Of Keys and Hammers

by zcritic88

In a realm beyond, the Four Chaos has taken notice of a realm tied close to the heart. They squirmed into the darkness and sought to corrupt if to reach a prize beyond the light. Will the Light of Order, be able to repel this ancient evil?

24. Dark Fire

Out in the streets of Paris, Tahm and his guardsmen listened to entertaining street performers and tossed a couple coins there way, acting beyond the normal guard as they kept watch of criminals and heretics. Elric noticed a nun approaching and stood firm on recognizing her. "Tahm, Resira is coming!"

The disguised Commissar hummed and turned around to find her. "Sister, what are you doing out so far from the cathedral, it's awfully dangerous out here."

The entertainers felt an aura of danger as Resira looked upon them stalwartly. "For them and to you. Shall we have a word... alone?"

Tahm nodded as he listened to his guardsmen give various compliments to the performers. "Of course Sister," He asked the entertainers. "you never saw us. Men, come!"

The three followed their trusted Commissar, who in turn followed the Sister of Battle to an ally way, where she revealed her power sword and turned around to ask. "What do you know of the guards of the city? Are they an issue?"

Tahm nearly laughed and pointed to his men. "The regiment in a single day, proved more competence in there job, bare handed, than most of these buffoons in their whole life," He coughed, calmed himself and addressed one particular man. "although, Pheobus is commendable in getting them where they need to be among other things. What is you're recommendation for rescuing Sora and the others from the Cathedral?"

Resira pressed her hands together and answered with a wide smile. "We leave them be," Thompson and Perkins looked across the two ends of the alley to make sure no one was over hearing as Resira continued. "With the will in their hearts, they will find a way. This Pheobus is of little concern, the Minister however... I suspect he is responsible for the suffering we seen. He actively pursues people who are good at heart and he prolong the suffering of an abhuman who has great potential."

Tahm smiled with a taunt. "You have never fought along side an Ogryn, my dear."

Resira nodded to that. "The hunchback has excellent sight and his attention to detail is marvelous. Should we really compare him to them?"

Tahm guess he shouldn't. "But what more do you know, how is the hunchback connected to Frollo?"

Resira regretted leaving before being told. "The hunchback refers to him as master and spent most if not all his life up in that bell tower. Though I arrived late to... spy on the woman, she... gave an unusual prayer to what she calls God, although she isn't exactly a believer. One for aid to her people."

Perkins swallowed and confessed. "That Church is so... parallel."

Tahm was disturbed and grimly reminded Resira. "This God and the Emperor... are not of the same, although it is agreeable that Frollo is an evil man, think about what you are trying to enforce."

The Adeptas Sororitias dismissed it with a laugh. "Oh, ho, ho! We all know this galaxy's faith in the Emperor is an absolute zero. But that is why we keep ourselves faithful and not allow it to affect us, for when we return to the Emperor's light... this will all seem like a... dream."

Tahm cringed and adjusted his helmet in respect. "Regardless, you are seeking to overthrow a tyrant oppressing these people. If he is not stopped, genocide and driving these people away from faith would be inevitable."

Resira nodded to that. "Or worse, they would turn to... alternate means of disposing of him. Do you know where Frollo is?"

Tahm nodded and looked behind him, leading her to a direction where a massive palace is. "The...Palace of Justice, it's concept is being tainted. Me and my men will find a way to distract as many of the others as we can, we will leave you to the rest of your investigation."

Resira hid her sword and approved. "When the remaining see the truth, they will know to fear my wrath!"

On the top of a bell tower.

Quasimodo finished a tour of the inner workings of the bell tower and lead the group of five up to the roof. "I saved the best for last!"

Esmerelda climbed up with her goat as Sora and Riku were astonished by how one person gave all those bells names. Mickey was the last to arrive and saw a sun setting over the whole city, above a river that has a small bridge in the distance. Esmerelda was wowed. "I bet the King himself doesn't have a view like this."

Riku and Sora gave a slight look at Mickey and felt a vast city for them to explore, the woman sighed. "I can stay up here forever."

Quasimodo leaned from a stone rail way and suggested. "Y...You could you know."

Esmerelda refused and turned around with her heart aching. "No, I couldn't."

The hunchback realized. "Oh, yes! You and the others have sanctuary."

Sora agreed with that. "But not freedom, we have to leave the Church."

Esmerelda felt the shiver of bitterness and recited something she wished she could forget. "and gypsys don't do well behind stone walls."

Quasimodo stuttered. "But, you and those seven are not like others, the others are...evil."

Riku asked nearly outraged. "Who told you something that dumb?"

Quasi climbed back to solid ground and answered as he joined with the group on the roof. "My master, Frollo. He raised me."

The keyblade wielders cringed as Esmerelda sat with Quasimodo. "How can such a cruel man raised someone like you?"

Quasi answered like a naive child. "Cruel? Oh, no! He saved my life. He took me in when no one else would," The sun finished setting and the night came as Quasimodo continued. "I am a monster you know."

Sora asked with more disgust. "He told you that?!" The hunchback presented himself. "Look at me." Esmerelda couldn't stand it and doubted as she asked. "Give me you're hand." Quasimodo didn't understand, yet was insisted to do so, exposing his palm to the woman, who read it. "...A long life line. Oh and this one means your shy." She read deeper into it. "Hmm, well that's funny I don't see any..." Quasimodo asked. "What?"

The gypsy answered and looked at him. "Monster lines, not a single one," She wanted him to listen and look at her. "Do you think I'm evil?"

Quasimodo wouldn't dare think that and held to her hand. "No, no, no! You were kind and good and..." Esmerelda asked. "And a gypsy? And maybe Frollo is wrong about the both of us."

Quasi let go as the keyblade wielders agreed with that, Sora gave an mhm. The woman and hunchback looked over the streets, trapped like growing birds, Quasimodo looked down to all the guards and thought of an idea to the group. "You all helped me, so I'll help you."

Riku was the first to realize it was for a means of escape. "How, by jumping across to a-" He snapped his fingers to an idea. "Sora, this might be everyone's ticket out of here."

The spiky haired boy realized why and asked the hunchback. "Can you show us how?"

Quasimodo was happy to do so and asked Esmerelda while pointing to the goat. "You carry him and I'll carry you."

Esmerelda asked her goat with open arms. "Come on Djali!"

The goat leap into her arms, the gypsy blind folded her goat for extra measure and a Quasimodo carried the human. Jumped to a gargoyle ledge while giving the advise not to look down. He jumped from ledge to ledge, the keyblade wielders followed the direction, trying not to perform any outstanding stunts that would draw attention. They all landed by a roof, felt themselves in stable ground and watched a roof panel under the hunchback slide loose, all the way down a stone water spout. The panel flew to the distance and distracted many guards as the hunchback held by a gargoyle, he dropped down through a few more platforms and landed in front of the statue. He, the gypsy and the goat noticed a guard coming with a torch and pretended to be apart of the statue. The guard left and the keyblade wielding trio jumped down with the route memorized. Quasi jumped off the statue and asked. "I hope I didn't scare you all." Most of the party baring the goat were not, the hunchback appreciated more memories he had of them. "I'll never forget you Esmerelda."

The gypsy had a better idea, held his hand and asked. "Come with me!"

Quasi asked confused. "What?"

Esmerelda answered. "To the Court of Miracles, leave this place."

Quasi refused. "Oh no, I'm never going back there again. You all saw what happened today. No," He placed his hand on the stone wall. "This is where I belong."

Esmerelda decided on an alternative. "Alright, then I'll come to see you."

Quasimodo stuttered as Mickey asked. "Really, even with every danger in the town?"

Esmerelda nodded. "I'll come after sunset." Quasi kept making excuses. "But after sunset I ring the evening mass, after that I clean the cloisters and then I ring the vespers and-"

Smooch!

Quasi was kissed on the cheek and quickly concluded. "What ever is good for you."

The keyblade wielders giggled as Esmerelda took something out. "If you ever need Sanctuary-" she pulled an odd necklace with blue string circling around a cross and a bottom marking something. "this will show you the way," Quasi asked how and the woman instructed. "Just remember, when you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hands."

