Chapter 35: Team North, Status Report?
The sun has set completely and Team West is half way north to meet up with the rest of the gang. Queen Minnie, seeing it was too dark to journey through, dimly glows in the dark. The light wasn't enough to burn Jade's eyes. The Queen lets out a sigh.
"Did you guys, by any chance, happen to run into Mickey?"
Dorian hears her question, but he rolls his eyes to Sidney and does not say anything but a grunt.
Sidney hums in disappointment. "We have," she says.
The Queen brightens a little.
"But," Sidney says. "We had a little argument on another world."
The Queen looks on.
"See," Jade explains. "We thought one of Dorian's ex-friends may have you locked in a cage while they were on that world. It was just a wild goose chase. They carried decoys!"
"I see," the Queen says.
"After that," Dorian adds. He lifts his shirt to reveal his bandages wrapping his stomach. The same spot Roman stabbed him on the Big Easy. "I was injured and I almost drowned in a swamp. We were exhausted, but he got mad at us for not taking this search and rescue mission not serious enough."
The wide-eyed Queen gasps. "I've never heard Mickey being this impatient. But after giving me this Star Shard," she pulls from her dress to show them a blue star-like Gummi block. "I didn't know what kind of torment he went through after I flew here."
She sniffles, with Jade hearing her. He swallows his gulp and rubs the back of his head. His eyes roll in Sidney's direction, causing her to look back at him and to hit Dorian's arm, now making him feel guilty.
"I'm sorry we brought you all into this fiasco," the Queen weeps.
Sidney breaks the ice by saying, "We're still gonna find your King. Won't we, Dorian?"
He grunts, but says, "We did promise. We'll keep it."
When Dorian says that, Jade remembers the promise. He bears his teeth while recalling. "The ducky says you are proficient with magic," he says. "As is the King. But I'm still curious on how you two were captured so easily."
It strikes Sidney and she adds to the recollection:
"Somehow NegaDuck and the others," Sidney repeats what Goofy had said. "Gained a lot more strength to beat King Mickey and Queen Minnie."
The Queen sighs and tells Team West. "About twelve years ago," she begins. "Mortimer was our world's Chancellor. We gave him a special mission to find other worlds that have a majority of citizens knowing that that there are other worlds out there and try to establish some type of connectivity."
"Isn't that 'meddling?" Dorian asks.
"It is still," Queen Minnie says. "However, due to the abundance of Gummi Blocks and growth of technology, curiosity got the better of them and built things to go exploring."
"When Mortimer came back," she continues. "He informed us about the king of Radiant Garden, Ansem, starting an apprenticeship."
"On?" Sidney asks.
"How hearts are affected by Darkness," the Queen answers. "Mortimer probably never told us that he would be studying the subject of Darkness by itself. Two years after Riku and Sora defeated Xemnas, Mortimer invented a device that can suck up light. A few weeks after King Mickey came back, Mortimer used it the first time. He said that he 'had enough taking orders.' But the joke was on him when he turned it on and it blew up in his face. For the crime of 'Usurping the Throne,' we sent Mortimer in the Lanes Between."
Jade hums and says, "What about the Phantom Blot?"
"He was locked in there, too," she says. "But somehow, several months later they both escaped. For sometime, they must have met up with NegaDuck."
"Maybe to improve Mortimer's machine," Dorian adds. "Why did they wait that long?"
"You saw them open up Corridors of Darkness," the Queen says. "They must've learned to do that and to travel through without being consumed by the Darkness."
"So they've learned to embrace it?" Jade asks.
As Dorian breathes through his nostrils, he opens his mouth. The moment he opens his mouth, a stray blow hits him! It was as if a concentrated stream of wind smacked him.
"Oo, Momma! What happened?" Dorian sits up quickly.
"Oh my," the Queen covers her mouth and blushes.
Romeo tips his head right and then left.
"Um beijo?" Jade looks carefully. All four find a bright green lip print on his cheek.
"Not sure what that is," Dorian attempts to rub his cheek where he was smacked. But Sidney stops him.
Romeo then lifts his nose in the air. He sniffs one more until he sneezes twice.
Dorian then picks up the smell. "Wintergreen? Ash likes this."
Jade sniffs strongly. "Yeah," he says. "Definitely wintergreen. That wind blew from northeast. We should move!"
