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[Kyla: Disney: Hangar > Parade streets]


Sick at herself for being such a wet blanket, Kyla wasn’t able to cheer up as much like everyone else seemed to. It wasn’t fair, none of it. And if things couldn’t get any more intrusive or worrisome, Jenny’s condition gave pause for concern. It raised so many questions: Like did she hear anyone or anything if it had a heart to create a song with? Were the Nobodies thus silent? Could she hear them from anywhere? If not how close did the proximity have to be to get a clear listen? If she couldn’t control it- did that mean she was privy to the emotions inside her comrades all this time?
Suddenly Kyla felt another urge to draw back from the group even more. She couldn’t imagine how her heart song must sound- and suddenly she felt self-conscious. Was she causing this to happen? Kyle’s worsening? Jenny’s head ache-
Maybe he wasn’t the only person who had to leave?
Had things drawn out any longer the artist would have finally decided to turn around, but then Anthony kicked the door- and then Merlin appeared! Accepting the distraction in light of the revelations Kyla turned all her focus on what the old man had to say. As the loud booming voice of Genie delegated to some unseen crowd Kyla got cold feet again.
No way, they couldn’t possibly be-
Another step back away from James and she collided with something- or someone.
“Hey-” Craning her neck up she stared into the green eyes of the flame wielding ginger nobody who obviously brought up the near with the last of the canons to arrive. Sure enough Demyx wasn’t close behind. “- I think it’s party time.” he winked. He nodded to Demyx who commented on the children’s reactions.

“Pfff- well, when was the last time YOU marched ina parade?” Puffing his chest out at being described as a Hero he gave Demyx a thumbs up- “Oh yeah, this is going to be good.”
Kyla did seem to have much choice now, with the opening of the doors and Merlin leading the way the entire assembly of them began moving. Kyla tried to wrap her mind around it and allotted it to perhaps another effect of the Cornerstone. Looking up ahead- as once again she seemed to drag her feet towards the near by now, she could see the backs of Kyle and Jenny up ahead.
She had to try, not just for them- there was no telling who else was affected by the hearts of others. This would be something she had to keep in mind. It was no easy task though- controlling how you felt about something, suppressing emotions wasn’t the same as literally changing how your heart felt about something. In all honesty she didn’t think she could. She couldn’t drag a heavy heart burning with negativity down the streets- she didn’t have the strength to dispel the feelings on her own. She had only one choice.
For the sake of those affected by her darkness she had to let it.
Closing her eyes against the sunlight that streamed into them she gave her emotions up to the forces that surrounded them. She envisioned letting it all in. Like cracking a book open, a flower opening, just allowing whatever was pressing in from beyond to come in and do what it may-

And the result was...
The effect was nearly instantaneous! While left a bit raw inside she felt definitely calmer. It felt...good, better at least. She found herself shuffling along behind the earthling group and looking around at the crowds of people. So many people!
“Hey- don’t fall behind now! Give these fans of yours a show.” Feeling a nudge at her back, tripping forward Kyla stumbled quickly to catch up and collided with James’s back.
((collabe w>James- continuing...))

[ Noelle ~ Red Rose ~ Hangar --> Parade]

Noelle looked over to Joe when he asked about white mages. She hesitated to go over, glancing at Amy to see if she was going to take to the calling. It didn't look like she would, and Noelle thought she knew why--would a cure spell even help a headache? The agromancer pondered it, about to offer her question on the matter when Merlin showed up. Her brows knitted together as he explained why they had been held in the hangar, and the addition of Genie's voice added to her confusion. Then she heard the cheering. Her mind jumped to several different images of what could be behind those doors. When they finally swung open, Noelle couldn't help but gasp. Two times she herself had performed in a Disneyland parade. This was nothing like that. It was so much more.

