Agrabah was at a standstill; ever since the Empire’s arrival things had not gotten better, nor worse than they already were. Small groups patrolled the streets, claiming to maintain peace and order while hands clutched tightly to the hilt of their blades. To a young man who had grown up in Agrabah, to Alem, things were not very different.

The young man guided his horse, a beautiful horse named Aseela, from the market district towards the slums of the city. It was considered a blight on an otherwise gorgeous city, a place where those both desperate and depraved had retreated to. This was no different from the previous status quo where all who are poor and without an easy means of existing are swept under. If people ignored it then it no longer existed, nor did the population that had no choice but to take residence within it. The sultan was under their power and all but vanished from the public, as did his daughter Jasmine. The well-being of the princess and the sultan both did not cause him to fret in the slightest, but the general public were concerned. A statement was made to assure the public that both the father and daughter were alive, as well as the former street rat that had married into royalty and fulfilled a dream others could only dream of. A beautiful young wife, the largest domicile in the city where he would no longer be harassed, and the ability to sleep at night and no longer concern himself with how he would survive another week on these streets.

A small bag in hands contained several apples and pears recently acquired in the market district. Though the Empire swore to keeping order, there were the occasional bad sort that would harass honest merchants. Selling consumables such as fruit and bread at respectable prices, they were considered easy targets for those who enforced their will. The patrols were the order, and the order in the streets was kept with unease. Crime was reduced only due to ‘examples’ being made of those who were the most desperate, some of which brutal and bloody. Offering to help keep the harassment at a minimum, Alem had made deals with several shopkeepers in the marketplace; He would be allowed to acquire a reasonable amount of items from them without question at no charge, and in return the tension between the Empire and themselves would be drastically reduced. It had taken a little time to get the message through to the Empire, but when man after man kept disappearing who were known to harass the people of this city, they got the message soon enough. Those who harassed the people did not live long in this city, as there was still someone within it who would fight to ensure they could prosper in spite of the conditions they were placed in. Business was business, as Okal would say, a traveling merchant who had more than enough cause to want this occupation over with.

Just ahead of him rested a woman who appeared in her late fifties, dressed in a tattered purple robe with noticeable patchwork done around the knees. Her hair was a little strewn out, but Alem recognized her as Salima, a new acquaintance he had met two weeks prior to this moment. The children of Agrabah who had no homes, the ‘street rats’, were under her care. She had done her best to forage and steal, but after a close call with a patrol he had narrowly saved her from he had requested she keep safe. An aging figure of goodness, the children who’s ages ranged between as young as five to as old as eleven knew her as a mother figure. Her weary brown eyes had taken notice of Alem approaching immediately, a smile forming on her lips.

“Alem, it is good to see you again. I was afraid you might have—“Salima lowered her voice, eyes averted to the ground. “Might have gotten in trouble.”

Extending the bag of fruits to Salima, Alem kept his voice low so as to not alert the children that might be nearby. “More food. The merchants hope this could help get you and the kids get by for a little while. Things are easier in the market these days, they could offer this much.”

Salima smiled warmly, looking back up at him and reluctantly taking the bag he held for her. “I imagine you’ve had a hand in that. You know, if it weren’t for you helping us I don’t believe we'd do so well. The merchants did not care about us until you stepped in.”

“Working together is how we’ll survive. Keep them fed, please. I’ll check up on you again soon.” Without a response, moved to depart until Salima had spoken again.

“Alem …thank you.” Salima said warmly. Alem had proceeded to walk again, but Salima had made no effort to stop him. Looking at the bag of full fruit in good condition, one more gaze was given to the back of himself and his beautiful horse before she had entered the dilapidated building.

It had been at the exact moment Salima had gone inside that two frightened residents of the slums had turned the corner screaming at the top of their lungs. Upon seeing Alem they had waved their hands and abruptly stopped in front of him, breathing harshly. The young man examined their demeanors carefully, seeing the panic, and his ears still ringing from it as well. One had caught their breath sooner and had begun to explain, the other soon joining in. Alem was helpful to the people here, both young and old. If anyone could confront that monster, it was him. A brief but enthusiastic fearful description was given.

Horrifying darkened skin, the most eerie yellow eyes that they’d seen in their entire lives, and a loud scream. They were greeted by something truly fearful; here you had to fend for yourself. The Sultan’s guards might have investigated but the Empire did not care for the ramblings of people in rags and running in shambles. While people would be skeptical by description alone, Alem nodded his head only once. “I’ll check it out. In the meantime, keep it to yourselves. If what you say is true, and I believe it is, we don’t want a full-scale panic.”

“R-right.” Muttered one.

“That’s a good point, sorry.” Said the other.

They had stepped out of his way, Aseela following closely beside him. He knew of the building they resided in, decrepit and weak like much of this part of Agrabah. Having gotten to know the population and who stayed here, he knew that these two kept to a certain building farther to the east, near the true outskirts of the city.

“What are you going to do?” one call out.

“What I must.” Alem responded immediately, and after that point they had put full trust in him. The travel time was a few short minutes, but he had arrived outside of the building the two had stayed in. Placing a hand onto Aseela’s neck and rubbing it gently, Alem had moved inside, parting the worn sheet that covered the doorway. Stepping inside, it was dim and tense with silence. Only when he had slowly gone further inside did his ears pick up the sound of what he believed to be a woman’s voice. It was low and moaning irregularly, something he could identify closely related to sobbing. The entire home was dim with the exception of light flooding in from a few windows, but the back room which was concealed by another hanging cloth was slightly dimmer. He could make out the light from the floor, which would grant him some level of vision. Taking care when it came to the unknown, Alem slowly crept forward and quietly parted the cloth, bearing witness to a peculiar sight. The figure of a woman with darkened hair that hovered in an unsettling fashion, bright yellow eyes, and a voice he would call distorted. Whatever this being was Alem could readily recognize it as a potential threat, yet the more he stared at that form the more he realized that she was not seeking to intimidate, but to shield herself. She was curled up in a far corner and shivering, retreating from the light of the window beside her as though it might burn if she touched it.

‘More a victim than one who creates them.’ He determined peacefully, stepping backwards and returning outside to Aseela. What he was choosing was a risk, but as he reached in one of the bags Aseela carried to retrieve an apple, pear and water Alem grew more confident in his action. Stepping back inside, this time he had not made the effort to hush his steps, instead giving that feminine being a warning. “I am entering the room slowly. I do not intend to cause you harm, but should you make a sudden move towards me I promise the result will not be in your favor.” He had slowly parted the curtain once again, fruit in his left hand, large canteen of water in his right. Stepping into the room this otherworldly creature resided in, Alem did not respond to fear. The reality of the situation was that she was likely much more afraid of him, than he was of her. Slowly he crept forward and knelt, setting the canteen down first, and then the apple and pear beside it. Gently nudging them towards the feminine being, Alem had taken a step backwards. The option of food and drink were hers, the gesture was to speak for itself; He wasn’t here to fight, or condemn.

“You’re crying. Why?” Cutting to the chase, understanding her pain more than her condition was an ideal way to establish a connection between them. Had she not been shivering in a far corner, he’d have believed she was threatening. The language of her darkened body told a different story.

“I think they’re gone now.” Cerden said as he peaked behind a wall, and being careful not to reveal too much of his head. He was making sure that the heartless had all disappeared. The fact that there was a massive hoard of them following both him and Flora was a massive hint that they were going after them to lure both of them away from something. At least, that’s what Cerden thought.

“Okay, then let’s hurry. This might be our only chance.” Flora said, trying to rush Cerden.

“Right.” Cerden simply said, nodding.

As they both saw that the heartless were at least gone from the general area, both Cerden and Flora took the time to rush their asses to where Cerden sensed that there was a lot of activity. The way he was able to determine that was that his earth manipulation also comes with a nifty tool that allows him to sense the ground that essentially reveals certain signatures of people to him, which ultimately would tell him where Nomis would be. As he would implement that sub-ability, Cerden realized that, much like the blueprints that Flora showed him before they entered the factory that there were several floors below the one they were at.

“Okay, this could be a problem.”

“What?”

“There are more than twenty floors between us and a huge signature.”

“Is that all?

“What do you mean is that all? Last I checked, we don’t exactly have a fucking elevator at our disposal.”

“We don’t need it.”

“Explain!”

“No need to. “ Flora said, “You might want to take notes.” Flora said smirking cockily.

As if on cue, Flora’s hands started to flash a white and black color with tints of gold. The swirls of magic soon became quite noticeable as they soon were surrounding her as well as Cerden. The flashes would then soon stop as their bodies were surrounded in elegant gold, black, and white. It got to the point where the last thing that either of them would see was a quick and rather nauseating blur(for Cerden) that was so fast that by the time they were at the floor that they needed to be at, Cerden was on his knees puking a bit.

“And that, my weakling of an ex-husband, is how magic is really done.” Flora boasted at her magical feats.

“A little warning would be nice.” Cerden said still coughing up his guts.

“You’re such a baby.” Flora laughed. “In any case, we need to get going. I’m assuming that Nomis won’t wait for us all night.”

Wiping away his puke leftover on his mouth, Cerden collected himself and he and Flora would run down a hallway which, the deeper they got into it, the more it resembled the workings of Nomis. It resembled the insides of his machines, which were full of black cogs and gears. Cerden gritted his teeth as he and Flora kept on running. They would take a left, run down that hallway, pass two other halls and take a right. They repeated the same process, but in reverse. Eventually, they came to a door, which by the looks of it, also had a cog-and-gear-like design on it.

“Okay, we’re here!” Cerden said as he looked to Flora. “Ready?”

“Wait.” Flora said as she extended her arms to the side and thin, yet sturdy several thorns of a rose attached to poison-dipped vines surrounded her arms. “Okay, let’s do this.”

On Flora’s cue, Cerden had surrounded his arms in thick, sharp glass, and he kicked the door open. “ALRIGHT NOMIS--”

As the view of the room came to their sights, both Flora and Cerden saw someone they weren’t expecting. No, it wasn’t Nomis that they saw, but rather someone that Cerden hadn’t seen in over ten years. “C-Caleb…”

At the mention of his name, Flora’s eyes widened and head turned to Cerden’s body. “What did you say?” Flora asked.

Not only did he hear a loud bang coming from the exit, but Caleb would see someone he too hasn’t seen in a very long time. “Father..” Caleb too was empty on words.

It was as if time had frozen for all three of them. Caleb was standing on a raised floor in the room and his parents were staring at him at the exit/entrance. None of them could even find the words to say that would be appropriate, especially Cerden. Such a long time passed since he saw his son and all that time with Nomis was something that had Cerden worried. He knew that the twisted man that his brother became must have twisted his son’s mind into thinking that Cerden was the one to blame for him running out on him and not Nomis. It’s not like Cerden would blame Caleb for hating him. He did, after all, leave The Empire without taking him. That was an action the white-haired man deeply regrets to this very day.

“Why are you here, father?” Caleb asked, trying to remain as calm as he possibly could.

“Caleb…” Flora said, stepping forward, vines being sucked back into her body. “My sweet boy…all grown up.” Flora said, stepping even more closer to her son.

Caleb raised an eyebrow at Flora. “Your sweet boy? What are you talking about?” Caleb asked genuinely confused.

Flora’s heart sank. “How could you not remember me? I’m your mother..” Flora said, voice full of slight despair.

Caleb remained confused. “My mother died giving birth to me.” Caleb told Flora and Cerden.

“And let me guess, that’s what your uncle told you, right?