Romeo howls and charges ahead. He jumps and his jewel sparkles. Winds from all directions swirl around him and creates a lucid wind ball to ride in.
"Red Spiral!" Sidney grunts and her shoes light on fire, creating one coil of heat on each foot instead of two. She gives Queen Minnie her hand and has her climb on her back.
Jade hums and opens a small of his darkness. He dives in the pool, and zips ahead to catch up. Dorian is left. He hums as his left index and middle fingers rub his cheek. "Hallelujah," Dorian whispers. "I think I'm in love."
"I think I'm in love," Dorian says a little louder. He smiles, he runs, he leaps up to kick his heels. Lizzy's propulsion shoes activate, boosting him northeast.
"Where's Dorian?" The Queen asks. "Is he tired?"
"He'll catch up," Sidney says in a nonchalant manner. Sidney turns her head to hear him, only faintly.
Dorian gains speed. Jade peeks his head from the pool of darkness to hear of Dorian's whereabouts. He turns his head around and panics.
"Santa Maria!" Jade shouts, "He's too fast!"
Romeo perks his ears and rolls his eyes and draws close to the ground. Just as Team West suspected, Dorian does fly by. He shouts, "I think she loves me!"
He starts rotating, the same way Ashleigh did much earlier. Once he's past them by thirty yards, he stops rotating and bends his body upward. It causes him to fly in a bend and to shoot up in the air. He spins as if an ice skater is suspended in air. His spinning slows down and sets his sights on a large castle.
"Hey!" He shouts down below. "I see a castle up ahead! Maybe Team North went to get the King?"
"Castle?" The Queen says. "Robin did say that's where captives of treason would be taken to."
Dorian descends to join Team West.
"How far was it?" Sidney asks.
"Maybe ten minutes if we keep the same pace," Dorian says.
"Let's go!" Jade says. "We've kept them waiting enough!"
Jade hops out of his pool of darkness. He swings from one branch onto another. Jade finds a tall tree nearby and climbs it. He reaches the top to see the castle Dorian was talking.
"How much farther?" Sidney asks.
"Not too far," Jade says. The "not to far" wasn't really all that far when Romeo dissipates his wind ball and starts running. He growls and barks at the oncoming enemies.
Before Romeo could run any further, he attempts to leap. Sidney grabs his hind legs and yanks him back while Jade and Dorian sneak behind Sidney.
"Azul?" Jade says.
"Matt?" Sidney says.
"And Ashleigh!" Dorian whispers. "Those Heartless look tough to beat!"
Blue, Matt, and Ashleigh have their backs against each other. Lizzy flies around the Mammoth Knights, but his attacks proved nothing more than a nuisance to them.
"Maybe one summon should do the trick," Sidney pulls out her orb. Jade sees her orb, as if she's ready to summon.
Jade gently pushes her hand down, "Maybe when there're like hundreds of them, and when we're exhausted."
Sidney pouts and Queen Minnie rubs her back.
"For now," Jade says as he rises from the bushes. He surprises the Heartless, "We use our own strengths!"
"Brother!" Lizzy yells.
"Jade!" Blue and Ashleigh cry.
"Careful, man!" Matt warns.
He screams a battle cry before he suddenly jumps back in shock. He looks down to find a stray arrow nearly piercing his foot. Jade grunts and sniffs the air. However, the stench of the Heartless cloys his nostrils. One more arrow shoots from a tall tree Jade sneezes but moves his head, nearly missing his brain!
A small, evil giggle rings in everyone's ears. A Heartless, only a foot taller than the Shadow, jumps from the tall tree and makes its appearance. It donned green archer apparel, much like Robin Hood. It still giggles until lets out a sigh.
"Ack!" Matt sees it. "That's the thing from the tournament!"
A rumble of laughter erupts from behind the two Mammoth Knights holding Nadine captive. "Quite right."
"NEGADUCK!" Every one says in shock as he makes his entrance.
He stifles his laughs and then speaks. "In the flesh! I can't let you come this far and take the King back."
Lizzy quakes from NegaDuck's sight. But he flies down to his level to speak to him. "W-which b-brings this up: W-why are you here?"
"Oh," he says. "Would you like to know?" NegaDuck stares Lizzy down.
Lizzy shrieks as a malevolent, black aura flares from NegaDuck and breezes past Lizzy. He gasps as his eyes roll up and his boosters cease to function. He drops in front of NegaDuck.