The coaxing feeling drawing the group out of the hangar pushed the small blonde forward, but didn't need to do much more. After she was out of the hangar and viewing the full grandeur of their reception, Noelle couldn't hold back her smile or excitement. There were so many people there--some she'd never seen, some who were faintly familiar, and all she knew they had benefited in some way. What really touched her heart, however, was the children standing off to the sides with their families, cheering all the same. She waved to all the little ones, beaming at how their faces lit up when she looked to them. Each of them would wave back excitedly before tugging or tapping on their parent to tell them. Before Noelle knew it, she was growing little white daisies and running them to all the kids on the sidelines. She knew she probably looked a bit goofy, but she could care less, she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

[[ The following post is not a move-forward post. Just wanted to do a bit of personal response writing. ]]

[ Kyle, Sora, Riku, Assorted Canons : Disney : Parade Route ]

"Wow!" Sora exclaimed, jogging after Merlin, smiling widely as he took in the scenes. All these people! He felt an overwhelming sense of joy, and was completely helpless if he wanted to hide it. As he walked down the path, he waved with both arms to everyone he passed, grinning all the while.

Riku hesitated, but followed all the same. For the briefest of moments, he simply attributed all of the cheering and joviality to Sora and the others; he'd unconsciously excluded himself from the stories of success, from their gratitude, from the situation.

After noticing everyone's gazes at him, though--their smiles, their shouts, their roars of applause--he smiled, hardly believing the obvious. Yes, they were cheering for him. Just like the others, he'd helped out--he'd risked and he'd helped and he'd saved. For maybe the first time, he was something he'd always attributed to Sora--something he never fathomed he could be.

In their eyes--and in truth--he'd gone from that confused boy on Destiny Islands... to a hero.

With a conserved, heartfelt smile, he began waving along the crowd as well, touched beyond words.

Cloud shook his head, chuckling under his breath as he walked alongside Leon.

"Talk about feeling out of place," he said, just loud enough for Leon to hear. He looked around at the crowd--and his brow furrowed somewhat. No, the people were cheering and shouting just as loudly for them as they were the Earthlings and Keybladers. He raised a brow--

--and then both in surprise as he spotted Tifa and Aerith off to the side, smiling and silently cheering them on with the rest of the crowd. Their eyes were clearly holding his gaze as they applauded himself, Leon, and Yuffie.

"So you guys are still in one piece, eh?" Tifa shouted with a grin, obviously teasing.

"Thanks for looking after Yuffie!" Aerith called out.

"Hey, I didn't need lookin' after!" Yuffie shouted indignantly, jumping between Cloud and Leon by putting her hands on their shoulders and pulling herself forward.

Cloud closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to hide his smile. "Maybe not so out of place after all."

"Damn straight, spikes!" Yuffie said, grinning proudly between he and Leon. "We're heroes! Let's march!"

As Kyle strode down the path after Merlin, he could barely hide his surprise and confusion, his jaw hanging a bit loose as he gazed around. He noticed every so often that there were people he didn't recognize. They were cheering all the same, but not so fervidly as the others. It didn't take him long to figure out why. Some wore the garb of Al Bhed, their vivid green eyes sparkling in the sun. Others looked more ornately vested--similar to Balthier from XII, so he wagered they were from the Ivalician resistance. Still others looked entirely foreign to him--maybe from IX's world? These were people they hadn't directly saved, but they were part of this new gathering all the same.

Someone peculiar did catch his eye, though he was a bit too far to make out any facial details. He was sitting on a nearby roof, legs hanging off the side lazily. He had medium blond hair, a white shirt, and dark-khaki pants. A glint in the light around his neck told him he had some sort of gold necklace on. He seemed to be eating a familiar blue sea-salt popsicle, which he lazily saluted toward the group when Kyle looked at him.

This was all for them?

Are you truly so surprised?

Well, yeah! I mean, we're just--we're just surviving!

No. If you were trying to survive, you would have stayed hidden. People trying to survive don't dive headfirst into danger... multiple times.

Uh... okay, so I guess it was more than that. But--

Look around you, Kyle.

