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[ Kyle ; Sora ; Riku ; Earthlings ; ??? : Narnia : Bridge ]

As Kyle approached and overheard bits of conversation, he groaned, bringing a hand to his face and dragging it downward. He quickly noticed James growing frustration as Bobbi and Dawn tossed in their remarks, and knew something needed to be said before the wolf bit their heads off and caused more stress.

"Honestly. A 'mini-boss'?" Melisandre finally spoke up, looking between Joe and Bobbi with incredulity. "You obviously have no idea what Jormag is--"

"Can you give us a second?" Kyle interrupted as he walked back into the group pseudo-circle, turning back to the others."Look, forget what I said, just let him out."

"It's really the only option," Riku added, shrugging as he did. "Holding the spell as we travel farther into the castle would just add more stress on Kyla. But like they've said, there's no way we can possibly know if he's being honest."

"So what do we do about him?" John spoke up. Anthony looked somewhat hesitant toward the cocoon, practically weary.

"If he tries anything, we kill him. Joe and Bobbi are obviously preparing deathblows from the looks of it. At the very least, I'll do what I did to him back in Atlantis, and then melt his face like in Tortuga," Kyle said, almost flippantly. "So just go ahead and let him out so we can get moving."



With that, he turned back to Melisandre and started talking--not quite so loud as to be an entire group conversation, but they weren't whispering. They just wanted to let the others discuss what they needed.

"Melisandre, you said? I'm Kyle. I know Jormag. He's a world-eater. Massive, region-sized dragon of ice and corruption that consumes magic and spreads his influence like a destructive blizzard," Kyle said, looking up at the Norn. A small part of him was freaking out--because this was a Norn Elementalist from the Priory and that was awesome--but a much larger part of him was suspicious. Guild Wars wasn't Disney or Square in any way. "So I can tell you that he's certainly not any sort of mini-boss--"

"Finally, someone sensible!" the Norn declared, gesturing gladly toward the dragoon, who gave her a questioning gaze.

"--but also that he wouldn't really... fit here. Physically."

"True. Still, Glint resided in a single grain of sand when she was alive, so the Priory thought this was at least worth looking into," she replied, shrugging indifferently.

"I imagine so," he replied, and this time he glanced over to Joe, his expression scrunched somewhat with one brow raised, before turning back to her. "If there's any connection at all, though, it's likely through a lieutenant. Not enough icebrood."

"Also true. More Heartless than anything..."

With that, the sorceress fell silent, turning with crossed arms to stare at the castle before her. Similarly, Kyle turned back to the group, trying to catch up on whatever conversation he missed.

[Joe: Narnia: Bridge]

Joe tried his best to ignore the sassing between James and Dawn(well, the sassing from Dawn at James). He knew they shared a history, on top of the fact that Riku already mentioned about Kyla's limits.

When Kyle told Kyla to let him out, Joe look towards her and nodded, whether or not she was even looking at him. Especially considering he was already doing a 'back-up plan' of sorts for the next problem that arose.

Amy spoke up, and Joe looked towards her, thinking. It took a moment, but he responded with "Good guys or not, if we have to kill him to stop him from killing us, I'll do it." He gave the barest of shrugs again. "Do I want to? No. Will I if I have to? Well, yeah. And if you think cuffs might help, by all means. Iffy to use an untested spell on him, though, I'd think. Especially considering it might hinder him helping us if's fine. Maybe." Another slight shoulder movement. "Not like I can tell what's going to happen next." His voice had no real 'tone' to it, like he was just spouting out thoughts while distracted. To be fair, he was distracted, but he held no derision in his voice when telling Amy to try her cuffs if she wanted. He just didn't know how effective they'd actually be considering she didn't know, either.

[Dawn : Narnia : Bridge]

Dawn let out a heavy sigh at the conversation around her. Everyone came to the same conclusion to let Nicholas free. In the end, she had to agree. She then tilted her head at the end of Nicholas's rant. Which is what she had to call it at this rate.