Romeo snarls as he runs up to protect Lizzy.
"That's one other thing I hate," NegaDuck flashes his aura once again to slow Romeo down. Romeo is still in motion but his actions are prolonged.
"It's like he casted Slow," the Queen responds.
NegaDuck leaps toward the dog. He winds his leg up, and then kicks Romeo in his stomach! "I hate adorable animals," NegaDuck says, as time seems to revert to normal.
Sidney roars as her skin color deepens like the time she fought Madison.
"Hmph!" NegaDuck observes and prepares himself, "I've been hearing a lot about you kids having these 'freak forms."
"You dick!" She flares up and swings her leg for a flaming roundhouse!
NegaDuck blocks her with his saber and keyblade. "Please," he says. "Keep'em coming. My ego's swelling." Once again, his aura blows out Sidney's flames. As he pushes her away, she reverts back to normal.
"You'll learn what happens when you get in my business!" He shouts as he jumps high. With his weapons in a cross, NegaDuck dives down for the kill!
"That monster!" The Queen says.
"I've got this," Ashleigh was about to step in. Blue tugs on her arm to point.
NegaDuck laughs until something stops his momentum! Dorian holds NegaDuck with his keyblade.
"You never quit," NegaDuck says as Dorian takes a step. He swings down to flick NegaDuck off.
"Dorian!" Jade says. "With the two of us, we will cut down this palhaço!"
"Think again," NegaDuck snaps his fingers. Two more Mammoth Knights emerge from the Corridors of Darkness.
"So what?" Matt says. "You think seven of those things would stop us?"
"Not yet," NegaDuck faces Dorian and utilizes his aura to push Dorian the first time. The second time, the aura sweeps Dorian off his feet. Dorian activates his propulsion shoes to fly back down. The third effort, NegaDuck throws Dorian to the top of the castle!
"Spirits!" Matt says. "Dorian!"
"What kind of power?" Queen Minnie watches in horror.
NegaDuck laughs. "Always knew the third time would work."
He looks over further where Dorian's friends stood. He sees Robin Hood and Little John setting up. Robin stretches his bow. Little John finishes tying a thick string on the tail of the arrow. Robin aims the arrow and shoots into Prince John's room. Little John finishes tying another thick string. Robin shoots the second arrow to the prince's room, adjacent to the first. Little John tests the durability of the string. He nods and Robin climbs to Prince John's room. Little John then jumps down in the pits to find any more prisoners.
"Perfect timing," NegaDuck says. The group looks behind.
"You know what to do," he commands the Impish Archer. The Heartless giggles with delight and pulls a special arrow from its quiver.
It inhales and breathes fire on it.
"You wouldn't!" Blue says. He waves his hands and lifts the dew off of the grass. One of the Mammoth Knights knocks him away. He turns into his water ball form to throw water at the Impish Archer, but the same Mammoth Knight pound him with its fist!
Ashleigh waves her arm to create a gust. The wind knocked the little Heartless down. It 'grrs' as it aims at Ashleigh.
"Save it," NegaDuck commands the Impish Archer. "We'll use it elsewhere."
He opens the Corridor and the two step in.
"Forest Savior!" Jade leans forwards and darts past the Mammoth Knights. The Corridor closes quickly and Jade falls forward.
"I wasn't fast enough to think of saving Dorian," Jade whispers. He turns around to witness the Mammoth Knights pulverizing Matt. Sidney tries to transform, but she tires out. She attempts to rescue Matt, but two of the Mammoth Knights catch her by her hair.
One Mammoth Knight grabs Ashleigh and tosses her in the sky. She regains control. She looks down at the two claiming Nadine. Ashleigh swoops down to strike the Mammoth Knight holding Nadine. Ashleigh's attack did land, but the Heartless is hardly fazed.
Jade sees Blue having difficulty keeping the Mammoth Knights away while healing Romeo and Lizzy. Jade grunts and swiftly gets in front of Blue.
"Jade!" Blue says. "These guys are tough!"
"I see that!" he says. "If only it was daytime. That way I can focus my Umbra Crusher on these Heartless." The Mammoth Knights pummel Jade, one fist at a time. He groans from the strain of perseverance. The last punch puts a glitch in Jade's jewel.
