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[Dani :: Narnia :: Sinking Rubble]

Panic. Panic was the only word to describe the events that were currently surrounding Dani and her mind. She had felt the train hit and she was airborne before hitting one of the train car walls. She slid down the wall until she was back on the floor again with only minor injuries. In her perspective others seemed to have it worse than she did. Her only thought process was everything in the train was sinking and her comrades might go down as well. “Okay well I guess now is the time to try a few things…” Dani quickly stretched out her fingers and put her mask upon her face before facing the water that was causing the train to currently go under. Using all the strength that she could she tried to keep the train from going under even further but her magic had limits. “s**t,” Dani thought as her time was running out. At this point she had noticed that mostly everyone had left the train as she continued to stay inside.

“I could always try just staying under the water” Dani thought as she looked around and let the train continue to sink with her in it, not quite touching the water. After waiting a few seconds she realized that with the ice around them most likely she would not survive the cold. Quickly thinking on her feet she saw a window that was not under yet and pressured some water beneath her feet in order to propel herself out of the window and onto the ice.

Dani quietly listened as the group was shouting to help others while Joe was giving out commands before she straightened up at her name. Technically she understood, there was water under the ice and she was the one in control of water, it would just take her time to think of a way to keep everyone from falling in. After a few seconds she looked to Joe and said “Joe I think I can keep everyone above the water if it comes to that. I can pressure a small area of water under people to help them run across. It just might take a lot of magic from my end.”

[[Narration]]

[[Cue: 解き放たれる法の光 by Tutti Sound]]

As the bearers of light erected the barrier and the bombardment was halted it its tracks, Atir, stalked the battlements and watched what took place beyond with a gleam in her amethyst eyes. The train was sinking, as as more of it went down, the faster it fell, a loud snap and crumble was heard and the train gave way giving those free of the metal deathtrap just enough time to gain distance and be safe of being dragged down with it. From the chocobo stables, screeching could be heard from their mounts calling for help but it was dulled quickly as water and sheets of ice sloshed over it. And in the blink of an eye, the shattering ice gluttonously swallowed it up. Cracks spread out from there, spitting water and gusts of air up from the splits in the surface as things grew uneven, jagged sheets slid upward while others were pushed under making deadly pits of water.

Atir whipped her hand out and all at once their onslaught stopped. Arrows still in flight trickled down but eventually the air became silent, only the sloshing of water could be heard along with the dull creaking of the train that was now deep in the abyssal gut of the lake, those still inside doomed to their fate.

At the far end of the lake, where the trees had been cut away from the edge of the forest, light could be seen flickering beyond the treeline. Torches? Flashlights? Shimmering beacons of hope?

No, this world was not so forgiving. Heartless, big and small gathered at the treeline, great beasts to tiny shadows strode out and onto the dirt and ice. They formed a semi circle around the lake, small to medium sized heartless gathered at the water's edge and gnashed their teeth hissing and screeching inhuman battle cries.

A great host of them were moving along the beach to the north east of where the train had crashed, where a great bridge spanned the lake. Defenders led the front rank and file, while a pair of behemoths and other large heartless headed up the rear with the bulk of the army made up of shadows, neo-shadows, and soldiers hung in the middle.

A boom could be heard from the bridge along with mechanical clattering. The giant gates, with great effort, slowly swung wide open eerie light spilling out. Soon, as the gates remained wide open the light was joined by the united footsteps of another group of units marching out onto the bridge. The heartless that had left the woods in that direction had reached the foot of the bridge and began making their way up, the smaller ones swarming up the pillars and sneaking along the bottom.

Atir aimed her massive crossbow high into the sky. With another blistering shot that shook the foundations of the castle wall, her massive spear of crystal soared over their dome and shields... over the entire lake, and plunged itself into a group of heartless.

There was a loud uproar from the monsters, shrieking and objecting to the sudden interference by the object falling on them the sky. The giant amethyst crystal sticking forth from the ground shifted, spikes shooting out and skewering more heartless and subsequently... absorbing them! The crystal shifted again, this time, growing arms and legs as the spikes retreated, quickly giving birth to a new dark ice solider, blackened, serrated armor covering the body. The heartless turned on it and a fight broke out on the beach, the soldier versus this horde that quickly overtook it, though it was obvious from the hearts floating up and being subsequently absorbed by darkness, that the creature was still fighting back.

The rest of the hoard could wait no longer, the heartless began their charge. The smaller heartless broke rank first, dashing forward full speed, digging their claws into the ice and tearing themselves forward for extra traction.