"Amy, is there anyway you can put a leash and muzzle on him while you are attempting your cuffs? I think it would be not just beneficial for us but for him as well." Dawn said to the white mage gunner. Nick was the vary definition of all brawn and no brains at this very moment.

{Bobbi, Yuffie, Zell, Demyx, Red XIII .:. Narnia .:. Bridge}

"Dude, I'm aiming to cripple, not kill," Bobbi protested to Kyle. "I agree with the whole "we're the good guys" schtick. The only people we should be killing are the irredeemable bad guys. And I'm pretty sure Nick's just an a**, not a bad guy."

Zell backed off from his position a bit to give Amy more room to cast her spell. Not that he thought he was in the way, but since it was untested, he didn't want to be party to any unintended side-effects.

Meanwhile, Demyx and Yuffie continued to bicker, at least until Yuffie noticed something was going down and somehow managed to hush Demyx. She mostly did so by punching him in the arm and indicating Amy and Nick, then dragging him over to get a better view.

[Kyla: Narnia: Bridge]

Well that the most spontaneous reentry she imagined- right after James responded to her long winded explanation which mostly went over people’s heads it seems- the burst of ping pong ball light that destroyed more of the bridge went mercifully around them, making her duck a little to the floor.

What transpired next was an interesting conversation which had an eerie parallel to a previous conversation back in the train station- only this time those voicing for mercy were better recieved.

She kept silent, just listening until something said amongst them made her brow twinge just a little.

“Rest assured Noelle, I’m not down for killing anyone.” She said as the agromancer looked around at them and would meet the artists gaze-“But as you said-…It’s not about me. If something is a danger to us, we're going to deal with it, regardless. ..right? I mean.. it would be sad though... let's hope it doesn't have to happen.” Kyla stood up and dusted herself off. Fleck of debris clattering on the cold surface of the bridge. She adjusted her glassed and regarded Nick still in her chamber.

They continued to converse and Kyla just watched Nick, sitting there beyond the translucent barrier of the pristine petals. The man who cleaved innocent civilians to pieces, she could STILL remember the weight of that mans severed head in her hands.

‘-what’s so different about him, and Louis again? Just because someone doesn't ask for help bluntly.... doesn't they don't want it.’ she wondered.

When Kyle gave the order, she did look to Joe as well for his acknowledgement of it. With Joe as the new leader, she didn’t want to undermine that by looking like she only took orders from someone else. So she nods back to him before facing the chamber with Nick still inside.
She wondered if she could truly hold Nick… his complete disregard for her magical capabilities was received with a grain of salt.

“I’m half tempted to let you “punch away” as you so put it-If you’re so strong. I’d like to gauge how good I am against you but…” She let the connecting die and the page sketch in her book dimed with it. The shield faded and Nick was lose.

“- I’ve wasted enough of everyone’s time.” Kyla stood back as May cats her diamond cuffs on him. With that done, it seems they would be off. She took stock of herself- her powers… much to her relief, she felt fairly good again, the effects of Merlin’s spell restored with the ending of the battle. Kyla hoped that would not pose a problem again in the future.

Noelle sighed at Kyla's response to her request to hold off on killing anyone. She knew the pictomancer might have meant something else with her words, but hell did she have a shitty time communicating. Now was not the time for Kyla to challenge her call for mercy, especially when it was the exact same thing Kyla herself was asking for not too long ago.

"Yes, and if he's a threat to any of us, THEN we'll kill him." Noelle said sternly, not speaking just to Kyla, but to any in the group who still might be unsure, "But a preemptive move isn't one we can make and then call ourselves the good guys. Make no mistake, though, he will be put down if he jeopardizes anyone's safety, and I'll do it myself. Isn't that right, Nick?"

Noelle turned a cold gaze to the swordsman, obviously referring to him giving her prior permission to take him out if he lost it. Whether he liked it or not, that permission was going to extend to any instance in which he attacked anyone on their team with malice--her only assumption would be that Chaos was in control and their protection now took over his right to safety.

