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[Traverse Town::Third District]

The second encounter with the Heartless did not affect Window as much as it did previously. He still remembered some of the attack patterns of the short and small Heartless, so he decided to focus on them first. Two of the small shadows converged on Window's left and right side, causing him to jump up in the air to avoid them. They were awkward opponents since they were so close to the ground, so he knew he had to take advantage of the moments when they jumped toward him. For one, their trajectory would be predictable--you can't change direction in midair--and secondly, Window wouldn't be putting himself in a position from which he might not be able to recover; he wouldn't be kicking downward at the ground. Keeping a short but controllable distance away from the small Heartless, Window narrowed his eyes as he watched their jerky movements, waiting for the next jump he knew would come.

However, he had forgotten about the soldier-looking heartless who had been lurking in the outskirts. All too late Window heard the whirr of metal and shadow as one soldier spun towards Window's back, much like a tornado. He jerked his right shoulder back and his body followed, but not soon enough; Window felt the sting as an edge of metal cut into his arm. But he did not curse or falter. Instead, the man merely added one more factor into his mental equation of how to deal with the heartless. One of the small heartless took this opportunity to jump at Window, who quickly ducked down and let the small creature fly over his head. Window spun around just in time to see the heartless begin to land and so he stomped on it, much like how one might kill a bug. It squirmed and wriggled, making Window feel very uncomfortable (much like how one might feel when killing a bug). He could feel it--the life in this creature. And he was about to take it away. The guilt felt heavy. He knew he didn't have the right to control thing's life, but what was he going to do? Desperately the shadow clawed at Window's sturdy shoes, helpless and yet deadly. Giving up, it began to sink down into the stone. Window knew he couldn't let that happen, and so he stomped on it with all his might--again, and again, and again. With each blow, Window only felt increasingly remorseful, and on the final one, the small heartless disappeared in a wisp of smoke and darkness.

But he did not have a moment to waste. It had only been a matter of seconds, and the other two heartless were not about to give up so easily. Keeping an eye on the small shadow-like heartless and the soldier one, Window glanced over to see where Nalo was. He seemed to be all right. "Of course I will stay on guard! I apply the same sentiment towards your personage as well!"

NαlΘ

Attacking the heartless was still very awkward without some sort of weapon, especially since he was so tall. He dropped to the ground and performed a little street trick that he learned a while ago. "GET AWAY!" His legs flung out with force, brushing back the two heartless in front of him and (rather inadvertently) knocked the heartless behind him into the wall.

[Moggie & Shade : Traverse Town : Maze]

Moggie, who had remained back during the fray for a casting of a spell, finally let it loose. The moogle unleashed a large fire spell onto the last remaining wyvern. Defeating the last wyvern who had started lingering over the head of Fang.

The massive wolf didn't even flinch as the fireball hit a Heartless over his head. Instead, Fang leaped up teeth out to attack the last remaining Dark Ball. He was able to get a good bite out of it but not enough to defeat the floating heartless.

Shade didn't hessitate to dash in behind the fat heartless and stab it in the back. Leaving it weakened but not defeated. In the corner of her eye she saw the last heartless, it was weakened thanks to Fang. Shade took out three of her throwing knifes. Throwing all three at once in the at the Dark Ball, finishing him off.

Kuropo Guroko

{Judge me not by my size; for I am much more then meets the eyes.}

{Traverse Town : Maze}

The Tarutaru couldn't but chuckle to himself as he watched the combatants fight their way through the maze. Finally joining into one big group at the very end. He twirled his staff excitedly as he began to focus once more and six large red orbs were released from the staff.

'Ah they're at the center of the maze finally. Now it's time for the finale!'

As the large orbs of data fell down into the maze they floated in the very center of the maze as they grew to take on the form of the six pieces of the large Heartless known as the Guard Armor. He then called down into the maze for all to hear.

"Defeat this Heartless and gain great power! So I implore you, please do not cower."

The group of Heartless before them was vanquished just like that with an effort put up by everyone. Before there could be any celebrations though, the mastermind had spoken and released a larger more formidable enemy before them. He listened to his sister speak foul words and chuckled. "Such words don't suit you sister!" he said making fun of his sister. "Here, take a potion and let's get out of this situation." He took out the potion that he saved from earlier and tossed it to his sister. He gave her one last smile before facing the Armor and then prepared himself mentally for the next fight.

[Traverse Town::Third District]

A sudden searing pain shot through Window's back, making him arch in surprise. He spun around and saw another little Heartless, bobbing and weaving back and forth like the inconsistent shadow that it was. He wished he had a stick, anything to help, but there was none. Pulling what emotion he could together (for he was not a very angry or fiercely passionate person), he gave a small cry as he vaulted over the black mass and immediately pivoted to leap at its back before it turned around, hoping to catch it unawares and pin it down beneath his body.

[Traverse Town::Third District]

Window gasped with surprise as he felt the struggling Heartless give way beneath his body to merge with the ground. He had not particularly noticed this feature of their abilities before, and now the task of overcoming them seemed just that much further out of reach. Window saw a movement from the corner of his eyes, and his head snapped around to see another small Heartless fly at him. He immediately rolled towards the Heartless under its arc of trajectory so that the thing would pass overhead, and jumped up again onto his two feet. From a strategic point of view, the situation did not favor them; Window and Nalo were expending too much effort for too little results. They either had to change their tactics or run. "Nalo!" Window called. "Do you have any offensive magic skills? Or just that shield?"