But I can see that's not enough to convince you--so how 'bout I add this?"

*With a flash, his Keyblade turns into the Ultima Weapon. Thiera raises her Keyblade, but backs down when Nero moves his own closer to Mulan.*

Th"How did you get that?! Where is he?!"

N"If you try to double-cross us, I guess you'll never know."
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~Traverse Town~

*Maleficent massages the bridge of her nose in exasperation before holding the crystal ball of the staff up towards Irritum.*

Maleficent<I see I will have to enlighten you from the beginning. Pay close attention. I do not wish to repeat myself.>

*She then does something with her free hand, causing a fog inside of the orb to lift & reveal a sea of stars.*

Maleficent<At each star is a world, & each world has a heart. Finding this heart plunges the world & all of its inhabitants into darkness. This is the goal of the Heartless, but they have an ultimate goal beyond even that.>

*The stars begin moving together, combining in the center to form a great glowing heart shape.*

Maleficent<When the hearts of worlds gather together in the darkness, they form the heart of all worlds: Kingdom Hearts. Whoever controls this domain will be all-powerful & all-knowing. Such a dominion must be my dominion, & the Heartless are the key to locating it. Do you understand that, Child?>

Azuma: "He's alive then."

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

Taiyo casts Wellspring on Euryale then jumps at an Angel Star, attacking it with Tiger Rage.

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

Vega: "I was sent to provide combat support, not bring ruin to this world. That is your's and Eve's objective."

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

Irritum: "Yes."

*Safian's tail starts to twitch*

Safian:<Then that must not have been him!>

Artexi:<Also, you'll get to help save all of China, which I'm sure you'd be interested in.>
---
*Monu follows Lilith*

Eve:<Completely understandable. It's a pleasure to meet you as well.>

~Land of Dragons~

"That means nothing, Keyblades can still be stolen and used after the deaths of their Masters."

N"But not in this case. See for yourself."

*He waves a hand, opening a Dark Corridor to reveal Roatha lying in some kind of hospital bed in a sterile white room, hooked up to a bunch of machines. They can see that he's breathing & even smell the hospital fumes, but when Thiera steps towards it, Nero slams it shut.*

N"You get that much for free. Agree to a truce & I'll tell you what world he's in once the Huns have been driven out."

*If looks could kill, Nero would meet a very painful end, but as it is, Thiera just nods curtly, so Nero lets go of Mulan & Mushu, stepping back. After massaging her throat, Mulan clears it & turns around, puffing up her shoulders dramatically as she speaks in a deep, throaty voice.*

Ping<I'm Ping, & I don't trust you as far as I can throw you, so you'd better not try that again!>

*Nero just raises an eyebrow & turns back to the Order, pointing in the direction of the mountains.*

N"The Huns are up on a mountain pass not as far from here as I would like. It seems that anyone that falls on either side of the battle or in any of the villages they ransack becomes part of Shan Yu's Heartless army."

Th"Well, there is little we can do about it until we join the Chinese army. We were thinking of using the Keyblade Armor to disguise our identities."
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~Arendelle~

V<(Silence, you oaf! Are you trying to ruin our standing with the local governments?) Besides, do you know what "combat support" means? It means where there is an enemy, you fight it! Do! I! Make! Myself! Clear?!>

*He jabs a bony finger in Vega's chest a few times for emphasis.*
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*The Angel Star shatters, its pieces fading away as its heart floats free. Euryale whirls around, bashing the other with a quarter-spin slash that destroys it as well.*

E"Thanks, Seastar. I guess that answers my question about the Organization."