"Now quit being a d**k. Let's get out of here already."

[[Chapter 2]]

[[Cue: Dead Angle from Umineko No Naku Koro Ni]]

With the escape from the bridge behind them, the survivors found themselves in the courtyard of corpses. Statues stood about, crystaline forms posed in various ways, some calm as though sleeping others fierce and ready to strike. These, not unlike the ones from the White witches castle, appeared disturbingly real, as though any moment could breath life into one or all and they'd leap up to frighten or kill. The biggest point of difference were what they were made of, not stone but near see through crystal of various colors.

The sound here was oddly missing, no noise from the outside reached it. Not even motion from the earthlings within made echoes off the ice covered walls. It was... disturbingly calming. The silence gave them the space they needed to think, to hear thier own thoughts, to let everything that had transpired so quickly... violently... mercilessly... unexpectedly... tragically... sink in. They had lost the train in the blink of an eye, their safe place, the one spot on their travels they had come to trust as a sanctuary even when entrenched behind enemy lines.

They lost those trapped within just as quickly. Cloud was dead, as was Silver... all their chocobos, the loyal and loving companions trapped in their stalls, even the undead warrior Auron had drowned. They themselves could just as easily had joined them before even stepping foot into this abysmal frozen castle and be resting beneath the ice at the bottom of the lake.

Even those who survived the crash didn't go unscathed. Axel had sacrificed himself to save Kyla and chose to pave their way to victory. Nanaki had his life stolen from him after fighting to save everyone else from the guardian dragon. And now... they couldn't even be sure if they'd even lost Sora, Riku, and all the others when the bridge collapsed and the barrier prevented their escape or aid.

After enough time to gather themselves and accept the inevitable, they began moving across the courtyard. Midst the garden of ice, they could feel the weight lifted from them. As they walked past one statue to be faced with the next, their minds were instead filled by the faces these statues presented. One by one, they left a new impression, till these previously, perhaps frightening or disturbing figures became familiar, like the faces of friends who might lend an ear or a shoulder to cry on. As they approached the door, the statues became greater in number, slipping between two was like pressing one's way through a crowd.

As they could feel a friendly presence, that hand on the shoulder encouraging them to press on, they had to wonder, why did they come here in the first place? What reason brought them to the doorstep of this forgotten castle? At last the statues opened up and their number dwindled before the door, where the breath of fresh air left all the earthlings standing from various angles around a half circle clearing and a large set of grand double doors.

The main entrance was all that remained. The rich dark wood, hung on strong, black metal hinges with brilliant gold etches in floral designs throughout. It was a beautiful door, warm and untouched by the cold and frost, sheltering and inviting. Right, they needed to get inside, out of the cold. They had come a long way to get here and it would be warm inside.

The doors parted on their own, darkness within was at first all they could see, but a breath of warmth, a gentle caress of hot air upon their cheeks called them in.

And then... they forgot.

Candlelight gave life to the well decorated entryway. Cherry-wood furnishings lined the walls and spanned space between marble pillars. Couches and chairs with lively, deep-red, satin cushions with gold embroidery dotted the hall while a large red and black carpet with rich Gothic patterns lined the way straight forward to the next door which hung cracked open ever so slightly with light pouring through that drew a brilliant line in the air that fanned out over a nearby black suit of armor that glittered with the same golden etching as the rest of the decor.

Drawn to the light, the earthlings spanned the hall, feeling a twisted sense of forgetting something important, while simultaneously remembering what they'd forgotten. Aahhh, that's right, they'd been invited here. Aslan had told them that a new king was going to be crowned in Narnia and a ball was being held in the honor of those who had fought to preserve the land. The earthlings had been specifically invited to honor their key involvement in saving the country from the darkness. They remembered they'd been told a surprise awaited them that had been especially prepared for them and them alone.