The cryptic instructions was a puzzle to decipher, the goat heard something and bleated. The sound of guards making a patrol. Quasi warned her. "Hurry, you must go!"

The goat jumped into the woman's arms, she slide down string and ran for it as Riku looked at a distant roof and asked Sora. "You and Quasimodo get back to the others. Mickey, do you... mind if we sneak around."

The mouse didn't and leaped to a roof, Riku promised his friend. "I... just want to look around. We will be back by morning." He leaped off and Sora looked up on a roof, jumping over a balcony as Quasi climbed, connecting his hand with a brown glove attacked to blue and a golden suit. "Hi there, I'm looking for the gypsy girl, have you seen her?"

Quasi growled and jumped after the captain of the guard, Sora jumped down and listened to Phoebus try to reason. "Woah, woah, easy!"

Quasi wasn't listening, grabbed a torch and tried to scare him off. "No soldiers, get out!"

Phoebus kept trying as Sora tried to ask the hunchback. "Let him go-" Quasi wanted Phoebus gone for the obvious reason that soldiers mistreated him GREATLY, Phoebus pleaded. "I mean her no harm," Quasi swung his torch, the captain of the guard used his sword to hold the torch in place and was grabbed by his collar. Phoebus asked him. "You tell her from me, I didn't mean to trap her here. It was the only way I could save her life," Quasi's hostility lessened as Phoebus asked. "Will you tell her that?"

Quasi asked back. "If you go, now!"

Phoebus agreed to that. "I'll go. Now... will you... put me down please?"

Quasi realized he was holding the guard over stairs with his strength and gently put him down, in turn, Phoebus turned to leave, nearly forgetting. "Oh and one more thing. Tell Esmerelda, she is very lucky."

Quasi asked in suspicion. "Why?"

Phoebus put his blade away. "To have a friend like you."

He walked off with dignity as Sora felt a shining heart with in, just one bound by the chains of a corrupt order, he promised Quasimodo. "He meant all of that, he just-" He took a deep breath and dismissed it. "Never mind, come on, lets get back to the tower."

The two walked back to the roof top and found a trio of gargoyles standing still, it looked like Quasi was listening to the still statues. Sora stood still with sorrow. He heard footsteps from behind, finding Kairi at her wits end as Goofy, Donald and Ken followed her up. She noticed Sora by his lonesome and asked. "Where did Riku and the King go?"

Sora answered with bottled depression. "They went to look for something. Quasimodo showed us a way for all of us to escape."

Goofy gasped. "Really?!"

Sora nodded with a smile. "Just about anyone can do it, as long as you don't look down."

Donald didn't exactly care. "As long as we can get out of here."

Ken agreed and looked down to the city. "Resira told us enough. If we do this... we need to keep moving before someone sees us. For all we know, Tahm and the others won't be nearly as much help as they are trying to be."

Kairi agreed with that. "We need to find a better place to hide for the night, Sora... is there any other place we can use?"

The boy had one. "There... is a secret place called the Court of Miracles, but-" Kairi sighed. "But we have no way of finding it by ourselves."

Sora nodded to that. "Esmerelda gave Quasi a necklace that might help lead him. Eh-" He folded his hands behind his head and smiled nervously as the group over heard Quasimodo laughing. "Lover boy? Oh no, no!" The group followed to the depressing sight of Quasimodo talking to gargoyles and him talking to them like they were family. "I appreciate what you are all trying to do. But lets not fool ourselves," He pointed to himself. "Ugliest face in all of Paris, remember?"

The arrivals cringed and watched Quasi go to a window to look down on the world bellow. "So many times out there, I watched a happy pair, of lovers walking in the night. They had a kind of glow around them, it almost looked like Heaven's Light."

Sora postponed lessons and asked. "Could... you wait a minute?"

The group understood why as Kairi wiped tears from her eyes and listened to the hunchback in tune. "I knew I never knew, that warm and loving glow, though I wish with all my might. No face as hideous as my face, was ever meant for Heaven's Light."

Kairi couldn't stand it and walked into the tower, with the rest of the group understanding what she was feeling, following to a room with the well detailed miniatures, Quasi noticed Sora and his group of friends, he thought they left to escape the Cathedral. The princess was the first to keep her sorrow in and embraced him in silence, followed by Sora, then Donald and Goofy, Ken looked one of the most hurt by the words and was the last to hug him. Giving the hunchback something he wasn't given enough of, he returned it and felt warm.

Out in the city.

Riku and Mickey explored roof to roof to find a large palace on the horizon. The mouse asked. "Riku, I know why you came here."

The silver haired teenager tried to tough it out and looked liked tears were forming in his eyes. "I can't tell Sora and the others. Everything Quasimodo was saying... how can one man be so cruel to someone that doesn't deserve it?"

Mickey took a deep breath and noticed three green armored guardsmen following a particular lieutenant, like they were searching for something. "Because that one man has so much... evil in his heart. But... what are we going to do?"

Riku answered as he recognized Tahm and his men. "Find out what that guys deal is before someone less forgiving brings justice to his door."

He jumped off the roof to confront the guards, the four quickly turned with spears and a sword, they quickly calmed down and notice the boy as a mouse followed him. Tahm put his sword away and addressed him. "Riku, Governor Mickey." His sword went back into its sheath as he grunted in respect. "It's of good fortune you-" He looked around to find no one. "escaped. You have came to the same conclusion we have about this world?"

Riku nodded. "That Frollo is the source of the darkness in this world and he needs to be stopped. But... what were you doing?" Tahm answered as his guard kept watch. "Scouting the Palace of Justice for key figures that are worth sparing our judgement before Resira... voices her complaints." Mickey knew the deadly euphemism and asked. "Tahm, some of those men could just be following orders and are too scared to stand up."

Tahm agreed with him there. "And some are reveling in Frollo's authority or are too weak willed to pay heed. We are making way to the head of the beast... you consider any other options?"

Riku answered firmly. "Stop doesn't mean kill, as much as some of us want to. We... should see if the extreme is needed."

The lieutenant respected the advise. "We will try to separate those redeemable and with a spine from those that will receive this retribution. You... request that we aid you're friends until they make it to this...Court of Miracles Frollo's more elite soldiers talk of?"

Riku pleaded with him. "Please, most of them won't survive the night without having to kill or be killed."

Tahm squinted his eyes and had his way. "Consider it our primary duty. Men, scout and report back to me!"

The three saluted and scattered, Riku and Mickey readied a timed jump, the mouse smiled to the Commissar. "If they asked, tell them where we went to."

Leap!

Tahm smiled back and looked up to the sky. "May the Emperor's angels watch over you."

At the Cathedral.

Sora was struggling to lead Goofy and Donald from platform to platform. The mage tried using air magic to help the shield bearer and himself jump from ledge to ledge, landing lightly on a roof and for Goofy to get an idea for a quick slide off the roof. The trio watched Kairi nimbly jump from ledge to ledge and for Ken to use his air magic for balance, the girl of the group jumped onto the roof and watched the gun boy lightly land. Goofy placed his shield in a piece of torn roof and looked at the stone rain spout. "Do you think we can slide across with some timing and aero?"

Donald nodded and stepped on to the upper right, Sora took the front, Kairi in the middle and Ken the upper left. Goofy was leaning on the back, the three users of aero magic had the spell ready as the duck calculated. "If we combine the spell, we can fly over some of the buildings and out of site."

Ken felt it made sense and looked far ahead. "It can pull all this weight and take us... I think over two buildings, but we got no way to knowing where we will land once we are over."

Kairi sighed to that. "I don't think people will question something this bizarre."

The polearm boy agreed and shrugged. "This is our only chance of leaving... peacefully."

Sora gave Goofy a thumbs up and gave a reckless smile. "It's now or never! Goofy, you can drop us!"

The shield bearer stepped off, the shield slid from the combined weight and quickly accelerated,sparks flew as the aero users timed themselves.

SLIDE!

CRASH!

It was on the water spout and was going as fast as a roller coaster. Right at the edge, the three cast aero and lifted the shield from what would have been a brutal fall, sliding past not one, not two but three buildings, ricocheting against a wall and bouncing towards a clothes line, it landed by a lamp post and slide towards an alley way. Landing in a not so elegant manner, but one that worked near flawlessly.

