---------------------------------------------- **~~~~~~Agrabah / Royal Street (Main Street leaving from the Palace)~~~~~~** The cracks lining the edges of the gateway grew wider and deeper with every new ring of the battering gate sounded throughout the street, the fierce creature responsible for it just barely staying contained behind the metal gate itself. The loud, ferocious screeches coming from the abomination seemed to flair wildly between its wild slamming of the gate, some deep anger filled growls escaping from it somehow when it would momentarily stop to clutch the iron bars tightly, its dozen of eyes still glaring at the sole two figures who stood within the street ahead of it. It was the accompaniment of the solid yellow eyes shining in the darkness that started what happened next. Dripping onto the ground from every tiny wound that was inflicted upon its body, the creature's dark blood seemed to give form to Heartless, in the smallest of cases little Shadows, while the black liquid that covered the metal frame from which the beast forced itself through, the appearance of the larger and more feral NeoShadows were a more growing concern than their smaller brethren. As the Heartless slipped through the gates gaps and proceeded to cling to the sandstone walls of the archway, the creature still continued its assault upon the metal gate, the wild scrambling claws of the NeoShadows just barely chipping away at the cracks within the stone, yet it was enough for the monstrously sized beast to finally bring the whole thing down. Falling free from the archway, along with some unfortunate chunks of stone that still clung to it, the massive hunk of metal came crashing to the ground, abomination and all with it. Rolling partially as it landed, the creature let out a roar of pain just like before, the sight of what could be considered its foot appearing to be trapped beneath the metal frame, due to the stiff formation of its dog-like hind leg. Beginning to tug with no apparent concern of harming itself, except for the brief moments of pain filled howls, the creature made no gain in freeing itself or even reaching Asahina and Alem. The frenzied scrambling from its massive hands dug into the tough ground, its fingers carving little trenches as it continued to try and make any sort of movement towards the two in front of it. And though the sight of Asahina stepping out from behind Alem, along with the wordless growl emanating from the darkness filled woman put all the now descending Heartless into a rather confusing but calming feeling, for the abomination it was more like a challenge between two primal beasts. The crack of its leg as it snapped free was immediately accompanied by the horrible sound of it popping back into place, the creature roaring as it stampeded towards them like an unstoppable elephant, its massive fists cracking the ground with every one of its wild stomps and its large main eye focused solely on Asahina. The NeoShadows that sprouted from the creature's blood seemed to get past their confusing, the group which had formed around the gate with the beast soon disappearing into the shadows of the streets buildings before wildly charging out some place behind Alem, their sharp claws flailing through the air like razors.

This felt like it would be a major hassle, when Ryoko identified the culprit, though not their culprit Salforge's hand smacked into his face. Yes, a facepalm and it was pretty loud to boot, he released a sigh and began to compare notes and agendas when it came to Clacverk vs. himself. He almost felt dedicated by comparison to handling his obligations like a responsible adult versus how mad scientists handle their experiments. Salforge wasn't entirely sure how to comply with Ryoko's request. Certainly he was up to give chase, but if this was a creature of Nomis design, then it would make more sense to approach Nomis, or to split up from there. That would be a pain, but because he was the hired help, he knew how that scenario he pitched in his head and simply agreed. "Fair enough. We'll separate from here, you should find consult with Nomis about both the creature and our dead informant. Perhaps he can offer an explanation for at least the former." Salforge released a sigh and picked his heavy feet into a light dash after the greater sized leviathan of darkness. Even as the Mercenary trucked along the street, his reflective body shimmered, and soon to those around him, he simply vanished. Utilizing his 103rd, the shells that coated his skin made him virtually invisible against direct exposure to sunlight. Moving under the cloak of his elusive technique, he treaded on the heels of the monster, more than sure he'd discover something of interest. It persisted towards a gateway, in eager attempts to bring down the house it seemed. He slowed it down to a simple stroll and walked unnoticed between the leg that was unraveling. The Mercenary proceeded to climb the gate and reach in between grasps. The Neoshadow's sprawled through the steel as black meshes, before reforming, and they seemed to have a destination of their own in mind. With care to the much larger abominations movements, Salforge managed to just slip by, and climb over the wall it was still barred against. His invested cloaked state still in effect, he tread cautiously behind the menacing neoshadow heartless. Looking over his shoulder the beast began to deform, almost as if it were committing an act of self-liquification. As if vanished, this startled the mercenary where he stood in the midst of a small heard of neoshadow trudging past him as he stood perfectly still. 