As the door swung open they were blinded for but a moment as light flooded through the open archway and they were greeted by an assault upon their senses. Smells and sounds wafted in and warmth wrapped them up in blankets that set their hearts at ease. An urge to stretch and smile gripped them and their hearts felt lighter, something difficult to describe as a feeling from being back on earth settled in, a feeling of a world without magic, a feeling of familiarity, a feeling of home... as an orchestra began to play a lively tune.





People moved around a massive rectangular hall wearing masquerade masks, ball gowns, suits, and outlandish outfits from all over. The Earthlings had entered from one of the far ends of the hall that easily spanned 50 yards to the other end where an empty throne stood after a short flight of 5 steps.

Laughter and cheer filled the air lit by glittering crystal chandeliers hanging high above. Food covered banquet tables all around as the guests gathered around for socialization over light snacks and drinks. Tapestries hung from the walls colored brilliantly in deep maroon, gold, black, purples, deep royal blues and even pale shades of pink to add just the right touch of lighter colors. Banners and streamers arced down overhead spanning from one end of the hall to the other making the entire scene even more extravagant.

The main hall was a grand sight even without the decorations and lavishly dressed occupants. The main hall, with walls of stone supported a cascading glittering ceiling of glass and gold, definitely a remodel from the white witch's old dreary and dark decor that kept the castle masked in a dark shadowy muck that would give no one a sense of comfort or awe that this new design set in the hearts of those visiting.

In between the grand entrances to the other 4 wings of the castle, there stood 6 alcoves. Each with a massive statue depicting a different person of Narnian history. One, in the middle on the left hand side of the hall, was Aslan, who emblazoned with gold etched into the white marble across his mane was the grandest of them all. At his right, Peter, high-king of Narnia, loomed with his sword stuck into the pedestal on which the two story monolith stood. On Aslan's left, stood Lucy, shorter in stature to the towering depiction of Peter, she was also carved in a lounging position, her legs tucked gracefully behind her as she placed her weight on a single arm with a dagger in the other hand that rested on her lap.

Across from Aslan, opposing him stood a black marble statue of the White Witch, her name only given homage to in the stone used for the slab placed at the base of her statue to mark and name her as the woman who once terrorized the great nation. At her right, stood a depiction of Edmund, who, like his brother stood with his own sword stuck in the pedestal. At the witch's left, stood Susan. She, unlike her sister diagonal to her, stood staring to the side with as dispassionate a gaze as stone could muster, the only of her siblings that stood unarmed in a dress with her arms crossed.

Lastly, at the far end of the hall behind the throne, was a much smaller statue, a depiction of a blindfolded young male clothed in no more than a robe from his waist to his feet, with his arms crossed over his chest. From his wrists where golden chains hanging down and arcing to the grips of another pair of statues at his sides. As though sprouting from his back, the other two figures, a woman dressed in loose robes and a suit of armor, possessed one arm each and held a brazier on three chains that burned with blue and red flames respectively. On the side closest the witch was the suit of armor, on the side closest to Aslan was the robed woman. Who these figures were, was not apparent at first glance.

As their dress spheres took over their wardrobe, some of the guests had noticed their arrival and began whispering to each other excitedly, some of the women becoming giddy and even losing composure to run over to another group and whisper the latest news. Soon most of the party had stopped and turned to face them, hundreds of masked nobility all watching them with plaster smiles and otherwise.