“Does it matter? The fact remains is that whoever that woman is, she is not my mother.” Caleb said, but his attention was now on Cerden. He hopped the rail that he was leaning on and landed five or six feet away from Flora and Cerden. “Now, I’ll ask again.” He said, “What are you doing here, Cerden?” Caleb asked with sternness in his voice.”

Cerden’s teeth were gritting again. “I was here to get my brother and talk some sense into you, but now that I know you’re here, my priorities have changed.”

“As they always do.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Really? You want to do this now? Fine, Cerden, let me tell you.” Caleb said, “you left me when I was just a little boy. Do you know how awful I felt when I was told you left me!? Do you even understand how hard it was for a little boy knowing full well that his father was never coming back, knowing that the only family he had was an uncle who was so beyond repair that you would grasp onto any kind of affection he would give you? No, I bet you don’t,. You left me with him you SON OF A BITCH!”

And there it was. Caleb lost it. He could remain calm no longer. The anger started to build up and in the instant he lost it, he was gone and in front of Cerden. Instantly, a knee to the gut was delivered to his father. The force applied to it made Cerden cough loudly and out came blood. Caleb would dig his knee even deeper into his father’s stomach, causing blood to come gushing out like lava. Flora watched in horror and would try to get her son off by tugging on his arm, but he wouldn’t budge. Instead, he would remove his knee from his father’s gut and quickly appear behind Flora and spin kick her in the back sending her flying into the wall just to the left of Cerden, who was on his knees still coughing up the thick, crimson liquid.

“I…didn’t leave…” Cerden struggled to speak. The pain from the gut-wrenching knee was making it so.

“I’m tired of your excuses, old man!” Caleb said turning around to Cerden. He proceeded to kick him hard in the gut, which made him roll a few times horizontally and finally he stopped on his back. Caleb was emotionless as he walked and pressed his right foot on Cerden’s already-injured gut. He pressed his foot harder and harder on it, causing more blood to gush out of Cerden’s mouth. Caleb seemed to be enjoying torturing his father. It was really all the pent-up rage from both Cerden leaving him when he was just a little kid and all the ‘tough love’ that Nomis gave him. It was everything all leading up to this moment. “I hope you’re ready to die, old man.” Caleb said as he raised his foot up and as he coated it in earth, he would start to bring it down, but then he heard something within the factory. “Hmm, that‘s not good.” Caleb said somewhat disappointed. “You’re lucky — the both of you. I have to leave. Wish I could say it was nice seeing you, but I would be a dishonest man if I were.” Caleb said as he a darkness portal appeared behind him and he stepped through it, and thus gone from the factory.

Flora got up and she felt the pain in her back. It definitely was a hard kick, but the impact to her face dealt her a good deal of damage. She would lean down to Cerden and saw that he was on death’s door. At least, he almost was. He couldn’t believe how close their own sun hated him and even nearly killed him. “Cerden, just hold on. I’ll heal you.” Flora said as she placed her hands on his gut and a green glow emitted from her hands, and a surge of healing magic went through his body, healing it gradually.

“Caleb…he needs to know the truth.” Cerden said as he started to move, but the aches in his stomach were too great for him to even move a single inch.

“Hold still. You’re severely wounded.” Flora said, demanding him to hold still.

“But Caleb..”

“He can wait. We need to get you fixed up.”

“But..”

“That’s enough!”

Right when Flora yelled, she accidentally added in offensive magic with her healing magic, which caused Cerden to cry out in pain. Flora realized what she was doing and turned the off-switch on the offensive magic and focused on healing. Though, she did chuckle, but she looked at Cerden and he was now unconscious. “Well shit.” She simply said. Rubbing her head, Flora noticed that his wounds were fully-healed. “At least that’s done.” She said laughing, but suddenly she felt something very wrong within the area. It was like the darkness took over and it was in mega overdrive. “Shit, we got to get out of here.” Flora said as she would lift up Cerden over her shoulder, and she would use the same spell that she used to get them to this floor, but something was wrong. She wasn’t able to access that same spell. She wasn’t able to access any spell. Something was wrong with her magic. It wasn’t responding to her commands. She started to panic and it was just rotten timing. The darkness was coming upwards and just as it was about to consume them, a flash of crimson was seen and that was the last thing that Flora would see.

---

Agrabah

The Empire has been on the world of Agrabah for a majority of the day and Caleb was in the palace with his Uncle Nomis. The fact that the factory was destroyed was one thing, but to think that the Unbound Hearts actually succeeded in doing that was something of a bother. However, what really got Caleb in a less than content mood was his father and supposed mother. He almost got his revenge on his father and for his uncle. The second thing that had him worried was his uncle. Caleb knew of his uncle’s condition with his Taint and the influence from the darkness couldn’t have helped it. If anything else, it sped up the process of it taking over his body completely.

“Uncle, I know this might not be the best time, but there’s something I need to ask you.” Caleb said, not sure how to bring the question up. “What can you tell me about my mother?” Caleb asked.

---

Floating in the air surrounded by a white void, Cerden looked around. He didn’t know where he was. Everything around him was like an infinite whiteness. He couldn’t even tell which way was up, down, left, or right. Even when he would call out for help, all he heard was a multi-layered echo. Every kind of movement he would make would actually make his head feel dizzy. It wasn’t until he spoke out again that a passageway led from one direction from where he was. It was like it had a gravitational pull. He was able to walk on it and he did.

When Cerden was at the end of the passageway, which was black and gold in color, he was no longer in white void. He found himself in a room that looked oddly familiar. The more he walked and looked around it, he saw what had to be a dream. It just had to because it was the night of the accident that scarred both him and Nomis for life. It was the night that had permanently implemented their own respective powers into their bloodstream, which caused both of them a portion of mobility. It affected Nomis more than him, but it still was the night that their father died.

Looking on, Cerden saw their father doing what would lead to the accident. Their father was a scientist with a now defunct group known as Trident, which before The Empire was conquering worlds at the rate that it has been doing, it was one of the leading groups of evil. What their father specialized in was the expansion of the New Age Experimentations division. Always their father would bring plans to advance Trident’s place in the scientific and bio-warfare universe and some of the things that he invented would soon be innovated by most major corporations around the world. However, what he was working on at the moment — at least what Cerden was seeing — was the very thing that caused his death.

“Sir, are you sure the calculations are correct?” Asked a scientist with black hair, pale, white skin, and was dressed in a white lab coat, brown shirt, and dark blue dress pants.

Taking his head out of his work, Razor looked at the scientist who spoke. “Of course I am. This is the best project of mine yet.” Razor said.

“But sir, these readings. At this rate, they’ll…”

“That’s enough! It’ll work…it has to.”

Silencing his assistant, Razor went back to his experiment. Cerden looked on and he saw that a table a few feet away were two teenagers on it — one with black hair and white skin and one with mocha-brown skin and white hair. Cerden knew it was him and Nomis.

“So, this is that night.” Cerden confirmed it in his mind. But if this was just a dream, there was no way he could stop it. All he could do was watch as he would relive the most horrific moment in his life.

“Okay, steady now. This is the defining moment.” Razor said as he would approach the table with his two sons on it. In his hand was a weird parasitic creature. It definitely was moving like one, but this thing seemed to be way different than anything of the parasite family. It was oozing with pure darkness, and it made sounds that would make the mortal man cower in fear.

When Razor was at the table, the creature reacted. Instantly it attached itself to Cerden’s younger self. It latched onto Cerden’s heart and its skinny tentacles soon were dug deeply into Cerden’s chest plate. While it was doing that, Cerden himself could also feel the pain going through it. It was brief, but the pain was so real that Cerden(older self) was breathing heavily. It wasn’t until he saw what the creature was doing that he realized what was happening. The creature somehow inserted itself into Cerden’s body for a brief moment and whatever kind of toxins or whatever was inside him, would take an outer appearance in the form of Cerden’s markings all along his face. That also explained the way his glass abilities sometimes act — or rather don’t act. The parasitic creature then went to Nomis and as it was on his body, it dug its thin tentacles into Nomis’ chest plate, and did the same thing to Nomis as it did to Cerden. However, as Cerden would look on, he saw the effects that it would have on Nomis differed than those on Cerden. He saw that Nomis’ skin and bone structure became less than what it was. His skin less fair and more pale and his skull bone was starting to become visible. There were also slight hints of blackness, most likely coming from his taint.

“No, it’s happening…” Cerden said backing away.

He saw it. The creature suddenly becoming bigger and bigger until the point that it grew to a more humanoid form. The reason it transformed to such a form was due to the essence that it absorbed from both Nomis and Cerden

“Uh sir…” Razor’s assistant said, but before he could even get out anymore words, the newly transformed creature appeared before him and drove its hand through his heart, pulling it out and it was still beating. The scientist fell to the ground in a puddle of his own blood. The creature then ate the heart, licking its lips as it had blood on it.

“What are you doing!? I created you!” Razor shouted out to the creature.

The creature just laughed. “Puny little human…” The creature said, laughing and approached Razor in a sinister way. “You did not create me. I merely allowed you to think that. It is he who birthed my life and he is the one who will take it away.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“You needn’t his name. You will die soon enough.”

As the creature and Razor exchanged words, the younger self of Cerden woke up and saw what was happening. His father’s assistant was dead, and a weird black creature was facing his father. Teenager Cerden shook his head as if he thought he was dreaming, but he saw that he wasn’t. “Father…” Teen Cerden said and the creature turned his head as it stretched from its neck. It smiled and Cerden had an expression of total fear on his face. The creature just laughed and brought its head back to its neck.

“Leave boy.” The creature said.

“Who are--”

“Leave or you’ll be next.”

Cerden took the creature’s advice and he woke up his brother, Nomis. "Nomis, we have to go!” Cerden shook him and would see that his brother was waking up. Cerden didn’t have time to tell Nomis, but the pale-skinned teen would see his father facing a creature. Suddenly, something was happening with Nomis. His body convulsing and soon darkness took over and as it did, a flash was seen and an explosion happened, not only wiping out the remains of the dead scientist, but Razor and the black creature all in one fell swoop, only Cerden and Nomis survived the blast, but not with consequences of the most of drastic kind.

NOOOO!!!!” Cerden shouted as he propped up off a bed, alarming those around him.

“Sheesh bro, loud much?” Said an annoyed, almost middle-aged man with sandy blonde hair.

“Where am I? Where’s my father!?” Cerden demanded.

The man just looked at him. “Flora, Mr. Crazy is awake.” Said the man.

Flora walked in from a door to the left of where Cerden was. “Gee, thanks, I hadn’t noticed, Shinto.” Flora retorted.

“What’s going on?” Cerden asked Flora, who was now in front of him.

“Chill out. You’re safe.” Flora said, trying to reassure him.

Cerden was even more confused. “What do you mean?” He asked.
[/b]
“What’s the last thing you remember aside from your dream?”

“I, uh, remember Caleb beating me up, you almost killing me and some sinister darkness.”

“Yeah, you almost died. I guess it’s good that we were saved.”

“Saved by who?”[/b]

As if on cue, a bulky man entered the room. He had long crimson hair, tribal tattoos all over his arms and wore black sunglasses. Cerden instantly raised an eyebrow and was officially freaked the fuck out. “Yo, Grandmaster D in DA house!” The bulky red-head said, arms up as if making gang signs.

Flora’s irritation was out of the room. It was so high, her fists were balled up. “WOULD YOU CUT THAT RAP SHIT!!!” Flora shouted as she punched Grandmaster D and he went flying through the door he just came through. Or at least, that’s what she thought.

“Sis, why you gonna play a brotha like dat!?” He said as he was behind her.

“I hate it when you do that.” Flora said angrily.

“Wait a damn minute!?” Cerden said as he got up. “What do you mean by ‘sis’? And who exactly are you1?”

