Gathering Forces

[The Alexandrian Army]

Not long after Beatrix' declaration about the arrival of the Rose, it would make its way through the weak barrier holding the world containing Sherwood Forest together, its whole body looking about ready to come undone as it moved in for a shaky, rickety landing.

It took some time but in the end managed to dig its base between the edges of a large, open river, where it slumped down and tilted sideways.

No sooner had it come, however, when another craft somewhat smaller came down following its same path, this one landing swiftly and gracefully on the banks closest to the stern, where the cargo bay's doors would snatch and the soldiers would march out.

From high on the bridge a soldier leaned out over the Captain's railing and blew into a horn, signalling for the general and company, informing them that help had arrived at last.

Within the darkness it would be challenging, but because the fox Robin guided them, it took far less time than Beatrix had guessed it would. She was grateful to see Alexandrians marching about the sides of the Rose by the time they made it.

[Cloud]

Following both these ships, another would join in as well. With the sound of an engine rumble and the whine of an object swiftly incoming, a sleek, black motorcyclelike ship would swoop into the clearing. It came to a stop, and the rider would press a button on his helmet, causing his armorlike hyperspace suit to collapse and slide upward. As he pulled the helmet off his face, Cloud's familiar spikes would come into view.

He shoved the helmet into one of the hard saddlebags on the side of Fenrir before dismounting the bike and walking over to meet with the oncoming group. He stood in the center of the clearing a moment until they caught up to him.

"Saw the ship on my way through hyperspace..." Cloud muttered once they were within earshot. "...figured something big was going on... and I kinda hope it has something to do with Atticus..."

[Agrias Oaks]

Agrias after spending some time with Beatrix and the others-- catching up and the likes on the events of Lilith, and the Theater, and the ride there with the kidnapping of Daphne-- began to busy herself with a few documents on the worlds she found on the Red Rose; she studied maps and a few other technological advances of the world to fully catch up on everything that had evolved in her chronological absence.

In the end of her wisdom seeking, she felt incomplete still, and it would not be her fault at all. She was trying hard enough, but something was not pulling its own weight. Tired, the woman looked down toward her armor less chest, and rested a soft hand hard just over her heart in frustration. Her father, or the subconsciousness that spoke like her father did not have all the answers. The damaged knight would not be able to fight at her fullest, she felt, and could not be ready to face the pure evil that was at the end of the road.

"Hrm.." She shook her head and tried to concentrate on a plan that involved all, "...Let us see... from what I've experienced with this demon... " she mumbled the rest, formulating a few plans to introduce them to the others ... the least she could do was this.

Every now and again, she glanced over to Abigail and Ellin, whom had caught up with the group, and then look to Beatrix shouting commands to the soldiers. She then watched the Prince of Loxley help out in cutting a few trees down for the repairs on the Red Rose. Team work was always a beautiful sight, and it often soothed the mind...

"Teamwork... speed to counter speed... strength with strength..." she mumbled aloud, her eyes fixed at nothing in particular.

Eventually, she placed the notes down and went to help the others with the heavy sets... of course, now she could manage only half the cargo she was able to hold back when she was at her fullest potential.

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail approached with her hand delicately held in Ellin's. She lead the woman closer to center, where Cloud was with a smile on her face. "Cloud!" she cried out, waving happily. "You're here!" She smiled, and turned to face Ellin to make proper introductions. She told Ellin about Cloud's adventures in Gaia, then told Cloud all about how amazing Ellin was!

When she was done ranting (and in fact, she was ranting), she smiled happily to Ellin. Having Cloud here meant they had a chance! A legitimate chance! After all, he had a lot of experience, didn't he? She hoped that Beatrix would see this is a wonderful opportunity. After all, what could it hurt to have another ship on hand?

She looked over to see the soldiers and smiled happily. Things were starting to feel a little more under control! With a sigh, she nodded to the others and asked to be excused. She wanted to check in on things on the Rose...

[General Beatrix]

For a while the ship what landed alongside her own remained to her a mystery, and while the Alexandrians went back and forth, loading and unloading, some repairing and preparing supplies for repair, she used that time to greet yet a newer arrival.

"Sir Cloud!" she called out, jogging over to The man she once shared a cell with, and saluted. "I appreciate your coming and welcome it with open arms! It has been quite a while, indeed. Oh, excuse me...I think I rrecognize one of--"

In an instant she was off, running towards the gummi galleon, where an envoy of golems carried a palanquin lined with shining silk curtains. it stopped right before the general and, when she saw the Brass Duke's face peeking out, she could have committed what could only appropriately be called an "anime fall".

"Your Grace," she said, and stepped inside the carrier to speak with the man who had come to The rescue of her ship. It appeared that he found the condition of her ship to be less tha acceptable for a man in his position to allow to leave his sight, and so he would seek them out and do everything in his power to fix it.