'General Clacverk better have reason for this unusual bi-product of his lab-work funds.' His eyes widened, a bit, the back of a horse with a familiar. From there, Salforge called judgement, a woman that seemed almost completely unnatural in her behavior. The male was identified as the rather impertinent stranger from before, to think this would be the second time he'd see him in a single day. His cloak dissipated and he became as transparent as an apple. His arms folded, a barrier forged to repel the claws from the savage heartless. Salforge raised his hand, he didn't know if Clacverk's beast would respond to him, but there was no "breaking" his immovable block with mere physical power alone. "Stranger. This is our second encounter, I'm about as befuddled as you are, if my hunch is correct were you the one that slew that poor soul?"

Ace admitted to a fault he may not have been aware of prior to this moment. With Lin he didn’t have to be a leader, she could be a friend he can confide in for advice or just an honest opinion. As the Empire continued to hold the worlds in an iron grasp, the young girl hoped that he would never forget to keep her in his heart and mind. Friends weren’t difficult for Lin to come by, but Ace’s role as a leader figure in this fight may have unfortunate results on his mentality. The pressure of keeping them all safe and making the best use of their abilities seemed like a hard job, and it was one Lin didn’t feel eager to try for herself. Dismissal of the wounded arm because his life had brought him greater scenes of horrors did not change anything for Lin. Ace was worn and needed time, and Lin would say no more as he turned and walked back to bed. For a friend there was saying the right thing, and saying the wrong thing too. There was hope that in her words Ace would find that she was not out to criticize him as a human being, but that she only cared about his heart. The Ace she met in China was a caring boy, and she’d fight to make sure that within himself he kept his good nature and smile. Shizuka had passed by him and come to join her, carrying two brown cups of what Lin assumed to be water. Taking one in hand, Lin took a drink and did not mind its warmth in the slightest. The heat she could endure, but as remarkable as Lin was when it came to handling extreme temperatures she was still as human as anyone else in this room. The refreshing cup of water had emptied in moments, leaving Lin satisfied. A smile had shown itself, the gratitude to Shizuka plain on her face. Bowing her head in thanks to her friend, Lin raised her head back up and had begun to consider her home. It had been quite some time since Shizuka and Ace had been to her home; changes were few, the regime of the Empire was still constrictive but the rebellion was biding its time as best as they could. Restricting her people’s freedom hurt her, and a hand had went to grip her chest tightly as if pain had struck her. Shizuka and Ace could have seen it in her eyes – she missed China, so much that it hurt her. **“It’s …good. Mulan, Shang, Chien-Po, Ling, Yao …they told me to say hello to you and Ace, and to kick a lot of butt while we fought.” **Lin’s lip quivered, but she continued on. **“It’s hard to endure the foreign grip on our home, but as of right now we cannot take reckless risks. A strategy is forming to help free our people with the remnants of the Imperial Army that did not surrender once the Emperor was …”** Lin recalled the horror of his sudden execution and did not want to remember the panic that ensued. Invaders from an outside world who had overwhelmed any opposition the Chinese people had put up, any skirmishes were settled quickly without much favor in the corner of those native to the world. Notable figures who were loyal to the Emperor had to go into hiding, the people she had named were very much willing to fight, but there was one person who had convinced them to bide their time for the good of the people they cared about. **“Han, he’s well.”** Lin’s focus moved to her dear brother, the man who had looked out for her all her life. Shizuka would remember him well enough, and the reason for that brought a smile to her lips. She was beginning to recall better memories now.** “I think he’d want to see you again Shizuka, and Ace too. He still refuses to fight unless he is forced. His conviction will not falter, unless …”** Lin knew what it would take to force Han to take action. He was a good man and someone she could look up to; he loved his people, and he loved her more than anything, yet still he refused to pick up a sword and join in this fight. She couldn’t understand his reasons but knew that her brother was the smartest and bravest man she had ever met – if she brought Shizuka and Ace back home, perhaps he’d fight once he heard what was happening in the outside world. **“Remember that time when I brought up you and I becoming sisters …if you got married with my brother?”