Belphagor opened his eyes, and his aura burst forth. It was a crimson red, tinged with black. The world seemed to grow to a blinding halt within the room. The man seated on the throne was nothing special in terms of height, but was bulky with all manner of restraints attached to him. He looked into the intruders eyes and found something amusing in them, the man was linked to another.

He summoned one of the Warlocks, knowing that the timetrapped intruder was relaying everything that happened. Much to the shock of those there, he reached into his chest and pulled out a red coin with a dragon symbol.

"You are either brave or foolish to come here alone. You are fortunate I am in need of entertainment." As he spoke, a coinslot formed over the Nobody's heart, and he slotted in the coin. It began to convulse and form into a red humanoid dragon holding a spear. The eyes of the former Nobody glowed with malice.

"This minion contains one ninth of my power. Let's see how long you last alone."

As he said that, he pulled back his aura and the dragon began to assault the swordsman. The demonic being watched from his throne of bones as the animalistic creature charged at the opponent, hijacking the telepathic bond the man had to send a message.

"Bring the others here or I will kill him."

@Shoddy McCoy

"Huh? Apprentice?" Vic pointed to himself awash with a look of confusion, "Well, no... not really." and just like that he let himself fall back into silence. He was no diplomat, he was barely a fighter. In fact the question of why he was even here in the first place still nagged at the back of his head even now. But his quiet wasn't meant to last it seemed. The youngest of brothers excitedly introduced himself, and apparently his name was Victor. According to Agni, they were similar. Unfortunately, Vic just couldn't see it.

"Friends? Me?" he looked confused again. This was the second time in the same day that a stranger asked to be his friend. This never happened back home, people kept to their own and stuck within their clicks or inner circles, always hesitant to allow anyone new inside them. But these brothers were practically the opposite of that. Well, two of them were anyway. Ignitio remained skeptical of basically everything, and that included Vic as well, "Well, sure, okay." he said, nodding but honestly had no idea what else to say.

Well, he was saved from further conversation by Judah, who led them to a safehouse. Based on the conversation, it sounded like the Princess wasn't really a princess. That was honestly a little disappointing, as it meant Vic wouldn't get to meet a princess after all. Oh well, at least the mission was going easily enough. He'd been kind of expecting them to have to fight their way to wherever the Princess of Heart was, but instead they were being led to her peacefully and without any hassle. Once they entered the building, Judah called to the girl named Lucy, who emerged from behind the hood of a truck. The sight of her made Vic stop in his tracks.

The way she looked, her obvious inclination for tools and machinery. It was like looking at a grown up Ashley! Vic found himself staring at her, but only a fleeting moment before he realized it and quickly looked for something else to focus his curious gaze on.

---

Ezra's breathing began to grow heavier. With each lash of the whip, his own fatigue creeped up to him another inch closer. He obviously wasn't going to last in a dragged out fight. The Lost Soul Beast was just too much of a monster for that strategy to work. Instead he needed to do something more decisive. In truth there was only really one way of stopping the Lost Soul Beast, but actually mustering the strength necessary to pull it off?

The Lost Soul Beast began to advance again, but Ezra decided to drop his strategy of keeping his distance. With another lash of the whip weapon, its segments wrapped tightly around the base of the Beast's sword and the hand that gripped it. Ezra pulled as hard as he could, disarming the Beast was likely not possible, not with such a stark difference in their physical strength. But Ezra could at least try to keep the Beast from swinging the weapon. The Beast's arm trembled and shook, it's fury only seeming to grow even more before it suddenly yanked its arm back with inhuman strength. With the whip still wrapped tightly around, Ezra found himself flung forward, right toward the proverbial jaws of death.

He had to think fast, and an idea popped into his head, "Dark Firaga!" he shouted, releasing an explosive dark fireball from his free hand when he was close enough to physically shove it right into the Beast's face. The explosive force knocked Ezra back, but it also did so to the Beast, who staggered back and looked like it actually took real battle damage for the first time since this battle was begun. As for Ezra, he staggered to his feet. The whip weapon glowed a bit before it returned to its original Keyblade shape. The two women approached and seemed to be flanking him on both sides at about this point. So from this point it looked like Ezra wouldn't have to fight alone.

Mysterious Keyhole, Ongoing World War II

Tocsax grinned as he walked over to the Keyhole, lifting up said Keyblade in order to seal it. "It's always good to know the people you'll be fighting beside. Very well, let me give you a summary of each of our remaining members, including a few tidbits they don't know I know..."

As he sealed the Keyhole, Tocsax gave Astus a short summary of the various members' backstories, powers, and abilities, before telling him of the objectives each team faced. "Agni, Ignitio, Victor, and Vic are in Great Britain, getting the Princess of Heart of this world on our side. Georgia, Asher, and Hirutila are eliminating Adolf Hitler, a most sanguinary tyrant who killed tens of millions of people in both this timeline and the Original one."

A pause. "As for Yuuta, he's been sent to eliminate Josef Stalin, another sanguinary tyrant, but I think that Stalin already got eliminated by someone else."

Tocsax then finished resealing the Keyhole, before saying, "Thank you for making this much easier than it would have been otherwise, by the way."

London, England, Ongoing World War II

Lucy replied to Judah as she kept repairing the army truck, "That's good! Sorry for not being able to prepare a quick lunch, but happy to meet you all - My name is Lucille Bolt, mechanic and repairwoman! And I think that if Judah trusts you, I am going to as well."

Her voice seemed charged with energy, with an enthusiasm that most people would find infectious. Judah was visibly smiling as he looked at Agni before making his reply, "If it puts Lucy in danger, automatic refusal. But I will still hear you out - There are hints of something greater coming from Moogle Gossip, but they're not saying anything much."