*She then looks around at the whirls of snow that are falling all around her.*

E"Wow, this is sky snow, isn't it? I haven't seen this stuff in years."
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*It isn't long before the Order finds themselves slowed down with the arduous task of wrenching their feet from the thickening snow with each step.*

L"This is getting us nowhere slowly, but we can't use the Gliders...you can fly, can't you?"
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*The princess rubs her bare arms.*

<Brr...I really didn't expect it to be so cold...maybe we should try to find a trading post so I can upgrade my wardrobe.>
==================================
~Traverse Town~

Maleficent<Very good. Perhaps you are not so useless after all. But we still have much work to do before we can achieve that objective.>

*Maleficent begins pacing, not looking at them.*

Maleficent<We must assemble the Princesses of Heart and unseal the Door to Darkness. Once, of course, I am no longer burdened by bumbling imbeciles who can't handle simple children with oversized keys.>

Azuma: "How well do you think that'll work for two of you?"

That's not even counting the lion in the room.

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

Taiyo: "It's always like this in Christmas Town."

She dismisses her Keyblades, putting her arms around her waist.

Taiyo: "And cold."

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

As Irritum may as well be a child with an oversized key, they go silent. Also they're not being addressed.

Artexi:<We can use our keyblade armor too.>
---
Eve:<If you know of one nearby, that is not a bad idea.>
===
*Monu nods, then casts Skyclimber on himself*

Monu:<I can't cast it on someone else, but I can carry you.>

*He holds his arms out to her*

~Traverse Town~

<Muuuh--liiiiiiif--eee!>

*The high-pitched, gleeful voice comes from the direction of the hall, & soon a clown skips out of the darkness. The Heartless takes this time to exit via Dark Corridor.*

<Ugh, it's so dreary in here--don't you know this is a time for celebration? Let's have some FUN!>

*With a snap of his fingers, the music reverberating through the castle [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. He then cocks his head at Irritum, heedless of Maleficent's annoyed look & exasperated tone.*

<Who's the twerp?>

Maleficent<Kefka--what a surprise--we were just discussing you.>

*He whirls around, rubbing his hands together.*

Kefka<Really?! What compliments did you shower me with this time?! Frustrating? Petulant? Dangerously unstable? A gaudy waste of breath who belongs in a two-bit sideshow? Oooooh, the suspense is killing me!>

*At that, his eyes bug out & he grabs his throat, making rather visceral choking & gurgling noises for an uncomfortable amount of time before collapsing to the floor. His tongue lolls out & he twitches his foot briefly before ceasing all movements, even breathing, staring up at Irritum with blank, unfocused eyes.*
=================================
~Arendelle~

*Euryale also dismisses her Keyblade, approaching Taiyo to put her arms around her.*

E"I hadn't noticed until now, but I guess it is sort of chilly."
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Anna<Uh...not exactly. But hey, look!>

*She points to a set of orderly hoof tracks in the distance, which seem to be going from generally the direction of town into the woods somewhere.*

Anna<Maybe we'll find one if we follow them?>
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*Lilith looks skeptical.*

L"You'll carry the weight of another person flying the whole way up a mountain, then still be in condition to fight the Organization? Sure thing, tough guy. But maybe it'd be easier if I just used Thiera's Float spell."
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*Hans regards Vega & Vexen carefully.*

Hans<If we're done here, the storm outside is growing worse. I need to provide the people with winter supplies.>

Duke<What? You plan to just give away Arendelle's tradable goods? Preposterous!>

Hans<Princess Anna put me in charge while she was gone, and I'm certain she'd want the welfare of the villagers to come first. Nobody should have to pay for essential supplies in an emergency.>
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~Land of Dragons~

Ping<If that's the plan, we'd better check in. The camp is just past this forest.>

*Nero watches Ping walk off stiffly, as if she's trying & failing to imitate a macho gait.*

N"...Are you sure he should be in the army? He doesn't seem like he's all there."

Azuma: "They'll get better."

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

Taiyo: "We should find somewhere inside to go."

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

Irritum doesn't acknowledge the clown.

*Safian follows behind Mulan*

Artexi:<I believe they call it "cannon fodder.">
---
Monu:<...I can actually just cast float on you. I thought...never mind.>

*He does so, looking embarrassed*
===
Eve:<...Whatever you wish.>

~Land of Dragons~

N"I don't think blunt force trauma really improves head cases."

