Shadows Swarm

*Jack's body pats down Taiyo before finding his head & reattaching it, spinning it around until it's on the right way.*

Jack<I'll ask about that later. Thank you!>

*Euryale looks back at the gate, then to Jack.*

E"I really don't think you should."

R"She's the only person that you could have been referring to in this context."

*When they arrive, they have the advantage that the Heartless aren't expecting them. 2 of the Gargoyles are convulsing, seemingly gargling darkness, while the other turns into a wisp & floats towards them. The Wight Knights rise to their feet & just kind of walk around creepily. Roatha calls down a blast of lightning on a Gargoyle, destroying it.*
==============================
*Safian's tail is now on fire. Lilith, Thiera, & Monu make it clear of the Heartless, having entered the Sahara, as the Shamans are destroyed & the Living Bones are still struggling to catch up.*
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*Nero opens a Dark Corridor.*

"Goin' world hoppin'."
==============================
*Senthose is still in the Gray Area, now only accompanied by Keter. They are standing cross-armed, staring at each other.*

Keter<I assure you, I am powerful enough to defeat Binah if no one else interferes.>

Senthose<There is no sense wasting time & energy. The plan is to seal her magic, & that is that.>

Keter<And when will you be able to finally manage that?>

Azuma sets to attacking a Wight Knight while Taiyo falls back to Euryale.

Taiyo: "You're not hurt, right?"

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

Hitomi fires a volley of fireballs at the Living Bone as she makes her way after Lilith and co.

*Safian keeps going, but once clear she starts rolling around to put the fire out*
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Artexi:<Sweet, let's do something awesome!>

*She enters*
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*Eve walks up to Senthose and Keter, nodding at each*

<Greeting, sorry for interrupting.>

*Euryale looks down at the bloody gashes covering her arms & torso. A ball of darkness comes towards them, spat by a Gargoyle as Roatha is preoccupied blocking attacks from the other 2. As he's beating up that Wight Knight, the others jump next to Azuma & swing their claws out wide. Jack makes claws out of ice & dashes at a Wight Knight, trailing fog.*
=============================
Senthose<It doesn't matter. I was finished, anyway.>
=============================
L"Alright, now time to run away!"

*She starts shooting seeds at the Living Bones, which are now pretty much on top of Safian, as the other 2 keep going.*
=============================
*Now in the Lanes Between, Nero points at a world featuring storming clouds & what looks like some kind of twisted, marble castle in the sky.*

"That looks cool, let's go there."

*He summons his Glider around him & heads off without waiting for a reply.*

Taiyo summons her other Keyblade, raising one into the air to make it rain to heal Euryale's wounds she uses the other the block the incoming attack.

Azuma conjures up a shield of darkness around himself to block the Wight Knight's attacks. When the shield fades, two clones stand beside him and all three take a swing at the Wight Knights.

Eve:<The expert wants 200,000 munny or he will not give us any information. However, for that price, he will tell us everything he knows.>
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*Safian runs as fast as she can towards the rest of the group. Monu keeps hopping along*
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*Artexi follows*

*With Jack also slapping & kicking at them, 2 of the Wight Knights dissolve. The 3rd is knocked on its back. A Gargoyle flies away from the orb of darkness deflected at it while Roatha uses Thunderwheel to attack the other Gargoyles & get them off of him. The gashes on Euryale's arms disappear.*

E"Thank you."

*So she turns around & rears back, throwing her Keyblade. It burns the air as it spins, & when it strikes the ground below the Gargoyles, it shakes the ground, throwing up fire & ash in a mushroom cloud that destroyes the 2 Gargoyles.*
===============================
*They've been walking in the Savannah long enough for Thiera to figure out how to keep airborne for short bursts by flapping desperately when they [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] music different from what was playing in the Pride Lands. A baboon with some kind of weird staff thing passes over a nearby hill, hopping from 1 leg to another in time to the music.*

Babboon<Asante sana Squash banana!>

L"Uh, excuse me."

Baboon<Wewe nugu mimi hapana>

L"Excuse me!"

Baboon<You're excused! Haha!>

*He flips, standing on his hands for no apparent reason except to show them all his brightly colored ass.*
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Senthose<Steep price. But let's pay it, for now. I can always kill him if it's not what I want.>
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*As they fly into the clouds & closer to the strange mountain, they are struck by an apparently stray bolt of lightning & begin falling to the earth. They wake up in a dirty back alley between buildings of white stone, [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] coming from somewhere deeper in the city.*

*Safian bounds towards the baboon*

<Rafiki! It's been so long!>

*Monu stops trying to maintain airborne for more than a few seconds to watch*
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*Artexi desummons her glider*

<Man, my head hurts.>
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*Eve nods*

<Alright. I told him we would pay half before we got the notes.>

Azuma closes in on the remaining Wight Knight, ice encasing his Keyblade turning it into a club which he brings down on the Heartless.