He then took off his trenchcoat and deposited it at a nearby hanger, revealing the shirt and vest underneath, as well as a long pair of trousers and thick combat boots. Then he continued to say to Agni, Victor, and Vic, ignoring Ignitio for now, "But first, lunch. You three, can you cook? I have some talent in the kitchen myself."

Then to Vic, Judah said, "You're fourteen, so you're allowed to stare if you're innocent enough. And you're one of the rare people who are innocent enough." A smile. "Keep that up. Now let's go prepare some Kosher meals!"

Berlin, Germany, Ongoing World War II

A few outlying patrols of Heartless were avoided as the team went into the city, with the buildings, alleyways, and motorcars providing plenty of cover for them. But as they went deeper into Berlin, the group might feel a chill, an increasing sense of coldness that was unconnected to the weather. Patrols of Search Ghosts* would multiply, each projecting a searchlight from their good eye which they used to seek out infiltrators. These patrols were followed up by Nazis in Possessed Trucks which moved by themselves - These men were clearly battle-hardened, carrying automatic and semi-automatic weapons as well as daggers and truncheons.

*khwiki.com/Search_Ghost

@Double@Gentlemanvaultboy@Ryteb Pymeroce@ShadowVentus@Nerevarine@Shoddy McCoy@MagusDream

BGM: Satellite Café Terrace still playing

Lucy replied to Judah as she kept repairing the army truck, "That's good! Sorry for not being able to prepare a quick lunch, but happy to meet you all - My name is Lucille Bolt, mechanic and repairwoman! And I think that if Judah trusts you, I am going to as well."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lucille. I'm Agni and these are Ignitio, Victor and Vic." Agni presented them. "You... look really pretty! Oh, but you seem super cool too!" Victor said. Ignitio kept himself quiet, not interested in talking much.

Her voice seemed charged with energy, with an enthusiasm that most people would find infectious. Judah was visibly smiling as he looked at Agni before making his reply, "If it puts Lucy in danger, automatic refusal. But I will still hear you out - There are hints of something greater coming from Moogle Gossip, but they're not saying anything much."

Agni could understand what it meant to having her put into danger. At the same time, bringing Lucy with them was necessary. After all, they were here for her. "I see. Well, like I said, I's very much explain it to you. Although I believe it's best if we spoke in particular. You, her and me." Agni said. "I am not letting you speak with a stranger alone, much less with someone who almost attacked us in sight." Ignitio protested, walking forward. "Ignitio, I need you and Victor on the lookout. Apparently, the Heartless are still on the run and we need you to defend the shop while we talk." Agni explained.

"Aye aye, Agni- ouch!!" Victor saluted, but he rose his hand so fast that he ended up hitting himself. "Oww, that hurts..." Victor compained. "As... you can see, we'll definitely need someone looking out for the shop. I trust you're able to do it." Agni spoke. Ignitio nodded and looked at Judah. He sent a serious glare before turning his face away.

He then took off his trenchcoat and deposited it at a nearby hanger, revealing the shirt and vest underneath, as well as a long pair of trousers and thick combat boots. Then he continued to say to Agni, Victor, and Vic, ignoring Ignitio for now, "But first, lunch. You three, can you cook? I have some talent in the kitchen myself."

"I can cook. I'll help you two out." Agni spoke. "Uh... I don't know how to cook... oh, but I can play music for us to have fun!" Victor said, summoning his violin. Ignitio looked at them. "I don't need to eat. Have lunch to yourselves. The least I can do is check if there's no poison in the food." He said. "Go outside. If you're going to be grumpy and stupid, you can do the watch job early." Agni spoke, shooing Ignitio away. "... Alright, fine. Just be careful, I don't want you or Victor getting hurt." Ignitio said, leaving the shop.

"Friends? Me?" he looked confused again. This was the second time in the same day that a stranger asked to be his friend. This never happened back home, people kept to their own and stuck within their clicks or inner circles, always hesitant to allow anyone new inside them. But these brothers were practically the opposite of that. Well, two of them were anyway. Ignitio remained skeptical of basically everything, and that included Vic as well, "Well, sure, okay." he said, nodding but honestly had no idea what else to say.

Victor just reminded that Vic had answered about him becoming friends. He thought about topics to talk with Vic. "So, erm... Vic. You... do you... no, that's not the question... maybe I could... wait, that's not good..." Victor thought out loud. Soon, he started to get nervous. "Erm... uhh... w-well... I was going to... maybe we could... urgh...!! Agni, help me here! I don't know any topics to talk with friends!" He called for help. Agni looked at him, awkward to be called like that. "Umm... maybe talk about music, I guess?" He spoke, a little uncertain. "Oh, music! Right, good idea! So, uh... let's start this again. Vic-" Victor was going to ask again, but he froze. Again. "Uhh... hmmm... no, I don't know how to ask that either!! Agni, help again, please!" Victor called for help once more.

Hirutila had seen many abhorrent things in his time as a pirate. The sight of men reduced to nothing more than fleshy puddles of viscera and blood after being crushed, the smell of smoke and charred flesh wafting in the air as he and his men trapped the insubordinate residents of the villages they raided in central buildings to burn after they had become a little too rebellious and insolent. He had heard the screams and cries of his men and the enemy soldiers they faced as they were struck down and fought through their death throes. Yet, despite it all, he found himself uncharacteristically unsettled by the challenge they now faced.

Not a single sound, even the wind seemed to have died in the aftermath of the cities purge. The Heartless had stripped it of any life like a fungus strips bones of any flesh. Each footstep of the party felt unnatural against the absolute silence. Hirutila cringed each time his feet made contact with the soil. It was loose and soft, like sand, no roots to keep it held together, no insects dwelling within to cultivate it. It was not just the animals that had been exorcised, Hirutila took note of the lack of any kind of plant, no trees, no shrubbery, even the grass had withered away into nothing. "Even the earth feels dead..." he uttered out, his voice showing obvious signs of disturbance.