"I'm almost done," Blue gives Romeo his Potion. Romeo awakens by making snarling sounds. Blue did everything he could to wake Lizzy up from NegaDuck's scare. Jade finally drops his guard and is pushed aside by the Mammoth Knights.
"Go!" Blue tells Romeo. He picks Lizzy up and runs to Queen Minnie. The Queen asks the dog to let her see Lizzy.
One of the Mammoth Knights picks up Blue by his head and proceeds to beat him senseless.
Jade coughs as his breath shivers. He struggles to get back up. His vision darkens as his eyelids lower to a close. He opens them back up to see a forest much different than Sherwood. He closes them again and the vision is back to it should be. He blinks and sees his home forest. He blinks and everything is normal. He blinks once more to see his home forest burning. He blinks again but his home burning is stuck.
"No," Jade whispers. "Not again. Not this again!"
"Jade!" Ashleigh's voice is lost in the midst.
"Help us!" Matt's shouting makes Jade shiver.
Jade's tears run down.
Lizzy wakes up to Jade's crying. The Queen looks on. "What's happening?"
"Sweet Amazonia," Lizzy looks up. "Ever since we lost our home, we have done our best to cover up our sadness. Jade grew up there longer than I did. He lost a lot of friends. He's going through Post Traumatic Stress."
Lizzy's scanner buzzes and he taps his temple. "His Jewel is damaged? But his power…"
The Mammoth Knight tosses Blue to Jade. He catches him. Jade blinks again to see Blue bloodied.
"Jade," Blue says weakly. "Thank you."
Jade blinks again to see a severed toucan head in his hands. He screams as the heads closes its eyes. Jade tries to stifle his screaming as he gently put Blue's body near the bushes.
"Não mais!" Jade speaks in his native tongue, "Você Monstros!"
When Jade's Jewel shines, the Mammoth Knight carrying Nadine drops her. She groans and squints from the brilliance.
"What's happening?" she asks. Her eyes widen in the battle, "What the hell? What happened?" She looks up to hear a glass shatter. She looks around to find Jade, but he is behind the violet rays. "Jade? Jade!"
Jade's voice deepens as his shouts take on demonic undertones. His spines grew longer as his neck stretches to accommodate a cobra's hood. Jade's scale color darkens but became shiny. His muscle mass increased, but not as much to look as big as Matt.
The shining dies down. Jade hammers his tail into the ground and bells out a horrible roar!
"Oh my God," Ashleigh takes on the sight. "He looks like Apophis!"
"Is he an Egyptian God?" Sidney asks.
"He is," Ashleigh answers. "An Evil God of the Dark.
"NO MORE!" Jade shouts at the Mammoth Knights. They tremble as they let go Matt, Sidney, and Ashleigh.
"Something must've triggered him," Nadine says.
The Mammoth Knight stood still in fright.
"You bastards have done enough damage!" Jade shouts at the Heartless. They look at each other, sweating in confusion.
"Rainforest Kenpo!" Jade's claws unsheathe. Rather than standard claws, his became needle-like after the mutation.
"Cortante Soberano!" Jade vanishes in thin air. One by one, the Mammoth Knights are sliced Jade's speed and dexterity. The last runs away and Jade reappears. The last Mammoth Knight cries its last and then dies in smoke. Seven glistening hearts fly upward.
"Such speed!" Lizzy comments. "We have to calm him down!"
Matt groans, "I hear ya!" Jade turns around as he is still seeing his traumatic vision.
"Due, his eyes have gone black," Matt observes. "I got this."
"Be Careful!" Ashleigh shouts. "Nadine! Help me get Blue back!" As the two work on Blue, Matt slowly approaches Jade.
"This won't be as easy as petting sharks," Matt whispers as he puts his hands in the air. "It's okay, big fella. You're with friends. Everything will be okay."
Jade roars and whips Matt with his tail. The tail cuts across the bridge of his nose, but Matt comes closer.
"This is a hard journey," Matt whispers. He comes in close to hug Jade. "This is an even harder journey for you. But we're all here."
Jade tries to rampage, but Matt gives every once of his strength to stop him. "Please!" Matt beseeches to Jade, "Friends fight. That's a fact, but not like this! Please, calm down!"
"Is it working?" Sidney asks. She gasps when she sees Jade welling up.
"Being tough is a hard effort," Matt rubs his back. "We all appreciate your effort of being manly. But it's okay for men to cry."