** Lin’s eyes sparked with childish joy, her smile was brimming with confidence. The nights they had spent together in China were ones she held dearly in her heart, and she’d never forget how fun it was to tease Shizuka about her crush. **“I was immature back then, and I kind of still am. Regardless, I hope that he’ll see …just how special you are, Shizuka. It’s because of him, you, and Ace that I could continue trying to get stronger. I want to help protect good people, and fight beside my friends for what’s right. When we get back to China, I’m going to tell him how wonderful you are, and maybe finally he’ll let someone in. I want it to be you, Shizuka. He likes you, so I’m sure with enough time he’ll be able to talk to you about things he won’t with me!” ** Lin figured she was just being a kid, but she was a kid who was soon to be a great warrior. Her eyes were moistened with the fond possibilities of the future, and it was a future she hoped she could share with Shizuka and Ace. ~-~ The twitches of Asahina and the grumbles within her throat had not gone unnoticed. Alem could determine quickly that that beast was after something. The Empire had been too tight-knit with the dealings in Agrabah, and never before had something like this run rampant in the streets. As it struggled to bring itself forward, Alem’s eyes wandered to Asahina, fearing for her safety as well as fearing what she might do. She had claws that she found grotesque, yet could probably shred flesh with ease as long as her aggression was properly guided. She was discomforted by her own body, and some kind of impulse was blooming as a result of this monsters presence. If she wasn’t here he would have taken Aseela and tried to guide it out of the city to avoid damage, but a beast and a beast, and it appeared as stupid as it was hideous. Its desire to race towards Asahina would be its undoing. **“It’s after you, hiding will no longer do any good. I could best it in one play, but there is no sense holding you back. It will have the attention of the entire population; should we end this quickly, I may still have time to hide you away, but that window is looking smaller by the second.”** Alem flexed his right hand idly by his side. Sand below them had begun to be attracted to it before revolving around it. At the palm of his hand a hilt had begun to form, followed by an entire blade; his khopesh had been called, the sands Alem had beckoned also encouraged its presence. The summoning was unnatural, but so was whatever desired Asahina so badly. **“We’ll devote ten seconds onto this skirmish, and if we cannot end it quickly enough we will be overwhelmed. Allow me the first move against that beast, it’s no match for us. When I lower my hand, make your move.”** Alem had stepped forward, extending his left hand forward towards the beast. Small grains of sand surrounded Alem and Asahina both, raised off of the ground at numerous heights and gradually expanding outwards to offer better awareness of the area. The grains were disturbed both above ground and within it; Aseela’s huffs of warning served as a secondary notice. There were things in the area that didn’t belong. **“Never mind what I told you about hiding, it's too late. Attack, now.”** Alem muttered. Emitting power from his being and bringing it forth towards the beast that had broken free and charged towards them stupidly, its ‘speed’ was reduced to nothing more than a painfully slow trot that could easily be taken advantage of. His ability to reduce the speed of others dramatically had provided Asahina the perfect advantage for dealing with a mindless beast such as that. Lowering his hand, Alem turned back with his blade drawn to fend off the creatures he felt moving through the very surface of the ground towards him. With what weapon he carried, Alem already knew of the creatures and had encountered them on several occasions outside of Agrabah. The presence of another had not gone unnoticed, and even though he had stopped the fodder that had tried to attack him Alem was not happy to see this man again. Whomever had released that beast had not only placed the people in danger out of their own impatience, but now he had to once again deal with scum because of it. He had underestimated the laziness of the Empire, and his tolerance had run out. He’d act against them now, not just for the people but his own satisfaction as a result of this cruelty. No more chances. Aseela stood firm knowing that the safest place was close beside Alem. **“Walk away.”** Alem warned Salforge. He would not be intimidated, reasoned with, or accepting of anything that would be said. It was because of his comrade’s lazy stupidity that Alem was no longer in a mood to entertain the Empire’s dogs, and that included the man who chose to make idle chat.