The party would continue on foot for some time, weaving in and out of the empty shells of buildings, taking back routes to avoid the patroling Heartless. About a third through their treck, Hirutila was becoming annoyed by a cool wind blowing along. He ignored it until finally, he had enough of it.

"Does anyone else feel that?" he spoke. He was certain he was not losing his mind just yet, the weather was much milder when they departed from the Gummi Ship, perhaps even warm for those not raised in a desert like him. Yet now it was becoming freezing to the point of being unbearable. "It could not have gotten this cold so quickly..."

Hirutila looked up to see the sky above them had become dominated by Heartless, strange ghostlike figures that swarmed above, eyes emitting a bright yellow searchlight onto the streets below. Hirutila quickly dragged his companions into an alleyway. Hoping to get out of sight. As Hirutila turned to look, the sound of a vehicle followed after the ghosts had passed, with men mounted in the back, carrying weapons. Hirutila was unsure of what they carried, only connecting back to what Georgia had spoken with him about earlier concerning guns. Hirutila shuttered at the thought of coming into direct conflict with one of these patrols.

"Well, it looks like things have gotten a bit harder for us...so what do we do now?"



Audry raised her arms up, guarding her face as the explosion scattered sand across the battleground. She had to give props to the guy, he was doing better than she expected. His next display had her all the more surprised. The whip he held, it changed into...a keyblade?! Was that even possible? She had never heard the Nazarenes speak on any such thing. Audry briefly pondered over it. Maybe she was just seeing things, the venom from those spikes Rago had bored into her must be playing tricks with her eyes.

Audry cracked open the shotgun's barrel, ejecting an empty shell as she started loading up the weapon again. Cracking it back closed, she took aim at the Lost Soul Beast.

"Silver Bullet!" she yelled out, as her gun began to glow a luminous white as the weapon became infused with the 'Holy' spell, drawing the attention of the Lost Soul beast. As she held on, the energy welled up in the barrel until it was shining, and Audry pulled hard on the trigger, sending the slug inside rocketing out, trailing a path of holy magic behind it as it traveled towards the Lost Soul Beast. Audry had aimed for the beast's eyes, though she doubted her shotgun had enough accuracy to hit on its mark. No...for that she'd need something a little more precise. Audry extended her arm to the side, as the shotgun materialized away into a pale green mist, only for the mist to fall back into place, taking on a new shape, not that of the shotgun, but a rifle. Audry aimed the weapon up once more.

Audry positioned herself, though she found herself stumbling around as she tried. The venom was having some rather interesting effects. Oh...had the Lost Soul Beast always been that shade of rainbow? Had Capella been made entirely of fire this entire time? Why was the sun smiling at her?

Audry held her head, a noxious pain radiating inside of it. She wasn't sure how much longer she was going to be able to last like this. They had better hurry up before she was completely out.

Mysterious Keyhole, Ongoing World War II

"Thank you for making this much easier than it would have been otherwise, by the way."

He was right. It had all been too easy. Astus came in expecting a full-blown war between gods and got a bunch of underpaid soldiers not even putting up a fight. He knew things would've gotten worse. He'd peered into the minds of Tocsax's crew (he still asked him about them out of force of habit, you want to keep people guessing as to whether you've been screwing around with their minds or not) and seen the two Leo the Mathematicians seige the Blachrenae Palace. Those two people, no, things, had power that rivaled those of the Gods.

For years he'd scampered through vast cosmic patches of land, narrowly avoiding death by earth-splitting thunderbolt, colossal tsunami, or careless stumble into an abyss leading into the void. The Gods wanted him dead, and he wouldn't let them have him. He enjoyed seeing them stumble and fall upon one another like drunk coyotes struggling to catch a speeding roadrunner. At one point he stopped enjoying being on the run: those tough guys had too much matters on their hands to mind him. For years he roamed the earth, considering his actions and for once not running away from Gods.

It was only now that he had to deal with them again.

Bring the others here or I will kill him.

Astus snickered. He could feel the demon's ego radiating from the psychic link. Yuuta was nasty, he was difficult to exert control over, but a man throws away all other thoughts he has when in battle. Tapping into the psychic link, he found himself shoving away the psyche of the warrior and coming face to face with one of the princes of Hell. He suppressed a laugh as he began to imitate Yuuta's distinct lazy drawl.

---

Moscow, Soviet Russia, Ongoing World War II

"Hi, I'm Yuuta Yuudai, a virgin in his late twenties. I gamble a lot and read erotic magazines. People who've met me think I'm the most unremarkable person ever. One thing you should know about me, though, is that I'm a complete madman. I'm the perfect combination of foolish and brave. Wise and cautious people shape the world and people like me screw it up. Right now, what I'm going to screw up is whatever perverse plan for world domination you have in that narrow demonic mind of yours."

"By the way, if you kill me, then go get the others yourself. You're a prince of Hell, aren't you?"

As soon as Astus released his control of Yuuta's psyche, Yuuta's mind shot into action. One might not be too good at Math, but all our brains make countless calculations about what we should do when faced with a dire situation. They calculate distances to be run, heights to be scaled, and probabilities as to what will happen. The only difference here is that a literal God had given Yuuta's brain a push, one so forceful that it would take a while for him to get back to his senses.

---

Mysterious Keyhole, Ongoing World War II

"Lets keep going.", said Astus. "There might be more soldiers waiting for us."