“Oh you see…”

“I’m Dominic my mocha-skinned brother. Flora’s Half-Brother.”

Cerden had officially seen it all.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

~~~~~~Hollow Bastion - Core Room~~~~~~

Blaring sirens from the core room itself was the only sound Nomis heard before the tsunami of darkness rushed out from its source. The steel walls, the floors upon floors of thick iron machines and constructs, built solely to harness the level of darkness they lay beneath them, nothing seemed to slow the sheer force of it, the darkness passing through everything and anyone, and clearly having some kind of effect on whoever they were. For Nomis, that effect was clearly not a good one. Clutching his chest, though not where his heart was, the older man fell to one knee, his cane still being held in his other hand as the darkness that had been released forced its way past and through him all at once.

The once blue eyes of his, the only part of him to show some kind of healthy state of being, had been replaced by a deep anger filled purple, the rage clearly present on his face seeming to force the man to try and stand once more and to finally move against the waves of darkness in order to gain a stronger footing towards the core room door. Even as the dark veins once more returned, spreading up from his neck to this time reach his cheeks, the man continued on, now determined by some deep force that the raging darkness had brought out. As the large metal door to the core was suddenly torn free by the grinning purple eyed man, the last thing he remembered was that of a bright light followed by flying splintered chunks of steel.

~~~~~~Unknown - Ten Years Ago~~~~~~

Darkness had ravaged a world, long silent and dead of any sign of light or life, not even a single person had stepped upon its surface for what must have been decades, the eroding environment covering everything in a layer of dull, bland dust. The massive ship descended down onto the world, parting through the black clouds and allowing just the faintest light to shine back onto the world, at least for the few moments it took for the dark masse to fill in the large gap. The ship’s design clearly showed it was new, the metal it was made of seemed to have no time to fade or wear with the passage of time like others, and as it finally landed and began to open its large doors to allow those inside to exit, it revealed a clean and pristine look inside as well.

Leading the group of masked figures onto and through the ankle depth level of dust, the glaring Nomis seemed to know exactly where he was going, the ship having landed near a large outcropping of spire like struts of metal. Whatever structure they had formed had clearly been destroyed in some kind of explosion, the warped steel bending outwards to the elements a clean sign of such an event at one point in the past. As the group slowly began to spread out and search through what remained of some of the structure’s rooms, Nomis seemed to stay more or less within the centre of the area, staring down at the dark markings blasted into the very tiled ground itself.

Crunching his foot down onto what could be described as the head of the markings, the man gritted his teeth in anger before he was brought to attention by the return of some of the group, each one holding a number of items in their arms. The large glass canister carried by one though was what caused Nomis to make his towards them, the three figures immediately stopping to allow the man to examine what they had found. Watching the once settled dark water inside the canister as it started to stir, had Nomis’ familiar grin return once more, especially as the large purple eye stared out towards him from inside the black liquid.

~~~~~~Agrabah - Royal Library~~~~~~

The sharp pain shooting through his chest was enough to startle Nomis awake, gritting his teeth as he sat up from his chair within the large palace library of Agrabah itself. The thoughts of what must have occurred back at the Factory slowly returned to the man, also were the images of him limping through the palace hallways to the library itself, in order to find some kind of place to rest from the ordeal.

Beginning to rise at the sound of other people speaking, at one other part of the room, Nomis only noticed the feeling of stiffness from his arm after trying to remove his grip from his cane’s handle. Clutching the arm along the bicep, the stiffness was felt even worse, especially as it seemed to travel all the way up his arm to his very shoulder. After a few seconds at trying to move, finally the arm seemed to regain its usual amount of movement, yet the statuesque stiffness of it still remained in feeling.

"Salforge, we have our work cut out for us." Ryoko voiced towards Salforge, the two having probably been discussing the recent events with the Emperor himself, something that could have ended very badly for the young General if it was anything worse.

“After your stupendous failure that has occurred, I should think you do.” Said Nomis as he walked around some of the scroll-shelves of the library, his usual grin gone and replaced by an annoyed glare.

“To think, a General no less, allowing a Factory to be invaded by an opposing force. Not just attempted invasion, but successful by reaching the very core itself and having an important experiment ruined. You should be grateful the Emperor has not taken your head for it.” Turning towards the library’s doors, Nomis pulled them open to reveal young Caleb already waiting in the hallway itself for his uncle to awaken.

“Let’s not have a repeated failure, and find the core before others do. I will be finding out what I can about this world, in the short time I am staying.” With a slam of the wooden doors behind him, the man soon was walking down the hallway swiftly, though his speed was nothing that Caleb wasn’t used to, the young man easily keeping up with his uncle the entire time.

“Uncle, I know this might not be the best time, but there’s something I need to ask you. What can you tell me about my mother?”

“Your Mother is long dead to you, as is your Father. Why do you ask such a stupid question?!" Nomis quickly replied, stopping sharply in the hallway to turn and glare his anger towards Caleb, only relaxing a tiny bit after a few seconds of silent glaring.

“Aren’t I the one who has taken care of you? Raised you? Made you stronger? It wasn’t your Father or Mother, it was me, wasn’t it? Haven’t I always done what is best for you?”

It was as soon as Caleb had finished his question, Nomis would instantly stop and explode on the teen. Caleb knew that it was a touchy subject for sure, but it was the woman that claimed to be his mother that made him mildly curious. Caleb had originally thought that she was making it up or whatever, but if she did, then what reason would she have for doing it? Caleb had never known his mother, only from what his uncle had told him. Still, for Nomis to completely explode on him like that a little much, even for him.

As Caleb was about to respond to his uncle's original response to his question, Nomis went on to state that he was the one who raised Caleb and made him strong. He further stated that it wasn't either his mother or father, but his uncle. Then he would ask in a demanding way on what made the young man to ask such a question. This was something that Caleb didn't know how to respond, because at this point he was frozen still. He hated how his uncle got when he was angry. Every time there would be even the slightest mention of Cerden or if something didn't go exactly the way he went, Nomis got angry, and when he got angry, Caleb was almost always the recipient of his anger.

Trying to find the words, Caleb would just say it, but he knew his uncle would get even madder at him. "At the factory in Hollow Bastion, I saw a woman claiming to be her. She was with father." Caleb said as he recalled his last image of Cerden before he was gone from the now destroyed factory on Hollow Bastion. "She said that she was my mother, but that can't be true, right? She was just saying that. My mother, as you have told me, died when I was born." Caleb said, knowing full-well that his uncle wouldn't be happy with any of it.

Gavin\\

---

This wasn't the best situation, this hardly made any sense and yet these things would soon enough become commonplace.

The air here was arid, the dry heat had to be probably what made the setting sit out. There they were, everyone that was in that tiny little chamber, he clutched his arm. Gavin. 'Gavin...what in the...not even noesis is enough to explain that...' he thought to himself. His right arm twitched, and the darkness still swam around his right arm. It didn't flow anywhere near as freely as before, when he was forced to break his arm. The pain was still there, little motion he made was some sign he could move it, but it was unusually difficult to move.

His left arm clutch his right, he was fidgeting a bit and his legs were shaken as he leaned against the wall. The heat was something he'd have to get used to, but first things first...the boy needed to be patched up. He looked around, surrounded by complete strangers, he felt it was only right to bold enough and say something.

"Uhm...thanks...for helping me out." He said a bit timidly, he couldn't move too much and his face reflected how much of a mess he was. He let out a large sigh of extricate pain.

---

//Salforge [With Ryoko - Agrabah]

---

In a flash...more like in a fell swoop, the darkness had undertaken them all. It was like the entire factory had swam through a black out before everything within the range of the entire facility had just been...spirited away? To wake in arid air and unrelenting heat, the mercenary could already identify the world.

"Agrabah." he said, as his eyes opened, and he was still cohesively working to make sense of what happened. Ryoko had already awoken before him, so he leisurely stood back and waited as she had a conversation with the emperor relaying the situation. All he really needed to hear was "Princess of Heart" and he understood that. He thought of Darkness in Zero quietly mentioning them in his study many years ago. They still were around? The question he had directed more towards himself, he didn't flinch, but there was a tremor in his eye. The factory's core room entrapped a princess of heart...of all things.

'There is still a lot that I don't know about these people and what they do. That doesn't matter right now, the priority is loyalty to a payroll and contract.'

He shrugged off this portal business, and turned to Ryoko as she approached him. "You're gonna have to give me some more details if I am to be a more effective asset to you. So Ryoko, just who- correction, what, was that in the core room?" Salforge stood towering over her, stern, attentive, and all the while cautious.

Things had gotten out of hand at an accelerated pace which Tyra-Zhen was used to, having been working for the Emperor for such a long time, she had learned that many problems often arose, problems that she and other loyal subjects to the emperor had to take care of. Though normally this was no issue whatsoever, this time around things were a lot different. With the factory invaded by the unbound hearts, the core of the factory had been compromised. She was unsure of the complete details of the situation but a familiar essence rapidly rushed throughout the factory. It was a darkness unlike what most people had experienced. In fact, Tyra was certain that most of those inside the factory had NEVER dealt with such a force. As the dark chaos emanating outward from the core room reached Tyra-Zhen, she gasped aloud, feeling something that was extremely rare for her. “Master?? I must be mistaken.” Her voice was swallowed by the darkness, Tyra-Zhen blinked several times, thinking she’d seen Erebos. “I’m actually scared.” Tyra’s hands were shaking even as she summoned the Naught Key, using its power to separate herself from the darkness. “Damn...just a little bit more and I should be able to overwrite this power and....” Tyra screamed as her body was blown backwards into the wall of the collapsing factory nearby her, at that same second a white glow enveloped her form, causing her vision to fade out as the factory was destroyed.

Her eyes opened up, a whiteness surrounded Tyra-Zhen that she recognized all too well. “I see, I managed to activate the gate of white just in time.” She glanced around the area, only seeing a whiteness that stretched on into the distance. There were few identifying structures or landmarks in sight, but Tyra-Zhen knew immediately that with no predetermined location to be transported to on her part, the Naught Key had taken her directly to Valhalla, a place that she had spent hundreds of years in training with her second master after her first one had abandoned her, leaving the empire for his own selfish reasons. In her time spent with Erebos here, she had come to realize that darkness and light were merely two sides of the same coin. Even though those of the realm of light tended to consider the darkness and those whom used the forces of the dark bad, in fact it wasn’t darkness that was particularly a bad thing, merely the things people chose to do with it. Her opinions didn’t matter too much, she’d already chosen her path, following the ways of the empire. The very notion of what was ‘good’ or ‘bad’ was considerably in the eyes of the beholder.

“If I got transported here from the gate of white, it must mean that all of our energies were localized during the explosion.” Tyra sighed, continuing to walk down a path of endless white until the ground dipped down at a steep angle, further along, about 500 or so feet into the distance, the steep descent came to an end, bringing Tyra-Zhen into a small enclosure. “Looks like this is it.” Tyra jogged down to the center of the clearing which appeared to be void of anything other than white lighting, just like the rest of the area but Tyra knew better. The Naught Key materialized inside of Tyra-Zhen’s hand again, her arm swiftly moving in a perimeter around the invisible doorframe in front of her from top to bottom, revealing a silver door with a lock in the center. Her keyblade started to thrum as Tyra pointed it directly at the lock, causing a loud and distinctive clicking sound.

“I’ve led myself right to you Cerden. You couldn’t hide forever...”