Before any of the earthlings could speak up, they were greeted by a women, who unlike the rest of the party, did not wear a mask, dressed instead in a gorgeous dark blue ball gown with pink ribbons running down her back pulling tight the corset in a series of elegant bows. She wore white silk gloves and stood humbly with her hands clasped over her waist, "Welcome, heroes. We've been expecting you. You're comrades arrived not too long ago and informed us you were running slightly behind, but worry not the festivities have barely even begun and we have plenty of entertainment lined up for you this evening." The woman motioned to a corner of the hall where Sora, Riku, Nanaki, Auron, Cloud, Silver, Zell, Yuffie and Prote and some others they'd recognize including Kichi, Alan and the earthling turk Daniel alongside another young man none of them recognized, all of which stood about waving in their direction, "I must apologize however, the king-to-be is not here to greet you himself. He had to retire for a short bit to his quarters. It seems the preparations for tonight's ball took quite a toll on him and he needed some time to rest. But, please, do enjoy the party. We've made sure to prepare everything according to your preferences. If there's anything more you need please let me kn-"

At that moment, a sharp voice called out from the crowd, excited and full of joy, "Kyle!" it wasn't the voice any of the others knew, no, this was someone who only Kyle knew that came rushing across the hall to the dragoon faster than the others could blink. To Kyle's surprise, it was his brother.

Almost on cue, the others could hear their names called out. Familiar faces, beloved friends or family they'd thought lost when the earth was destroyed, came slipping out of the crowd, spanning the distance to those precious loved ones they'd missed so dearly. One person to each earthling seemed to have been gathered here at the ball. Each regaling them of tales of how they had been rescued and brought to the castle for protection over the course of the past week and were apparently told the same thing that the heroes had, a surprise had been prepared for them. This was that surprise, and what a grand gift it was to be reunited once more against all odds.

With a knowing nod, the woman in blue bowed and respectfully gave the group space for them to spend time with their loved ones. A servant came to her and informed her the doors had been locked with the arrival of the last guests before she returned to sit on a velvety black armchair at the corner of the hall midst a circle of similar couches and chairs.


((OOC: To address some questions that were raised involving the illusion:

1. The loved ones can not be someone you know is DEAD. If seen falling into darkness, this person could "potentially" be alive. If YOU believe this person should not have survived and it just wouldn't make sense, then that person would not be a loved one who would be present. PS: Only ONE family member or friend per person. You CAN do something similar to Bobbi, with only 1 family member but the others are absent, as long as it makes SENSE, but only one will be present.

2. Summons are currently silent or cut off. The reason for this will be explained in character. My apologies for the vagueness in the post's narrative, but this also includes magic. Buffs and passive enchantments are still there and have not been dispelled, but further casting is impossible.

3. The time lapse from the end of the 1st Chapter to the end of this post, from the gate to the front door, was not meant to puppet or say anyone MUST react a certain way, it was meant to speed things along TO the door after I received several complaints about the arc's rate of progression. My apologies for any misunderstandings here. I encourage people to retroactively react throughout the transition entirely to your liking if you want--it was simply that getting from point A to point B was going to happen either way due to the enchanting nature of the spell. If you feel like writing out your reactions and progression OR decide to simply "FORGET" for now and address what happened from A - B later, is up to you entirely.

4. Nick's "existence" is believed to be a different person from the one people know to be the Avatar of Chaos. Mainly, he's recognized as the man who helped the queen's quest when still under the guise of a good guy. All related memories to his true identity have been altered or removed.

5. Last but not least, "Louis" has been forgotten. His identity, his existence as a person, has been smudged from people's memories. Nothing can be remembered of him. Not his face, his name, or his participation in their adventures. Conversations with him never happened. Battles beside him were fought alone. As far as the party is aware, Louis does not exist.))

[Dawn : Narnia : Bridge]

Dawn stood dumbstruck at everyone gathered around. Kyle was reunited with someone and Bobbi was greeted by her mother. She was looking around, when she felt some tiny arms wrap around her waist. The dancer looked down to see a little light brown haired girl clinging to the dark blue dress she wore.

"Krystal!" Dawn shouted as tears appeared in the corner of her eyes as her little niece look at her with her blue eyes shining around her curly hair.

Without any hesitation, Dawn fell to her knees and took her arms and held the little girl to her tightly.

"You're here," she cried as the tears started to flow down her eyes, "I saw you... I am sorry.

Dawn continued to mumble as she put her face in the little girls shoulder and just cried.