@Letter Bee

---

Moscow, Soviet Russia, Ongoing World War II



Yuuta was very angry. First, the Yoshirou Clan had used him for their own benefit. After that, the Sanctuary had attacked, taking his homeland for themselves. They also took someone very important from him. All the anger he had felt from those ordeals, along with anger from all the petty tantrums he had when he'd stopped killing people and become a gambling idler, converged.

He didn't know why he was so angry. The Trickster God might've screwed around with him.

All he knew was that he had to kill that thing in front of him and the other thing in front of it.

In one quick moment he took up a stance and gathered all the ki around him, ki found in the plants, animals, and everywhere else. The Kremlin's once immaculate ground began to crack and shudder as the madman grabbed every bit of energy it had to offer him. He drew the sword, it's blade gleaming sickeningly. The simple yet harsh movement of his body and the rush of ki into it tore apart his attire, leaving his upper body, a gallery of scars and bruises, exposed. With one quick maneuver, he swung his sword at the dragon's neck.

If he was going to die here, then he was going to go out in a blaze of glory.



@Ryteb Pymeroce

Mysterious Keyhole, Ongoing World War II

"It seems the Keyhole was not the main priority of the Seekers here - Nor is capturing me despite my supposed importance to their plans," Tocsax said. "This is ominous." The Nobody then gestured to make a Corridor of Darkness, but the latter fizzled out as soon as it was created, causing the former to shout, "And to think that this was a trap after all!"

Footsteps can be heard behind them, and Tocsax turned around to find a man in a black robe, hood lowered to reveal tan mediterrenean skin and unnaturally-white hair that fell down to his shoulder blades. There was a thin, fox-like smile on his face as he extended his own Keyblade, whose dark hilt had two bat wings radiating from a central eye.

"False Hakim!" shouted Tocsax, "So, you're the one they sent to capture me." There was a trace of the fear he had shown before, but the Nobody dealt with it better now - Or was it because False Hakim seemed to be alone? "Whatever the case, you're not taking me - No one is taking me."

The response from Leo's Heartless was a thin smile as he said, "Poor little Tocsax, still flailing around in desperation, all the while playing into our hands..."

Astus could see that False Hakim had as much power as a 'God'... But so did Tocsax when the latter chose to unveil himself, such as now when the Nobody shouted, "Zero Graviga!," causing False Hakim as well as the unconcious bodies of the men and women from Fallout: Apocalypse Averted, to float around along with their weapons. Tocsax then followed up with a "Zantetzuken," a straight slash that seemed to cut through False Hakim's body for a few moments, but turned out not to have done only the measliest bit of actual damage. Nevertheless, Tocsax, with Astus in tow, was running outside the chamber where the Keyhole was -

Only for Mount Etna behind them to suddenly erupt, the smoke and fire from the mountain mixed with pure Darkness, deep unlight that rained down on the surrounding area, allowing masses of Crimson Jazzes* and Flame Cores** to manifest all around Tocsax and Astus. And behind the two, False Hakim was in quick pursuit, saying, "Surrender now, Tocsax! A new future awaits!"

"Never!" Tocsax said as he raised his Keyblade and shouted, "Deep Freeze!," causing the area around him to chill for a moment before he continued his escape, trying to find some safe place where he can open another corridor or call for help. Of course, Astus can do the latter as well, but who'd answer?

*khwiki.com/Crimson_Jazz

**khwiki.com/Flame_Core

London, England, Ongoing World War II

Judah ben Issac chuckled as he began cooking kosher chicken, lamb, and vegetables, al the while singing to himself as he cooked. Then he said to Agni, "You can chop the peppers - The Moogles have been importing them for a discount from so-called 'other worlds' to lighten our food shortages in Great Britain. So despite the hopelessness of everything, we at least no longer have to ration our food."

Lucy, meanwhile, had finished repairing the Army Truck and said, "I'm going to shower - Make sure none of the boys you brought in peek!"

The response from Judah was, "I won't, don't worry!"

-------

Food was prepared, and over a plate of lamb, Judah asked Agni, "Alright, so, what do you and the Moogles need with Lucy? As in, what is the 'Princess of Heart' nonsense all about?"

Berlin, Germany, Ongoing World War II

The wind was growing colder, and a sound like the clanking of coins can be heard upon the wind. Georgia might - might - sense that the cold feeling came from whatever bits of currency - Munny or just money - they had on their person. Surely she can get the implications of this, right?

@Double@Gentlemanvaultboy@Ryteb Pymeroce@ShadowVentus@Nerevarine@Shoddy McCoy@MagusDream

...Things weren't looking too good. In the time that Capella had been separated from the man, he was only able to cause minimal damage to his brother, or what was left of him. Audry tried her hand at subduing the beast herself, but with the injures she'd already sustained (or at least the ones Capella could see), it didn't look like she'd be able to do anything so long as the Lost Soul didn't stand still. Unfortunately for them, they were all suffering from injuries some garnered from this whole ordeal and others beforehand. The blonde still had yet to return to 100% from her previous brawl, but it didn't look like she'd have a choice on whether to hold back or not.

The other two could handle attacking. She'd have to at least slow the monster down. I was all she could do.

Taking a deep breath to relax her tense muscles, Capella's hand moved like the wind, one creating two glyphs with her fingers while the other was moving Halcyon around like a wand, drawing another glyph. All three showed the constellation of Andromeda. Overlaying them together and putting out the magic needed for this work, Capella began her incantation.

"al ras al mar’ah al musalsalah,
mizar,
Messier Object 31, Andromeda!"

As the last syllable left her mouth, the three glyphs exploded into head sized balls of scorching light. Said balls hovered in the air as they surrounded the Lost Soul, eventually shooting out gold chains of light towards the beast in all directions. The holy chains themselves were meant to restrict and restrain, going for the arms and legs, before grabbing onto the torso and the neck. Capella had no control over what the monster would do to retaliate, so she could only hope that it was at least enough to hold it down for a little bit.