~~~~~

AGRABAH(BASILISK INN) ROOM 3F

A loud click sounded when the lavatory door opened itself from the inside, the door swung open slowly, Tyra-Zhen walking past it into Cerden’s room. “Ah Flora it sure has been awhile.” Tyra-Zhen didn’t take off her hood, nor did she take note of anything else inside the room. She was infuriated just from seeing Cerden’s face. She turned and snapped at him. “How could you abandon me?? Why did you leave me all alone to succumb to the darkness!?!?!”

“We’re in fucking Agrabah …of all the places….” Rika muttered under her breath with dissatisfaction. A nice tropical place, or a quiet down forever drowned in a beautiful sunset, were simply too much to ask. She unzipped her jacket to allow some air to hit her chest, and thankfully an ocassional breeze would come by to help keep cool. This humid condition just wasn’t the environment she found herself able to deal with. Maybe if they had a pool she’d settle, and settling was something Rika was fond of doing. Back in that factory, settling for running from that guy and what Rika believed was another approaching enemy was more than fair. Not just anyone could get that close to her without knowing, in fact it served as a motivation to improve herself. The son of a bitch had no heartbeat to listen to – the only way she even knew about the bastard was that creepy feeling of being watched, not to mention he still had to breathe too. What they needed was some Intel. Ace was a man of heart and a lack of mind, and what she needed was to know whom they were going to be dealing with.

Standing in the middle of what appeared to be a market, their presence had not appeared to alert anyone. As if they were always in the scene and no one noticed, not even Ace or Shizuka seemed to be noticing how strange that was. The girl who emerged from the core went rampant, leaving Shizuka to believe holding out a hand was going to somehow change everything. She needed to stop believing in fairy tales.

“Hey,” Lin caught Rika’s attention immediately, handing Rika a ripe apple. In her arm contained six of a kind, and she was managing to hold them all together very well. “We need to keep our strength up, right?”

Rika blinked. “When did you have time to get that?”

“Just now. The shopkeeper over there gave me some for free. He said I was adorable, and that he had learned to help others! What a great way to live by, huh?” Lin smiled joyfully, drawing Rika’s attention towards the market. Everyone did seem content, even when it was known the Empire had a presence here. She expected discontent, but for whatever reason everyone had looked just fine, as if today was great and they weren’t occupied. What was also strange was that she hadn’t found any Imperials around here yet …something was up, something that these people must be in on. Did the Empire not have someone full of shit telling them that they’re best interests were in the Empire’s mind? Things were different here; there was laughter in the face of an occupation they couldn’t have wanted …could they?

“Yeah, that’s good Lin, thank you.” Rika looked down at the young Chinese girl and took the apple. Biting into it, it was sweet, surprising to the thief. Satisfied, Rika glanced sideways over at the boy Lin must have been talking about before. Red hair, bruised up a little, probably still had a usable tongue for …reasons. All this heat was beginning to work her up, it was best she start working on a plan to give them an advantage here. “Tell you what: Why don’t you help our guest open up and tell us who he is? Be discreet about it, don’t want to make him feel interrogated.”

“Oh, sure, no problem!” Lin casually walked over to Gavin, perfectly content in the heated temperature of this land and not weighed down by exhaustion. Thirst would come, but compared to the sheet of heat they all felt against their skin, Lin just thought the temperature was raised by a few degrees. It was nothing she couldn’t handle. This stranger raised himself up against the wall, offering thanks to everyone. Lin took an apple from her small bushel and handed it to him. At least one arm was still okay. “Hi! I don’t know how long you’ve been in that bad, bad place. You’re safe with us though, and maybe we can find someone to take a look at your injuries while we’re at it. Want to stick with us?” she offered. Lin had no idea what ‘discreet’ would mean here, but if she wanted to learn something she figured the best way was to just be friendly about it. Still, the man she had initially come to save was nowhere to be seen. Where could that odd man have gone off to?

‘Damn it she really is adorable…’ Rika averted her eyes before the childish beauty of Lin blinded her from how serious the situation was. Coriander hadn’t said much of anything, not like the secretive prick deserved to. She made her way over to Shizuka and Ace, huddling in close between them. “We need to get out of here. Is there anywhere we can go to for shelter? I don’t like how exposed we are.” Surely if this rebellion was big enough, they had some sort of base here.

Slums of Agrabah

The Princess of Heart was in solitude. Her body no longer recognizable to her, she thought herself a monster. Her pale skin was muted by dense black, and her senses betrayed her. She gazed at her hands, slender fingers had been turned into sharp claws that one could only imagine being fit for murder. It was dark, yet her eyes could see fine in the dim light, her eyes had become akin to a predator of the night. Her body twitched, and for a moment she lost control of her body, a primal instinct entered her mind, something ghastly and taboo. She was no longer sure if she was sane, for once she thought her mind was playing tricks on her, but now she realized that it was simply being reformatted into something else. Feeling returned to her body, she quaked and grasped at her chest in agony. Something inside of her was fighting the darkness that was attempting to kill her identity. She should count herself lucky, but the very thing that made her special was what caused this to happen to her. The pain was becoming unbearable, and as time passed so did her will to keep struggling. She cried, not only due to the pain but the despair she felt. Her tearful cries sounded foreign and disturbing, but she knew they belonged to her, for she was alone.

Her pointed ears perked at the sound of footsteps behind her, though her body only moved when she sensed the beating heart approaching her. A young man was walking towards her, fanged teeth clenched, and she backed into the corner of the room like a startled animal. "Huaa.." Her mangled vocal cords stressed as she backed away. The man approached her calmly, but her sharp ears picked up on his greeting. Her body went numb once more, her teeth snarled and she slashed the wall in beast like fury, cleaving through the stone with ease. "You. Threaten!?" Words growled from her mouth. She quickly regained control of her body, and quivered with fear at her own hostile reaction.

The man laid out food and water for her, her eyes widened, and her dark strands of hair wrapped around the items, bringing them towards her. She could not recall the last time she had eaten anything, without a second thought she quickly devoured the food, and dumped the water down her throat. As she tossed down the canteen, she head him ask her why she was crying. The question almost sounded like a joke. She silently glanced at him, and then down at her body. She wondered who wouldn't cry.

Thinking straight, much less talking, was a struggle. She raised her clawed hands, letting the man get a good look at them. "Asahina. Monster." She said, her eyes squinting in frustrated concentration as she spoke. "You. Can't help. Dangerous." She muttered regretfully. "Hope. Gone."

____

Ryoko raised a brow as Nomis exited the Royal Library. It was likely a good thing he had left so quickly, as she had more than just a few choice words for him. She wasn't the only one in the factory before it was destroyed, oh how easy it was to shift the blame to others. She let out a sigh, and turned to Salforge. He had questions of course, and she knew he was owed the barest explanation at the very least.

"A girl pure of heart is at the core of each of the factories, and frankly that is all you need to know of the matter. You have seen what has become of her, regardless of how pure her heart is, the amount of darkness inside has transformed her into a beast. We still have a use for her, so she cannot fall into the hands of those rebels."

Ryoko snapped her fingers, and a group of soldiers entered the room. The soldiers stationed in Agrabah were different from those in Hollow Bastion, guns were not a known commodity here, so they were equipped with more archaic weaponry such as swords and spears. The soldiers were given their orders, within the hour the entire city would be teeming with men searching for the Princess of Heart, as well as any Rebels.

Ryoko turned back to Salforge, lifting her head upwards to see him eye to eye. "I have a contact in the slums. I am going to meet them, and you are coming with me. If we were sent here, then it's likely those brats were sent here as well."

Gavin couldn't be sure if the sweat from his brow was due to the heat or his personal anxiety. Personal space was something he normally didn't think about nor had a problem with, at least in short intervals of time. Now, it was starting to really make him anxious, he was far from extroverted, and his conversational energy was distributed in small portions at a time. He started to get really nervous, he was injured and by the looks of it, the black sheep inside of this group of strangers that helped him. He was a fine judge of character, that had nothing to do with his anxiety...it was, her.

His ears were red, normally that would mean he had the flu being baked in such an unusually hot environment. It was like watching an ice cube like himself, melt in the middle of a tempered frying pan. He had to ask himself, if he had any real choice in the matter in denying her proposal. He extended his left arm and received the apple from the adorable young girl. While he knew no one's name at the moment, they showed kindness and through his anxiety he'd do his earnest to shed the same without being too awkward.

"Thank you." he said fleeting with a brief pause as he took a bite out of the apple. It provided two things he didn't have at the time, hydration and sustenance. He still tense, he tried not to move his dangling arm too much. The girl inquired about his health, and joining them, but would that be a good idea?

"I was detained for questionable identity...you see I came to that world as an immigrant, looking for this group my hometown would rave about back home. The empire woman, and male that caught me attempted to pin me to some rebel faction. Initially, it was my own fault for resisting them, for personal reasons I can't discuss why I assaulted them first, but eventually I was cornered and forced to in a position where I gave the white flag. They weren't convinced and well..." Gavin trailed down, and looked at his right arm.

"I did this to myself out of desperation, and sure enough they didn't execute me right then and there." he let out a sigh, before he took another bite from the apple and turned to the girl again. "I thank you for your charity, could you let me think about joining you? When my arm has recovered, i'll give you my answer then."

He sounded a little shaken towards the end of that. His sister seemed to be his priority thought at the given time, his eyes dimmed a bit and all went dark. If someone said something to him just this moment, he was so far removed that he couldn't hear anyone speaking to him.

---

//Salforge

---

It wasn't much to truly dissect, but he was to a point more involved with the situation. The girl that Salforge caught a brief glimpse of...that he almost destroyed if not for the reflexes of one of the intruders. He had to reassess his priorities for the next encounter, it was all too wild to fathom currently. He'd invest his thoughts on this "pure of heart" it rang in his head, his memories from his past as an apprentice that preceded his career as a mercenary. She needed only say that, the rest, he quickly dissolved as a former student of DiZ.

"That's fine, that information alone is plenty to ascertain what to do next." he harked in monotone. His eyes briefly fell upon Nomis from the corner of his eye, giving but a glance before turning back to Ryoko.

"To think that even the empire has a mole on every street corner of every world with a grip of influence." He offered a clearly fabricated smile, his eyes always gave this away, they were cold and listless, also ruby red. "It's citizens like these that never hesitate to dip their hands into the dark pools, for a chance to consume light. Their greed is all too impressive, although hardly enough to merit something remarkable. Hah."

He started to ease into his more comfortable means of talking, he mused here and there, then his sardonic personality began to bloom. Releasing a sigh, he felt his breath was ice cold, his body was far from warm, yet he never questioned what he already know and why it was. He placed his hand on his right breast, and purged a small hexagonal box.

"This is probably the only time I'll ever show you this-" Salforge held it in front, "CI" was engraved on the front. "This is my heart."

All jests and jokes aside, this was as serious as Salforge would probably ever be in tandem with the general. He'd gotten to know one of the general's quite well, he'd like to think he made an accurate determination of the short-fused Ryoko.

Holding a hand over his eyes, Acesto looked off into the distance of the city. The royal palace could be clearly seen, it's rotund architecture looming over the citizens below. The Palace was once a symbol of the royal family, however, the Sultan had been stripped of his power by the Empire, and the Princess had vanished. He had always thought the Princess was dead, but what he knew now made him question that.

"You think Jasmine's in one of those machines too?" Shizuka stepped in front of him, from the look on his face she knew what he was thinking. "I think she's alive too, but how do we tell Aladdin? The girl in Hollow Bastion... What happened to her was terrible, Ace." Ace lowered his eyes from the palace to Shizuka.

"One thing at a time, we still don't fully understand why there was a human being in there in the first place. For all we know anyone could be a victim stuck in one of those things." Ace said. He looked back to the others, seeing Lin carry half a dozen apples over to them. In spite of the troublesome situation they were in, she maintained her cheerful demeanor and helpful attitude. "Try not to worry about it, Lin's fine isn't she?"