A series of loud slamming noises echoed from high up the castle walls and within minutes, soldiers poured out, sliding down and leaping from the walls onto the ice. A hundred soldiers rained from the ramparts, drawing swords from their arms marching forward forming a series of two lines, the front of which picking up speed.

To those light-beares caught in the middle, it might have seemed jarring and confusing at first, but it would soon become apparent, both sides that had taken their routes of escape from this hellish lake... were also both at war with each other and it would seem, their arrival, triggered just what excuse the other needed to try and finish the fight.

Crystalline arrows and some other crystalline objects flew overhead, avoiding the dome and coming down on some of the advancing heartless. Ice soldiers disguised as what might look like large arrows opened her bodies wide and came crashing down on heartless, blades bears and cleaving into all they could grasp. Still, heartless that broke through both were coming straight for the survivors of the crash, but then again, so was the army from the castle! The survivors were caught between both forces, now the question was, what were they going to do?

[Kyla: Narnia: Sinking Rubble/Mote/Lake]
[Moding Bobbi with Permission]

Right, Joe issues his orders and Kyla was revering to go once Bobbi and the final occupants of the Train had exited the cars-

Or so she thought.

A peel from the last train car made her blood go cold in an entirely different way-
A loud swaking from the last train car as it began to sink below the surface-
The artist spun around on her heel, the last car- why- why did they bring them?! The chocobos!? They were in the train?! Kyla didn't go examine the train like she usually did, she went straight to her bed car. Since the cars themselves were reinforced wiht magical barriers of protection, sound, even smell, she hadn't realized there was even a stable car- let alone ti was filled with their mounts! And they were still inside!!!

“General!!!!”
Surely she could do something, lift he car- yank a hole in the hull, WHY DIDN”T SHE CHECK?!!!

If she’d know she’d have gone for them ina heart beat! No no no General!
“Nononono! General!” Kyla turned back, she had to do something!
“Wait wait! The last car! The chocobos!!!”

She didn’t care how much mana she’d dish out she was not going to just let the poor creatures drown in a cage like that! Her book was already blazing,- maybe if she detached the car- somewhere blue right? They could swim if they were let out!

Someone was grabbing her, arms stronger, wrapped themselves around her shoulders and yanked her back-

“Kyla! No it’s too late!!:”
It was Bobbi!

“No no no!” she protested at the archer, “ I can save them! Oh god- General! I didn’t-hang on! “

“Kyla stop! It’s too late! We need you here with us!” Bobbi screamed, but her voice was tight, anguished, she had a friend trapped in there too. As much as she truly did want to let the artist go and do whatever she could- they were too late.
They needed to keep the barrier, they needed to get off the ice! Something was wrong- she could see the armies fighting eachother.

“Kyla no!” she grappled the girl who showed more strength physically then she’d originally expected from her- but under duress, a love done in danger, understandable. She clamped her arms down, stopping her over and over from drawing anything else.

Kyla struggled, fought, tried to free herself and run back, but once the car train disappeared beneath the water, she could feel the fight wane.
“GENERAL!!!”

Kyla couldn’t think of anymore more terrifying! Images flashed in her mind, Generals calm serene eyes, watching her as she lay helpless in the dim light. Such a kind soul- and deserved better!! She owed that poor soul her best after what he did! He’d seen so much violence, he deserved better!
“General!!..no no no! OH God no!!!!”
Meanwhile Joe calle dout, they could use the skermish to give them cover and make for the shore.

Bobbi clamped her mouth shut and held the other girl tight against her as Kyla’s cried out in dismay as the train vanished beyond her reach even if she poured all her magic into it. Miraculously the shield she created held its shape, but Bobbi needed her back completely with them- “Kyla!” she shook the girl sharply, making her face her- “ WE, NEED YOU WITH US.” Wide eyes blinked at her paralyzed between extremes of emotion. Bobbi touched her face, “ I know- I know, It’s ok, shhhhh…” Bobbi almost didn’t recognize her own voice, suddenly so small and riddled with a mixture of grief and rage. “ later-“ she said, firmly, eyes locking with her, “ Later –“
Later, they’d grieve. Surely they’d forgive them.
On the edges of her vision, the armies were coming for them-
“ –RUN. PROTECT US… remember- this is kingdom hearts, anything is possible!”

She saw the rawness of the artist shift and slid behind that protective mask she could not identify all too well. She didn’t like it, but understood now why it existed, Kyla needed it. And now she was hers, theirs again.