As for the blonde and teal haired girl herself, her vision blurred the moment she finished the incantation, her whole body felt like jelly as her magic was draining out of her like water in a sink. Calling for the aid of a Messier Object as well as two other stars from the same constellation...Capella reminded to never let herself do something so brain melting ever again. Despite this feeling, Capella readied another glyph, albeit, very slowly, her inability to firmly hold her Keyblade as well as concentrate on what was even going on around her was proving to be a problem.

BGM: Primal Eyes

Truth be told there was no stopping the Lost Soul Beast. There was only two ways to do it, and the second involved simply killing them. As for the first, Ezra honestly had no idea if he had the strength to pull it off. The Lost Soul Beast went to attack once again. Ezra braced himself but found himself saved by a projectile that came from one of the two young women. The unexpected shot hit the Beast in the head, glancing off the helmet but was enough of a surprise make it stagger back a step. That was when orbs of light surrounded it and shot forth chains in an attempt to restrain the Lost Soul Beast.

Against all the odds, the chains actually did hold for now. The purple-armored Lost Soul Best struggled to move, but only really managed to move itself about an inch or so before the chains would tighten their hold once again. This was it! It had to be. No other opportunity would present itself to get this right. It was now, or never! Ezra shot forward, sprinting as fast as his legs would carry him. He pulled back the blade of his weapon in preparation for a high speed thrusting attack that would hit the Beast square in the lower torso, "HYAAAAAAAH!" Ezra cried out as his attack came ever nearer to Lost Soul Beast. But all once, the the image of Shun's face flashed in his mind. Ezra's eyes widened in surprised horror, realizing all too late that he had stopped his own attack just short of hitting the Beast. And also before he realized it, his eyes began to water with tears. It was plainly obvious what happened. He couldn't go through with it.

"Why do you hesitate? Stop Shun now!"

The voice surprised Ezra. His eyes shot toward the right hand of the Lost Soul Beast. On its middle finger rested a very ornate ring shaped similarly to Shun's helmet, but with small bat wings extending upward for decoration. It was largely iron or steel in color, save for the central piece that was a deep purple amethyst similar to Shun's armor. The ring could speak, and was the source of the voice that spoke. This was enough to snap Ezra out of his hesitation, but he could already tell that the Lost Soul Beast was about break itself free of the chains. It was too late to strike it down now. Instead there was only the next best thing. Ezra reached up and forcibly removed the ring from the Beast's finger before taking a short hop backwards. He quickly slid the ring on his own finger and began to channel the ring's power.

Ezra swiped his ring-adorned hand forward until it drew a pentagram shape in the air. That pentagram expanded in radius and encircled the Lost Soul Beast. Just as the chains had finally broke, the pentagram summoned forth a Corridor of Darkness that swallowed the Lost Soul Beast, transporting it to some other place. The point was, it was no longer here and the hard fought battle could finally come to end. As for Ezra, he dropped the Keyblade, the weapon vanishing in a flash of Light and Shadow before he himself dropped to his knees. He was at a loss for words. He had a chance, one chance to potentially end it... and he hesitated.

And with that, the beast was gone. Audry lowered her weapon, eyes blinking on in amazement. It really was gone right? No more of her eyes playing tricks on her? The man from before now knelt in distress. Sobbing in a time of victory? Audry did not understand. While the man was emotionally hurt, that much was clear, he seemed physically stable. The woman's green eyes drifted lazily to the side, to catch a glimpse of her charge, the person she was sent to protect. Unfortunately, it looked like Capella was putting herself under great strain to so much as stand up.

No sense in storming Mecca now, in this state the best they could hope for was local guards having enough mercy to aim for a vital organ so their deaths would be quick. The rifle in Audry's had faded away into the same flash of green mist as the shotgun, as she moved to step forward. But as the foot came down, the sand swallowed it, prompting the unstable woman to tilt forward and be met with the excruciating feeling of hot desert sand against one's bare face. Not even a yelp escaped Audry's mouth as she felt her body tense up rapidly, painfully even, as every muscle seemed to contract and relax over and over rapidly. She struggled to force air in and out of her lungs as the spasms continued, each one growing more and more unbearable until she felt herself slowly slip away. The spasming seemed to stop as her psyche finally snapped, eyes rolling back into her head as she lay limp in the desert sand.


A pleasant warmth radiated in the air, not quite hot yet not cold. Audry awoke to the feeling a soft breeze carrying a lock of her hair and dragging it across her face. This triggered a sneeze, prompting the woman to awaken, only to find herself face to face with someone else.

"You're awake!"

Audry's eyes widened as she lept backward at the unsolicited musical, sitting up and pushing her hands out in front of her. The strange woman only looked on in confusion.

"Did I scare you..."the woman inquired, the tone of voice suggesting genuine concern and regret. Audry simply stared back, her eyebrows furrowed, her mouth agape unsure of what to say. Without prompting, the strange woman threw herself upon Audry's lap, weeping as she did so, Audry only having time to let out a small sound of confusion as the woman began her long tirade of repentance.

"I'm so sorry, miss. Please please please forgive me. I didn't mean to scare you I promise. I was just sent here to get you!"

Like a child, the woman kicked her feet up and down as she lay on her stomach, face down, buried in Audry's lap. Audry was lucky enough to still be clothed in the Arab's disguise she had "borrowed". Even though the pants the wetness of the woman's tears were seeping through, and she could only imagine how disgusting the feeling of skin wet from tears and whatever else was coming out of her face against her own skin would be. Audry grabbed the young woman's head, lifting her off, her face red and puffy, soaked, and more tears still coming from her.

"You're fine, you're fine. I just got a little startled, it's okay."