Jade snivels buts stifles his crying.
"Let it out, brother!" Matt can't but to cry, too.
"Your Majesty?" Lizzy asks if the Queen could let him go. He flies towards his older brother.
"Lizzy?" Jade's voice is less demonic and back to his old voice.
"I couldn't be any more prouder," Lizzy hugs Jade's snout. "We made this promise: we'll go back and save any family and friends."
"We did," Jades' eyes turn from pure black back to slit lavender eyes.
Nadine drops a potion onto Blue. He awakens. To find Jade in his transformed state. He gasps, but remembers what his friends told about his. "These jewels," he catches his breath. "Turn us into super powered monsters."
"Monsters' isn't really a word to describe us," Nadine says.
"Well then, what can I use?" Blue says. "If that's Jade transformed, I wonder how Dorian would look like?"
Blue smells the air and turns his head to the castle. His eyes widen. "That Heartless set the castle on fire!"
"Shit!" Nadine turns around and her blood runs cold. "The King's still in his cell. And Friar Tuck."
"I'll blast the padlocks!" Lizzy flies once more in his suit. "Blue, can you stand?"
The little guy grunts as he gets up.
"You out your tiny head?" Ashleigh asks. "He just got beat up!"
"It's okay," Blue says weakly. He looks around. "Where's Jade?"
It seems as though he has gone off somewhere.
"At a time like this?" Matt says. "I shouldn't have turned my back on him."
"Or what?" says Jade's voice coming from the pits of the castle. With astounding speed, Jade carries the friar, Little John, the King in his arms.
"But," Matt stammers. "Where?"
"It took me about a minute to run where Nadine started to find both him and the King," Jade explains.
As Little John gets up on his feet he says, "At least I was able to get all the people out. Gettin Friar Tuck out was the hard part thanks to those, what you guys call them."
"This young man saved our lives," the friar says. "But we got a few more to find."
Every one looks on top of the roof of the castle.
…
Dorian groans as he wakes up. He finds himself leaning between the battlement and the parapet. "That was wicked," Dorian says to himself.
The same giggling from before riles him up. The Impish Archer hops up from the bartizan, only a few feet away. It aims its arrow at his head. Dorian grunts and slams his fist on the stone, causing it to ripple. The Heartless sees it coming and jumps out of the way. Dorian fixes himself to standing up straight from the battlement.
He sniffs the air to smell, "Smoke?"
Dorian hears NegaDuck laughing from the tower. He falls but lands on his feet.
"I got to hand it to you, kid," NegaDuck says. "You along with your goody-goody group had done well so far. But now…"
NegaDuck waves Atlas' Absolution in the air. "This is where you stop playing make-believe heroes and realize who you're up against. You're a long way away from your friends, pal. They'll be too late to come and get you."
Dorian arches his brows and looks down from where he was blasted. He hums and then smirks. "Is that the best plan you got?" Dorian says.
NegaDuck growls and explains. "You," NegaDuck points at Dorian with Atlas' Absolution. "You've got an alien that wanted power over the universe. And somehow, you got lucky picking up that Jewel and a keyblade! I said I would let have him this keyblade and the secret to Kingdom Hearts. And let me tell you something, he's not having my key."
"Yeah?" Dorian says. "Well then," he stands defiantly as his keyblade materializes in his right hand. "That's makes you a scrub compared to Tartarus."
"WHAT!" NegaDuck stamps his foot. "A SCRUB?"
He laughs and takes his stance. "I'll show you what it means to be Public Enemy #1!" NegaDuck sheathes his saber and pulls out a ray gun matching the color his fedora.
"This old trick?" Dorian asks. He shoots rounds of lasers at Dorian. He deflects every one of the shots until NegaDuck's ray gun ran dry. He tosses it aside, and signals the Impish Archer. It vaults itself to a higher bartizan. It takes aim, but Dorian focuses on it as it shoots its arrows. NegaDuck vanishes into the dark night.
"If he's thinking about getting me," Dorian jumps back. "I'll have to kill the Heartless, first."
"Gaia Strike Raid!" Dorian swings his keyblade rhythmically. The Heartless jumps off, and runs away.
NegaDuck reappears on the bartizan without Dorian paying attention! He swoops down with Atlas' Absolution in his hand. Dorian turns his head up. He blocks NegaDuck's attack. NegaDuck pulls out his pitch-black saber. While in mid air, he clashes blades with Dorian's own. The Impish Archer aims carefully. Gravity takes advantage of NegaDuck as he lands in front of Dorian.