The five got off the shield and noticed a green colored guard approaching from behind them, one with scar and a bitter tone to say to someone. "Go take the six o clock route and make a turn to nine o' clock. That bridge is the only place they can cross under!" Thompson turned to find them and approached them with a near stoic expression. "Step ahead and see the midnight moon till three, then rest up in the morning for another hour. The Emperor protects!"

The five looked like they completely missed the mark, Donald gasped and nodded. "Thanks Thompson."

The guardsmen looked at the midnight moon and gave a subtle point with his fingers. Donald had the four follow him out of the right alley way and took a left directly upward of the city. He notice a right on the road and pointed where they need to go, Goofy was next to realize what Donald deciphered. "He wasn't talking about time at all."

Kairi gasped as Donald nodded proudly, they turned right and found a street way leading downward to a fountain, an alley way most dirty was to the lower left and Donald lead them to as expected, something concealed in trash. He brushed it off to reveal doors to a cellar, he opened it and Ken did the reckless move of going in with his keyblades ready, readying the ornate polearm like it was a gun, he looked around and signaled them that it was safe to enter, Sora noticed Elric arriving with a relaxed smile, the guardsmen asked. "Why would anyone look for trash?" Donald winked to him and had the remaining three go in next, he was the last to enter, closing the cellar and listening to trash being placed on the cover.

He sighed and answered Goofy. "That was a code."

He looked around to find nothing much save for a note to a doorway, Kairi read it out loud. "At the sight of light, pull the pin and throw the... cupboard," She noticed hinges that were locked by a metal pin. "...It opens from this side. How long have those guys been out here?"

Sora leaned against a wall and looked exhausted. "All day? This must have been a hiding place before it was abandoned."

Ken gasped as the last to release what the code was. "And no one but them or us know of it? Phew! Everyone else would only know of a clock. So... what's the plan?"

Goofy scratched his head and thought of it. "Unless someone is going back to the Church, this is where we can rest up. Some one has to stay behind to make sure the door stays locked."

Ken drew out his near burning keyblade and flickered a speck of fire. "And we don't have to use the cellar door again."

Sora nodded had his own plan in mind. "I need to find Riku, Mickey and Resira, where did they run off to?"

Donald had no idea. "We need to find the Court of Miracles as well."

Kairi guessed her role. "I guess we are... splitting up to find it, we will be easy to notice if we go together."

Ken didn't mind it so much. "We got ways to fly from the roofs, its the best way to view what is going on bellow."

Sora pulled the pin and opened a secret door way. "And if we need to get back here, we have a way." He stepped out to find an empty building with a cup board, Kairi and Ken followed. They heard foot steps and saw torches undergoing a search, wrong time to be making a move.

A loud shout from outside was heard from their right. "Lieutenant what are you-" Thud! The torches left, the trio looked out to find guardsmen leaving. Kairi high jumped to the north building and Sora jumped south, leaving Ken to look to the west and flew to a roof top. A stage for an active rebellion began.

At the Palace of Justice.

Riku and Mickey jumped on a nearby roof top and noticed five of the town guard running for the hills, they noticed Resira approaching the front door slowly, her flamer was drawn out and she contemplating something. She noticed the arrivals and smiled to them in a way that was nearly menacing. Tempting the two to jump down to try and stop her, she gave a bow to them in respect and looked up to the palace. "The pyre is lit and those with a conscious have a wise choice for themselves. Does the Minister truly fear the divine? The Emperor, Sigmar, the Light... God? If we do not wish to not take a single life-" Riku tensed and looked up to the roof. "Do you think that would work? Threatening him?"

Resira wouldn't call it that as Mickey swallowed. "It's more than that, what did you say to them?"

The Adeptas Sororitas stepped forward into the palace and gave a flicker of her true attire. "If they truly believe what they are doing is justice, then they will not fear the lights flame," She blocked out something. "They escaped from the fire! They know what they do is wrong, they are wise to not test my mercy, less they embrace the flames of Hell. This will separate those of strong wit... from the foolish."

Riku wasn't going to argue with an idea that pragmatic. "This is all that is needed, people need to know common sense and realize they don't have to follow what they know is wrong. But would this work?"

Resira nodded. "Frollo will either confess his sins or go into the fire! We do... what those of gentle hearts could not. Make sure he doesn't escape."

Riku saluted without hesitation as Mickey agreed with the Sister of Battle. "Sometimes we got to make hard choices like this." He and Mickey jumped to a couple roofs and lightly landed on top of a window.

Resira entered the palace and searched for a stairway up, finding a trio of guards guarding a hall way to a court. They saw her and asked sternly. "Sister, what are you doing here?"

Resira requested with unusual weapons in hand. "To offer absolution, you guard a man of great evil and he must be brought to justice. Run now and never bring harm to another again."

The guards didn't buy it, put their weapons away and a middle one with a brown goatee approached her. "Someone must have been smelling too much incense tonight, come on lady, go back to the-" Step!

She approached them and stepped into a light shining from the window, in the ring of a bell, her nun attire flickered and in its place was a full suit of white armor. She stared at them coldly and causing them to quake in fear much more than the guards she met before. She didn't even need to aim her flamer, the guards were not comprehending fully what they stand before and she stood aside to let them run. For the first time in their lives, they have met an angel and she was furious.

On the roof.

Riku and Mickey heard a man bellow giving a prayer. "Beata Maria, you know I am a righteous man. Of my virtue I am justly proud," They heard footsteps going somewhere and quietly jumped down, looking through the open window to find Frollo approaching a fire place with a cross above it. "Beata Maria, you I'm so much purer than the common vulgar, weak, licentious crowd!"

The two sneaks heard the tone and listened as Frollo asked. "Then tell me, Maria; why I see her standing there? Why her smouldering eyes still scorch my soul?" He embraced himself in fear. "I feel her, I see her. The sun caught in her raven hair, is blazing me out of control."

He gasped and was stepping back. "Like fire! Hellfire! This fire in my skin," He took out a piece of purple cloth and caressed it on his face as the watching duo saw insanity. "This burning, desire, is turning me to sin!" He went on his knees as the duo realized Frollo lost his mind. They stepped out of sight and listened to the sound a one sided battle bellow.

They heard Frollo talking with something. "It's not fault! I'm not to blame! It is the gypsy girl, this witch who set this flame! It's not my fault! If in God's plan, he'd make the Devil so much stronger than a man!"

WOOSH!

The duo watched a glow bellow, rising up. He looked through the window to watch Frollo before the fire in his fanaticism. "Protect me Maria, don't let this siren cast her spell. Don't let her fire seer my flesh and bone! Destroy Esmerelda and let her taste the fires of Hell," They watched him embrace smoke. "Or else let her be mine and mine alone!"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The duo hid once more and listened to a man warning Frollo. "Minister Frollo, the gypsy has escaped!" The Minister asked. "What?!" The man answered. "She's nowhere in the cathedral, she is gone." Frollo questioned how such a thing was possible. "But how I... Never mind! Get out you idiot!" The door was closed as Frollo vowed. "I'll find her, I'll find her if I have to burn down all of Paris!"

In the Palace Halls

Resira silently approached a grand door unopposed, with a guard walking off unaware. She silently opened the door to find Frollo before the fire chanting. "Hellfire! Dark fire! Now gypsy it's your turn! Chose me or you're pyre, be mine or you will burn!" He tossed a cloth into the fire, Resira wished to simplify things and looked upon the holy cross.

She took a deep a breath and approached him, with Riku and Mickey ready on que. She aimed her flamethrower and scorched the long hallway to gain Frollo's attention, it blazed in brighter fire and the man was slowly drawn from the fire place. The man felt the fear of God from an angelic figure, glaring at him and accusing. "Minister Frollo! Think about what you are doing!"

She stepped across the fire with her faith shielding her, Frollo was in a greater delusion and yelled at her. "This is God's work!"

Resira argued. "No it's not, it's your own hatred that is bringing out the dark fire!"

Frollo had his own argument. "It's justice, the gypsy's will lead us astray!"