The woman sniffed as she looked at her

"What was this you were saying? You came to get me?"

The other simply nodded her head in agreement, not yet saying any other words. Audry tilted her own head to the side in confusion. Who would be expecting her? And most of all, where were they?

"If there's someone waiting for me, I don't think I should keep them waiting. Let's go~!". Audry let out a small smile as she said this, singing out the final part as she did so. The other woman smiled, her crying ceasing as she helped Audry to her feet.

"But if you don't mind me asking..."

The other woman let out an inquisitive hmm?

"Where are we?"

"Oh!" The woman beemed with happiness as she got the question, her teeth flashing as she gave a wide smile. "We're in Neorxnawang, silly!"

Audry's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. "Neorxnawang!"

---

"But I don't get it," Audry spoke, biting into an apple she picked off of a tree along the walk to this mysterious host. The woman, who had informed Audry that her name was Roxanna, was enjoying an orange herself. "I thought only dead people went to Neorxnawang?"

Roxanna looked back at Audry in confusion, "Aren't you dead?"

Audry's eyes widened as she mulled over the possibility. "Well, I was poisoned..."

Roxanna smiled at the answer, "See! You are dead!"

She flashed a look of anger over to her guide. "You shouldn't celebrate someone's death! And why do you sound so happy about that?"

"It's just that I've never had anyone else come here besides me and the master.

No one else? Well, Audry surely wasn't the only person to have died, and this was supposed to be paradise, wasn't it? No one? But isn't this the afterlife?

Roxanna shrugged , "Maybe you're the only one who's ever been good enough to get in."

"If I am, that's pretty sad."

Roxanna giggled.

---

Before long, the two had made their way to the final stretch of the pathway.

"There he is, the master!"

Roxana quickly ran over, full of glee as she went over and sat on the ground beside a figure. The cloaked individual turned himself around, and Audry's expression quickly fell into that of annoyance. It was the man from before, who had met her in the desert.

"You're Lord Odin?" she remarked sarcastically.

The cloaked man smiled, quickly teleporting from his location over to that of Audry.

"No, I can't say I am, though you'll find that I am just as capable as he is, if not more."

"So, tell me, am I dead? If I am it would be quite interesting that, if what your errand girl says is true, I'm the first person in all of history to enter into Neorxnawang."

"Hmm, so you have not considered that you are special, perhapse even a, dare I say, Chosen One"

Audry smirked, "I'm not that remarkable."

"Oh, a modest one, aren't we?"

"No, just realistic."

The man laughed at that, "Well, you are correct, you are not special, just conveniently useful to me. I will tell you, no you are not dead. This is a realm I created myself, existing in my own subconscious, for the purposes of secure meetings, away from a certain individual who will not be named as of yet. We weren't properly introduced in Hijaz. My name is Belthazar, though I already know who you are, Audry. That Rago character helped me out quite a bit, I must say, I was trying to pull you in here before, but you're a bit too stubborn to just pluck your mind out of that skull of yours. But when you're poisoned like that, well, you're will is just broken enough to take whatever I'd like."

"Well, Belthazar, care to explain why you felt the need to violate my cranium?"

"Oh, It's really not too difficult or obscure, you're fighting against a certain someone who is an enemy of mine as well. A certain Emmanuel, and his henchman, Malachi. I've been wanting to get rid of them for some time, though, as I am currently," Balthazar said, gesturing to his body, and to the artificial environment, "I am a bit too sleepy to get out there. But, you will have a chance if you are able to help me out with finding my two associates?"

Audry raised an eyebrow, "Associates?"

"Yes, you see, I was in a position of great importance long ago, and I shared this office with two others. Together, we would have enough power to help you put a permanent end to your little problem and to help you deal with its ultimate root."

Ultimate Root? What was he talking about, was the False Messiah not the ultimate source of this all?

"My two associates are Melchior and Gaspar, they, like myself, have been placed into states of catatonia, but unlike myself, they are unable to control their mental faculties while in such a state. And so, you must help me to awaken them.

"And what if I say no?"

As the last word existed from Audry's mouth, she felt her own skin begin to burn like fire, as she saw her flesh bubble up like boiling water, steam rising out as the pustules on her skin burst, with blood flowing out.

"Well, then I simply destroy your psyche, and leave you to die, while I find someone else who will help me."

Roxanna looked over at her master in concern, as he caught sight of her glance. Oh fine, he sighed in displeasure as he released Audry, the blisters and wounds healing over. "So will you help me?"

"It's not like you're giving me much choice..."

Balthazar smiled, "Excellent! Well, I can tell you the locations where they sealed themselves away. You will find Gaspar in the mountains of Abyssinia, that is to say, Ethiopia."

Audry groaned

"As for Melchior, well, he had sealed himself away in Anatolia, however, after those Ostrogoths invaded, they decided to sack and raid his tomb, and well, they traded him off to some barbarian tribe, the Franks I believe they are called."

Audry groaned again.

"I suggest you take to it as soon as possible. Now, go back to your companions and inform them of what you will be doing after you deal with that little Mecca problem."

"Bye Audry!", Roxanna shouted out innocently as Balthazar snapped his fingers, and Audry's vision went to black.

---

Audry awoke to the horrible feeling of total fatigue. Everything was back, and she wasn't even able to feel anything around her. It would be a while before she was back at her full faculties.

Mysterious Keyhole, Ongoing World War II

It had been too easy.

Astus watched as the Corridor of Darkness fizzled out as soon as it came to life. He'd always wanted to learn how to do that, but now was not the time for wishful thinking. He sensed a man, one of immense power, approach him and Tocsax. There was an odd air surrounding him. It was as if he was a schoolyard bully about to kick a stray cat around. That cat was going to be Tocsax.

