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[Seymour : Forbidden City]

I thought so.

The Maester was suddenly rushing forward, following after the group instead of waiting behind, as he'd intended. He blurred past those standing still, and was still barely visible to those moving. By the time he'd gotten to the scene, however, it was likely too late.

"We should be vacating immediately," Seymour said, sounding almost more like an order than a suggestion. However, his eyes weren't trained on anyone or anything aside from the back of the Firework Yard. It seemed almost as if he didn't want them near the place. "Darkness. This place is seeping with it, and it's growing worse by the second."

Seymour summoned his body-length staff to his hand, standing tall as he stood guard. "This is foul, even for a Heartless. What manner of fiend...?"

[Kyla: LoD: Fireworks Yard]

((ooooh...go? or fun?... go?..or fun? HARD to choose!))


Kyla knew Cloud was hiding something- but then again- when was this character NOT hiding something?
And if there was one thing she really didn't like about dealing with other people, it was being treated like a brick wall. Meaning, she'd ask something or say something, and people would act like she said nothing at all.

It was just like home.

That was why.. she'd never try to be part of a team before now. People always treated her like she wasn't there, even when in the end she was right, which was often the case back home. But being right wasn't the point.
Ignoring someone, then acting like they'd still do what you told them- was a good way to piss her off.

Fine! If Cloud was going to act that way, she'd do the same! Act like he said nothing.

It's not like she chose to take orders from anyone here, she just followed because she wanted to know what happened to the King.
Besides, dispite the difference in hight, she was probably the same freakin age as mr. emo ...if not older perhaps.



As the chill settled in on the area, seeping into her skin like a numbing frost bite, Kyla summoned her book to her hands and deftly opened the spine. Flipping to a fresh page, her qwill in hand she turned away from the bustersword user and walked a little bit away from them all, facing the pooling darkness instead.
"... personally don't think leaving these defenceless people to the mercy of whatever is coming is in good form. Unless there's proof it's going to follow us, and wont wreck havok in our absence, I think I'll greet it."


'Tyue?'

~ Right here!~

Sure enough the blue tinted Carbuncle appeared in her tangible furry form, floating for a second in mid air, then rested on the pictomancers shoulder. Her ears perked up expectantly.

" Smells bad it does."

To make sure meant what she said, Kyla flipped her book open, and finished a small doodle of Warding Lotus which casted Protect on herself.


I'm acting like a brat...I know. I'm just tired of people thinking I'm not worth trusting. I did my part- if they wont meet me half way, I don't think it matters. Kyle didn't trust me. Wont, trust me. These guys seems to be no different.

~ Aibou, I know you don't believe that entirely. Kyle shared a little with you, without having to say anything!

'It's still the same! I'm nothing to them, they don't trust me, no matter how many times I stick my neck out and pull my weight! Do I need to wave a stinking Keyblade around before they give me any respect as an individual?!! I gave them their chance... I'm still allowed to make my own choices. I didn't sign anything that revoked my rights.'

' Besides. That's still how I feel.
If something BAD is coming, it's wrong to turn tail and run while it manifests and does who knows what to these people! The last thing we need is the Emperor thinking we left him a nasty parting gift- we're on thin ice as it is. Men are being buried today, I'm not letting whatever this thing is, make it worse for the people of China.

Tyue knew Kyla was being honest with her about that. But thse other feelings of doubt in the rest of the earthlings couldn't stay. She had to speek to her more later about it.

{James : Train : Sleeping Car -> Outside Train}

{{Cue : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EluOEpkXZIo]Depression Blues}}

James didn't know how long he had been trying, but he just couldn't sleep. He had far too much on his mind for his own good right now. All his lying down on the bed had managed to do was cause him to toss and turn a lot. He sighed as he slowly sat up and gazed outside at the moon high above. He just sat there for a minute, gazing at the bright circle in the sky... the only source of light remaining in the dark night since the stars were no longer in the sky.

"It's no good... I can't sleep."