He needed the materials all in place for a ritual spell of fabrication he'd set out to perform, and so informed Beatrix of this when she asked what the reason was for carrying a raw material aboard the Rose.

They sat for a wiretapping, andrew both parties had enough of small talk, they exited the palanquin to survey the work force. She brought him to Abby and Cloud first, introducing them.

"Miss Abigail, you remember The Duke, from Master Culaki's world, yes?"

[Secondary Characters]

***From Radiant Garden***

As Leon was pulled through the Corridor of soupy blackness, he felt his heartrate increase. It began at his feet, then the blood pushed through his body until it roared through his ears. He gasped, feeling himself slipping from consciousness as the corners of his vision began to grow dark...

BAM! A blindingly bright light invaded all of his senses, and he slammed face-first into the ground, grunting as he slid for a few feet. Good thing there was soft grass tangled in his ears, nostrils, and mouth, otherwise he'd be quite bruised. Picking himself off of the ground, he looked around at the myriad of people and the huge ship. It looked badly damaged. Maybe he could help with that...

He moseyed on over to where Cloud was, tapping him on the shoulder to announce his arrival and staring at the people he was surrounded by.

"Hey, Cloud, do you know what's going on with that ship? If there's any kind of trouble with the electronics, then I could definitely help. Being in charge of Radiant Garden's security systems helped with that..."

[Twilight Path]

"...if you were to lose your Heart, it would mean losing a unique and wonderful person—a person born of the Light, who can appreciate the beauty hidden in the Darkness. One of the relative few among the Light who truly deserves the Heart they’ve been given.”

Sarah remained beside Boco when they landed, waiting for Culaki to leave before she pulled out her piccolo. Acteur still remained fresh on her mind, her gloved hands holding tighter to it. She was uncertain if she should go out there.

“To accomplish that journey would be no small task…but you, with your unique outlook on the nature of Light and Darkness, stand a better chance than most at seeing it through.”

Acteur had sent her away for her safety. What was safe about this world? What would be so safe with the people outside?

"Those who go through life wallowing in despair are the lost. And Culaki can sense that you are lost. But you are safe here, among friends and allies, and those who would protect you. Culaki sees your inner strength, one called Sarah. He knows that you have the hope and willpower to overcome it."

Slowly, she stood up from the spot she had sat at. "I love you." She spoke, touching her heart with one hand while the other put the piccolo back in her pocket. "I will see you again Acteur. No matter what happens." She replaced the hat on her head, looking at Boco. "Shall we go out together, Boco?"

She led the Chocobo out to meet the world outside of the ship, hoping that she would not have to face something worse than the pain in her chest.

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail smiled happily when she saw Brass. Though she didn't quite know him all that well (and frankly, from his introduction was hard pressed to say she really liked him very much), she still felt it was best to be polite and nice. "It's good to see you again!" she said cheerfully, then glanced over as Leon joined the group. She blinked a bit, then bowed politely, having never seen this man before.

"Hello. My name is Abigail. It's a pleasure to meet you..." she trailed off a bit, glancing off now to see that Sarah was emerging from the Rose with Boco in tow. She smiled a bit, then nodded to Leon. "I'm sorry, but will you excuse me?" she asked, then graciously parted from the group. She had an objective in mind to complete, but seeing as Sarah was along the way, she felt she could use a kind word or two.

"Hello, Miss Sarah!" Abigail said as she approached, pausing a moment to reach up to Boco and affectionately pet his beak. "And hi to you too, Boco!" she said with a happy smile. She looked again to Sarah, trying to be supportive. "How have you been? Oh!" This was when she noticed the mess of feathers and Chocobo feed stuck here and there on Sarah's outfit. With a little giggle, she smiled politely.

"Oh dear... why don't you come with me for a moment and we'll get you something clean to wear, hm?" she said sweetly, then lead Sarah up to her own quarters, where she rummaged through a trunk that had been placed there for her which contained the dress she received from Beatrix (magically teleported here when her clothes were changed to the more modern look she now sported), and a handful of other outfits she had purchased back at Radiant Garden and opted not to carry in her bag of holding later.

From this trunk, she produced an outfit which seemed about Sarah's size. It was a bit sporty for Abigail's tastes, but it seemed to fit Sarah quite well. It featured a black sports shirt with a light blue overcoat that had split sleaves and blue belt fasteners, along with a blue short skirt which would leave the girl free for motion. It was a smidge revealling, but considering it was fairly warm outside, she figured the girl would appreciate not having to wear a heavy dress and hat.

"Here you go..." she said, handing Sarah the clothes. "Go get changed in my bathroom, okay? When you're done, you can set the clothes you're wearing on my trunk and I'll see that they get cleaned later. As for me, I need to find Mr. Oeilvert. Have you seen him?"