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

Hitomi stares at the babboon which is clearly off its rocker.

Senthose<Fine. I'll just have to go to the vault.>

*He opens a Dark Corridor & heads inside.*
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*Nero groans as he sits up, rubbing his head.*

N"We're just lucky that shit didn't kill us. If I had the Ultima Weapon...but never mind that. Let's go see where that music is coming from."
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*The Wight Knight dissolves. Roatha & Euryale use Strike Raid while Jack chucks some flaming pumpkins, which destroys the last Gargoyle.*

E"I don't understand. You told me that Gargoyles were good! And you told me that no one here wanted to hurt me!"

*She points to Roatha & Taiyo in turn.*

R"This is different. Those were Heartless. They're monsters made of darkness. And hearts."

*He scratches his head.*

E"Is that why hearts came out of them?"

R"Yeah."
===========================
*Rafiki grabs Safain's mouth with his foot.*

Rafiki<Wrong! Saw you this morning.>

L"I think you're confused. She's been with us for years."

Rafiki<Wrong again! You're the ones who are confused. Trying to fly, flapping your wings, all wrong, all wrong.>

T"What else would I use to fly, if not my wings?"

*Rafiki lets go of Safian's mouth & sits down. He drops his staff, then starts slapping it.*

Rafiki<Why can't I pick it up? I'm using my hand, what else would I need?>

*He adopts the Thinking Pose, furrowing his brow.*

Rafiki<Maybe...feathers? Wind? The right posture?>

Azuma: "The gargoyles we met elsewhere were good."

Taiyo: "Did that thing with the hearts always happen?"

*I guess Eve waits for his return*
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*Artexi shrugs and heads off in that direction*
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*Safian looks towards the others, then back to Rafiki*

<You never change.>

Monu:<Well, all of those are important to flying as well.>

R"It happens with the Heartless who have the symbols on them."

*He makes a shape like a heart with his fingers.*

R"There's a book about the different kinds of Heartless in the library. By Senthose. It's really eerie."

E"I thought he was the bad guy."

R"He is. But he wasn't always. He left the Order before I showed up."

Jack<Senthose?>

R"I assume he made those things. The Heartless. I don't know where he is or what he wants. Even if he came here himself, he'd probably be in disguise & use a fake name, so there's not much point in telling you anything else."

*Jack nods.*

Jack<Fair enough. Dr. Finklestein already knows about the Heartless & what they want, so you don't have to tell me that, either.>
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*They find themselves outside of a large & obviously Greek building flanked with 2 large statues of armored men crossing swords.*

"Some kind of military academy? Maybe we're in Sparta?"
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*Senthose returns with a big, comical burlap sack with a dollar sign poorly pained on it. He holds it out towards her.*

Senthose<Here you go.>
================================
*Thiera poses with her wings out. Rafiki grabs them & makes a slight adjustment, & her feathers can be seen billowing. Lilith tilts her head, eying this monkey suspiciously.*

T"I can feel it!"

Rafiki<As long as you can feel it, it will be second nature to you in no time.>

L"So what's this music for?"

*Rafiki gestures with his finger.*

Rafiki<Come closer & I'll tell you.>

*So she leans in.*

Rafiki<Closer.>

*She slithers up to him.*

Rafiki<Even closer.>

*She leans a bit more & Rafiki cups his hands around his mouth before grabbing his staff, jumping back, & resuming his dance.*

Rafiki<Asante sana, squash banana!>

*Rafiki laughs as she hisses.*

Taiyo shudders at the mention of the doctor.

Taiyo: "We're not going to visit him, are we?"

*Monu goes over, hoping Rafiki will do the same for him, while Safian rolls around laughing*
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<Thank you, I will return shortly.>

*Eve Dark Corridors back to Cid's house*
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*Artexi shrugs*

<We're somewhere in Greece. Or someplace conquered by Greeks.>

Jack<I'd hope so. He could probably use your help with his latest experiment. It's supposed to be a way to get rid of the Heartless, all across Halloween Town.>
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*Cid is drinking a cup of tea, seated at his table, reading a newspaper. He looks up.*

Cid<Don't you people have anything better to do than magic yourselves in & out of my kitchen?>
=============================
*Rafiki just waves his stick at Monu.*

Rafiki<Go on! Get out of here, you crazy bird!>

L"Like you're one to talk."

Rafiki<You have other things to do, right?"

L"...What do you know?"