He muttered to himself as he stood up, the rest of his dress sphere reforming as he did so. As quietly as he could, he opened the door and walked out, making his way over towards the closest exit which in this case was the Stable Car. Most of their mounts were sleeping and he couldn't help but smile at the sleeping Feni as he lowered the ramp that lead outside. He stood on the ramp for a moment before he jumped down and onto the snow covered ground. His back leaning against the side of the train, looking up at the moon. Immediately feeling the same effect that he had the last time he had relaxed in the moon light before they went to fight Oogie Boogie.

{{Cue: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCdlZGnmgHs]Song of Healing Wolf}}

"Why do I keep getting that feeling... like I am stronger in the moon light?"

"It is because it is another source of power for you. Darkness is not the only way, as you thought it was. You also have my power to draw upon..."

'Do you mean Lunar Magic...?'

"Yes."

The corsair fell silent looking at his hands as if he could feel the power building within them.

"Light... and yet dark. Well that's interesting."

{Leon : Land of Dragons : Fireworks Yard}

Leon watched as Cloud turned to leave, only to have Axel get in his way, saying that he was going to be the one to leave instead of Cloud. His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw Axel's look at him, their eyes meeting and he knew that this wasn't the last time they would see the Flurry of Dancing Flames as the then disappeared.

His attention was then drawn away from Cloud and Axel as the rest of the Earthlings began to show up, making this situation a bit more complicated indeed. He was just about to turn to face Cloud again and then it was as if Cloud hadn't just tried to attack him... or leave for that matter. The Buster Sword wielder simply turned back to him saying that they should leave.

"That's more like it..."

His attention then shifted though to the feeling of darkness that descended upon them, immediately he raised his gunblade back at the ready, his eyes focusing on the source.

"This can't be good." His attention turned to Kyla and the others, they needed to leave The darkness surrounding forming nearby filling him with dread... "We need to get out of here now!"

{Kyle : LoD : Imperial City Streets -> Fireworks Yard}

"But why? Why should we leave? Wouldn't it be better to fight now, make sure of it's intention, and then leave if we can make sure that it'll follow us? I mean, do you really think that the guards will be able to handle whatever this thing is if we can't handle it? C'mon." Kyle said suddenly, summoning his katars and going to stand next to Kyla.

And, truth be told, Kyle was excited. He wanted to fight. He wanted to prove himself. Granted, he knew that it could be a bad idea to get lost in wanting to prove himself. But he also would feel bad about leaving the civilians to...whatever was coming.

What if you simply blocked the civilians from getting in the way of the fighting?

Huh? Wait...I think I understand.

Good.

Looking down at the ground, Kyle tried to move the earth the way he wanted to. Remember the feeling from Beast's Castle. Then make it smaller. I don't need that much magic to work the earth this time... Concentrating, Kyle sent a short bit of magic into the earth, molding it how he wanted. Within a second, a small pillar of earth shot up almost to the top of his head. Glancing at the pillar, Kyle smiled a small smile.

"What if I could make a barrier to prevent the civilians from entering? Would that make everyone feel a bit better? Kyle asked, curious and hoping.

[??? : Land of Dragons : Fireworks Yard]

Alan would sense the power in the group he was with. Kyla, and her magic, was among the strongest of the Earthling's mana sources; hers was a completely magic based weapon. If she lost her magic at all, she would be all but useless, that book good for only smacking people upside the head. She was ready to use it at the moment, but the specifics of her power were hard to pinpoint– anything could come out of pictomancy. Her mana would be easily recognizable from now on.

Riku's mana would also stick out quite prominently, and his communication with Kyle in the other quest would be visible as a thin thread snaking its way through the air and disappearing beyond Alan's sight.

A lot of things could be seen in this state. Seymour's mana was another thing immediately noticeable. Easily above Kyla's magic, Seymour's came off of him in waves– and yet one got the feeling it was being suppressed, like it was capable of so much more.

All other persons would have to be focused on to get more information.