*Presumably they follow Ping & Armor Up, entering into a walled encampment of tents with various armored soldiers practicing staff forms. One soldier, wearing a cape & no helmet, is overseeing the others as the official who gave the Fa family the conscription notice takes notes behind him. He turns to look at whatever idiot is stomping up to him. Ping bows, wobbling dangerously on "his" unsteady gait.*

<Hello--uh--Sir! We came to check in. I am Fa Ping, eldest son of Fa Zhou.>

Th"My name is Psyche Thiera, Sir! My family is from the rural outskirts!"

*Nero looks around, put on the spot.*

N"Nero--no, Schwarz...Nero...?"
=================================
~Arendelle~

*Lilith shoves him playfully & grabs his hand as she floats off after the tracks. From the treeline, they can see the duo stopped in front of a cozy cabin with a sign up front that reads "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna." By this point, the princess is turning a very peculiar shade of blue & her hands are shivering so much that it's steering the horse into a drunken stumble.*

Anna<Aha! S--s--see? Everyth--thing's gonna work out j--j--juuuuuust f-fiiiine!>
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E"But where? As far as the people of this kingdom are concerned, we're wanted criminals."
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V<Yes, that should be fine. Thank you, gentlemen.>

*As they leave, Vexen frowns.*

V<The Angel Stars still haven't returned. That can only mean the Order has dispatched them. I will have to send more, though I doubt it will be effective...perhaps in my research on this magical storm, I will have enough time to create something special. Couldn't be less useful than you, at any rate.>
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~Traverse Town~

*Eventually, Kefka abruptly reaches up to grab Irritum's hair, pressing his lips into theirs.*

Kefka<MMMMWUH! Ain't I a stinker?>

Maleficent<Was there something you wanted, you cantankerous clown?>

Kefka<Huh? Oh yeah. Well, I was just sitting in my room, laughing maniacally into the mirror-->

*It should be noted that he's waving his finger in the air as he recites this tale.*

Kefka<--when suddenly--WHAMMO--it hits me right outta nowhere: The perfect plan to conquer Disney Castle! And with them out of the way, snagging these Pretty Prissy Princesses of Whatever should be easy-peasy. All we need to do is wrangle up one o' those keybrats & force 'em to let us in. Then the party can REALLY begin! Horny & I got all the angles covered, so you can just kick back, relax, &--sharpen your horns or whatever it is you do for fun.>

*Eve looks at Anna, very concerned*

Eve:<We need to get you inside before you get frost bite.>

*Once the horse comes to a stop, Eve helps Anna off the horse and inside*

Monu:<Looks like we weren't the only ones not dressed for the weather.>
---
*Artexi crosses her arms, wondering what to give for her last name, since she doesn't really have one*

Artexi:<I'm...I'm...>

*She looks over at Nero*

Artexi:<...Schwartz Artexi.>

As Hitomi is obviously a female name, she's gonna have to come up with something.

Hitomi: "Mao Zedong."

And she'd be more than willing to provide some quotations.

Azuma: "Haruka, Azuma."

Who's probably not armored up on account of being a dude.

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

Taiyo: "There has to be somewhere."

Like an old shed or the house of a noble lord who they could expel in the name of the new people's revolution.

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

Kefka's lucky he pulled away as he did or he'd have lost part of his mouth. Irritum steps back, left hand flexing, ready to transform and tear into the clown.

OOC: Then Azuma's a fucking idiot, because by not being armored, he's drawing attention to the fact that everyone else is. Also, he's not Chinese.

~Land of Dragons~

*Nero looks at Artexi, & everyone else looks at them as well.*

Shang<That's some interesting armor.>

N"They're, uh, family heirlooms."

Th"I can assure you, they are very durable."