He did as she asked. His eyes passed Atlanteans, Narnians, an odd-looking mummy from Halloween Town...

... A husband and wife, each with one arm wrapped around the other, waving...

... a trio that looked related, two boys and a girl, cheering them on...

...a father, carrying his young son on his shoulders so he could see above the crowd, the man holding the child by his legs, both smiling, shouting, surging with thanks--

He released a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Almost immediately, Kyle's heart yanked. It pounded, it contorted, it thrashed--

--and seemed to erupt with insurmountable joy, subtle tears creeping their way out of his eyes, his gaping mouth quickly turning into an unfaltering, uncontrollable smile.

These are the tangible effects of your endeavors. You and your allies, your friends, are the only reason many of these people still have each other.

Kyle was barely listening now, waving his arms wildly, turning back and forth, trying to take as much of it in as he could. There were easily hundreds of people here. So much cheering, so much applause, so many lives. He was laughing, he was crying, entirely consumed by their cheer, by their happiness.

So many people!

And you would stop?

No! Never! Never again!

He began shouting along with the crowd. He couldn't help it, he was charged, he was ecstatic. The people were celebrating the heroes--but he was too busy celebrating them.

I'll never stop. Look at them, Ultima! Look at what we can do!

In the back of his head, he felt her smile. All the while, the group moved forward.

[Matt :-: Disney :-: Hangar -> Parade]

Matt kept silent during the ensuing exposition, having little to contribute since he was still a new member of the group. He stiffened as the new voice over the speakers startled him, not cluing in that their group were the ones being talked about until Angel Grove and Atlantis were brought up. He stuck close to Joe as they walked through the opened gates. As he heard and saw the people cheering them on, he found himself very grateful for his mask preventing the crowds from seeing him get flustered.

He clapped Joe on the shoulder, knowing how he'd be flustered as well, being thrust into a cheering crowd. "Well come on Joe, you may as well enjoy it!" With that, Matt called forth a Zeus' Wrath and Holy Water in his hands, Mixing them together over his head. A shower of golden sparks shot into the air, floating back down to him and giving him the energy to deal with the crowd. He then threw his head back, releasing a gout of fire from his mouth into the air and safely away from the group.

[ Kyle, Sora, Riku, Assorted Canons : Disney : Parade Route ]


As the group made their way down the path, the numerous people on the large, multi-tiered platform ahead would begin to come into focus--as well as the fact that the platform was as wide as the entire street, easily capable of holding all of them.

On their right, the platform's left raised tier, stood various rulers, some they'd met, and others they'd heard of--more than one a Cid. At the fore stood the Emperor of China, from the Land of Dragons; beyond him, the Alien Councilwoman of Hawaii and, to their surprise, Zordon, in the flesh, looking remarkably healthy. Beyond them stood Cid of the Al Bhed, from Spira, standing next to Cid Fabool, of Lindblum, and Marquis Halim Ondore of Bhujerba.

On their left, the platform's right raised tier, stood six varied figures--most as recognizable as the rulers. At the fore stood Aslan, the mighty lion of Narnia; beyond him, the Enchantress of Beast's Lands. Next to them towered King Triton, of Atlantica, in human form, Trident firmly in hand; King Kashekim of Atlantis, who'd managed to survive in a change of fate; and, perhaps surprisingly, Calypso once more in her human form, though her eyes gleamed with mystic power.

Hovering in the air were yet other familiar faces. The Genie, of course, remained flying about, conducting the invisible orchestra. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, the three Good Fairies, flitted about with smiles.

Beyond them, on the platform's back-center raised tier, lined up still more familiar faces. On either side were three Princesses of Heart--Aurora, Snow White, and Belle on one side, Cinderella, Alice, and Jasmine on the other. In between them, Yen Sid towering on the left, Kairi smiling in her pink outfit on the right, with Queen Minnie between.

And yet, most surprisingly, next to Minnie, stood none other than King Mickey, the lost royal found again.