The scan of the area would be incomplete without the final, and most important, detail. As Alan watched, he would notice the pool of darkness grow steadily larger and more powerful. There was a humanoid shape to it unseen with the naked eye, and it was solidifying as more darkness was being fed to it. The darkness itself had a mana, a magic, an energy, and it was coming from somewhere . . . If Alan followed it back to its source, he would see tendrils of it coming off of Cloud, although he might not recognize Cloud in this state.

The humanoid shape was tall, but hard to discern in detail. It moved, looking directly at Alan. Its eyes glowed a bright green . . .

To everyone else, a dark cloud, a mist almost, had covered the area around the pool of darkness, obscuring most of what was going on. One could catch a glimpse of silver hair moving with the wind.

[Kyla:LoD: Fireworks Yard]

Kyla did her best to keep her nerve, but the darkness... it was like a miasma. It saturated her skin making her feel, cold and her body tremble... just a little.
Tremble from fear or excitement? Whatever it was, it pumped through her viens and made everythingshe did next crystal clear and precice.

She knew Leon wanted them to leave, but...

' I can't. I just can't. I wont run. This goes beyond pride. I can't leave these people to the mercy of...whom ever is-!!?'

Was that silver hair? It was hard to tell with the darkness hanging over the area and blanketing them in an obscuring mist.

Behind her, Kyla could hear the frightened sounds of most people running into the homes out of the streets, but there were still some just standing around. The curious and stupid, and just frozen in their place by fear.

Kyla turned a fraction to wards them( She wouldn't dare take her eyes off what approached).They had to leave- regardless- regardless how they thought about her.

There was a flash, and a loud BANG, as a single Birn Strike was aimed and fired at the crowds feet just beyond the group.
The people who remained were started out of their staring-
"GET the HECK OUT of here! NOW!!"

Scary foriengers + dark mist + pissed girl screaming and firing at them = oh yah, those who remained ran off!
Good. One less thign to worry about; and it solved their problem about crowd control.

She didn't like making people fear her- but better fear, then dead.

Next.

A dim glow from her second page, and the Warding Lotus spell was cast on their party. Shell and Protect in combination.
Those were all the buffs she knew for now, jumping ahead to her next set of pages, Kyla made sure all was ready... Birn strikes lvl 1 and 2, Dance of Blades. A new other tricks, and... another combonation ready to be sprung. Not to mention, their get away plan. She was kinda glad she didn't use it on Cloud before. She'd have to thank his cold shoulder.

Kyla almost felt somewhat confidant. That is... until Alan confirmed out loud, her worst guess of whom it could possibly be. Slowly she raised her gaze to the mans shadow slowly coming inot view. How fitting.

' Be ready.

" you can count on me."

{Kyle : LoD : Fireworks Yard}

Sephiroth. Lovely. Kurt Zisa first, followed by Sephiroth. The fun just kept on coming. Who was next, the Phantom? Or maybe a Titan? Debating on what exactly he could do, he heard Kichi's voice in his head. Glancing around for a second, he then remembered the charm. Looking down at it, he listened as Kichi spoke his thoughts. Or thought his thoughts. Or something. Well, whatever the case, it seemed to be a good plan. Protect the City on the way out, assuming that Sephiroth followed Cloud only. Following that assumption, they would either leave Cloud to fight Sephiroth while they safely escaped on the Red Rose, or they fought Sephiroth after getting away safely.

Looking back up at the darkness that raised the hair on his skin, Kyle tried to project his thoughts to the others as well.But what comes after that? Do we leave Cloud to fight Sephiroth on his own after we escape the City? Or do we fight Sephiroth together and try to defeat him? Maybe it's just me thinking of the worst case scenario, but if we all left and Sephiroth wasn't defeated, what if he held the City hostage? Nobody here could leave this place to Sephiroth...well...at least I hope not...

Finished with his two bits, Kyle kept a watch on the darkness, watching for more than just the silvery hair.