Shang<Then we should test that with a training exercise. We won't have much time to prepare before we have to face the Huns. Hopefully you lot are fast learners. Pair up and spar.>

*He withdraws a number of those staves from a container and tosses them their way. Nero & Thiera catch them easily, but Ping fumbles a bit.*
================================
~Arendelle~

E"We could try our luck with a tavern--or maybe--this castle seems pretty big, maybe there are rooms they don't check very often?"
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*Presumably Lilith & Monu stare into the windows creepily to see them approaching the counter of a large man with mutton chops & a sweater of green, yellow, & blue stripes with matching hat. He's twiddling his fingers almost daintily.*

<Hoo-hoo! Welcome to our big summer blow-out! I am Wandering Oaken.>

*He even yells daintily, and does a sort of jazz hands thing while keeping his shoulders squared.*

Anna<Ah, yes, do you have any winter supplies? And have you seen anyone else come up this mountain?>

Oaken<Just a few things in the back. Only one crazy enough to be out in this storm is you.>

*The door slams as a tall, broad man in thick winter gear coated in snow, just his eyes barely visible saunters in, breathing heavily.*

Oaken<You and him.>
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*Vexen wanders off to the direction of the kitchens.*
=================================
~Traverse Town~

*Maleficent puts a finger to her chin in thought.*

Maleficent<Hm...yes, that could work...but where were you hoping to find such a Keyblade-wielding pawn?>

*Kefka finally jumps to his feet, waving her off.*

Kefka<Oh, the details don't matter, just the first one I come across should do.>

OOC: Because the lack of Chinese names doesn't do that enough as is. Not to mention the plan makes no fucking sense as if any asshole can show up fully covered, they may as well be saying "Huns are welcomes, so long as we can't see your face."

Azuma catches it well enough, while Hitomi much like Mulan fumbles some.

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

Taiyo: "That might work."

Elsewhere, Vega goes off to another direction. Away from Vexen and his punchable face.

OOC: "What Chinese name should I choose? Oh I know, let's go with the guy responsible for the deaths of millions."

*Artexi smoothly catches hers, while Safian slips off into the shadows when no one's looking*
---
*Eve casts a glance back at the new arrival, then heads over to the remaining winter gear*

Eve:<I hope there's something that will fit you.>

OOC: Except the Huns are nowhere near & you might as well complain that they didn't know Fa Ping wasn't a real person.

~Land of Dragons~

*Nero turns to face Thiera.*

N"I guess we should--"

*She has already bashed him in the face with the "point" of the staff. He takes a swing at her, but she ducks it & whacks him in the leg. Ping takes a hesitant swipe at Hitomi.*
===========================
~Arendelle~

*Hearing something crunching in the snow behind them, Lilith turns around to see Shadows flitting around inside the ground & Blue Rhapsodies floating around, gathering ice atop their heads. She materializes her Keyblade.*

L"Of course."

*They can also see someone being thrown out of the store & into the snow.*
-------------------------------------------------
*She picks out some boots, a blue dress with a black bodice, & a purple cape before heading off to change. Meanwhile, the mystery man shouts that Wandering Oaken is a crook & gets thrown out for it. Oaken then smiles & waves at Eve.*
--------------------------------------------------
*Euryale disengages from Taiyo & carefully edges down to the side of the roof, rubbing dirt off of her Keyblade. She then holds it over the edge, ensuring that nobody is depicted in the reflection before she taps a window, causing it to swing open.*
================================
~Traverse Town~

*Kefka snaps is fingers a couple of times while holding his nose.*

<Garcon!>

*In response, a cartoonish puff of smoke forms nearby, taking the shape of a Disney style glove. It curls into a fist & spins a few times before pointing dramatically at Irritum, sparklers & bits of confetti falling all over the Nobody. As Kefka stares, Maleficent starts forward, looking angry.*

Kefka<I...am at a loss for words...>

Maleficent<You there, Child! Why did you not say you can wield the Keyblade?!>