Sora and Riku, upon recognizing the King, both surged with excitement, running beyond Merlin toward the platform before anyone else could react. Mickey, expecting the response, laughed and jumped down onto the main platform, into their arms. The three of them had a moment before Kairi jumped down, joining the three in their hug, and they were just glad to see her--having never known that she, too, had been missing.

As the others began to approach the platform, Yen Sid cleared his throat, making a small sweeping motion with his hand--and Riku and Sora immediately got the message, letting go of the King and Kairi before moving to the front of the platform with the others. There, they were all lined up in row after row, raised slightly above the crowed, but still overlooked by the other raised platforms.

After Merlin took his spot beside Minnie, Yen Sid raised his hands, and without so much as a beat, all cheering, all music came to a stop--the city was as quiet as an empty library. It was at that point that Merlin clapped his hands together--

--and from either side of the platform, to yet more thunderous applause, the remaining Earthlings came forward. Maggie excitedly rushed to Kyla's side, surprising her by lifting her into a spinning hug before standing beside her--they would inevitably get the chance to talk after the show was over. Zeba waltzed her way onto the stage, standing next to near Jenny with a small smile. Alan and Jonathan strode up to the platform, standing next to some of their companions that had been on Hawaii and Land of Dragons. Kyle came forward as well, lightly waving to Bobbi and Dani before standing next to them. Jacob, with his boundless energy, jogged up waved toward Noelle and the others from Port Royal before standing in their midst; and finally, with eyes full of compassion, Michelle moved on to the platform and immediately went over to James, still thrilled beyond words that he was back.

Once more, Yen Sid raised his hands--silencing the world with but a motion, the signs of his authority.

"Thank you for their introductions, Genie," Yen Sid said, looking up toward the djinn with a small smile. The blue spirit gave two thumbs up before hovering on his stomach, as if lying on an invisible surface, to watch what happened below.

"As you all know, with the Convergence bringing the worlds together, the malign forces of Darkness now move freely from territory to territory, threatening us all," he began, speaking not simply to the gathered heroes, but to the entire crowd as well. His voice boomed, and yet there had been no hint of spellcasting. "But we gather here, in the lands of Disney, to say no! We come together in mutual bond, in friendship, to stand against those who would end us, to defend ourselves, and most importantly, to return the cosmos to its rightful balance!"

Cheers erupted from throughout the city, which Yen Sid let go for a few moments before motioning once more for silence.

"But not all battles are fought with blades. This is not a war we can win by force alone--to give in to such behavior without caution, without compassion and acceptance, would make us no better than the forces that would oppress us!" he declared, his voice carrying power with his warning. "It is for that reason that we hold this festival today, and for some time to come. Let us gather not only as allies under a banner, but as friends in joy, as comrades in peace! Let this festival serve as a daily reminder of the Light that rests not simply within the cosmos, but within each and every one of us!"

More cheering, more unwavering support for the cause--and another motion for silence.

"And yet, sometimes, hardship cannot be avoided. Sometimes, we must take up arms and face head-on those who would consume us all. It is for that reason that we have called these heroes before you today," the wizard spoke, turning his gaze toward the group on the platform. "Indeed, these are the young men and women who have fought, not simply for their own survival, but for the protection and freedom of all worlds."

"Sora! Riku! Survivors of Earth! Heroes from all corners!" he boomed, looking each of them in the eyes, his gaze boring deep into their hearts. "You have faced great evils in these past days, and you have overcome trials no one should ever have to face. In your quest to gather the scholars and wise spirits of the land, you have saved entire worlds. In your quest to find King Mickey, though he was returned by fortune, you have liberated entire nations and brought us together under a banner of Light! Without your efforts, this day would not be possible! Hear me--your deeds have not been ignored!"