"Lin didn't see what I did. When the darkness from that machine hit me I-" Shizuka stopped talking as Rika huddled in between the two of them suddenly. Ever vigilant, she wished to know what their next move was. Shizuka looked to Ace for the answer.

"You're right, we do need to get off the streets. Luckily we have a place nearby. We shouldn't go there as a group, so we'll split up. Rika, you come with me, Shizuka, you lead Lin and that other guy to the hideout." Shizuka nodded her head, and walked over to Lin and Gavin. "Alright, let's go this way, Rika." Ace said, moving away from the others down the market streets.

Putting her worries on the sideline for the moment, Shizuka took an apple from Lin's small stockpile, thanking her as she did so. She pulled out a potato peeler from her pocket, and began to peel the skin from the apple. "So um, we're gonna get off the streets and go to a secret base we have here." She said, much of her attention on the boy with the red hair, he didn't seem to be holding up very well. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked. "I'm Shizuka, and this is Lin." She told him their names in good faith, hoping he would tell them his own."

Still walking through the street, Ace led Rika down an alley on their way to the hideout. Even between buildings, the area was still bright and smoldering hot. "So you hate me, huh?" Ace said plainly. "You're awfully frank with your feelings, aren't you? Well, I'd just like you to know that I appreciate what you've done for us, you didn't have to come back, after all."

Observing the beings movements as it remained tucked away in its corner, Alem did not flinch at her hair’s extension. Retrieving what he had presented to her resulted in a hasty consumption, and by the very end of her quick indulgence no core had remained. He’d be glad to note, however, that at least she did not try eating his canteen. He knelt down slowly and retrieved it, gently rocking it to ascertain something that was more than obvious by now. Nothing remained. His focus went back towards the being again, with much more notice given to her distorted voice. Raising her clawed, disfigured hands did little more than raise more questions as to what she could be, and how such a thing like this existed. Based on her lack of care when it came to the light, it didn’t appear that this being, this ‘Asahina’, was fearful of its touch. Asahina’s introduction had been brief and lightly packed with her perspective of the world now. No hope. Nothing to believe in. Life has dealt her what appeared a cruel and unhappy hand, something Alem was very much familiar with.

“A true monster would not sulk in solitude – you are in deep pain, but that pain will heal as long as you do not surrender yourself to this fate.” The young man gently offered these words to her, hoping that it might encourage her to seek a better living than what she was going through now. With the bone-dry canteen in his left hand idle, Alem would carefully kneel and set it down before reaching to the string that drew his cloak together. Quickly undoing it, he stood and approached Asahina very slowly, bringing the cloak forward. “I have suffered, as you have.” Alem trusted Asahina to recognize he was a threat, but not a threat she wished to provoke. He gently draped it over her chest and settled it around her neck. Her back pressed against the wall did not allow him to bind it traditionally, so this would need to be the alternative. “The difference between you and I is that I did not have someone to look at me and see my worth, I had to see it for myself.” Drawing back, Alem showed his hands to her and slowly stepped away, effectively dropping his own guard in front of her.

When he was several steps away and beside the curtain that he entered through, his humble appearance was laid bare before her eyes. Perhaps she would understand that his privileges in life were not many, that even without wealth in abundance strewn across his form he might still be able to help someone who needs him. The cloak on his back was hers, for now.

“I will leave that with you as a sign of trust. If that as well as the food and water have not done so, I will also leave this.” From behind his back Alem drew a holstered dagger and lightly set it down beside the empty canteen. Revealing he was armed the entire time may cause her some discomfort, but the truth and his concern might outweigh the revelation. Alem’s only weapon in view now was his own mind, and the deep golden eyes that looked to Asahina’s own. “I have a friend I can reach out to for some spare clothes. It will not be the garbs of a royal princess, but it will do well to cover you. You cannot go outside nude, no matter your current condition. A lady must show dignity, even at her lowest point.”

The shade of unnatural darkness that coated Asahina’s body did not mask the truth from Alem, and Asahina’s method of coping with his discovery was ignored. He turned his back to her, and peeled the curtain apart. “Five minutes. Remain here.” He requested, before he would leave the domicile and return to Aseela waiting patiently outside. Taking her by the reins, he had turned her around and began to guide her back to Salima, who was the woman in question. In a short time Alem had made his way back to her. The children were outside, three young girls and two young boys. They were dressed as could be expected, decorated with crude pants and shirts designed with similar shades of brown. Each of them had an apple or a pear.

“Alem!!” They called upon one of the children noticing the familiar steps of Aseela trekking through the streets. The children moved to surround him, prompting Alem to stop his walking and soften his stare.

Salima had approached. “I thought it’d be a little longer than several minutes before you had come by again. Is everything okay?”

“Do you have a spare feminine outfit? An acquaintance of mine I’ve run into is in desperate need.” Alem responded.

“Well, of course. You said desperate, so I am guessing that size will not necessarily matter?”

“Correct,” Alem replied immediately. Salima understood the situation and did not bother getting too deep in his business, something he was very thankful for. “Please hurry. She is nervous.”

“Of course, of course!” Salima snapped her fingers at the children. “Come, come, inside! Alem is very busy. Did any of you say thank you?”

The children were disappointed with having to return inside, but quickly turned around at Salima’s reminder. “Thank you Alem!” they said in unison. Alem had nodded, and the children had returned inside, satisfied. Salima was quick to join them, raising a forefinger up to Alem, implying that she’d just be a minute.

Alem idly patted Aseela’s neck and waited, glancing over his shoulder and hoping that girl, Asahina, would be remaining put.

~-~

Lin was impressed by the stranger’s manners and willingness to cooperate. His gratitude came in the form of a fair explanation as to why he was in that factory, obviously finding no reason to really lie about it. Finer details were glanced over, understandable considering the knowledge of what he was trying to do wasn’t exactly something they all had a right to know. The group he mentioned related to his friends had made Lin wonder if he was talking about the Unbound, but there was no making certain. She wasn’t much of a recruitment officer, but she was a good friend and she knew that much. As he continued on, she shivered and glanced at his arm for a split-second, forced to glance back up at him moments after. Self-inflicted injury out of desperation to survive. He jumped into bad odds with enemies he didn’t know, and did what he had to do to get out of it. Expressing a mix of curiosity and concern, Lin smiled faintly at his thanks, leaving him to his consideration of joining the group.

Leaving him to the sustenance of the apple she handed him, her gaze broke momentarily to Shizuka who had taken one and thanked her. Lin smiled wide and revealed the whites of her teeth to her, always fond of Shizuka’s casualness of these situations. The idea of a secret base didn’t seem so secret when it came to her. Looking back to the red-haired stranger, Lin too noticed the change in him. “It must be his arm. Shizuka, let’s get him taken care of. He’s a really nice person, I think he’d make a good friend to have.” She expressed with utmost confidence. The stranger appeared out of it, and likely too in pain to really focus on what they were saying with such a battered up arm. Pain numbed the senses and made one vulnerable, it was, quite frankly, a miracle he was even enduring such an injury like that.

“There’s a lot I want to talk to him about, but first things first. Help him and lead on!” Lin brought her spare arm under the arm already handling the apples, eager to get moving.

~-~

Who was Jasmine? Aladdin?

All Rika could recognize before coming over was Lin’s well-being of concern, and honestly the girl was pretty fine from where Rika was standing. With the mention of a place to regroup, Rika shrugged her shoulders and didn’t bother questioning it. The rebels were scattered, but it was not much of a surprise to learn that they’d have a place in Agrabah somewhere. Its security and reliability on the other hand was another story entirely, but that was for another time and place. Ace selected them to go together while Shizuka had gone to the others, leaving out Coriander who was likely sulking over the fact everyone realized what a total dick he was. Rika followed Ace closely, traveling down an alleyway. However, even the shade of the alley wasn’t enough to shield them from the humidity of this place. Her jacket was beginning to stick to her arms.

“Fucking Agrabah…” she mumbled again, already loathing her stay. What she needed were a change of clothes, and quickly. Ace chose to take the time they had alone to talk about her comments before, and throw in a little bit of a thanks for her selflessness. Rika scoffed quietly, hands moving to her hips. “You didn’t argue with that prick about letting Shizuka come with me. It’s not her fault at all, I’m just better as a solo operative, no one can do what I do and that’s why I always do things by myself. Plus, yeah, you failed to do a good background check on your ‘trustworthy’ pal there, but I was the one not being trusted.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll admit though, what a way to throw suspicion off of himself …until he was dumb enough to just spill it out in the open for Lin to hear that and all.”

Rika thought to Lin and Shizuka, and to that guy she asked Lin to talk to who was pretty beaten up. Lastly, she considered Ace. “In an ideal world we’d all be able to do this day in and day out, but we’re not soldiers …let everyone get some food and water. Whatever you hope to gain by finding that girl in the core, will have to wait. We still have a couple advantages, one being me.”

"Ah Agrabah. What a beauty that you have become over the years. Least no more dark magics to hinder your progress." Coriander touched the wall of the closest building, feeling the rough texture of the white stone used to build the structure. One of the few places that could afford the rare white stone that littered the desert, Cori admired it quite dearly. He loved the beauty that worlds brought with their unique designs and differences in structures. "Agrabah. You make even deserts appear grandiose." Cori's mind sat on the situation at hand in actuality. They had been teleported to a different world by the young woman who powered the factory plus he had already revealed his former affiliation with the Empire. Things would become far more complicated especially with Alexander alive and well. Cori's calm demeanor was endlessly rattled by the thoughts of the past.

Cori watched as Ace left with Rika whilst Shizuka left with the others. It hurt his heart a little that Shizuka and Lin were both burned by the realization of Cori's past yet he gave no care for Rika's ravings which was to be expected. The truth would come out sooner or later to which he did not feel the need to speak up on such information. It was his past, one that always weighed on his heart, and a part of his life that nearly destroyed him as a person. He shook the very thoughts of hatred from his mind and melded the plan together to help his "friends", a term they'd probably avoid with him. Several minutes after Coriander split from everyone without notice, a run down building came into his view.

"Oh what wonders I shall reveal."

Gavin\\

---

"I've been better, but in about a day or so I should be able to at least move my arm." Gavin broke his attention from one to the next to answer the concern of the other girl. Shizuka and Lin if he wasn't mistaken, they were names fitting to ethnicity, his own name felt normal by comparison. "I'm Gavin, it's a pleasure."

At that moment it would've been cordial to shake hands, with the apple in his working arm he couldn't. They talked about getting him some medical attention and he was perfectly ok with that. Gavin tried his best to keep direct eye contact, it was a chore he wasn't used to in large groups. His arm hung, and although it was a bother, he suppressed it greater than even he expected of himself. Perhaps it was the prism encouraging him to persevere and survive.

He had to think about it, where he came from and what he was carrying trying to be considerate of the surrounding people. Darkness was always going to be a part of him, Gavin was not black of heart, but he contained a massive darkness, the coldest of it's kind. The youth had the mind to make it his own, his only fear was how other would receive him, especially with the extended reach influence from the Empire. Yet he just had this feeling, these people seemed like they've weathered their share of skirmishes, lost things precious, but maybe he'd see more from them if his decision is to remain.

"I can only hope..." Gavin said almost inaudibly to himself, a bit of sadness had shown through. Tapping the middle of his sternum, he could feel the prism was still there, radiating, and keeping him from keeling over. A sigh soon faded, and he walked closely behind the group, he could really use a cast or sling for his arm.