Dorian felt a small tremor under his foot. He looks behind and leans back to miss the arrow! "Shit!" He growls.
He turns to the Impish Archer. The Heartless nervously laughs.
"Speed Gear!" Dorian rushes to the Impish Archer. The Heartless is scared stiff Dorian grabs its clothes.
"It didn't even try to run," Dorian says. He hums as he looks around. He hears a faint whoosh from his left. He looks behind to find NegaDuck charging!
"HERE'S YOUR BUDDY!" Dorian slams the Impish Archer as NegaDuck rams it head on. With ease, he tosses both of them into the tower wall.
"Terra," Dorian puts his keyblade up. "Blitz!" With the force of a muscle car, Dorian slams the two so hard, the wall came undone. Inside is a stairway set ablaze! The smoke billows and Dorian hears coughing coming from inside the tower.
A slender figure comes from the smoke, waving his hands to clear it.
"Robin?" Dorian asks.
"Oh!" he coughs. "Fancy meeting you here. You wanted Prince John's gold?"
"Not at all," Dorian points at NegaDuck. His anger lets him turn red. He shoves the Impish Archer off of him.
"Now he's looking for blood," Dorian says. "Rob, let me take care of this guy."
Robin nods as he heads for the highest point of the next tower.
The Impish Archer stands its distance and pulls its bow back. Dorian could not hear NegaDuck. Dorian looks behind to find an image of NegaDuck going after Robin Hood.
"Oh my God!" Dorian shouts. "Robin!"
As Dorian turns around, the Heartless lets his bow go and the arrow plucks into Dorian's calf!
Dorian howls in distress. He is left with a limp in his right leg. He falls to his knees and hands.
"You fool!" NegaDuck laughs. He flies down with both of his weapons out, forming an X-shape. The weight did not break Dorian's back, however it did cause him to bounce off of the stone floor. The impact made Dorian spit a little blood.
"Never take you eyes off of your opponent," NegaDuck says. "Especially if civilians are here."
"Cheating," Dorian rolls himself up to sitting up. "Bastard!"
"Maybe it's best if you don't get up," NegaDuck chuckles.
"Is that all?" Dorian gets knees. He uses the wall to assist him up on his left leg. "Maybe you should settle for Public Enemy #2."
"I hate it good guys get arrogant!" NegaDuck says, "You want more? Here! Dark Counter…"
His body is hemmed in a malevolent aura. His eyes shine crimson, "Destructo Slam!" Dorian leans forward. Gone in a flash and then to become visible again, Negaduck thrusts his open palms into Dorian's stomach!
Dorian guffaws and winces from forceful pressure given from NegaDuck.
"Now I can redirect physical attacks," he whispers. "Even if they were imbued with magic."
"Great," Dorian wheezes. He grabs NegaDuck's hands and corrects his posture. "Can it deflect throws?"
NegaDuck starts to sweat. "What are you doing?"
"Even if the mighty serpent is hurt," Dorian recites. "It will still pound you into the dirt!"
"I'm guessing this is what Mortimer gone through," NegaDuck chuckles nervously.
"Rhythm Kenpo!" Dorian grips NegaDuck's tightly. "Inyoka TOSS!"
"Don't do it," NegaDuck futilely asks. Dorian roars as he picks him up. He angrily slams NegaDuck into the remaining tower wall. Dorian then forcefully slams him into the stone floor.
The Impish Archer tries to aim, but Dorian furiously spins NegaDuck around, making it difficult for the Heartless to shoot. Finally, Dorian throws him into the Impish Archer. From the force of the throw, both break and clear from the battlement. NegaDuck plummets and Dorian feels his head slowing down.
"I knew that Heartless wasn't that strong," he says. "Robin!"
He limps over to the opposite side from where he ran. Dorian looks at the tiptop of the tower, but does not see him. He does hear him make a splash in a moat below. He sees Robin swimming until something struck him.
The wound pains Dorian, but he has no other alternative. Dorian hops from the battlement and dives into the moat. After splashing, Dorian opens his eyes to finds Robin sinking. He bears his teeth but grabs onto Robin's tunic. Dorian swims to the surface. He finds Little John up there, and hands Robin Hood to him.