He clapped his hands together, ushering forth dozens of the all-too-familiar walking broomsticks (though instead of carrying buckets, each held aloft a purple cushion), which filed down each row of the heroes. Eventually, there was a broom in front of every person in the group, and the brooms stopped, turning to face the person they stood in front of. Upon each cushion was a small crystal heart, no larger than a dime, and entirely transparent in its crystal purity. Each crystal had a tiny chain sprouting from its top, where it might connect to something.

"In honor of--and, indeed, gratitude for--your accomplishments, we give to you these charms," he explained. "Each is made of pure æthecite, the crystallized essence of Light. We have enchanted them to attune to your hearts--each will provide a different boon, fit for you and you alone."

Though he didn't mention it, additionally, as soon as they touched the charms, the clear crystals changed to a color suiting the holder.

"And yet, even this is but a small token compared to what you have done for us. Know this, heroes--the peoples of Light, many as there are, will be eternally grateful for your aid!"

"Our journeys may not yet be over, but that is no reason to blind ourselves to what we've done! Look around, one and all!" Yen Sid declared, speaking once more to the general populace, heroes included. "Let this be a time of unity, of brotherhood, and of celebration! We have done much--let us work together to do more!"

Cheering once more erupted, more fervently than ever, and Genie restarted the invisible orchestra to aid in the joyous occasion. People left the roadside, now flooding the streets, merging together to form a crowd fit for a festival in celebration.

Kyle looked around in awe after the presentation, still enchanted by the throng of civilization that had gathered. Never before had he been so proud of an achievement, of any endeavor he'd attempted.

Before reaching the platform, Kyle had watched as others began to use magic, giving the people around them a show, or sharing gifts with their magic. It had given him an idea, and since then--throughout the announcement--he'd been charging some magic of his own.

Now, while everyone reacted to Yen Sid's speech, while everyone celebrated, he felt it was appropriate. He'd chosen to be near the center of the group as they'd originally lined up to listen to the wizard talk for just this moment. Now that he wasn't interrupting anyone--and while the others reacted in their own way--he got as close to the center as possible, still surrounded, and threw both hands straight into the air.

With his arms side by side (still wrapped in cloth), he unleashed a grand beam of golden light magic, launching his weaving energy directly into the air above the platform. After reaching a few stories in height--easily above most of the one-story buildings, visible by most of the town--the golden beam simply stopped in midair, as if it had hit an invisible wall. There, the energy began to coalesce, growing and growing in size, until finally, his arms stopped releasing the energy...

... and there, hovering above the crowd, was a massive, golden-white heart, as if to represent Kingdom Hearts itself. It sparked with golden energy every so often, and then, after a few moments, the entire vision exploded into a brilliant display of prismatic fireworks, forming various shapes in the sky, such as the Mickey Mouse emblem, or the Crown symbol that Sora frequently wore.



After some time, Yen Sid cleared his throat again--and despite the clamor of the crowd, all those on the platform could easily hear him.

"I would like to speak to some of you privately. Sora, Riku, Kairi. King Mickey, and the Earth survivors," he said, nodding more to himself than anything. "Much has happened that needs to be discussed. Merlin?"

"I believe my methods leave some of the poor children sick," he said, chortling a bit to himself as he casually avoiding looking at Anthony.

"Very well," Yen Sid responded before turning around, and with a wave of his hand, a tear in space opened up behind him, leading directly into the Hall of the Cornerstone.

Mickey and Kairi began to file through, as did Yen Sid and Merlin, who motioned for the others to come along. As they were doing so, however, they might have heard Genie talking to the crowd, and if they were actively watching him, they might have seen him take the shape of a large television screen hovering in the sky, providing the image of an unfamiliar blue-haired woman.

"Daily reminder! If anyone has information on Master Aqua's whereabouts, please contact us immediately! I repeat: Daily reminder!--"

The message continued, but by that point, they would have been making their way through the portal to meet with Yen Sid on the other side.


[[ The charms will be explained in a Speak Out post, so check its recent posts!

There is sufficient time before our arrival to the platform for others who haven't responded to react.