She thought a moment then smiled. "On second thought, I think I might know where he is. You take care, okay?" she said, then waved and left the room so Sarah could change in peace. Meanwhile, she looked around the halls and checked the cargo area. She wanted to see if Oeilvert could possibly remake that mansion place like last time, because the food was probably still warm, and she figured it would be quite nice to pass out bowls of chicken and dumplings during this brief respite...

[luna]

Luna swished and swayed as she walked around, on the big bear's arm. "Papa bear, i'm not quite sure about things, but i do see that what I've become, can be useful for .......well ..... just more." she said as they walked. The rest of the conversation between her and Little John was nothing more then a group of small questions, with short answers She was just happy that she was just walking with Little John. Luna smirked at herself a bit, she realized that even tho all the chaos was happening around them all, she was happy, she hadn't been happy in a long time.

When the group had arrived at where all the ships were coming in, she let go of Little John's arm "Bye Papa Bear" she said as she watched him go and join up with Robin, which she gave a quick wave to. Luna looked around at all the newcomers, and new faces arriving and joining them all here on their world. She walk through the group with a swish and a sway. She found herself a nice large stump that was about 4 feet off the ground, and with a light bounce she twirled and landed in a sitting position, with her legs dangling over the side. Luna looked over the people gathering and merely watched as things developed.

[Cloud]

Cloud nodded a bit as Abigail introduced Ellin. Looking at her, though... well, he didn't know how well she sat with him. There were a few that didn't, to be honest. That "duke" fellow, and the heartless sitting over by the stump... He didn't trust either as far as he could throw them. However, the "sisters" had never given him any reason to mistrust their judgement, so of course he was somewhat conflicted.

Leon stepped up and asked some questions that he simply didn't have the answers to. With a shrug, Cloud turned somewhat away from the group. "Ask the owner..." he said to Leon, then started walking over to his bike. He needed to get to work making sure it was in good repair for battle. His thoughts were on the oncoming battles, and what his part was in them...

[Twilight Path]

Sarah had barely any time to register the numerous people outside when she saw a white mage come up to her. It was one of the people that Acteur had invited to perform in the play. A pain struck her as she remembered, wondering if the woman would yell at her like Agrias had awhile ago. To her rather confused surprise, the woman seemed to be quite happy for some reason.

"How have you been?"

She attempted to clear her throat to attempt to say something. What was she to say? What would Abby really want to hear? She didn't know why she should even say anything. Would the woman be- She didn't have time to worry about what to say, feeling the mage lead her through what looked like the various hallways of the ship.

"...why don't you come with me for a moment and we'll get you something clean to wear, hm?"

She stood rather confused, her hands at her sides. She would have said something if it had been Acteur, most likely. Still, it was hard to understand why someone on the light would be so accepting of her rather radical path. Still, if Beatrix was so accepting, it was possible others on the ship were too.

"Thank you." Sarah spoke once Abby stopped talking. She entered the bathroom, slowly removing the various parts of her outfit. With each piece she removed, she slowly folded the clothing. Putting them on the ground, she made sure the piccolo was placed on top.

Her body had changed from the first time she came to meet Maleficent. There was quite a bit of muscle from moving around and her hands had more of a grip. Was it from using the piccolo so much? "Be strong." She spoke to herself, slowly pulling on the new clothing as well as a pair of long boots that Abby had left near the door. She picked up her piccolo, holding it close to her heart.

"I will be strong Acteur. For the both of us." She exited the bathroom, putting the piccolo in her pocket. Her hair was let out, her glasses clean once again. She would have to be strong in order to be able to work with her companions. She made her way to Boco, wherever she had left him. When she finally found him she led the way to talk to some of the people.

[kefka]

*From Radiant Garden*

Zolapaz emerged from the Corridor some time after Leon, unusual seeing as he was The first to enter. He did not look as if anything had happened to him, nor did he say to anyone nearby what caused his delay.

A fee soldiers running about caught a glimpse of the Nobody and began the circulating whispers of conspiracy; shrugging off looks of contempt, Zolapaz made a bee-line towards Cloud, Leon and the others, the former who took his leave being the finishing line. Zola nearly turned to follow, but instead nodded to Beatrix, a familiar sight, and tilted close to Leon.

"I am here," he stated, awaiting instructions.

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Masheck and Wall-E had reunited by the time Abigail showed up and they sat, the automaton and raven nestled beside him while he studied the Grimorum.

"Hm?"

He stood, as all nobles should when a lady' was present, and bowed his head. "Er, the mansion? Yes, I believe I could raise it once more; the Unseen Servants should be tending to whatever you left behind, so you'll need not worry about before."