"Hmph." Ryoko's shoulders shifted as she let out a stifled chuckle. The more time she spent with Salforge the more off cuff he seemed to become. "You throw a rock in any direction and you will find a willing rat, greed is a tenet shared by far too many." Ryoko mused. She was prepared to leave, but stopped as Salforge placed a hand over his chest. A small hexagonal object came out of his chest, he called it his heart. She took hold of Salforge's hand, and brought it closer to her eyes. "CI?" She read what was engraved into the steel heart. She had no idea why he was showing something like this to her, as far as she knew the two of them weren't very close. Perhaps he wished to become better acquainted with her, why was beyond her, she wasn't the easiest person to get along with. She let go of his hand. "So, you really do have a heart of steel, I was not aware such a thing was even possible." She was curious as to how he ended up with such a body, but she hardly felt the desire to pry further into his personal life, even if he wanted her to. "Come, we have an informant to meet." She said, walking to the door. "And don't go showing such a thing to just anyone, alright?"

She didn't think it possible, but the slums of Agrabah were even more unsightly than the ghettos of Hollow Bastion. People wore tattered clothing, and there were many homeless living in the streets. "Now this is pathetic..." Ryoko mumbled to herself as she walked over to a vegetable stand. One of the palace soldiers was harassing the woman attending the stand. "What are you doing?" She asked the soldier. He turned to face her, and his aggressive expression turned to that of a puppy being ridiculed for peeing on the carpet.

"T-this cretin mam, she-" Ryoko didn't bother hearing what he had to say, and slapped the man across his face.

"Rhetorical question you imbecile. I ordered you all to search the city, not waste time harassing citizens. Get out of my sight and make yourself useful, now." Ryoko said, her tone remaining calm and cold. The man stammered an apology, and ran off. In contrast, the young woman behind the stand thanked her. Ryoko glanced at the woman, and then to the vegetables. "Uh huh... try to store this stuff better, don't you know what this heat does to produce?" She shook her head, and went on her way.

As she made her way down the sandy street, she noticed something odd, a majestic horse in the middle of the road. The sight of a horse wasn't that rare, however, this animal was leagues above the other horses seen in the slums. She figured it must have been from a well groomed pedigree, and as she looked up at the man riding it, she felt the same about him. Not only was he handsome, but she could tell just by looking at him that he was strong. She walked up to the horse, and made eye contact with the man riding it. "That's a beautiful creature you have there." She said, placing a hand on the horses head. She tried to pet it, but the animal didn't seem to react to her presence. Ryoko grimaced, disappointed, but looked back up at the man with a smile. "So, what is someone like you doing here in the slums?"

_____

"Right..." Ace said with a chuckle. Rika didn't seem to respond to his gratitude, but she was quick to express how bad his choices were, and how lucky he was to have her on their side. "Where we're headed there should be more than enough supplies for all of us, and it's in a safe location." Ace said, letting out a yawn. "I could use some rest too..." He stopped at the corner of the alley, as he heard heavy footsteps marching in tandem. He backed up, and hid behind a large pot. As he suspected, a patrol of soldiers passed by.

"Damn, I thought we'd have a bit more time before they started hunting us down, I hope the others can make it back alright." He said, standing up once the men were out of sight. "The hideout is right across the street inside that tavern, let's go." Peeking out into the street to make sure the coast was clear, he moved across the dirt road and entered the building. The tavern only had a few patrons, locals that one could tell nearly lived at the place. The barkeep noticed him, and nodded towards a door to the back of the building. Ace sat down at the bar, and let out another yawn, he felt like he could fall asleep at any moment. "We'll head inside once the others get here, you want a drink?" He asked Rika, motioning for her to take a seat beside him.

_____

Shizuka grinned at Gavin, and lightly patted him on the back. "It's nice to meet you, Gavin. If my bestest buddy Lin says you're a good guy, then I'll believe her." She said, all too welcome to have another person she could call a friend. They made their way towards the tavern, taking a longer route than Ace and Rika to avoid suspicion. "Don't worry Gavin, you'll be in safe hands with us, I mean, we did kind of screw up in the factory, but that was an exception." Shizuka said, walking beside the red haired boy.

"I do hope we can find the girl that was in the pod, I feel like it's my fault she ended up like that." She said, turning to Lin. "She should be alright, shouldn't she? We would have heard something by now if she went berserk here." Shizuka asked, though she was only hoping to make herself feel less guilty than she already did. She had acted rashly by opening the pod without knowing what the consequences were.

Minutes later they reached the tavern and rejoined Ace and Rika. Ace opened the back door and waited for them to go through. The back room was a simple space, that appeared to be a storage area for the taverns goods. on the side of one of the walls, Ace pushed a shelf to the side, revealing a staircase to a basement. "By the way." He said, speaking to Shizuka. "Did you see any patrols on your way here?" He asked. Shizuka shook her head. "That's fortunate, but we should be careful, there's no telling how desperate they are."

They went down into the basement, and Ace moved the shelf back into place. It was dim on the stairs, but by the time they reached the basement light spilled in from windows just above street level. From one of the rooms, a dark skinned teenage girl came to greet them. She had short black hair, and wore a grey cloak. "Acesto, Shizuka, welcome." She said.

"Osa!" Shizuka ran up to the girl and gave her a hug. Osa patted Shizuka on the head.

"Still as affectionate as a puppy I see." She said. "So, would I be correct in assuming your arrival is the cause of the disturbance in the city?"

"Yeah." Ace said. "We've run into some trouble and need to lay low while we make a plan."

"I thought as much. Make yourself at home, that's what we're here for, after all."

_____

Asahina shifted, but did not back away as the man approached her. She did not sense any ill intent from him, for the moment, she believed he had no interest in harming her. He wrapped the cloak around her, which she assumed was another show of good will. His face was close to her own now, and she could see his features in full. Now that she got a good look at him, she realized he was quite good looking. She averted her gaze, and looked to the ground. She had no idea what her own face looked like at the moment, but if the claws on her hands were any indication, she looked frightening.

"Worth? Not sure." She mumbled. She understood that he was trying to be cordial, but he did not know her, far as long as she could remember she had not considered herself worth anything. The most she had been good for was the pawn of a mad man and a battery for his disgusting machine. Before she questioned her worth, she still needed to know if it was even worth living. She watched him back from her, his hands up in a show of non aggression. He told her the cloak was a sign of trust, but he had another. He pulled out a dagger, revealing that he had been armed this whole time, however, that did not alarm her. She understood how powerful she was at the moment, but beyond that, she knew she could trust this man.

He then told her that he would leave to find her clothes, she did not understand what he meant at first, but then she thought about it. "Nude?..." She looked down at her body behind the cloak, the darkness that covered her body made it feel as though she had a layer of clothing on, so the thought that the features of her body were obvious to anyone else had not crossed her mind. She shivered and quickly knelled down to the ground, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Quickly. Go!" She screamed, hoping he would take less than a few minutes to return with clothing.

The wait was shortened with the approach of two otherworldly individuals deciding to approach him, male and female of gender. Alem remained neutral in stance; he did not tense, he did not relax, it was simply standing and awaiting for the inevitable address. The woman drew forward and looked him in the eye, placing her own hand on Aseela’s head. His companion tensed at the touch, uncertain of how to react to someone it did not know and was not comfortable with. She had a negligible height advantage on him, as did her companion, but her height was not the feature that drew eyes on her. His eyes traced her figure, noting its fullness and care, both of which were only bestowed to those with a strong position to live in. Her friend too did not appear to be struggling to survive, but as it was the woman that drew close first, it was the woman he was examining most. At first there was very little he felt bothered to say to her, but the situation was only going to become more and more problematic if he did not. These two were outsiders to this world and more than likely affiliated with the Empire that staked claim here unjustly. There was no reason to be in this part of Agrabah, you were only here to avoid trouble, cause it, or to discover something. Alem was beginning to piece things together quickly. Asahina was not a common phenomenon and suddenly two strangers were within the slums, neither of which likely to sympathize with the situation here. There would be no trust.

“This is my home, and these are my people. That question is better directed to you. You dress fine and clearly enjoy a meal at least twice a day judging by the fullness of your form. What is someone like you doing here in my home?” Alem addressed all of Agrabah as his home, not just a ‘slum’ as this woman referred it. Salima had quietly returned carrying a folded robe and cloak, hood completed. It was a little large, but it would fit Asahina well, that he was certain. Alem quietly nodded in thanks to Salima, and taking the hint she had went back inside. Alem returned focus to both strangers, lightly patting Aseela on the neck and waiting. He knew what they must have been after here, and he did not trust that woman’s smile. Those eyes were devoid of compassion and humility. This woman thought highly of herself, and if you thought highly of yourself you had no business wandering around here. Asahina must have been the only reason they would even step foot in this place.

Alem would let this woman play her game, for now.

~-~

“That’s all you have to say?” Rika said, disbelief in how casual he was treating this entire situation. His rest didn’t even matter compared to the people that he was meant to lead, and it angered her knowing how lightly he was taking her input on everything. With a heavy increase in sound approaching the two, Ace had ran to hide behind a large pot while Rika herself remained staying put. She was in no mood to be trifled with, evident by the tense glare she was casting forward as if daring someone to say something. The soldiers passed by, but she felt eyes on her. No doubt tempted by her physique and attractiveness, the glare in her eyes told them not to bother, and to continue doing whatever the hell they intended to do. Once Ace had stopped being cowardly and reappeared, he seemed to think that they were necessarily after them. They had no description of Rika, so there was no way in hell they were after her, but assuming Ace was as shit an operative as he was a leader then maybe it was for the best he hid.

Worthless.

Scowling and ignoring his concern for the others, she followed him to the bar and looked it over. Customers, few, were scattered around it. The barkeeper had taken notice of the two, mostly Ace, and nodded towards a far-off door. This place was a cover for the rebels apparently. She removed her jacket and rolled her shoulders, folding it up and setting it down on a seat next to Ace. The apple she had left was secured in her mouth during this, and taking a hold of it just as Ace mentioned a drink Rika bit down hard. “Shut the hell up, Ace.” She managed to say, chewing and keeping to herself while she waited for the others.

~-~

That man introduced himself as Gavin, but still appeared very weak. Managing to speak even now was definitely a show of strength, and so Lin hoped that Shizuka could lead quickly. Taking an apple in her hand she had chewed and swallowed audibly, unable to remember her last meal. Shizuka mentioned the girl in the pod, but Lin couldn’t comment on what she saw, having not been present. Should someone need help she’d be more than willing to be there for them, but Gavin here was much more injured and needed to be looked at. The girl in the pod would need to wait for now, Shizuka would know that too. Content with finishing her apple and trying to restore some energy, they arrived to the tavern just as she had finished it. Ace and Rika were here first, but while ace appeared normal, Rika didn’t appear enthused. Lin approached her, but Rika shook her head and nodded towards the doorway. Not now, Lin understood clearly enough. Whatever happened in the last several minutes had bugged her, and Ace wasn’t doing his best to help.

Frowning, Lin would leave Rika another apple next to a core and follow after the others down the passage. A stranger was here, but only seemed to really take notice of Shizuka and Ace, rather than Gavin or Lin herself. Someone was injured, but Ace didn’t seem to put much emphasis on the need to help Gavin, and sadly Shizuka didn’t do so either. Didn’t they care?

“We need medical supplies. Gavin is in pain and he’s barely hanging on, can you help us?” Lin piped up for the first time since Shizuka had spoken before. Though she wanted to keep her emotions in check, the concerns of a possible new friend outweighed this reuniting of old friends. Ace and Shizuka were people Lin loved dearly, but once again her doubts about how much they cared to listen to her, or look to the needs of others, were shining through. Didn’t Gavin’s pain mean anything to them?