Shizuka's eyes narrowed as she noticed Lin's reaction to her question. She was clutching her chest, which was something she had seen Ace do many times now. An emotional cord had been struck and there was no taking it back, the note had already been heard. Being the courteous girl that she was, she answered the question in spite of her clear discomfort. Shizuka was relived to hear that Mulan and the others were well, ever since she learned of the empire's invasion of the Land of Dragons she had feared for everyone's safety. The topic changed to the current plans of action on her world, however Lin did not get far before she stumbled upon a memory that she clearly did not wish to discuss. She had not seen the Emperor of China executed, yet the reality of the matter had hit her hard regardless. Even as a warrior with many deadly techniques under her belt, she had not gone through the last rite of becoming a solider in a war, she had not seen death up close. Shizuka smiled and took a sip of water, letting Lin know in her own way that it was okay to go on. The new topic caught her off guard however. She gulped down some water too quickly, and had to stifle a cough. "Han would like to see me?" She said, bashfully turning her gaze away and hiding her wriggling grin with the cup in her hands. As if that wasn't enough of a shock to her system, Lin kept going, mentioning marriage and just how special she could become to her brother. If she were to blush any more at the moment the water in her hand would be steaming. It was as good as a schoolgirl crush, but in the time that she had gotten to know Han she had grown to deeply admire him. If she could see him again, she would need to steel herself and finally attempt to ask him out, she just hoped she didn't literally turn her body into steel, she often did that when nervous. It's more embarrassing than it sounds. Shizuka downed the cup of water and turned back to Lin with a not so flustered face. She took the empty cup from her and placed them both on a table. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit." She said, walking back over to Lin. You're Han's sister, if there's anyone he should be able to open up with it's you..." Shizuka giggled and idly scratched her cheek. "But~ I'm more than willing to help out if need be." She gently grasped Lin and hugged her into her chest. "I'd love to have a sister as cute as you, after all." She kept Lin right where she was for a moment, and for some reason she wondered if there would be a time when they could no longer spend time together. It was a dreadful thought, one she was more than happy with dispelling. "But you know, even if I didn't marry Han, I'd still be your friend for as long as I lived." __________ There was a strange feeling stirring inside of Asahina's body. She was physically in control of her body, yet at the same time felt as if she was drifting away from behaving in a way that the being known as "Asahina" would. She could hear Alem's voice, he was giving her instructions. However, his voice was muddled, not because of faulty hearing but because she swore that her body was choosing to ignore it. She felt as if she were in that machine again, suspended in animation with no way out, only the prison was now her own body... no, as she was now the entire world felt like a prison. The dark beast quickly approached, and as it did she felt the presence of many more heartless sprouting up around her. The small fry were of no matter, as she was now they would refrain from attacking her. Alem noticed the other heartless as well, and choose to tell her to strike now, she was more than eager to. She sprinted forward, only to be stopped by a sudden barrier. Someone else must have arrived, odd, she could not sense the presence of a heart. With her path being blocked she grew frustrated, she did not bother turning around to see who had interfered, instead she banged on the barrier with her hands. The force was enough to topple a reinforced wall, yet the barrier showed no signs of breaking. She let out a fierce roar and jumped into the air, darkness then began to swirl around her body like a whirlpool of black smoke. She kicked her legs, and pockets of darkness formed at her feet to step on, allowing her to clear over the barrier. She charged towards the beast, a furious scowl etched upon her face. The beast had suddenly slowed to a crawl, thanks to Alem's magic, and she intended to take full advantage. Brandishing her claws she dashed into her target, aiming for the limbs on the left side of it's body, she then skidded to a quick halt along the ground using her claws, and charged once more from behind, taking the other limbs. Asahina wasn't sure how she was doing this, she was conscious of her actions, even knew what she was about to do next, yet she refused to believe that this was her. She stopped right next to the monster, and began to claw at it manically. Her hands tore the flesh from it's body, and she wasn't sure when, but she had begun to laugh as she did so. What she did next was horrifying, she began to consume the heartless. As it's body tore apart it liquefied, allowing her to devour it. Her mouth opened to grotesque proportions, and she chewed and ripped with razor teeth. Soon enough nothing remained of her victim, and with the source of her ire gone she soon regained control over her body. "W-wha..." She fell to her knees and clutched her arms, shaking.