Kyla’s arms flared wide and the shield seemed to flux, open, move and shift- it absorbed the enchantments when the others cast them, and would surround their group like a canopy- hovering like some magical umbrella- once Joe picked a direction and lead the charge- and they would follow, embued with the magic from her allies Kyla sshield rippled and floated above their heads as they made the mad dash!
Meanwhle Kyla also prepared other spells, her hand practically ripping the pages back and preparing somethign to attack with, selecting something for the two forced now baring down on them if they had to defend theirselves beyond this.

.
General, thank you. You deserved so much better.
I’m so sorry.

[ ??? : Narnia : Forest Edges ]

Even as the group ran forward toward the the shore near the bridge, they might have noticed something odd. Though not nearly as strange as Heartless fighting Heartless and ignoring them, it was somewhat more out of place--a flicker of orange light in the distance, deep in the forest behind the swarming hordes. The glow was shaky, dimming to nothing and reappearing moments later brighter, larger--but again, only for a moment.

Then, there was an odd gust of wind, and lightning bolts were occasionally seen crackling, searing the air beyond the frozen pines. In the brief moment that it stopped, the ground seemed to tremor, if only slightly, but repeatedly--and then once more, the glowing flashes of yellow, of orange, of red--an ever-approaching blaze that seemed only to flush and twist forward, not toward the group, but in the direction of the bridge itself.

Joe: Narnia: Sinking Rubble

Joe returned the nod and fired off his reflect spell into the barrier, giving it a distorted violet sheen. If everything wasn't going to hell, he'd be patting himself on the back for living the fanboy dream.

No sooner had he let off the spell then things began to get even worse. Heartless and...whatever the hell those ice soldier things were were both charging the wreckage and they were trapped in the middle. Wonderful.

No sooner did the other Joe give the order did he move, sticking close to Kyle and Riku as they hacked and pushed their way though the stampede of heartless.

Kyle's little stunt was impressive, and painful to his ears. It also gave him an idea.

Summoning up the same will he had earlier, Joe jumped into the air. Not as high as Kyle though.

That's what the second jump was for

Now that he had a good view, Joe focused for a brief moment, summoning a barrier of fluctuating energy around him, and then unleashed it in a circle around him.

He liked to think of the Zero Graviga spell he just cast as a kind of spring board. Any of the small fry caught in the spell's faith-enhanced wave would be launched into the air helpless and motionless. And with Kyle's little vocal outburst, the spell should be picking up even more of those things then it would normally.

Joe took the liberty of batting a few shadows out of the way with his blade as he landed on the ice, skidding a bit before hitting a run along with the others.

"It wasn't the most original thing, I know, but I figured you'd appreciate the space." He quipped to the dragoon, barely noticing the anger on Kyle's face.

[Amy : Narnia : Frozen Moat]

As if reading her thoughts, Kyla produced another shield, one that could move with the proper reinforcement. Kyla looked at Joseph meaningfully, so Amy assumed he could add whatever was needed. Kyla herself looked injured; it didn't appear to be bad.

When Kyle told Joe and Sora to prepare reflect magic, she looked to leader Joe. When Jenny referred to Joe's empowering mist, she realized neither of them was differentiating between Joe-Leader and Joseph-New-Guy.

Amy shrugged out of Zell's grip. Insulted, she said, "Don't touch me. I don't need assistance moving." Yeesh. She was well aware of the urgency of the situation, thank you very much.

The battle between the castle's dark ice soldiers and the heartless was unexpected, and a mystery. She figured the heartless they had seen going toward the dome were being intentionally drawn there, for Louis nefarious purposes. Was she wrong? No... That arrow had the ability to absorb the heartless, turning them into an ice soldier. The more heartless that came, the more could be absorbed. Louis was creating an army.

Once the shield began to move, so did she, as was the logical process. Already fairly speedy, her speed was greatly enhanced by the Haste. If anyone asked for help, needed to be cured, she would cure them based on what level of help they needed. Provided someone else didn't get to it first. It wasn't possible to notice everyone's state and situation. If they needed help, and she didn't notice, they'd have to ask.

Amy didn't notice the orange glow initially, but the gust of wind, and lightning, followed shortly by tremors, drew her attention toward the forest and bridge. What was that?

[???? <> Narnia <> ????]