There is also sufficient time to react to the speech before Yen Sid calls you to the Hall of the Cornerstone.

Reminder: No one in our group actually knew that Kairi had been kidnapped.

Reminder: The Earthling character's knowledge ends at Kingdom Hearts 2. All we know is KH1, Chain of Memories, and KH2.

If there are any questions, feel free to contact me or another mod. ]]

{Bobbi, Demyx, Zell, Red XIII/Nanaki .:. Disney Castle Town .:. Parade}

As Bobbi turned round and round to see all the people lining the streets, sometimes sending more controlled snow-showers here and there, her attention was caught by the figures on the daises, which she could now see. She was already grinning thanks to the nearly overwhelming positive energy coming from the crowd, but when she saw King Mickey, her grin violated the laws of physics and got even wider. She saw Sora and Riku run forward and embrace the King and Kairi, and was completely unaware of the happy laughter that decided to bubble right on out of her. She couldn’t even hear it over the crowd.

Zell joined in with the cheering crowd when he saw King Mickey, and would have rushed on with Sora and Riku if he hadn’t had most of the kids between himself and the front of the procession. Still, he waved at the King enthusiastically, and shouted down at Red that the King was back. Even though Red didn’t grin, his satisfied expression was all Zell needed to see.

When they were all lined up on their own little dais-thing, Bobbi clasped her hands in front of her chest, and used every last bit of willpower she had in her short frame to hold as still as she could. She couldn’t help herself, though, and bounced in excitement a little bit. So much positive emotion, thick enough she wasn’t in the least bit surprised to find that she could taste it: Honey and vanilla and cinnamon and everything sweet and light and happy that she’d ever put in her mouth. It was intoxicating! And when the others who had either stayed behind or had gone to the castle came out and joined them, Bobbi joined the cheering crowd and waved enthusiastically back at Ohio!Kyle, and would have run to hug Michelle if Yen Sid hadn’t begun speaking. She didn’t miss the chance to throw her arms around Kyle’s neck and kiss him soundly on the cheek, though. She listened to Yen Sid’s speech, still cheering along with the crowd, pumping a fist when he mentioned “returning the cosmos to its rightful balance.”

She picked up the tiny æthecite heart, holding it gently in one hand as the crystal darkened into an amethyst color with a hint of iridescent ice-blue. When Yen Sid concluded his speech, Bobbi once again cheered, clasping the crystal heart in her raised fist. As the crowd dispersed, she decided to connect the little charm not to her bracelet, but to the necklace she wore. The clasp was perfect for connecting behind her usual silver heart pendant and dangled beautifully just below it.

Zell looked down in surprise as one of the brooms stopped in front of him. He got a little present, too? Awesome! He accepted, taking the charm, which turned a deep green with his tattoo on one side. He liked the effect, actually. With a little fumbling (and almost dropping the tiny thing at least three times), Zell managed to get the charm attached to one of his gloves.

Nanaki was surprised as well when one of the walking broomsticks offered him the charm. He bowed his head graciously, but not having hands was unable to grab the charm.

"Need some help with that, buddy?" Zell asked, seeing Red puzzling about how to grab the tiny crystal.

Nanaki looked up and nodded, then held perfectly still as Zell knelt down and grabbed the charm for him. It took longer than Nanaki thought necessary for the conductor to weave the charm into the headdress Nanaki always wore, but after a moment or two Zell stood back up. Zell had managed to get the charm connected in just the right place that with a little craning of his neck, Nanaki could see the charm. It had turned, well, flame-colored. Bright blue near the point, blending to white, yellow, and orange near the humps. Nanaki shook his head vigorously to make sure of the fastening, and was pleased to find that Zell had attached the charm firmly. He nodded thanks to the human, and received a thumbs-up in return.

Demyx was watching the others receiving their little present, and only realized that one of the brooms had stopped in front of him when he felt something stick-like poking him to get his attention. He thanked the broom, figuring he should at least be polite, and grabbed the charm. He held it up as a sea-green color filled the charm, a little darker in the center than at the edges.