His right eye projected a screen just outside the outer rim of his pupil. Impossible to be seen from the outside, it rolled a screen similar to the one displayed for Ryoko, his 103rd providing a thorough breakdown analysis of all phenomenon within range of immovable block. To think the master, his old master devised an intricate device that had now become his lifeblood. The mercenary was already walking on eggshells in Agrabah, the locals were devastated and impoverished. The shrill screams bounced off of immovable block and reverberated all over. Then he did something unexpected, he sat down and simply waited. This wasn't an act of non-aggression, in fact he would leave it to him to discern just exactly what his intentions were. He could try, empathy reads were futile at best, every calculation is what he'd administer and he would win. He was a mercenary, his training was exceptional and constantly evolving to mete the situation based on the happenings and the way it sat, this would only get worse. "No." he blinked, and opened his eyes the sound of a sword swipe clad against steel. His immovable block had locked the area down, all exits were sealed in tier 1 barriers within a matter of seconds. These were smash able with three consecutive casts, but by the time they could potentially get off one, he would attack them without hesitation. The CI located in his left eye flickered, growing feverishly anxious to be unleashed at the sight of another application of a chrono-esque application. "Move me from this spot and then I will be more than happy to." Before his statement had even concluded, he formed a spired that was translucent in color, that rotated around his body, giving him an effective space of about two meters circumference. It's constant rotation in part with the mercenary's stationary position possessed a much larger problem for the opposition. As he did while inside the factory, here too he was reinforcing the area while rooted and completely stationary, and this was being done in a concurrent manner. However there was no visible fidelity of the action, and the longer he remained stationary the more hands on he could be with his blocks, reinforcing them against all alien acts of hostility. Salforge wasn't blind to the woman with the resident, she was definitely unnatural. Having witnessed this, so did his 103rd, he'd taken careful consideration devouring heartless as something exotic. Had Ryoko the time to offer him a better explanation, the heartless were certainly drawn to her as they were repelled by his unnatural existence. His arms hung off his knees and he waited, he was a skilled trapper and as well as a sandbag for hostiles. Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, he pulled out a book and began to read it in the middle of all of this.