The man had waded through who knows how much snow and ice and frost and cold weather to get to this point now. Clad in grey winter gear, with reflective goggles and a scarf over his nose and mouth, he would look almost like a simple passerby if not for the large sword he was dragging behind him in the snow. He had watched through the trees as the amethyst crystal flew overhead and crashed down into who knows where. He wasn't quite sure what it was meant to do but he didn't have a lot of time to worry. With a quick burst of speed, the cloaked man dashed to the top of the hill to see a large bridge standing before him. On this bridge, two armies had collided with sheer force. Heartless going against...some form of ice minion? He hadn't seen anything like this previously but assumed it was a soldier for the monster within the castle.

The man froze for a moment, turning towards where the train had sunk in the lake. He frowned from behind his scarf, his brow furrowing in displeasure. This isn't going to be a normal day in the park, Earthlings. Just not gonna be easy. He mused to himself, exhaling a cloud of cold air. The Roar of the Dragoon, however, made him jump slightly in surprise. He skidded to a halt, trying to make a quick glance towards where he guessed the Earthlings would be located.

As he stood distracted, one of the ice soldiers took notice of him and made a leap into the air, ready to pounce upon him. The man could feel his sword reshaping itself and before it could reach him and do any harm, he quickly cleaved the ice soldier with his blade, now in the form of a large axe. He took a deep breath in, then let out a loud, wind-powered roar into the sky before charging into the fray.


[Nicholas? :: Narnia? :: Frozen Moat?]

Meanwhile, the seal version of the Avatar of Chaos would have gone through a monumental change. No longer was he clad in his armor nor his appearance while in Disney Castle, but he was now simply clad in a black robe with a red shoulder cloak draped over himself. His face no longer blocked by a mask, but only a simple pair of glasses. On closer inspection, his eyes had shifted as well. One eye was a faded blue, while the other remained in its chaotic form of green and black.

He remained quiet as Noelle dashed from the crashing train, and followed along wordlessly as she and the group of Earthlings made their move from the rubble. After a long moment as the Earthlings yelled and coordinated, he chimed in with a calm demeanor.

"Just so you know, the bridge is swamped with both Heartless and the ice monsters." Nicholas said with a shrug, turning his head towards the site of the clash as if watching amused. "But, on the good news, you'll have help!" He smiled, as a loud roar rang out from the bridge.

"See? Help."

[[Narration - On Solid Ground]]

[[Cue: Run Like Hell by Two Steps From Hell
OR
Storm Catcher by X-Ray Dog]]

As the group of survivors moves across the lake and began opening the way with one attack or another, the heartless that ran past seemed to falter slightly, and as the attacks against them became more furious, their attention drifted. What drove them to attack the castle was suddenly overpowered by the desire to maim and devour those who were attacking them. The intimidate masses attacked.

The soldiers from the castle down on the lake moved with unimaginable speed, propelling themselves on the ice, skating on bladed limbs and rocketing along and into the heartless vanguard, tearing through those that made it past the earthlings like paper, continuing to both pursue the light bearers and cut down the heartless that advanced.

The second line of soldiers moved half way across the lake and began to open fire at anything that moved. Shots flying through the air at the earthlings vanished in a glimmering shimmer, followed by brilliant explosions of light erupting all around them, vaporizing the heartless in their way and directly at their sides.

Atir loaded another bolt and like the time before, and the time before that, the power of her shots shook the walls, sending sheet of ice from the walls to crash into the lake and cliff-side at the base. The arrow made a clean line right across the lake and collided with another group of heartless, eating it away, absorbing, and turning the monster into a demon of ice that joined the other soldiers in slaughtering any and all who came in contact with it.

Several soldiers in the fray could see the earthlings coming and moved to form a battle line, half facing the earthlings, the other facing the heartless. The water burst forth from the lake at various places and collected together to form a massive tidal wave that crashed into heartless lifting them and throwing them backwards.

Now in disarray and covered in water, the soldiers of ice and crystal wasted no time pouncing upon them and devouring the creatures of darkness in the ever-open jaws of blades. Those that remained to hold the line formed a phalanx of bladed limbs pointed in the direction of the heartless.

At last, as the earthlings were reaching dry land, the pursuing soldiers zipped into their ranks from behind, spreading out and attacking without mercy. The leader of these, slid past propelled by magic, flying past Kyla and Bobbi, striking twice overhead in a series of flips. As it landed in the middle of the group skating with unimpeded momentum, it took to the air, arms whipped out, bladed hands and feet detaching connected by a string of darkness, and flailed in spiraling motions that quickly turned the area at the center of their group into a whirlwind of decimating blades.

Meanwhile, Atir had moved across the castle battlements to the walls above the gate. With the heartless moving across the bridge, she prepped herself and aimed, charging another shot, but held it, waiting for the right moment.