"And to think that this was a trap after all!"

"Of course."

The man appeared in front of them. There was something about him that made people swerve out of his way when he approached them. He was as cunning as a merchant, never without a way to get what he wanted. When the chips were down, however, he was a warlord, wholeheartedly willing to skin his enemies and hang their heads up on his porch. This was how Astus perceived him. He reminded the trickster god of someone he had met before, someone he had considered to be the most unpleasant being to ever exist. He was False Hakim.



"False Hakim! So, you're the one they sent to capture me. Whatever the case, you're not taking me - No one is taking me."

"Poor little Tocsax, still flailing around in desperation, all the while playing into our hands." In response to that, Astus held out his hand and imagined the outline of something: a slender blade with an accommodating handle. It glowed a faint light, masking its apparent translucency. Its defining feature, though, were the crown-shaped spikes on the edge of its blade. It was a weapon wielded by kings and peasants, a blade used by god and man. It appeared to the old and the young, to the righteous and mischievous. It was everywhere, and now it was in Astus' hands.

It was a keyblade.

"You do realize that there's two of us and one of you, right? Do the math."

As soon as Astus said that, the bodies of unconscious men and women sprang to life, holding weapons equal to the Sanctuary's best armaments. They flanked him and Tocsax, ready to fire on command.

"Oh."

Tocsax shouted a magic spell, making everyone into fleshy human-shaped balloons. He then charged in, hitting Hakim with a Zantetzuken. For a while, Astus foolishly believed that the fight was over, but he was proven wrong as Hakim no-sold the hit as if all of this was a wrestling match and Tocsax was a crappy two-bit jobber. He could almost see Hakim laughing.

"Oh."

Astus grimaced. There was no way he could scratch Hakim. Tocsax had displayed power equivalent to what the warrior gods of old displayed when they entered the realm of man in their divine vessels, and yet he couldn't scratch him. Brute force wasn't Astus' thing, so the best he could do was attack Hakim's psyche. Pulling out his Keyblade was nothing more than a feint. After concentrating a bit, he inserted an idea into Hakim's mind. It was him becoming as small as an ant and getting crushed under a massive anvil. With a little mental push, that idea became a sensation, and if Hakim's psyche allowed it, that sensation would become pain.

Astus then used Aero to fly and maneuver himself around the bodies of the armed men and women. They scrambled, trying to shoot Tocsax and Astus with their weapons. For a moment, Astus felt like a drunk driver speeding through traffic on a highway sitting on top of an ocean. With every swerve he took, there was always the risk of getting hit point blank with a plasma bolt. He then laid his eyes upon a heavily-armored man wielding a massive plasma rifle.

His name was Dave. He was born on the moon in a world where America had taken to space to satisfy its unending need of the world's resources. On his birthday, the moon became the newest colony of the United States, and when the announcement was made on the intercom the doctor handling his birth jumped out of joy and nearly dropped him to his inevitable death. Despite that, Dave joined the moon's Brotherhood of Steel and pledged that he would protect the moon at all costs.

Of course, none of that mattered. What mattered was that Dave was wearing a power suit that was designed for zero-gravity combat in case the power of the spaceships went out. Astus latched onto him and, upon recovering his psyche, took control of his mind. Dave then activated his suit's flight module and began shooting at the other men and women as Astus directed him to get out of the volcano.

As Astus, Tocsax, and Dave got out of the volcano, it erupted, spewing ash and lava everywhere. An army of Heartless emerged out of the ash, chasing the three of them. False Hakim followed along, only to be blockaded by a wall of ice that had arisen from another one of Tocsax's spells.

"We've already sealed the Keyhole, haven't we? Let's get out of here!"

@Letter Bee

She attempted to draw out the rest of the pale green glyph in front of her, but her fingers were shaking so badly, her glyph looked more like a something a child would come up with than he usual precision that came from her. The Messier Object seeping magic out of her very core as well as the fatigue steadily growing from it do very little to help. But that didn't stop the blonde from at least trying.

Well, trying until she couldn't anymore.

So focused on completing the healing glyph, or at least what was eligible of it, Capella hadn't noticed her chains break away into flecks reflective light until her body stumbling backwards a few feet from the action. Her Keyblade also faded out of existence much like a dying star, leaving Capella's side after being out for so long.

She didn't feel too great. Actually, none of them were looking to hot from what her blurry vision could comprehend. For one, the man she had yet to get the name of fell to his knees at the disappearance of his brother. While to her side, Capella looked over just in time to see Audry face-plant into the sandy ground below them. Honestly Capella wanted to do the same, but she had to make sure the others were okay before doing do. As a hand went out to draw another glyph, index finger flickering with a pale green light, a sharp pain erupted from the young woman's chest, right where her Star Fragment rested. Blood trailed down from the corners of her lips as both hands went to clutch the area, body doubling over and falling to the ground like a little ball. At that point she couldn't move anymore, a quiet whimper escaping her lips before tears began to form in her eyes.

Everything just...hurt. So much. The amount of strain she's felt during this single day has been more than how much she's went through her entire life combined. But honestly? She'd rather be in this position than back home. Unable to stop the trembling reverberating throughout her body, Capella silently sobbed herself into unconsciousness, her now lax body forcing her to lay on her side...

Mere seconds after Audry awakening, the previously unconscious Moogle that was left behind in favor of helping Ezra came crashing down on top of the woman's head. If looks could kill, well Audry wouldn't be feeling much. Unaware of the other's condition as she was more worried about the one that hadn't woken up, Amalthea looked down at Audry with the closest thing to a frown she could make.
"What happened to protecting her?"