Agrabah. Boy, was this place sure hot. Hot enough to cause Yu to seek shade for a majority of his stay. Nearly as soon as he arrived, he found his way to a cozy little bar. It had been about twenty minutes since he arrived there, and as long as he kept occasionally ordering a drink, it seemed that the barkeep wouldn't mind his stay. This place kept him out of the hot sun, and allowed him a little time to himself. There was a small table tucked away in a corner near the door, and he took his place there. So far, he was enjoying his little journey, although finding answers about himself was as difficult as he thought. He had no hints as to where he was born, and only fragmented memories of his birth parents. For now, he decided to put all of that on hold, and just enjoy his travels. It would do him well to learn about the different people and cultures of the other worlds. It was something he wanted to share with the kids at the orphanage when he returned, and his adoptive mother as well. Yu began to ponder his stay here in Agrabah. So far the biggest impression he received was that it was mainly a scorching hot desert town. Despite the fact that the people here seemed friendly enough, poverty had its root here. Children and adults alike would attempt to pickpocket and steal, suffering harsh penalties if they were caught. Attempting to take his mind off such matters, he began to brainstorm about possible souvenirs to get. There was sure to be a place here where he could buy a nice gift, or something as a memento of his to be short trip here. After ordering food, that's exactly what he'd do. He waved over one of the waitresses, placing his order for a simple dish. She informed him the expected time of the food to come to him would probably be about fifteen minutes. As he patiently wait for his meal, he considered the many things to buy. The idea of getting a scarf for his mother was sounding appealing, and it was pretty difficult to go wrong with something such as that. Seeing as his mother's taste wasn't too complicated, he opted to get her something with a simple design. Now all he had to do was find somewhere that sold scarves. It shouldn't be too hard to find, seeing as there are merchants selling their wares on nearly every street. It would just have to come down to finding the right one. Yu leaned back in his chair, listening to the slight creaking as he adjusted himself. He reached for his cup, taking a sip of its contents before placing it back down. After he ate and paid, he would go to retrieve his gift. After that, he figure something else out, if not find somewhere to sleep for the night.

-------------------------------------- ~~~~~~Agrabah / Royal Street (Main Street leaving from the Palace)~~~~~~ Speed had slowed for the charging beast, yet its mind was still as quick and as sharp as ever thanks to its many eyes still present along its body, each one sending a wave of information to it. Wildly Asahina swung her claws as she danced around the creature, tearing solid lumps of flesh from the abomination which promptly became nothing more than splashes of liquid darkness, and yet still the beast swung just as frantically back at the attacking woman. As more of the abomination faded with every swipe and devour from Asahina, the splashes that stained the ground still completed their purpose, with many more of the Neo-Shadows sprouting up like weeds, but like the others soon retreated to the shadows in fear of the two beasts of darkness attacking one another. Soon there was nothing left of the monster except the destruction it had caused in its wake, that and the now rare drops of darkness stained ground from which the new groups of Heartless had come from. Crawling towards the shaking form of Asahina after her fragile mind had returned, the new Heartless that remained quickly returned to their own feral minded selves, the now growing group turning on the only other two figures that weren't like them. Stirred into a frenzy the Neo-Shadows flung themselves towards the large barrier created by Salforge, their large claws bouncing off the reflective surface while others reduced themselves to their famous liquid darkness. Staining the barriers it was as if the creatures were learning what worked and didn't, the more forceful ways being one that didn't, and so becoming liquid as if to try and leak through any cracks or spaces that might exist, all to get at the two figures, more the one who possessed a heart than anything else. ~~~~~~Agrabah / Palace Gates~~~~~~ Though the massive gates had been charged through by the Abomination of darkness, unlike the weaker constructs that were destroyed in the creature's wake as it made its way down Royal Street, those that separated the palace from the rest of the city were sturdy enough to survive in one whole piece. The masked and robed figures that had been responsible for letting the beast loose continued with their duties, most monitoring the machines that had been set up around them, while a small handful that seemed to be in charge made any needed changes due to the data being transmitted to them. The sound of the main machine, that seemed to branch out and link to all the others, beginning to power down, immediately caused all of the figures to stop what they were doing and watch for any changes. Only a low hum and flicker of life from the machine showed any kind of continued activation, and