He grabbed Abigail's shoulder and ushered her out of the ship and near the banks of the river, where he would set down the temporary altar place once more, thus conjuring the mansion. The gate leading into the extradimensional space appeared in a flash the moment he'd finished his spell, and he spoke the command word to allow the White Mage's safe passage through.

-------------------------------

"That isn't at all what I meant," said Beatrix, having gotten into another argument about Brass' OCD, assuring him that his help was, indeed welcomed, if not a bit creepy.

When Cloud And Abby left she was stuck with the Duke, Leon, and--!

"Kefka!" she proclaimed, jumping back and whipping out Save the Queen. "What are you doing here?"

[Sai]

High above, another point of light would harold yet another arrival. This time, it would bring with it a gummi ship in the shape of Scrooge McDuck's moneybin, an oddly shaped craft at that! It would land lightly thanks to the quickly gained skill of the judge magistrate and open its doors to the ones walking out.

Ria, Daphne, Sai, Kim Possible, Hercules, and Gabranth all stepped from the BinShip. Nexus shouldn't be much farther behind on Airnose. As they stepped out, Sai would look to Daphne, and whisper to her. "Call for an emergancy meeting... It's time to present our findings..." he said coolly, not betraying even the slightest hint of excitment or eagerness. When she was gone, he'd then turn to Gabranth and Hercules.

"General Beatrix Lillian Flint should be around here somewhere. She will likely offer you some compensation for the safe return of her senior science officer and one of her foot soldiers..." he said calmly, then nodded. "You have stated that you intend to leave here upon reception of compensation. Though I am a Nobody and my words are hollow and basically meaningless... I do hope that you see fit to offer your further assistance. Especially after I have presented what I believe will finally give us the edge in this war..."

Sai paused, letting it sink in before he'd take a step away. "Excuse me, gentlemen..." he said dismissively, then started walking toward the Rose. As he thought on the notes he had in his hands (having collected the remainder from Daphne onboard the ship), Sai went over what he'd need. The instructions were basically all there. What he needed was the material components... a person to wield the weapon and...

"Heartsteele..." Sai muttered, thinking on how he callously gave away the one piece he had in exchange for the notes. Maybe it wasn't a smart move, but it was the only one he could make at the time. Besides, seeing the overly elaborate and self-serving vehicle nearby, he had a strong feeling the Duke was here. If that was true, he probably had a good chance of finding more.

Sai couldn't help but think on the properties of Hearsteele as he considered where to look for another sample. In terms of appearance, It would appear much like any other shiny metal, but it granted whatever it was applied to special powers... magic, even. Even a novice would be able to concoct amazing feats with little effort should a weapon be outfitted with the metal, much like-

Sai paused, frozen in spot for a second before he turned abruptly in place to look at Sarah nearby with Agrias' Chocobo. "Of course..." he muttered to himself, then walked toward the girl. He would have to be careful how he approached this, as she seemed protective of this certain item, but Sai needed another look at it.

Stopping a few feet from her, Sai cleared his throat. "Miss Appleton?" Sai asked, gaining her attention before speaking again. "I don't know if you remember me too well, but we met at the Jidoor Opera House. You had an interesting instrument with you back then. Do you still have it?" he asked, his voice still sounding quite dull and boring.

"If you do, I would very much appreciate a chance to examine it for a moment..." he continued, then added, "It will not have to leave your possession during this, I just wish to have a look..." just in case she felt threatened by a stranger suddenly asking for her things.

"This could be very important..."

[Twilight Path]

Sarah turned around when she heard what sounded like a clearing of throat. Looking at the person, she subconsciously put her hand to the pocket where the piccolo was located. Her eyes narrowed, noting that Sai was the one in her dream that was talking so calmly over Acteur's possible death.

"How am I supposed to trust the man who chose to tell me such things with a calm voice?" Her mind wandered to the strange dreams that held both Sai and the infamous evil known as Atticus. She couldn't figure out if he was really there or actually not. "You were in that strange place, both times."

[Sai]

Sai tilted his head slowly at the girl, not sure of what she was referring. An eyebrow lifted inquizitively as he considered his words, and tried to decipher all the things he had said to her (a remarkably short list). Unable to determine what it was that had upset the girl, he was forced to ask.

"Excuse me... but what do you mean, exactly?" Sai asked, his voice as calm and deadpan as always, even in a state of confusion. "What strange place do you mean? I have seen many places which can be considered unusual..." he paused a moment, thinking. "And if I have offended, I do apologize. You see... in my state of being, I cannot be as empathetic as others. I see no point in lying, and sometimes I do speak bluntly. This has a tendancy to inspire anger in others..."

Sai's eyes never wavered as he looked at the girl, though he still struggled to place exactly his transgression. "These things that are upsetting you... What are they specifically?"