Where's the Hope?, The Light is sometimes hard to find...

[Rixan]

"Perhaps," she replied just as softly. "Perhaps not. Their network should not be as large as the one held by the old Organization." Then again, considering how many Dusk were left in the worlds, as well as the multitudes of Heartless... it was possible they could follow the trail of destruction.

"Or as well organized." She would ask Myde (her nickname for one of the remaining Dancers still 'existing) to keep an eye on one of them, to see if it were possible. The Dancer Nobody SHOULD be able to relay some information to her, provided it didn't get caught.

[Mina Mouse]

Mina had been swinging her legs, which were far from touching the floor, while sitting on the cot next to Jahari. When the new stranger appeared, she stopped.

Well, Mina thought, what do you think? The little warmth in her heart was suddenly stilled. Calm. Gosh, this thing was weird. But, then again, it was pretty weird of her to ask a keyblades opinion.

She decided on the side of caution. "What do you want," she said, addressing Kriixki "with the Keybearers?"

[Cardinal Maes-Wechsler]

It was like the tension in the room shot up. Geez.

Card could feel a drop of sweat fall down the side of her forehead.

She looked to the side and thought how odd it was that those non-heartless things that smelled a whole lot like the rest of those people-- and oddly reminded her of Bryan-- were somewhat... in gathering?

They seemed to grow in number, anyway... Pink ones and ones with weird red blocky things and pendulum-shaped ones and short ones and ones with huge heads...

They creeped her the hell out.

[Damien Nozaki]

'First those Heartless, then those... whatever they are, and now they want the Keybearers,' thought Damien, suspicion rising about the two Nobodies.

'What would they want with a large key? It's not like they can use it--I've heard around town that they only go to one that they choose.

Then again...' His eyes drifted over to the white-haired woman, who he noticed had been tense since the black-cloaked ones came in. 'Maybe she doesn't like those things as well. Maybe she'd help.'

Then again, he could be wrong. She gave off the same, empty--no, incomplete feeling that the other two gave off.

'She might be their ally... but her body language says otherwise.' He forced himself to keep his eyes off the two he had seen wielding the Keyblades. Drawing attention to them would not be the best thing in the world to do right now.

He absently clutched his lucky keychain--a replica of the old Oblivion Keychain, he'd been told, though how they were able to replicate it on his homeword of Gaia, he didn't know--and glanced at the mouse.

'Why did she remind me of Kali in the middle of the fight?'

[Don't we love how he says he shouldn't glance at the Keybearers, yet he goes and does it anyway?]

[Rai Ichida]

The two Nobodies seemed to become distracted by their own private conversation and Rai felt relieved.

Maybe they would leave. That'd be great, he thought idly, or maybe we'll have enough time to...

The darkness shifted and Rai's thoughts were cut off suddenly and violently. He fell to his knees and brought both hands to his head, groaning lightly. His own energy was effected greatly, which could only mean that...

Something very big had changed, had moved.

It reminded him, vaguely, of the few moments he had had in the dark place between worlds. And it reminded him of those eyes he'd seen there, three years ago.

"No," he muttered, "no..."

He wasn't entirely sure why.

[Nero Claudius]

(@_@ School's over. I have four pages of action and talk to catch up on. Ohh, dear.)

Nero had been paying absolutly no attention until the chill ran up his spine. He wasn't sure when that was, exactly, but had a vague idea it was sometime between when the dragon had puked some acrid substance onto the floor (it had nearly burned a hole thorugh it now) and the appearance of the second strange one.

The fingers on his left hand twitched; the keyblade had been begging for release before; when he noticed the heartless no, stop thinking about it, stop it stop it stop it it was screaming. Now, with the appearance of the new person, Nero felt it nearly throw a tantrum at him for refusing it. He looked over to the little mouse - she was preferring to keep her keyblade hidden, and if there was anyone even FIT to get in a fight, it was her.

Tough decisions. Gaze flickering between the girl with the accent and the new boy, he frowned at the cloaks. He had definitly seen them before, but wasn't sure where. The memory misted through his foggy mind, too hazy for him to make out. Well, he'd just have to wait. Nero was not one for waiting. Patience existed not within his mind, but in this situation, perhaps it was better to observe. It didn't matter that the keyblade usually dictated his actions; the tension was so tight that the slightest bit of pressure would send everything plummeting towards destruction.

Nero liked destruction. He seemed to have an affinity for it, strange enough, and didn't know why.

Something small and shiny caught his eye. Immediatly, his attention was focused on a small keychain in the black-haired boy's hand. That looked familiar too. What were all these old things floating around, and why were they reappearing? Apparently, History did repeat itself after all.

He shook his head. The two strange people, lost in thier own conversation, were bothering him. And was it just his instinct, or were they the cause of all the tension in the first place? Slowly, shakily, he stood up, ignored the keyblade's cries one more time, and headed towards them, where he proceeded to push them both out of the little shop they were in.

Because from his point of view, they certainly weren't welcome here.

[... Crim, you wanted to detach Shelti, right? This a good place to start?]

[Rixan]

Rixan's eyes narrowed--not in suspicion or anger, but in some other unidentifiable motive.

'Now...while they're distracted.'

Without warning, she walked over to a small, extremely faded green mark on the floor below a trap door in the ceiling. It's magic had been used a long time ago, but the enchantment was still there. It had replenished itself.

It wasn't needed.

She pulled on a string that hung from the trap door above and opened it, sending a small ladder down--a means of escape to the room above.

She looked at the occupants of the room--the boys, the Disney-Mouse, the girl with the katar, and then grabbed the ladder with one hand.

"If you want to get out of here, now is the opportune moment." She ignored the incredulous look the boy with the Keychain was giving her--did he truly not know what it was he had in his hand?

"This ladder will take you up to another store--one that isn't running. Go out the door--it will lead you out into the First District near the entrance to Second. I suggest that those of you that can move do it quickly."