"Oooh, pretty," he said, fastening the charm in a bracelet around one wrist. He peered shamelessly at Axel and Lexaeus, trying to see what pretty colors their charms turned.

Bobbi looked up as Louisiana!Kyle gave his light show, and that childlike grin spread across her face again. She was still watching the fireworks when Yen Sid said he wanted to talk to them, and reluctantly returned her attention to earth. Well, maybe not reluctantly, but she would have liked to watch the lights a bit longer. She followed the others through Yen Sid’s rift, and had to admit that she much preferred it to Merlin’s smoke-filled poofing about.

As Yen Sid and the others went off to their conference, Zell looked around at the dispersing crowd. It didn’t take long for his attention to be caught by Genie, though, and the “daily reminder” about someone named Master Aqua. She was a rather pretty lady, though her expression was a little too stern for his liking. Well, he knew to keep an eye out for her now.

“Cool. Well. I’m bored,” Demyx said, sighing gustily and shuffling his feet.



Bobbi has gained immunity to the following statuses: Silence and Ignited
Demyx has gained immunity to the following statuses: Silence and Disabled
Zell has gained immunity to the following statuses: Stun and Pain
Red XIII has gained resistance to the following element: Wind

[Kyla/Axel: Disney: > Into Rift]


All this clamorous praise, the tumultuous music and explosive reactions of the crowd, being showered in endless waves of heartfelt joy, adoration and most of all- gratitude… it was unreal. Kyla could have been standing at the side lines for a second, for a day, she couldn’t be sure. Fingers tenderly gripping the flower ring up to her face, the smell of their perfume made her tingle all over.

Looking up at the faces again in the crowd Kyla really- REALLY was trying to understand how any of this could possibly be for her. Had she really done all of this with everyone else? Smiling meekly back at the clapping children and their grateful parents she felt someone tug on her elbow and lead her back to the again group.
“Tch-You have the attention span of a goldfish really-“ Axel muttered glancing down at her.
“sor-“ “-DON’T say you’re sorry- Not right now bookworm. Just hurry up before I trip over you k?” He smirked and pushed her surprisingly gently at the small of her back towards the others again.
Catching up in a few more hurried steps Kyla turned back and this time waved high in the air to the people again as Axel strut his stuff with his two arms giving a thumbs up.
Watching as various other people did their own celebratory displays of magic or power, pleasing and exciting the crowds- expressing their gratitude towards them in their own way, for once Kyla was so overwhelmed she couldn’t think of anything really to do except watch.
It was all together just beautiful.
She watched in silent awe; continuously bombarded by the atmosphere she was practically shaking with the confusion, and happy yet timorous appreciation.
As they approached the platform Kyla’s face pink at the sight of the gathered leaders, rulers, princesses and wise figures that characterized just how far they had come and just how much they had done. She waved timidly to them and lowered her hand back to clutching her cover while the other clasped a shell on the flower ring around her neck.
When Kairi came out she was honestly curious- having never seen her in person before, the warmth of the reunion of friends touched her deeply. She could almost feel jealous because it made her think of someone, as if the wizard had read her mind -
-“KYLA!!!” Suddenly the artist was up and off the ground, her chest crushed by the sheer strength behind a pair of arms that had wrapped themselves around her. The world spun around as laughter and applause roared in her ears before she was finally put back down. “You’re ok! You’re ok!” A large frock of raven hair obscured her vision as the face of her captor had buried it in the crook of her neck.
It had only been a few days hadn’t it? It felt so much longer somehow… perhaps because of all that had happened.
“M-..maggie?” The girl pulled away holding the pictomancer at arm’s length, she was grinning from ear to ear. “Maggie.” It was all she could get out, her eyes beginning to water. As the other came together they turned towards Yen Sid who began to après them and the crowd. He had Kyla rapt attention as she and the Alchemist now stood side by side.
The wise wizard did have a lot to say and it resonated with Kyla in a way she had not expected.
She looked towards some of the others- Aslan in particular. She wondered then, if she could ask for his council at some point. When Yen Sid addressed them , the moment their eyes met and he said-