Rafiki<I know you didn't run all the way through the empty Savannah to hear my friends' music!>

*He points to his tree.*

Rafiki<But, if you did, then you can help me spread it throughout the Pride Lands.>
================================
*Nero shrugs & heads inside, to a small antechamber with a number of trophies on display in recesses on either wall. There is a 2nd exit, but it is roped off with a sign reading "Do Not Enter" in various languages, including Greek & English.*

N"Wow, we must not be the first out-of-towners."

Azuma: "How does he plan on doing that?"

Taiyo just hides behind Euryale.

Taiyo: "Okay...."

*Eve holds the bag up*

<I thought you might want the first half of your payment.>
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Artexi:<Man, that sign tempts me so...>
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Safian:<How do we save the Pride Lands?>

*Nero is already stepping over the rope.*
================================
*Rafiki waves her off dismissively.*

Rafiki<Nothing you can do!>

L"I wouldn't count us out so easily. If it's about the creatures, we have the power to--"

Rafiki<They serve the King. Only a new & rightful King can save the Pride Lands.>
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*Cid gets up & takes the bag, looking inside. He grabs a Munny gem & bites it.*

Cid<Right, then. I'll get started after breakfast.>
===============================
Jack<I don't know much about the details, but it involves plants that eat them.>

R"Eat...the Heartless...?"

*Euryale looks back at Taiyo. Hunching her shoulders & coiling her tail, she grabs Roatha to hide behind.*

R"Aw, Hell, no."

*So he drags Taiyo back out front so they can hide behind her.*

Azuma: "What are you three doing?"

Taiyo: "I don't want to see the doctor."

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

Hitomi: "Find a new king."

Safian:<If Mufusa and Simba are both dead, then the rightful king is Scar.>

Monu:<Who is evil.>
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*Artexi grins and follows him*
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*Eve nods*

<Do you have any idea when you will be finished?>

Rafiki<Yes, that would be a problem. Good thing it's not. Bye now!>

*Rafiki starts hopping off to the east. Though the landscape is currently shadowed by the setting sun, they can make out a dry river bed &, in the distance, cliffs dominating the horizon.*
=====================================
Cid<I told you, it'll be a couple days.>

*He drops the Munny back in the bag & sets it aside.*
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R"And I don't want to see anything that she doesn't want to see."

*Euryale looks around.*

E"Hey, where is Mortal? I thought you guys went to look for her."
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*On the other side is an arena where a bunch of burly Greek men are moving around huge blocks of stone, chariots, & racks of weapons or trophies. Nero looks off to the side & does a double-take at a fat little goat man chiseling notes on a tablet of stone as if it were a pen & paper.*

???<Yeah, just put the armor on display outside of Gate X-I-V.>

Eve:<I suppose we will send someone to collect the notes when they are finished. Farewell.>

*Eve Dark Corridors back to the World That Never Was*
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*Safian races after him*

<Wait, is one of them alive?!>
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*Artexi looks at him, trying to suppress laughter*

Azuma: "We didn't find her. Just a bunch of Heartless."

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

Hitomi: "That's what he said."

Rafiki<Nope, I said that both of them are alive.>

L"This isn't one of those hokey 'he lives in you' things, is it?"

*Rafiki laughs a long, rasping chortle, slapping his knee.*

Rafiki<Half!>
=============================
E"What?! But--then we have to find her! We have to--to do something, we have to--"

R"THERE is nothing that we CAN do. We have no way to track her, & whatever took her did it from right under our noses, quickly, & without much of a fight. So, even if we COULD find her, we wouldn't stand a chance fighting against that. Not without knowing what it is, & being prepared."

*Euryale slumps her shoulders, frowning at the ground.*

E"I...I guess that's true...."

*Jack steps forward, placing a hand over his sternum.*

Jack<I'll talk to the Mayor. If one of your friends is missing, we can get the whole town looking for her. Maybe even the other Holiday Towns, too.>
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Phil<Hey! What are you laughing at, you s-->

*He turns to face them, putting his fists against his waist & glaring. He looks surprised as his eyes wander over Artexi, & his tails perk up.*

Phil<Sweet thing, you! Name's Philoctetes. Phil, for short. So, you think I'm funny? Maybe I could work in a little...preliminary entertainment, before the games.>

N"What games?"

Phil<The tournaments, of course! As I'm sure you can tell, I'm a trainer of great heroes.>

*Phil does the "muscle-flexing pose," first raising his arms above his head, then lowering them below his chin, first trying to look proud & aloof, then tough & focused.*
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*Senthose is still in the Gray Area, staring out the window.*

Senthose<They're in 2 locations, yet again. A world where it is always Halloween, & another dominated by talking lions. Otherwise, normal lions.>