He noticed a silver haired figure with a sword mixed in of demon and angel, along with a key glittering in light, bringing him into a panic, Resira yelled with a flamethrower glowing. "No it's not, you are the one leading the people into this evil." The flamethrower roared as the woman warned him. "Pursue this heresy and you will lead this city into the fire! This is God's warning!"

Woosh! A blinding light shined from behind Resira, Riku and Mickey saw the blinding light looking like an angel with his shirt off. It had an upward facing halo and had a sword shining in light, the chest had something resembling a cross, Riku squinted his eyes at the odd sight. The angel ordered Resira. "Halt this hypocrisy Resira!"

The Adeptas Sororitas cared not and saw the angel more clearly. "This is insanity and through fire, this city will see the light! You do not fool me Daemon!"

Riku and Mickey gasped and looked closely, Riku saw an obvious wrongness and jumped next to Resira's side. Mickey saw the cross more, through the illusions was that of an eight pointed star, the angel was in agreement as a dark flame glowed from around them. "And through fire it shall! You, who brought innocents to the torch yourself. What makes him different from them?"

Resira's lips quacked. "Through... the penance of one, many would be spared. I failed those people, I will not fail the people of this city."

Riku and Mickey looked at her and gave a silence promise that what ever she did in her life of the Imperium doesn't matter at the woman. The angel looked down upon Resira. "Yet you, an angel of God, has cast yourself with the vilest of sinners." He looked upon Riku as the dark fire absorbed the light. "You who forsaken your home and turned against your friends! They suffered because of you," Those words stung as the angel, focused on Mickey. "You, who kept so many in the dark. Who abandoned a friend of virtue in the abyss and would lead more into the pit! Are either of you in any position to call justice?" Frollo was in a complete haze. The angel lifted his free hand in the air and yelled in a boom. "You are all guilty of sin! Be cast into the dark pit!"

A pillar of fire engluf the trio and vanished, the angel looked upon a mortally terrified Frollo. "You wish to be free of sin! Purge the city of the wicked, those that lead these souls astray! This is a crusade."

The man felt a stinging glow, he fell on his knees. "God have mercy on them..." The angel continued. "God have mercy on them!"

Frollo concluded with him. "God have mercy on... me. But she will be mine-" they chanted in unison. "Or she will burn!" The light vanished and Frollo collapsed in a dark room.

In a flash of fire.

Riku and Mickey felt themselves falling and landed upon a pile of scorched bodies. With in a metallic cathedral. A stained glass with a two headed Aquila shined down upon them. The fire faded and a dark feeling loomed upon their souls. Mickey was disturbed by the bodies, some with charms looking identical to the Aquila, others with symbols to chaos. "Wha...where are we?" Riku felt an aura of wrongness. "...Where ever that daemon wanted us!" He found one more missing and dashed down the hall to shout. "Resira!"

He yelled to the ceiling. "Resira, this isn't funny!"

Mickey followed him and looked to the exit, finding a door cloaked in darkness. "Well... she isn't out there." A bell tolled, the cathedral twist, resembling a darkened place with a pit of burning, squirming bodies, surrounded by an imposing demon of darkness and three feathery winged heartless that spewed maws of flame. All of them were burning the bodies, Riku and Mickey looked at the stained glass to see the emblem of the heartless, the demon noticed them and drew out a war hammer as the furies flown at the duo with chain swords. The duo jumped out of the way, Riku flowed behind a column and pounced at the demon with the hammer. The demon focused and pulsed a storm of lightning, Riku jumped to a wall and kicked back at the demon, quickly gaining and advantage and hacked away as Mickey used his quick speeds to dispatch the heartless furies.

Riku dispatched the demon with a quick combo and shot a fire ball at the burning bodies, evaporating them and causing the cathedral to return to normal. He and Mickey found an elevator leading somewhere, being there real means of exploring, the two entered and watched the door close. They felt a glowing orange fire and felt themselves ascending. The sound of a radio sparked static in their ears. "It is better that one hundred innocent fall before the wrath of the Emperor than for one traitor to kneel before the lords of darkness."

Mickey took the time to ask. "Do you know what that... thing was?"

Riku nodded and his lips looked like they were shaking. "Yes, Sora and I met that thing when it tried to make us fight each other. Thinking the other as a monster that-" He stopped as Mickey's hands were shaking. "And with no one there to stop it." Riku nodded and felt the elevator stop. "It depends on who Frollo listens to... but people... only ever listen to what they want to hear." He wanted to curse as the mouse tensed and felt the mutual fury. "This isn't the Realm of Darkness... but it is so close to it. We need to find Resira and get out of here."

BOOM! BOOM!

Distant sound of gun fire was heard, the elevator door opened, the duo rushed out to find a corrupted holy room. A familiar face was yelling like a lunatic and pushing back against five Chaos Space Marines of the Word Bearers, observing a dark rift was a priest over looking the bodies of many of his dead kin, dead sisters of battle, dead Word Bearers and an imposing figure in matching armor looking down upon.

The figure looked liked a man with small horns, burning blue pyres on his back pack and a skull shaped crozius, he wore two long strips of paper with blasphemous markings and looked upon him greatly disappointed. "Deacon Boyce, you said that these Sisters of Battle were dead and yet they came in the middle of our sacrifice."

The cowering Deacon stood before a ground with an eight pointed star. "B...But apostle Mazar, I planted evidence for the Inquisition to uncover. They... ha, should have been routing out as Heretics."

BLAM!

SLASH!

The figure gasped in mournful shock as one of his battle brothers was shot in the head and another was slashed in two, he ordered his men. "You were stupid enough to believe her kind susceptible?! You cost me and Zagor our brothers!" He snapped his fingers, the more furious Word Bearers listened to his command. "Leave this fool, we have more fulfilling things to do."

The marines kicked Resira back as a warp rift opened, the image of Zagor burned brightly and he roared to them. "The way is open, there is nothing here worth dying over."

The marines obeyed as the Apostle shook his head and followed, Zagor placed his hand on his brothers shoulder and gave a silent nod. Boyce pleaded and felt Resira glaring from behind. "P...Please, don't abandon me!"

Zagor blasted him with warp energy and sadistically hissed. "Fear not, you will still be our tool for seeing to the destruction of the Corpse God's lapdog," Boyce's flesh twisted and turned, swelling and breaking apart in ways beyond gruesome. "You should be thankful for your first... real morsel in years!" He taunted Resira. "I bid you adeu!" He floated into the warp rift, it closed.

The room darkened, Resira was the only figure the duo saw that wasn't covered in darkness, she wasn't an illusion, yet the Chaos Spawn was, becoming a dark, gibbering blob of limbs, teeth, eyes and spikes, one of gargantuan proportions. It crawled at her in fast speeds and she took our her flamethrower, screaming in trauma as an inferno engulfed the monstrosity. She looked like she heard something ungodly and dodged a swipe from a claw that quickly became a biting maw. Riku and Micky jumped on the monsters back and gave it a fierce stab, the monster pulsed in light and exploded. The room returned back to what it was, the aftermath of betrayal, Resira looked like she was losing her mind and was shaking her head. "Damn that daemon! It won't twist my mind with these nightmares!"

Riku made the reckless move of jumping to her side, grabbing her by the arms and shaking her. "Resira, knock it off! None of this is real!"

The crazy Sister of Battle tried to fight him off and was looking upon reality, breathing heavily and looking at Riku awkwardly. "Wha...how...how much of that did you saw?"

Riku let her go and tried to look tough about it. "I... think the end of that nightmare." He looked upon the mess and symbols. "This... explains a lot about you."

Resira found another elevator and lead the way. "The whole sub sector was at war and this was a cardinal world. The weak willed... those that should be better... turn to the darkness. Any sign of treachery, big or small... cannot be ignored, less death and damnation comes for us all." Mickey tapped his right shoe and asked. "And... we saw burnt bodies bellow-" Resira cringed, greatly ashamed. "You SAW what that corrupted man became through his actions. Do you wish for them to share that faith?!"

Neither of the two didn't and Riku asked. "You burned them alive?!"

Resira breathed heavily and asked him. "Do you remember Hofneil's warning? You're endeavour to stop Chaos, to stop the Word Bearers, will take you out of your world and into ours."