---------------------------------------------------------

~~~~~~Agrabah / Palace Hallway~~~~~~

"At the factory in Hollow Bastion, I saw a woman claiming to be her. She was with father. She said that she was my mother, but that can't be true, right? She was just saying that. My mother, as you have told me, died when I was born." Caleb said, looking up to meet his uncle’s glaring eyes, the well-dressed man’s eyes seeming to flinch for a brief moment at hearing such a thing come from the young man’s own mouth. To think after nearly two decades the woman would risk showing herself again.

“Your mother is dead, Caleb. Whether physically or mentally, she’s been dead to you since the moment you were born. She was never by your side when growing up, and just as the way your own father left you, she clearly had no love for you, then or now.” Said Nomis as he placed his stiff fingered hand upon Caleb’s shoulder, the metal digits scrapping against one another as they moved with some amount of force to gain just a grip on the shoulder.

“They are both dead to you and I, in every way…Come along now, we must meet the others when they arrive. We have a lot of work to begin right away…” Taking the odd few seconds to remove his almost frozen like grip from Caleb’s shoulder, Nomis continued on his way down the hallway, the man seeming to have some trouble flexing his metal covered fingers as easily as he normally would. Though given time, it would be a problem controlled and mastered…just like the other times…

~~~~~~Agrabah / Royal Street (Main path leading from Palace to City Gates)~~~~~~

The appearance of the Empire in Agrabah had revealed the whole concept of other worlds the moment their ships had begun to invade the skies of not just Agrabah but all others that were now under their control. The sight of the massive ship, its metal shell covered in over a decade of marks and faded sweeps of dust and dirt from both space and other worlds, was nothing too surprising for the natives of the world.

The central street which led from the palace to the city’s large main gates made it easy for Nomis, Caleb, and the few hooded figures that were still inside the Factory at the time of the transfer, to make their way out and into the desert as the ship came in for landing. One of the largest of the ships hatches creaked open to reveal the gathering of masked figures, the group carefully pouring out into Agrabah’s hot climate with a covered type of cart.

The hand pulled creation seemed to carry some kind of tall and wide object, the sound of liquid sloshing around underneath the cloth being the only clue of what was there. What the little convoy carried seemed to be all Nomis needed or wanted, his own little group joining the new arrivals as they started their trip back into the city and towards the palace once more.

“That creature will need to be caught yet again! All thanks to that Ryoko…then work will have to start once more on reconstructing a new facility to house the creature, and that is if it’s deemed useful anymore…especially if it comes down to us having to use our sample here.” Nomis spoke offhandedly to Caleb by his side, the two walking with the gathering from the ship as they made their way through the main street of Agrabah, the crowds parting having been given no choice by the large cart and its contents being pulled through.

“Not only that, but clearly from the way you left those two back in the facility at Bastion, it’s very probable that they, along with those that managed to slip past the General’s watch, are here somewhere in this city. Have our messengers come and report any little piece of information about anyone not clearly from this city…I want fresh new subjects ready and on board before we leave.”

Hearing everything from the faux-rapper Dominic — or as he called himself, Grandmaster D — Cerden was still coping with the fact that he almost died and even more so that dream that he had. It was definitely more than a dream. It was a memory and a bad one at that. It was a memory from when his father died and when he and his brother went through something so traumatic that it would serve as the catalyst of their bitter relationship. Well, more so Nomis being bitter to Cerden than the other way around.

“Okay, so when were you going to tell me you had a brother?” Cerden asked Flora.

Flora sighed, “It’s not like I was hiding it.” Flora said, rubbing her temples, “but you see how he is. I have some dignity to keep, but it‘s not like you would understand.” Flora was trying to explain the situation to Cerden.

Cerden laughed, “Oh believe I do. It’s just funny that you think you had to hide him. I mean, sure he’s a bit…--”

“Weird.”

“No, not weird..”

“Retarded.”

“Different. I was going to say different.”

As Flora and Cerden went back and forth on how they would describe Dominic, everyone could hear the door to Cerden’s room burst open as if someone had done it with great force. In the doorway stood a woman that Shinto or Dominic recognized. However, as for the other two in the room, they knew her quite well. One could even say that there was a lot of history between the three. The woman would acknowledge Flora, but once her gaze came to Cerden, her voice became loud and her tone a mix of anger and what could be described as hurt.

Cerden stood up, grunting as he did for he was still wounded from his beating received from his son. “Tyra…” That’s all Cerden could say, but what else could he say? The woman standing in front of him was the one person that, aside from Flora, Nomis and his own son, that he cared deeply for.

---

When his uncle told him that whether it was of physical or mental status, Caleb’s mother was dead to him. Nomis’ reasoning was simply because she wasn’t there for all the years that Caleb had been alive. The young teen, while slightly disappointed in what his uncle had told him, he silently admitted to himself that Nomis must have been telling the truth. Even if that woman that claimed to be his mother was infact who she claimed she was, there was still the fact that she left when he was born and clearly had no love for him whatsoever.

“You’re right, Uncle.” Caleb said as he felt his uncle’s hand on his shoulder.

When his uncle would say that they had much work to do, Caleb nodded and walked along with Nomis and few hooded scientists out from the palace hallway and through the several passageways that led to the main path which led them all to the Palace Gates. As they would exit the palace and thus make their way into the desert, they saw a ship up in the sky and one of the hatches from the ship opened, revealing a group of masked figures stepping out from it. As they did, there was some tall and rather wide object that they were carrying. Caleb could hear some form of liquid, but he did not know exactly what it was. Whatever it was, it seemed it was what Nomis needed, so that was when, along with Nomis, Caleb, and the hooded scientists, the new group of masked figures joined them on their way back to the palace.

Starting to walk back, Caleb heard his uncle starting to talk about the creature would needed to be captured again and he would stress the blame solely on Ryoko, which Caleb agreed. It was indeed her fault that the factory got broken into and that she allowed the intruders to not only get into the core of the factory, but also completely wreck any plans that the Empire had for the factory itself.About halfway to the Palace, Nomis would request that Caleb have their spies report in any information about anyone who does not fit the bill of Agrabah’s…unique skin tone. “Yes Uncle. I‘ll get started right away.” Caleb said as he would depart from his uncle and would hop off to other areas of the City.

As he jumped from building to building, completely evading the public eye in the process, Jumping enough buildings, Caleb landed in the marketplace where all the shops and inns were at. He would start walking around, just trying to blend in with the crowds, he would eventually find himself turning a corner into an alleyway where street kids were and he eventually came to a stop after turning another corner to the right. He came to the view of three men dressed in Agrabah’s chosen attire. They had skin tones that matched the natives of Agrabah.

“Master Caleb! How can we be of service to you?” Said one of the three.

“Jalop, Rolam, and Mohi — you three have been keeping your ears open, yes?”

“Indeed.” Said Ralam.

“Any news about outworlders lately?”

“There have been many outworlders come to Agrabah. Some kids and some just like you, Caleb.”

“Like me?”

“It is, how you say, blood relations.”

“Explain.”

“You know the three of us have unique skills of detection, so we know of the blood types many people. There were three that had your blood type. A mocha-skinned male with white hair, a female with purple, black, and white hair, and a male with red hair.”

“I see. And where are they? Do you know?”

“Basilisk Inn.”

“Thank you, Ralam.” Caleb said, “I’ll be sure to tell my uncle that your debt has been paid.

“Thank you, Master Ca--”

Before any of them could even so much as a sound, Caleb impaled all three of them with tendrils of darkness that came to his beckon call as he waved his two arms. The tendrils pinned them to the wall and pierced right through their heart. “You’re the ones to blame for this.” Caleb said as he walked away, leaving the three of them to die where they were.

Ryoko watched as a woman exited the nearby home and handed a set of clothing to the man with the horse. Not a word was exchanged between the two, the woman simply went back into her home. It was a rather inconspicuous set of actions, however, it was the man's words that shifted the tone of the conversation. Her eyes narrowed into cold azure glass, and her smile became that of a hunter about to devour it's prey. "Full, you say? I will take that as a complement." She said, walking around him, looking him up and down like a stage animal. "You are rather perceptive, and if you do not mind my saying, you are quite fit yourself." Ryoko stopped in front of him and crossed her arms. She looked left to right in a mock gesture. "That is strange however, is it not? By your own word a fit body must denote an individual that has much to be proud or thankful of, and therefore would not live in a place such as this. And yet..." She held out an open hand towards him for a moment. "This is your home."

Ryoko did not know this man, but she could tell from the moment she laid eyes on him that he possessed an indomitable will. "Do not patronize me and attempt to demean me by comparing me to the weak that live here. You may not admit it, but you know they are not simply a product of their environment. People like you and I, we make our own lot in life, others... These people, they wallow in their own failures and blame anyone but themselves for their misfortune." She let out a sigh, wondering how her mind had gotten so side tracked. She uncrossed her arms, and attempted another greeting.

"I am Ryoko, and as I am sure you have guessed I am affiliated with the Empire. I will cut to the chase and ask you this. Have you seen anything... Dangerous lately? Perhaps something one may be inclined to call, a monster?"

____

Upon hearing Lin request aid for Gavin, Shizuka stepped away from Osa and let her see the boy. "That's right, I think his arm is broken, and he might be dehydrated. Osa, can you help him?" She asked. Osa walked up to him, and took a glance at his arm.

"Come with me, there's an infirmary in the back room. The sooner we treat that the better." Osa said, leading him towards a sterile white room with smooth stone walls and flooring. Shizuka followed behind, feeling a mix of worry and curiosity for Gavin. Osa directed him to sit on a bed, and went to get the needed items from a cabinet. Shizuka sat down next to Gavin.

"Don't worry, Osa's really smart, she could become a doctor if she wanted to... uh, not to say that she doesn't know what she's doing. I mean she's so good that if she wanted to become a doctor professionally she could."

"Shizuka, off the patient's bed." Osa said in a stern voice, returning with cloth and bandages. Shizuka yelped and hopped off the bed. Osa gently took hold of Gavin's arm, examining it. "That's strange... When did you break your arm? It seems to have healed almost fully on it's own already... The most I can do to help here is give you a sling." She said, reaching for the supplies. She began to fashion a sling out of the items, making something worthy of being in hospital stock.

Feeling she would only be in the way, Shizuka exited the room and searched for Ace, she found him sitting on a bed in the resting area. "When's the last time you slept, Ace?" She asked. For the past few days she could not recall the last time she had seen him sleeping, at this point she was concerned for his health. Ace laid back onto the bed, and looked over to Shizuka.

"Three days ago, haven't had any time to rest, and now when I do I can't even fall asleep because of him." He mumbled.

"Do you mean Cori?... What do we do, he's our friend, isn't he?" Shizuka said, not very sure of her own words.

"He lied to us, and knows how we feel about anyone connected to the Empire. What do we do? I don't know, but right now, I'm strongly considering killing him." Ace closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep once more. Shizuka had nothing to say, she understood the feelings he was going through. She felt betrayed as well, but the thought of killing a friend was too painful to consider.

She took it as some form of attack; in hindsight Alem could see how his words appeared insulting, but there was no desire to correct her feelings. This woman stepped around him and made her own judgments based on little more than physical appearance. While he could tell she was missing no meals, she tried to turn this around and judge him for his own healthy appearance. He wouldn’t call his manner of living healthy, and his body told a story she could never hope to understand. Stopping in front of him again and gesturing around them, he did not react much to her words. All she seemed intent on doing was standing on equal ground with him, and the situation was looking very hopeless for her. Pride stuck to her like drying tar, and if he wanted to get to Asahina again without triggering her poor emotional strength it was best he did not continue to humor this conversation much further. Confirming his earlier suspicions that she was out here for something, Asahina, Alem showed no change in appearance or stance once it was revealed. Predictable, all of them. It was because Ryoko believed herself entirely knowledgeable of the affairs of this world as an outsider that he felt there was no other choice but to correct her.