with no apparent change the lead masked figure's eyes began to glow a dark purple, an action that quickly spread through to the other figures and most likely anything else like them. ~~~~~~Agrabah / Bazaar-Inn Street~~~~~~ Though the panicking crowds had fled the bazaars of Royal Street, those who populated the side areas seemed to remain oblivious to what was happening. The inns and taverns that seemed to pop up everywhere were still full of drinking and eating customers, and the more smaller stalls that couldn't handle Royal Street were still selling their tiny amount of wares to any passer-bys. Though the strange clothes worn by the walking Nomis and Caleb were clear enough to tell everyone who saw them that they weren't from this world, the way the crowds parted and quickly moved out of their way was also clear of the authority and powerful presence they had. The sudden immediate halt to Nomis' steps was enough to cause Caleb to stop in turn, looking back towards his uncle and about to question whatever had changed. The dark look of his uncle's eyes told Caleb all he needed to know, the young man taking the time to look around their current surroundings while Nomis silently stood. "_What is it? Has the experiment already completed its task?_" "_**Yes Lord Clacverk...monitoring it after release the experiment gave a strong and constant pulse of energy. Which quickly faded after, we agree to be most logical, the assimilation phase from the target.**_" "_Good, the foreign entity should make any kind of control of the target simple once it has been given time. Begin increasing the pulse now steadily._" "_**Yes Lord Clacverk...**_"

**“Of course he would!”** Lin was quick to reinforce her point, amused by Shizuka’s own surprise. The impression that girl could make was a strong one, and it was funny to see her squirm under the pressure of trying to impress someone. Lin understood that feeling all too well, so it was nice to see someone else experience the butterflies in ones stomach for once. Taking the empty cup from her hand after smoothly finishing hers, Shizuka had made mention to something Lin had already considered. Being Han’s little sister should have meant a lot, but she believed Shizuka didn’t quite understand the situation she was in. Lies and secrets can be cruel, yet could also be used to protect someone or something very dear to you. Lin had never doubted her brother’s love for her, and he never allowed her to either. Opening up was a lot harder than keeping the doors closed. Shizuka seemed to underestimate her brother’s strength of will in favor of optimism, this was one of those times where Lin could not easily agree. Shizuka tugged her gently into her hold, hugging her in kindness and care that momentarily made Lin think of her mother. The exhaustion of the events leading up to arriving in this world were beginning to take stronger hold, but Lin allowed herself to stay attentive for just a little longer with arms wrapping around Shizuka. **“If you’ll be my friend for as long as you live, I’ll be your friend even after our lives end.”** Lin muttered, though with her lips pressed against the fabric of Shizuka’s clothing it may have been hard to make it out. Of all things she wanted right now, sleep was slowly making its way at the top of the list. Before Shizuka could offer another word of advice, Lin was soundly asleep in her grasp. ~-~ As Yu was prepared to leave, a certain small but honest merchant (but not really) stumbled past him with two men, both with red sashes around their waists. **“Is it time yet?” ** **“It would seem so, we have visitors from other worlds eager to put an end to all this. This is the opportunity we have been looking for.”** Okal would mention to one of his companions, gesturing towards the bar. The two men had seated themselves there, leaving Okal to be between the two. **“It doesn’t hurt to have a little outside assistance to remove an outside problem. Our patience shall pay off, I assure you.”** The two men looked at each other, a mixture of joy and concern on their faces, leaving a very difficult expression to read. ** “Will ‘he’ help?”** **“He? By ‘He’ you must mean our own hand to play!”** Okal rubbed his hands together.** “You leave me to inform him. It will not hurt to have other options for aiding us, but Agrabah only has one hero.”** ~-~ **“Both arrogant and stupid. You waste time because yours is worth none. Good to know, outsider.” **Alem summed up Salforge’s actions quickly, not bothering to struggle. Playing games with someone whose actions had no higher cause or purpose other than to irritate the other and seek attention was not a game he wished to play. Dismissing his khopesh and turning towards Asahina, Alem guided Aseela to Asahina’s side. At the very least he’d take advantage of the barrier that kept the foreign creatures at bay. Seeing her whimper as a result of her actions against that beast, Alem could not find the time to console her, especially now. Asahina had a weak disposition, and this wasn’t the time or place to mend that weakness. Taking her hand and holding it firmly, Alem gave a glance towards a nearby alley, eying seemingly nothing. The sands that suspended around them gave him the hint that there was a presence hidden beyond the barrier, and with a plea to his higher being, Allah, Asahina, Alem, and Aseela vanished instantaneously leaving no trace behind.