The elevator was ready, Mickey felt he understood more. "It sounds like both sides here are at an extreme... that's...scary."

Resira agreed with him about that. "We do this, for the good of humanity," She stepped into the elevator proudly and invited the two in. "That is why we must escape of this nightmare and stop that daemon from bringing that world into this kind of reality."

The two followed her and Riku hated to give her ill news. "We... also know that people like... who you were trying to save, would just go back to where he was after hearing what that thing told him."

Resira nodded and pressed her hands together. "What was... was already there, daemon or no daemon. I pray for the souls that followed the daemons pawn. May the others have better luck in bringing salvation... and not through the barrel of a gun." Mickey felt confident as the elevator stopped and slowly opened. "You caused a pretty big stir that isn't going to get ignored, someone will get what you had to say to them."

Resira smelled the outside world and smiled with confidence, taking out her sword and marching to battle. "If you can't save everyone, save the few you can."

She saw an open battle field with a legion of guardsmen in black and bronze armor going up against a full force of tanks. Awaiting them, like a divine intervention, was a silver tank with an ornament of stain glass shielding a turret with so many flamethrowers and missiles. Riku wasn't so trusting of the tank and had closer inspection, tapping a rear hatch with his keyblade and watching it fall open with nothing of note inside. "...Is something trying to help us?"

Resira smirked and walked in first. "Or someone, regardless, it's been a long time since I drove in one of these." Mickey counted the forces in a full scale war and went in. "But... what are we suppose to do to get across?" Riku looked to the renegade guardsmen and found a massive spire ahead. "...Get over there-" He silently jumped onto the turret and asked. "How do you use this?"

A radio static and Resira's voice came most gently. "You see the levers?"

Riku noticed and sat in the cockpit, holding onto and adjusted his feet in the pedals. Feeling in control of the turret as the hatch closed. "I just, use the pedals to move the turret and I pull to trigger the flamethrowers?" The Adeptas Sororitas responded more proudly. "You learn fast, but you are simply to guide the machine spirit!" The immolator reved up and charged at the vast horde, flames blew and a mad rush was about to begin.

During the dawn.

Sora searched most of the corners of the city for a trace of Riku and Mickey, only finding not a hint save for a Palace of Justice giving off sinister aura. A squad of soldiers marched out, looking more armored, having darker skin and more organized. Something in his instincts told him not to go in there, he watched a horse drawn carriage drive off and was silently stalking. He found Phoebus on his horse along with the darkened soldiers that left him at unease, by him were Tahm and his guardsmen in undercover, he was lightly suspicious and was looked up upon with stern respect. The carriage arrived and the door open to let out Frollo, who was having a head ache and had sore red eyes, Phoebus gave a usual salute. "Morning sir," Frollo was groaning as Phoebus asked. "Are you feeling alright?"

Frollo answered with some distorted memories. "Uhh, I had a little... trouble with the fire place."

Phoebus was giving benefit of the doubt. "I see, you're orders?" Frollo answered. "Find the gypsy girl!"

Sora gasped and flew to a building secluded, finding five of those darkened soldiers emerging from the shadows and attacking towns people. "Heartless?!" He jumped down and attacked them, being pushed back by ruthless polearms and rolling out of the way, he fired a barrage of fire balls and charged at their backs, watching them dissolve into black mists. He felt something eating at him and listened to a burst of light on the northern far end of the town. The sounds of screams made one thing clear, a heartless outbreak had begun.

At the north of the town.

Kairi was nearly cornered by five of the guards and jumped above them with a glow, she flung her blade to pelt them with flowers and flipped to land. Firing fire balls to clear them out as she noticed more threats appearing out of thin air, three winged, horned heartless with blue bodies and green sleeves. They turned into blue flames and tried to attack, compared to the guards, they were quickly dispatched, let more havoc ensued, the guards were rather brutally breaking into houses, tossing people out and searching for something, even dragging a group of festively colored people out to put in chains. She flew at them and knocked them back, towards a crowd of lighter guards that to her surprise was fighting against the heartless. Despite that, for every group she dispatched, more were eager to take their place somewhere else in town. She undid the chains and followed to the next batch of havoc, jumping up the building and finding Frollo on his black horse, with the group of guards holding people captive. He took out ten silver coins and requested. "Ten pieces of silver for the gypsy Esmerelda." The group refused, Frollo clenched his fists and swiped it away. "Lock them up!"

The guards pulled and guided the prisoners into a black portal, the minister rode off. Kairi gasped and looked to one place where the prisoners could be taken to. The Palace of Justice. "He... didn't."

Jump!

Land!

Sora slammed a swarm of six winged heartless and asked with pent up anger. "He is working with the heartless?!"

Splash! Splash!

The duo readied to fight as a green uniformed town guard with a scar mark lead a group of five town guard to an objective. "Come on, we need to rendezvous with Elric in nine o'clock, before we are found out," A town guard that was tall yet over weight saluted and bumbled through, Sora and Kairi wanted to know what happened as Thompson addressed the two as fellow soldiers. "Sora, Kairi, did you see what madness loose in the town?"

Both nodded as Sora vented from a yell. "Where are these people being taken to?! Why are these punks here?"

Thompson closed his eyes and opened them. "We suspect these people among other prisoners to be taken to the Palace of Justice and we suspect inward corruption. These... punks have heard stories of what happened in the Palace, by the Emperor, please let Resira and the others return safely!" Kairi and Sora gasped and were ready to take off as Thompson glared at the town guard. "Do not let this salvation be in vain! Move!" He warned the two. "Tahm is warning two of your friends right now, go to them!"

The duo remembered and nodded. Taking off together back to the cellar. Finding Tahm and Phoebus together, the guard noticed the duo and open the door in front of them. "Captain Phoebus, you are aware of the chaos wrought. Are you so certain that you should be close to him?"

Phoebus looked more disgusted. "Does he even know? The soldiers are looking and acting weird and I want to know why."

That Tahm frowned upon as he signaled Goofy and Donald to come. He played along with his infiltration and awaited orders. "What shall I do with these four...gypsies?"

Phoebus played along. "Take them to the Palace of Judgement lieutenant, that will be all." Perkins sneaked up behind the duo with a spear and barked out. "You heard the captain, scum. MOVE!"

Tahm lead the way and was fearful for a man of righteousness as Sora watched Phoebus take off to where a mass search party was. "Why hasn't he gotten it yet?"

Tahm sighed. "In a life time of service, your superior matters above all. No matter if they were right or wrong, that is war. These... Heartless, were they the soldiers who stayed loyal to Frollo?"

Goofy and Donald looked unsettled by that fact as Kairi heard something being shot. "And the ones who are trying to help us?"

Tahm found the distant, dark palace. "Fear is a powerful tool, you put the fear of their God in their hearts and they will listen. Yet this is something some of them refuse to!"

Perkins agreed and masked his words with cruelty. "The time for mercy is spent. I hope there is a nice, horrid place for you in the prison bellow!"

The four were translating what Perkins really said as the imperial duo reached the palace, Tahm opened the door and went in first. He was greeted by two armored soldiers that went for the prisoners, starting with Kairi. Tahm took out his sword and flashed into his true appearance. His chain sword roared as he pushed the soldier back. Sora and Kairi took the other one down as Perkins, Goofy and Donald banded together to keep the other one occupied. Long enough for Sora to charge in and finish it off. "Perkins, you have my permission to take off that ridiculous facade! We will be provided with another when our business is concluded."

Perkins saluted and his primitive wears look more up to tech. Goofy watched a hall way glow black and formed yellow eyes, a swarm of shadows sprinted towards them as he charged at them. "Look out!"

BOOM!

The swarm was being pushed back, Donald readied a massive fire ball to shoot into the horde, disrupting them as Sora, Kairi and Tahm joined in a unified assault. Perkins fired at what ever shadow he could.

Out in the city.