“Listen closely: I protect. You destroy.” Alem began, turning and mounting Aseela. He silently praised his companion, glad that the stench of this woman’s true nature hadn’t caused her to panic. Allowing the clothing to rest on his leg, his right hand gripped her reins loosely. “You have eaten in the last twenty four hours. I have not eaten in the last seventy two hours without complaint. My body runs on very little because I have always had very little. Can you look me in my eyes and tell me you suffer the same? You cannot, and you will not.” Her response was denied and he offered his own, knowing just from looking at her that she did not know what his manner of living really was. This ground she stood on was weak because it relied on the support of bodies without faces. She didn’t know anything about struggling to survive, and therefore would never come to understand this world. “These people that starve and fear for their survival, these ‘weak’ people around you, are worth ten of what you are and ever will be. I would suggest you keep your lips sealed when it comes to matters you are ignorant of. You do not know how many people here would cut them off with a smile.”
This time Alem was not shy on the threat he had made; by mounting his horse in front of her and looking down on her, this woman would understand the significance of his gesture. He did not fear her, and her thoughts and opinions were lower than the sands at their feet. This was made even stronger by the fact his eyes, dark gold and tense, never once left hers. He needed no gestures or flair to express his feelings on Ryoko, and did not dare let her believe, even for a second, that she earned his respect or inspired him to fear her. While he had spoken, several miscellaneous heads had appeared from all corners and windows above and around them. These people had kept to themselves, but it was rare that anyone would stand up for them like this. It was one of them, Alem, who looked down on those who thought themselves higher now.

“I grow more and more disgusted with you as each second passes, but I will spare others from needing to associate themselves with such a fool. About an hour ago I was made aware of something unfamiliar to us. It was covered in black, with eerie yellow eyes and claws. Whatever it was it had taken off towards the palace, and as no one had gotten hurt by it I did not bother to pursue it personally. Contain your activities before they become problems to the people, or I’ll have to find you again. You will not know when, you will not know where, but I will get to you if this becomes a danger to my home, and my world.” Laying out the terms on the table in a calm and collected manner, Alem’s words were not venomous. The way he explained things to Ryoko had been a guarantee, even if his voice had not hardened or softened once he made it. Not once did he sound uncertain of his words, almost as if he saw the future before it had happened. Asahina was under his care, and so he lied to Ryoko to keep her away from the poor and let her scurry off to leave these people in peace. Her comrade had not spoken of, but he paid it no mind. He was likely just a lapdog in service of this woman who presumed she knew the world at its lowest point.

“Our business is concluded, and I have told you what we, the ‘weak’ people, know of that mysterious dark creature. Leave this place in peace.”

Some might have turned around, but Alem knew better than that. This would be a statement to not only Ryoko, but the Empire itself. He did not fear them, and he did not respect them, and so he addressed her with both of these things becoming clear as day.

~-~

If it wasn’t for Lin’s sweetness Rika didn’t know what she’d do at this point. Aeva asked her to help them, to confront a force that the universe hadn’t seen and free it from that tyranny. Yet even her patience had limits; Ace was a nonchalant idiot playing hero and didn’t know how to lead, but people still followed him. There was no charisma in his orders, it was almost as if he was just guessing what the best idea was and hoping it would all work itself out in the end. He had not admitted to his failures with that Coriander guy at all, showing he wasn’t able to take responsibility as a leader. Being here for her was a kindness at this point, not an obligation. Eating the second apple Lin had brought and rubbing her temple, she sucked another wave of fresh air in her lungs before she followed after them downstairs. By the time Rika made it down there, Ace and Shizuka were joined together and discussing Coriander, while Lin and some woman tended to that new guy. She exchanged glances between the two groups, taking immediate notice of Ace trying to sleep at such a crucial time. “Wake up.” Rika ordered, snapping her fingers out towards Lin and catching her attention. “Come on, we need to talk about our next move.”

Lin hustled out and gave a quick glance back at Gavin. She was glad to know that the damage he sustained was not as bad as it appeared, but she had kept her questions about his arm to herself. Maybe it was just luck, but it wasn’t common that arms just repaired themselves in a matter of hours. Trusting Osa to take care of him and not bothering to disturb her, Lin joined beside Shizuka and looked to Rika. By now the apples she had were gone and her arm could rest now, with the final one not being consumed by her, but given to Gavin so he could find his strength again. Much like she did with Rika, Lin had done it quietly. There was a lot of tension between people, and Lin was not only exhausted, but fearful of triggering someone.

“Okay,” Rika nodded at Lin, and crossed her arms. “Ignoring the fact pretty boy is out there and likely up to no good, we’re in a good place. For starters, we can confirm that the Empire can’t reach the people, they don’t have a charismatic and charming person to manage it. They have the numbers and the resources, but we have the people, and we have the people that know the people. We win by reaching people on these worlds with a strong connection to the comings and goings, and by doing that we have some even ground with the enemy if not a higher one. It takes one man, or in my case woman, to dismantle anything built up. While you three get some rest, I’m going to hit the streets and see what I can find out about our missing core girl. Things are quiet now, but if she’s out on a rampage we don’t have the numbers or the fortifications to protect her for long.” Rika paused, taking a deep breath. “In short, we need more than a bar and a medic, we need someone from this world to help us, someone with unorthodox methods …someone like—“

“Hello? Hello down there!” Came a voice from the top of the staircase, Rika looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes. “Osa, are you down there? Oh what am I saying of course you are, you’re the only one that hides down there aren’t you? By the way, I found a nice piece of clothing up here and it smells IN-CREDIBLE! Is it yours?”

“What the hell?” Rika muttered.

“Anyway I am coming down, and maybe I can convince you to let me have this, it smells wonderf---“ A pause and a yelp later, what Rika and company could hear now was the unfortunate sounds of a body constantly hitting the floor. With the yelps of pain came the sound of a container and items within it being shaken about, but none stood out more than the man yelping. With each cry Lin flinched and had covered her mouth, shaken, while Rika too winced at her imagination running wild. After several seconds of awkwardness, a comically short man had come rolling down on the floor in front of them with a bruised wooden box and Rika’s jacket atop it. Despite how bruised he’d be, the little guy appeared more or less okay, and had gotten himself up slowly but surely. “Wonderful.” He finished.

“I’ll take my jacket back, thanks…” Rika snatched her article of clothing and sized this newcomer up. He was tiny, had the turban and the robe, but most of all appeared very harmless. At least he looked like he could take a beating. “So, who are you?”

“Ah! Newcomers, eh?” The man stroked his beard and sized everyone up; From Lin to Ace, everyone appeared to be young and quite clearly not from this place. There could be a profit in selling to them, or perhaps something even greater than that. “Well, if you’re down here, then that means you’re with Osa. Some call me a snake, a mastermind without peer, the man who has no plan but could probably buy one if it’s at a good price. You, beautiful girl from a strange land, may call me Okal. I am an honest merchant who longs for a simple life …weeeeeell, not really.” Okal shrugged his shoulders, laughing to himself and waving his hand idly. “I know, you must be thinking: 'Wow this guy’s charming, I’d like to take a ride on his camel and check out his amazing prices!' Ehehehe, I joke, I joke. SO!” Okal clapped his hands together. “What can I do for you all today? Weapons? Information? Not that both are different, information is a weapon too you know. Did I say weapons? I meant pots and plates.” Okal corrected himself, not missing a beat.

Rika looked back at Ace and Shizuka, for once a long look of confusion given, as if she didn't know herself how to respond after that.

Gavin//

---

At first he didn't really know what to say or how to respond to Shizuoka's proposal. He was hesitant, almost reluctant to put himself in the hands of someone that wasn't a licensed professional. Considering his number of limited options, did he really have any other choice other than putting his life in the hands of these kind strangers. Zoning out for a second, he fell behind a little as they had continued to move towards a tavern in this desert city. As they were treated, he briefly felt relieved, though he clutched at his arm. Lin's protest to speak of his condition caused his anxiety to spike as he was hoping no needles or syringes were involved in treatment.

Gavin shuddered.

As she looked him over, there was a sense of auspiciousness from her observation, he twitched as she held his arm. Regardless of how he resisted, pain was of course...painful. (You just power-played by the way) He felt the need to address his arm, so he spoke on it.

"My specialty is ice and cold air, so I tried to freeze the point where the fracture started...that actually hurts more than the actual fracture." Gavin had a nervous twitch, there was no point in any confusion being abound.

Osa held his arm out and quickly fastened it, as it was propagated and fastened Gavin clutched his fist tight. Being sure he was able to at least feel the pain binding together until numbness would follow. He let out a massive sigh of relief which quickly filled the entire room, his way of saying that this was much better than how he was moments before. A bandage over his cheek, his head was wrapped somewhat, he felt like he got opted in to be gift-wrapped.

His ears rounded, the tension that he sensed from before in no way dissipated and it still seemed to be a major point of controversy. He kept hearing the name "Cori" or "Coriander" and he could help but notice, the only other male here other than Ace and himself, was the male that separated from them earlier. Gavin squinted his eyes, he gave this some precious thought for the time he could remain conscious. His arm was not his only major injury, he'd had to endure intense psychological and emotional stress while being tortured by the empire woman Ryoko. The thought lead him to tremble, his skin bubbled as it felt prickly from her crawling around through his circulatory system.

"Would it be possible if I could just rest for the day?" Gavin asked politely, he was still shaking, having taken the concentration off his arm he was as bare to vibrating like a rattle snake's tail.

---

//Salforge

---

When Salforge clutched his palm, the object compressed into white light and vanished, returning to the empty slot in the middle of his breast. It was all about proximity, it was normally never an issue in being apart from his steel heart as he'd almost never needed it outside his base skill set. Salforge would more than likely explain it to her at a later time, but much like with Ciel, it was an introductory show of confidence in his comrades. They may be deemed as stalwart antagonists, their guards or "NPCs" didn't seem necessary...why would they need them if they were so easily duped by these kids.

Then he remembered.

It was brief but he did catch an ever prominent glimpse of two females. Raising his head, he returned Ryoko's inquiry about the object with a simple nod in agreement. Without being too wordy or informative, he turned and followed her. The heat didn't bother the mercenary too much, he should've been baking in all of the black that he wore, but he'd tough through it. They came across a defined male, he rode a steed and based on his determinations made from Ryoko's voice, eye contact, and body gesture she was acting just slightly outside of her normal character. Well, as far as he'd observed of her since arrival.

'This could be troublesome, she'll quickly grow cross with this one.' he thought to himself.

The pissing contest began, and the more he listened to the two of them, the quicker the mercenary returned to the battle ready position that was his sardonic behavior. Soon this would largely leave them in a state of woe, and Salforge couldn't end without having said a word. He purged a wall in the direct path of the man, to obstruct his exit and he turned, having his acute ears as he wouldn't mince words.

"You'll just have to fight for that peace if want to be free of the Empire's invisible hand. And I honestly hope you can best us, keyword...hope. Godspeed." Salforge spoke and waved his hand dropping the wall, his back to was to the man and in the public eye the tin-man was completely calm in his declaration. "Let's go Ryoko."

There steps were swift and had become filled with some manner of urgency. He'd hope to bring haste to their search for this creature of the darkness.