“you have overcome trials no one should ever have to face-“

“-your deeds have not been ignored!"

she wondered then if he really meant that literally. Had they seen everything? IN some shape or form were they aware just how much this quest had cost them- how much they suffered and continued to do so?
When she picked up her boon the crystal heart changed , it was a soft grey lavender that reflected other colors in its surface depending on how the light caught it. As Maggie winked and attached her own Kyla did the same. When it was over and people began to rejoice at the wizards beckoning, Kyle who had moved to their center shot his arms up into the air and released one of the most interesting light shows he had ever done thus far! That included battles.

Axel’s brow lifted in surprise as he too was presented some kind of gift and pick it up. Looking at the heart as it shimmered and dyed into a deep flickering crimson with gold sheen he shrugged to Demyx.
“Had I not known better about these people, I’d say this was a bad joke- for us.” He grinned as he latched the charm onto his jacket thinking- maybe soon, he’d get a bigger version of that back.

As they were requested to join Yen Sid elsewhere Kyla almost felt relief. Being the observant person she noticed the announcement as the others began to file into the rift. She blinked up curiously at the screen, at the young soft face of a strange blue haired woman.

“- hurry up Kyla.” Maggie called, tugging at her sleeve and soon she continued on through the hole in space leaving Axel to stretch his hands over his head and then smack Demyx on the shoulder- “What am I you’re babysitter? Entertain yourself- OR come have a drink with me. May as well pass the time somehow? Maybe we can get Blonde and Fearless in on it?” he suggested almost like a challenge to Zell.
It would be amusing to see if they could right?
Meanwhile as they continued to follow the wizard Kyla was drawing what she could recall from the brief look at the screen. It wouldn’t hurt to figure out what was so important about her later.
“Wow! You draw WAY faster then I remember!” Maggie mused looking over her shoulder.

[Axel has gained Immunity to the following statuses: Silence and Stun]

[Anthony ~.~ Disney ~.~ Parade Route]

Anthony made his way onto the large platform with everyone else. From the platform he could make out many familiar faces, some of which he wished he hadn't seen such as the pirates from Tortuga he brawled with prior to meeting the other earthlings. After a long speech, walking brooms took the stage and presented each group member with a gift. The young man couldn't help but hum the song from the Sorcerer's Apprentice scene in Fantasia as the brooms made their way over to the group.

He took the crystal. He watched as it turned a deep purple with smokey streaks of black. The knight was concerned with the color and glanced around to make sure no one had noticed. He attached the crystal next to the crucifix that hung on a short chain from his glove, then tucked the crucifix and crystal into the glove for the time being.

[Anthony gained immunity to Stun and Mini]

"I vote we don't teleport," he said, overhearing Merlin speaking with Yen Sid. Waving his hand, Yen Sid tore open the space behind him, like some sorta warp hole. The group began to file in one after another. The young man followed.

[Lucian ~.~ Forbidden Mountain ~.~ Maleficent's Castle]

After landing in the maelstrom, it didn't take long for Lucian's icy prison to melt away. By then, he was struggling to breakaway from the whirlpool, but his injuries were far to great for him to put up much of a fight. He felt himself growing weak and faint. In his panic, he opened a portal to anywhere. The maelstrom carried him into the portal just as he lost consciousness.

When the dark knight awoke, he found himself inside of a castle. He was cold, wet, and angry. Fortunately, he had awoken next to a fireplace.

After getting the fire started and stripping down to his birthday suit, the Replica rested on his back beside the fireplace. It had been a couple of hours since his arrival and his clothes were nearly dry. For two hours he laid there, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't moved. He hadn't spoken. Until finally he said, "I am the lead character."