Ken was by the border of the outskirts, swiping through the guard like heartless with a combination of Firekeeper's Wish and his air magic. Hearing something across a bridge, he flew across and landed near a tree. Finding a search party raiding a farm and a group of bystanders cowering in fear. A black horse was enough sign that someone important was around and took a deep breath, remembering a warning he was given and allowing his polearm to return to what it was. He had himself in the perfect position to just end the whole conflict, he watched a dark man he was told about, Frollo, leave the farm house and close the door with a pleading family inside. He took a spear from one of his still human guard and used it to bolt the door locked, Frollo ordered a captain of the guard in golden armor to do something. The captain was asking something and was given a lit torch, Ken felt a fire in his heart and his finger was at a trigger.

Rustle! Rustle! BASH!

He was knocked off his feet by a dark guard right out from a shadow, he shot the guard in the head with Cadia's light and caused it to dissolve in mist. Trying once more to snipe Frollo, to Ken's astonishment, he watched the captain of the guard go to a barrel and placed the torches flaming tip in it, extinguishing it. The boy noticed three more shadow guard rushing him from the shadows, sighed and drew out Firekeeper's Wish, the keyblade was burning a bright red and yellow as it made contact with the three and caused them to ignite. He fired again to eliminate the threat and tried again to snipe at Frollo, watching the minister take a lit torch and used it on the roof, causing it to light on fire and quickly spread. Ken stopped and was absolutely horrified, the captain of the guard smashed himself through the window and broke out the door to rescue a familiar of four, a typical man, wife and two kids. The captain gave the kids to the family and for his trouble, a guard glowing into black bashed him from behind, knocking him on his knees and being held in an execution pose from the two. Frollo was saying something that prompted the dark guard to ready his sword. Ken aimed at the guard as he noticed a woman flinging a stone at the black horse.

PEW! FLUNG!

The hot shot keyblade fired at the newly formed heartless, took its head clean off and caused it to dissolve as the rock hit the black horses rear, causing it to fling Frollo off and go wild. The captain of the guard punched the other heartless, jumped on the horse and grabbed onto the reigns. Ken jumped back to a bridge to keep hidden as he saw the horse coming his way. Watching the brave man try to escape as the guards took out bows and arrows to shoot him. One got him in the back and sent him falling into the water. Ken noticed a woman in disguise sneaking down the bridge and watched the guard shoot at the brave man. Frollo ordered them. "Don't waist your arrows. Let the traitor rot in his watery grave," Ken had higher priorities and let his blades fade, sneaking to the base for a rescue as he listened. "Find the girl, if you have to burn this city to the ground so be it!"

The boy waited for Frollo and his minions to walk off and dived into the water, feeling armor too heavy and realizing someone was trying to help him undo the armor. The armor was gone and he pulled the man up, with a familiar woman with him. They swam together to anywhere most hidden, at a shore, the woman carefully removed the arrow as Ken asked. "What we going to do, the whole town has gone straight to-" he stopped himself as Esmerelda lifted the man up, Ken helped and was instructed. "Just follow me, I know where Pheobus can be safe."

In the dungeon of the Palace of Justice.

Sora and Kairi bowled over a swarm of shadows as the four party members followed. The teenagers watched a blacken heartless with hooked claws, a cat o' ninetails for a tail and a cowl, it readied to torture a captive street performer. Sora vanished, appeared in front of the Torturer and struck him away to the group of rebels. The heartless hissed and felt a combination of keyblade, shield, ice magic, chain sword an lasgun. It swiped its tail at the four and knocked them back, it sank its talons into the ground and caused hooks to erupt, both around Kairi. The Princess rolled out of the way towards a cage and was pursued, warning Sora. "Out of the way!"

She rolled forward like a torpedo and slammed the heartless into an empty cage, stopping the attack. The heartless sank into the shadows and crawled towards Sora to give him a good slash from its talons. The boy rolled out of the way and watched the heartless jump out of darkness to pounce on Perkins of all people.

BLAM!

The Torturer felt a bolter round against its skull and staggered as Perkins jabbed it in the stomach with his bayonet. Tahm stabbed it in the back with his chain sword and revved it, bringing such brutality as Sora and Kairi went after the heartless together and struck it in its right. Knocking it against the chain sword and bayonet, leaving a grisly mark as the heartless fell into half and dissolved.

Sora went to the cages and used his keyblades to undo the locks as Kairi felt a dark presence fade away. Goofy and Donald looked in the spilling cages to find no sign of Riku, Mickey or Resira. Goofy was greatly worried. "If our friends came here, what happened to them?"

Tahm wondered that himself. "Could it be that...Frollo had a force of darkness hidden this whole time?"

Donald doubted that. "If he did, he would have used it earlier."

Kairi felt the worry and asked a random person with a red shirt and black beard. "Have you seen anyone else come here?" The man shook his head and left Kairi stumped, Donald asked with another worry. "How are we going to get these people out of here?"

The random man had an idea. "There is a sanctuary for us in this city, but-" Tahm answered for him. "But we need to be quick? Lead the way and you will have our full protection!"

The man did so, the keyblade wielders followed him as the other four party members followed the mass group out of the slightly restoring palace, finding the whole city on fire. The party realized they left most of the city unprotected, Kairi and Sora were given a text from Ken. "Something came up and I had to help someone get someone to safety. Where are you guys?"

Sora growled as Kairi asked. "He was by himself, would any of us be able to stop this alone?"

Sora was still frustrated and found plenty of heartless marching in numbers of ten. "No... but-" The heartless guards charged after the refugees, the fighters went to work to carve their way through.

In a battle field.

Riku watched many of the renegades and mutants burn as a noble dressed in symbols of chaos was trying to fire and realized the immolator was charging at him. "This wasn't what I was-" Thump! The immolator skid its rear to the palace door, Riku saw a grisly reminder of why one should get out of the way from a fast moving vehicle and listened to the hatch open. Mickey was the first out and the teenager jumped off, Resira was the last and watched the many imperial tanks bombard the traitors into oblivion. She felt exhilarated and notice another elevator awaiting them, she ordered the two. "Go, we have a governor to bring to justice!"

The three entered and Riku watched the door close, asking as he heard delusion. "Resira, remember that none of this is real."

The sister of battle clenched her fists and asked him. "But everything was... like I remembered. Governor Petraeus was another that thought to take his lot with Chaos, I drove Inquistor Willian to this very spot... we were going to put an end to that war from a decade ago."

Resira looked nauseous as Riku rubbed her back. "You liked that life, did you?"

Resira took a deep breath and hesitated, Mickey saw a mixture of anger, zeal and hatred in her eyes and asked. "...If you don't, you... don't have to go back to that."

Resira gasped and spoke clearly in respect. "But that is not possible! My duty to the Imperium, to the Emperor, is needed. I cannot abandon it for a galaxy that in comparison is in an era of peace! I am only here because the galaxy you all battle to protect is under a great danger from the Great Enemy. You do not need us when the war is over."

The elevator was taking its sweet time going up as Riku asked her. "But... what of your galaxy?"

Resira looked him in the eyes and gave the gaze of a martyr. "The war will not end until we purge the Emperor's Realm of Chaos! Only when I can no longer fight, will my duty end." She looked up and felt conflicted. "Tahm, his guard... even the Emperor's finest have all been affected by their time in this galaxy. The longer we stay... the harder it becomes to go back."

Mickey and Riku understood that much, the mouse asked. "Is it... because your hearts found connections to the people you met here?"

Resira squinted her eyes. "That could be a reason."

Riku asked her with a respect of his own. "Or is it because your heart wants peace? But it is use to so much war that it would never have a rest when there is something out there out to kill everything you care for."

Resira bit her lip and looked at Riku with regrets. "Is... that a sin?"

Riku didn't want to answer that and listed a few things she done. "You have killed innocent people before, you went to war on my friend and among all the others, you kept to what you knew instead thinking about lightening up. There... is darkness with in you, whether you want to admit it or not."

The Adeptas Sororitas growled. "Nonsense, I remain as pure as I was!..." The growling felt shallow as Mickey let her know. "There is darkness inside just about everyone. It will always be there."

Resira looked dim, she looked down to her hand and saw the white, yet a shadow loomed. "...That darkness... came from all the warfare?"