BGM: Coffee & Milk

Judah ben Issac chuckled as he began cooking kosher chicken, lamb, and vegetables, al the while singing to himself as he cooked. Then he said to Agni, "You can chop the peppers - The Moogles have been importing them for a discount from so-called 'other worlds' to lighten our food shortages in Great Britain. So despite the hopelessness of everything, we at least no longer have to ration our food."

Lucy, meanwhile, had finished repairing the Army Truck and said, "I'm going to shower - Make sure none of the boys you brought in peek!"

The response from Judah was, "I won't, don't worry!"

Following Judah to the kitchen, Agni listened to the instructions and did just as he was told. He wanted to prepare a dish for himself, but considering the conditions they were, he can't waste resources. Not to mention, they weren't his. So, he just did as he was told, cut the peppers and gave them to Judah as he was instructed.

---

Food was prepared, and over a plate of lamb, Judah asked Agni, "Alright, so, what do you and the Moogles need with Lucy? As in, what is the 'Princess of Heart' nonsense all about?"

Once all preparations were finished, Judah asked Agni about the Princess of Heart situation. However, he felt as if it was better if Lucy herself was here to listen. Besides, he really wanted to leave Victor, Vic and Ignitio out of the conversation. "Mr. Judah, I'd prefer to answer your question with Ms. Lucille here to listen. Considering that not only me, but the Moogles have been talking about this, she might have heard about it herself and she has the right to know about it personally. Besides, I suppose the shop has a place that's less open than this so I'd rather talk to both of you there and only the three of us." Agni spoke. "I apologize in advance if I'm sounding suspicious. It's nowhere near my intention to put you and her into danger, I assure you." And bowed while apologizing.

After that, he looked around at the shop. It was a very simple shop, albeit its function was related directly with war. It reminded of the days where he lived with Claire, Rosangela and Sidney at a cabin, in a forest not too far away from the Lizeria of the past. However, it also brought back memories he never liked to reminisce. "You two must be having it rough here... I can only imagine how dire the situation is and understand it. Being tossed at a war when all you want is a peaceful time... I'd never imagine that other worlds could be in danger like this..." He commented out loud, looking at the roof. He then looked back at Judah. "As much as I dislike somber topics, how... how are the people's situation? You commented about food ration before... has it truly reached such a dire turn?" He asked, worried.

Mount Etna, Ongoing World War II

"They might try to follow us if we don't maul them first," Tocsax said as False Hakim walked closer, one hand clutching his head, still clearly hurt by Astus' psychic attack. "Confession to make: I don't actually like using the Light, but I can still do so when needed - Holy!"

A bright column of Light engulfed Tocsax and Astus without harming them, before splitting up into six smaller pillars that formed an expanding circle of brightness that did destroy Heartless and burn human enemies - though their power armor saved them from death - while causing False Hakim to scream in combined fury and agony as he was hit by the attack, his body literally shedding wisps of darkness as he staggered back.

"You will realize the power of Darkness, Little Tocsax!" False Hakim said, but Tocsax had regained some of his spirit.

"Astus," the Nobody said, "Please assault False Hakim's mind once more. Then..." He waved his hand, finding he can create a Corridor of Darkness again, "We go."

London, England, Ongoing World War II

Judah's only response was, "Things have been this dire for an entire decade. Also, Cone of Silence."

A small whirlwind of air then covered the tables and chairs, silencing all sound coming out. At the same time, Lucy went inside the room and into the cone, saying, "Casting that spell again, Judah? You do realize that casting it wrongly might disturb the food?"

The Jewish male smiled, "Which is why I didn't cast it wrongly. Anyway, this person," he gestured to Agni, "Is someone who can tell you what exactly a Princess of Heart is and what their relevance is to this entire war - As I said to him, things have been this dire or more for an entire decade."

Berlin, Germany, Ongoing World War II

N/A, waiting for the others.

@Double@Gentlemanvaultboy@Ryteb Pymeroce@ShadowVentus@Nerevarine@Shoddy McCoy@MagusDream

Now Playing: Tartarus: Block 1

@Nerevarine@Gentlemanvaultboy

“Heh..seems like we’re no longer within the land of the living.”

This is what Asher had personally pictured what London could have been like had they never received help from the Moogles to instill better crowd control of the Heartless threat. The young rogue knew that he could blend within the shadows just fine and get through this blockade of enemies with a very low chance of detection, but he could not say the same for his party. He turned to face Hirutila, Georgia, and Snopes, talking in a low, yet clear tone.

“There are two ways we can go about this. I can draw the enemy’s attention away from you three, so you can gain safe passage and find a way for us to get further in, or we can all try to continue to move as we are, hoping to avoid detection altogether.”



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

Location: Abandoned House, Occupied Paris

Now Playing: La Cloche

Possibly to Zane’s surprise, Morgan didn’t seem phased by the revelation of their location. “I see..so it appears the theories of there being multiple universes were correct after all..wait, you forced your ability to hop worlds? For we know our time here is-” She was quickly cut off upon realizing that her armoured aid had begun emitting a bright glow. The light quickly became harsh, enveloping her and Zane before causing them to be launched from their current position to the clear skies above, warping them to a different place entirely.

Location: Mecca, Green Sahara

Now Playing: The Days When My Mother Was There

@Nerevarine@Tenma Tendo@Double

If anyone were paying attention to the sky amidst the chaos, a single streak of light would pierce through the night sky, akin to that of a shooting star. It would amongst the nearby dunes not completely far off from the town of Mecca. Stirring up an abundance of sand with her landing, Morgan would cough up a storm, unfortunately putting unwanted strain on her already sore throat. Looking about, she couldn’t see Zane anywhere. Feeling completely worn out, she decided it would be best to take a momentary short rest before attempting to seek out who or whatever was native to this new world she had found herself in.

Green Sahara plot moved to this thread until futher notice