At that moment, a heavy force pushes Dorian back underneath. He looks up but he could not see the face. Even is he is underwater, Dorian still speaks, "Terra Bullet!"
Dorian pulls his keyblade up and shoots his assailant upward out of the moat. The weight is lifted and then Dorian swims up to the surface to climb out. He gags and coughs to look up!
"Snipes!" Dorian tries to stand, but his leg from the arrow gives out. This causes him to hunch to keep balance.
"If you stayed with us," he says. "Maybe that won't happen to you."
"And have my ass with no rest?" Dorian says. "Maybe if y'all would've stayed away from Santi–"
"D'Scourge!" Demarcus envelopes a thick mist to choke Dorian's team.
Dorian looks up to hear their muffled screams. He finds Wayne clutching onto Queen Minnie and Evelyn holding King Mickey.
Madison looks up to find Dorian in pain and in distress. Roman looks back at the Corridors he opened to make a quick get away.
"Real simple," Snipes says. Dorian pauses. A shimmering light shines from Prince John's castle. A keyhole shines bright. Dorian aims his keyblade at the keyhole. A locking sound rings in every one's ears and an orb flies out of the keyhole as it vanishes.
"Where was I?" Dorian asks himself. "Oh yeah." Dorian bangs his fist in the ground, creating a large ripple. Demarcus lost his concentration and his mist dissipates. Snipes is enraged and straightens his fingers into a knife shapes. He exudes the same black energy as Roman. As he is about to strike, Jade intercepts and protects Dorian!
"Jade!" Dorian says.
"Go get the mice!" Jade says back.
Roman whooshes in and stops Dorian. He unsheathes his katana.
"0-2," Roman says. "Not a good look."
"Make that 1-2," Dorian says as he swings his keyblade at an astounding speed. He smacks Roman in the face, away from Dorian's path.
Roman grunts and tries to get up, but Blue imprisons his hands and feet with water. Tank is about to step through the Corridor until Nadine ensnares his legs. He trips and lets them go.
The Queen tumbles beside an unconscious Mickey. "Mickey!" she says. "C'mon! Now's our chance!"
"Minnie," the King says out of breath.
Dorian reaches to the King and Queen. He falls over due to the arrow stuck in his calf. He leans up using his elbows. "You two," Dorian says. "Are coming back with me!"
"Wrong, motherfucker!" Snipes rushes over and stomps on Dorian's right calf!
Dorian roars in agony.
"It's funny just thinking you couldn't get hurt from us," Snipes says. "And looks where it amounts to. You may have beaten up NegaDuck's cronies, but you still cannot trump us. We made you what you are and you rejected us, all for a goddamned lie!"
Ashleigh steps up to Snipes. "Brandon. What he wants to do shouldn't be any of your business to begin with. But he openly told you of what he wanted to do. Maybe he did want to help you. But Dorian was right, you are just another fuckboy clinging on to some old coon who doesn't know any better."
Brandon is about to burst a vein until Demarcus tries to engulf her in his smog.
"You think that will work?" Ashleigh starts to spin faster than a cyclone. Demarcus' smog gets dragged into the cyclone. She stops and lets Demarcus fly into Brandon. They both fly into the Corridors.
Ashleigh runs over to pick up the King and Queen. As she turns around, Wayne uses his huge arm to clothesline her! Her pupils went blank and drop the two. Wayne sends her flying into the corridors. The Queen runs but is caught by Wayne. He tosses her into the Corridor.
"ASH!" Nadine whips a vine out to catch Ashleigh. Evelyn runs by and chops the vine into pieces. She runs in the Corridor next.
"Andromeda Hoist!" Lizzy's hook successfully enters the Corridors, but Madison grabs the cable and yanks it out. The hook, however, latches onto the King and drags him next to Lizzy. Madison looks after Roman, but does nothing and runs into the Corridor.
With remaining energy Matt and Jade run after Ashleigh, only to be stopped by Wayne's titanic strength. He thrusts both of his fists into their guts and sends them up in the air.
Wayne looks behind to find Roman still knocked out. He sucks his teeth and shakes his head. As a final insult, he stomps on Dorian's calf like how Brandon had done. He steps through the Corridor and it closes.
Nadine rushes over to Dorian. She waves Blue and Sidney over.
"I think this journey is getting the best of us," Nadine says.