Riku nudged to her smugly. "That darkness came because you had to be darkened to survive a galaxy that is completely insane. But, you... don't feel as sickening as those that gave into evil. Frollo, those that followed Chaos and so many others. You keep to that light to fight darkness like that."

Resira blushed to him. "That... is what pushes us to keep going... how humanity survives. That is how you and the others survived against Chaos and even before this came to be?"

Riku admitted it. "I might have done things that...someone like you would not have forgiven."

Resira poked to him teasingly. "But you came back from the darkness rather than continue digging your own grave. Is this why so many people in this galaxy are quick to understand the dangers of Chaos?"

Riku blushed back as Mickey answered with sure faith. "It is because people generally have common sense. It is when one person tries things that they shouldn't that can hurt so many."

Resira mentally counted the people she seen in Twilight Town and tried to compare the population of an entire city she visited once, looking overwhelmed and blocking it out. "...Never go into a hive city, for your point would become much more true."

The elevator stopped and opened a door to what looked like the inside of a governors palace. "...So this is why things become as they are." Riku and Mickey sensed something with in this tier, it felt like a way out was calling. They lead the way, Resira sighed to something and heard something outside, explosions.

At the Bell Tower.

Esmerelda was at the doorway as Ken tried holding onto a limp Pheobus by himself, using his left arm to do so and keeping Cadia's Light in a firm grip. "This really is the only place we can hide him?"

The goat sniffed the keyblade as the woman opened the door, whispering in hope no one else was hearing her. "Quasimodo."

Ken heard the voice and let Cadia's Light fade, one eager to see a dear friend. "Esmerelda?! You're alright," Ken watched the woman embrace the hunchback that cheered. "I knew you come back."

Esmerelda smiled back and asked with a heavy heart, knowing she hasn't repaid the deeds he done. "You have done so much for me my friend. But I ask you're help one more time."

Quasi was more than willing regardless. "Yes, anything."

Ken stepped in with the limp Pheobus, Esmerelda helped him carry him and asked. "This is Pheobus, he is wounded and a fugitive, like me. He can't go on much longer, I knew he be safe here. Please can you hide him?"

Quasi lead the way without hesitation, towards a make shift room with a mat, Ken noticed an odd set of holy statues and a trio of gargoyles, thinking to himself as he saw two birds sitting on one of them. "Was he... talking to them again?"

He let Esmerelda place Pheobus on the medical ward and was hesitate to use the bell tower of a church as a sniping position, he heard a woman's voice in his mind ask. "Could they be his only other family?"

Ken nodded and watched Pheobus weakly wake up, seeing the woman ready something. "Esmerelda?"

She quiet him. "Shh. You'll hide here until you are strong enough to move."

She took out a leathery bottle and pulled the cork out, Pheobus looked more than pleased. "Great, I could use a drink."

The bottle was poured into his wound and it caused a sting. Ken wanted to ask certain people who been out in the field about this use as Pheobus came to terms that he was being treated for his wounds, not pampered. "Feel's like a 1470 burgundy, not a good year."

Esmerelda had a needle and thread, ready to stitch the wounds as she spoke. "That family owes you their lives. You are either the single bravest soldier I have ever seen or the craziest."

Pheobus corrected her. "Ex Soldier remember."

He gritted his teeth from the needle as Ken voiced himself. "You are not the only person finally doing something about all the awful things going on. Tahm, his guys... and even some soldiers are trying their best."

Pheobus wanted to know how that was possible and sighed. "I always knew they were off, eeh." He focused back on the woman tending to the wounds. "Why is it, when ever we meet, I end up leading."

Esmerelda pulled another needle and went for the wound in the back. "You're lucky, that arrow almost pierced your heart."

Pheobus stopped her and placed her hand at his chest. "I'm not so sure it didn't."

Ken and Quasi realized what the guard and woman were going to do, they gave each other a kiss, Quasimodo looked heart broken and tried to keep a distance. Ken knew the feeling and whispered to him. "Hey, would you like to hear a story?"

Quasimodo looked more confused and met an innocent smile, welcoming him to a tale that's intention was to mend a broken heart. "Bleat!"

The group's focus went to the goat alerting something. Quasimodo, the goat, Esmerelda and Ken looked bellow to find grey carriage, two dark guards with torches stood side by side as Frollo stepped out with a basket. Quasimodo gasped and tried to lead the group out. "Frollo's coming! You must leave."

To a door, Ken and the goat were the first to leave and listen to instructions. "Go down the south tower steps!"

He listened to Esmerelda warning him. "Be careful my friend. Promise you won't let anything happen to him."

Quasimodo vowed. "I promise!"

Esmerelda thanked him and left him be, following the instructions as Ken asked her. "I'm going to stay behind and check something out."

The woman was in a hurry and asked him. "You know what Frollo will do to you if he sees you?"

Ken nodded and looked to the roof. "I know, there is a trick a certain someone taught me that will make sure he never does! Go!"

Esmerelda knew who Ken was talking about, nodded to him and went for the exit.

Ken burst in air magic and flew to the top of a ledge out of sight of the window, it was a poor place for him to snipe Frollo and he settled for listening. "If someone doesn't tell him something about crushes, he won't be able to take it well." He heard the sound of someone stuffing someone under a table and approved of the sound. "Although he is still cool with helping Pheobus." He climbed down to watch Quasimodo setting up his miniatures and saw Frollo climb up the ladder, basket in hand.

Quasimodo stuttered. "Oh, master I...I didn't think you were coming."

Frollo smiled to him and went to take a seat. "I'm never too busy to share a meal with you dear boy. I brought a little, treat."

Ken felt suspicious about the words as the womanly voice asked. "Bearer of the Flame, can thou make that shot? Would thee make that shot in front of him?"

Ken was in thought as he watched Frollo place his hat on his lap and coughed to Quasimodo to set up the table. "I can, but if Quasi doesn't break from this guy right here and now... I would just be hurting him."

Quasi clumsily gathered two plates, like he was in a hurry to get Frollo out, the minister took out a bunch of purple grapes by the vine and asked. "Is something troubling you Quasimodo?"

The hunchback answered in an attempt to keep his secret hidden. "Oh uh, no!"

Frollo pulled out his own grapes and plucked one. "Oh but there is, I know there is."

He let a grape drop from the vine, it rolled off the table and to the floor, Frollo was expecting Quasi to pick it up as Ken prayed. "Please don't make me have to step in. If Frollo knows, he'll kill the both of them."

Frollo accused with a raised eyebrow. "I think, you're hiding something."

Quasi tried to to deny it. "Oh, no master I-" Frollo stated. "You're not eating."

Quasi went to stuffing grapes in his mouth to keep the facade up. "Oh. Nom It's very good, thank you."

A groan was heard from under the table and Quasi tried to mask it with a hum. Ken sensed a sharp kick under the table and Quasi pretended to choke on something. "Cough! HACK! HUFF!" He addressed his excuse. "Seeds."

Frollo wasn't completely buying it and stood up to ask. "What's... different here?"

Quasi answered with a hint of fear. "Nothing, sir."

Frollo noticed eight miniatures on the table. A spikey haired boy with a keyblade, a silver haired boy with a keyblade, a red haired girl with a keyblade, a blonde boy with two keyblades, a duck with a staff, a dog with a shield, a mouse with a keyblade and finally a certain woman. Frollo picked the gypsy woman figure up. "Isn't these new? They are awfully good, looks very much like the... gypsies." Frollo growled. "I know, you helped them-" He slammed his fist to rest of the miniatures and yelled. "escape!" Quasi tried to say something as Frollo yelled more. "And now all of Paris is burning because of you!"

Quasimodo tried to speak in defense. "They were kind to me master!"

Frollo slammed Esmerelda's figure, smashed the other miniatures and destroyed the small buildings in rage. "You idiot. That wasn't kindness, it was cunning! They are gypsies!" He grabbed Quasimodo by the collar to yell it to him. "Gypsies are not capable of real love! Think boy, think of your mother!"

His rage went back to being masked with indifference as Ken felt in pain listening and felt Quasi's fear. Frollo let him go. "But what chance could a poor misshapen child like you have against their heathen treachery," He stood up, took a small knife and stabbed the Esmerelda figure with it, bringing it to a candle. "Well, never you mind Quasimodo, they be out of our lives soon enough." He set it on fire with a promise. "I will free you, from their evil spell." He flung the scorching miniature to him. "They will torment you no longer."

Quasimodo asked with his world coming undone. "What do you mean?"

Frollo walked back to the stairs. "I know where their hideout is," He turned to him. "And tomorrow dawn, I attack with a thousand men!"

He walked down the stairway and left the hunchback distraught. He heard a groan from behind, Pheobus, crawled out and knew what needed to be done. "Ugg. We need to find the Court of Miracles, before daybreak!"

He waddled from injuries sustained. "If Frollo gets there first..." He nearly lost balance and leaned against a support piece. "Are you coming with me?"

Quasimodo looked defeated and answered. "I can't."

He tried to stand up despite all the abuse he went through, Pheobus asked. "I thought you were their friend."

Quasimodo responded more distraught. "Frollo's my master, I can't disobey him again."

He turned to a wall and hugged himself, Pheobus lectured sharply. "They stood up for you! You got a funny way of showing gratitude!"

Quasi took it with more doubt as Pheobus readied to leave. "Well I'm not going to sit by and watch Frollo massacre innocent people! You do what you think is right."

The ex captain left Quasi to himself, Ken took his chance and crawled in, not really surprising him as the boy gave him an awkward stare. Quasi asked him. "What I'm suppose to do? Go out there and rescue the girl from the jaws of death and the whole town will cheer like I'm some kind of hero?!"

Ken shook his head. "Someone is trying to hurt countless people and she needs to be warned. The last dummy I saw try to be a big hero... nearly got himself killed and he was lucky the pretty queen he had a crush on even bothered listening to him or allow him to stick around to be a friend."

Quasi argued back with a point to make. "But Esmerelda already has her knight in shining armor and it's not me!"

Ken joked back to him. "And the dummy was some fourteen year old that thought he had a chance with an adult," He blushed. "A friend of his had to tell him to cool down." He focused on what he was trying to say. "But he still tried to protect that queen regardless if she was going to give him a cold boot or not."

Quasimodo listened and looked conflicted, looking upon his left hand. He looked at the burnt remains, took his necklace out and felt there was something he needed to do. Ken found a cowl, tapped him on the shoulder and gave it to him. "You don't have to be the big hero. That's... not why you go be one."

Quasimodo slowly took the cloak and went to do what was really in his heart. "I must me out of my mind."

Ken followed him down a passage way to the south tower. Both above a door that was opening, Quasi climbed down and popped his head upside down to greet a certain blonde man. "Pheobus!"

The man was startled and felt like he nearly had a heart attack as the hunchback whispered. "Shh! I'm coming with you." Thud!

Ken jumped down and listened to Pheobus appreciating it. "Glad you changed your mind."

Quasi made it clear. "I'm not doing to for you, I'm doing it for my friends."

Pheobus asked regardless. "You know where she is?"

Quasi answered and gave Pheobus his pendent. "No but she said this will help us find her."

Pheobus took the pendent and hoped greatly. "Good, good, ah great. What is it?" Quasi had no idea and Pheobus tied to decipher it. "Hmm, must be some sort of code like how what those guys tried to use. Maybe it's Arabic... no, no it's not Arabic. Maybe it's Ancient Greek or Norse."

Quasi was in thought and realized. "When you wear this woven band you hold the city in you're hands."

He and Ken realized something, Quasi said it out loud. "It's the city!"

Pheobus felt confused at first. "What are you talking about?"

Quasi pointed toward the cross. "It's a map, here is the cathedral and a river and this little-" Pheobus argued. "I never seen a map that-" Quasi argued back. "I been in the bell tower for twenty years and I think I know what the city looks like from above."

The two devolved into more bickering and Pheobus, with little understanding, gave in. "If you say its a map, fine its a map! If we are going to find Esmerelda and the others we have to work together. Truce?"

He patted Quasi on the back, who gave one back. "Truce!"

The hunchback didn't quite know his own strength and accidentally smacked Pheobus in the back, the man grunted in pain as Ken promised the both of them. "I'll... get a torch when its safe to do so!"

Quasi covered himself with the cowl and lead the way, to the east of the city and to a grave yard. Ken had Firekeeper's Wish out and lit the way. Towards a crypt with a symbol much like on the map. Pheobus looked upon it and tried to decipher. "This looks like the symbol on the map?"

Quasi asked. "But what does it mean?"

Pheobus took Ken's keyblade and tried to have a closer look. "Hmm... not sure. Can make an inscription but it could take a few minutes to translate."

Quasi felt his hands on a slab, pushed it to the left side.

Thud!

Showing a set of stairs, Ken took his keyblade back with force of will as Pheobus thought of the route given. "Yes, well, or we can go down those stairs."

That the trio have done, going into a murky underground of the city, littered with bones. Quasi asked. "Is this the Court of Miracles?!"

Ken shook his head. "More like a Court of the Grave."

Pheobus answered. "On the off hand I call it the Court of Deep Sewage. Must be the old Catacombs."

The three looked around, Ken asked. "Not my first visit."

Pheobus agreed and chuckled. "Ha, makes you wish you got out more often eh?"

Quasimodo answered shyly. "Not me, I just want to warn Esmerelda and get back to the bell tower before I get into anymore trouble."

Ken felt it was mutual. "I'm pretty far from home, but I want to explore the world and meet all kinds of people!"

Click! Clank!

He heard something as Pheobus held his guard. "Speaking of that, we should be meeting those by now?" The two wondered what he ment, Ken felt danger crawling up his neck as Pheobus described. "You know, a guard... or a booby trap... or an ambush."

They sensed bright lights from above, hearing a variety of cries as a group of men dressed up as skeletal pirates, holding torches jumped down after them. Quickly subduing Pheobus and Quasi. Ken tried to parry with his burning blade, formed Cadia's Light and parried another, being in a situation surrounded by people to where he was in a position where he either needs to fight back or get pushed around. A jester in purple clothes and a hat appeared. "Well, well, well. What have we here?" The costumed thugs took off their masks to answer. "Trespassers!" "Spies!"

Pheobus tried to object and was bound in a gag of cloth along with Qausi, Ken noticed Firekeeper's Wish bursting into flames, he was consumed in a flash of light and found himself by a fire place, away from the chaos ensuing. He was next to the Firekeeper, who was holding his hand gently and fading to ashes. "Keeper of Flame, the others are here! Stop this madness."

Ken blinked and found a four man group he was familiar with; Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy, just as startled as he is, like they saw the fire place spit him out. Sora had his mouth opened. "How did you do that?!"

Ken gave up guessing and answered. "That doesn't matter, two guys we might know is in deep trouble."

Kairi heard singing. "Where it is a miracle if you get out alive!" She was witnessing pure chaos. "You three went in by yourself?!"

Ken nodded as Donald cringed. "That was a big mistake."

Goofy agreed with that. "They think they are with Frollo and Tahm hasn't told them what is going on yet."

They watched a jester rush to a gallows hanging around with tied rope, the jester announced. "Gather around everybody! I got good noose for everyone," The group were astonished as they watch the security bring up two people they know of, Pheobus and Quasimodo. "It's a double header, a couple of Frollo's spies!"

The crowd gave a mass booing as the Fire Keeper found humor in the event and giggled. "Thou, tee, need to stop this."

Ken readied Cadia's Light in an instinct as Sora, Donald and Goofy try not to laugh at humor beyond wrong. Kairi growled and heard the click of a gun. The jester had more news to the audience. "Not just any spies!" He pretended to be a soldier. "His captain of the guard." and a hunchback. "And his loyal, bell ringing henchman!"

Ken aimed at the rope above Quasimodo and had his finger on the trigger. PEW! BLAM! Two laser beams cut Quasi's rope as a bullet cut through Pheobus's and exploded. Ken stepped forward and noticed Tahm and Perkins making a bold stand. The jester looked at them, annoyed that they spoiled the fun. "Look at that, the critics excecuted that one."

Tahm broke into laughter to where his hat dropped and revealed orange hair as Perkins got the joke. "We could write a whole summary with just the Commissar. Mr. Clopin." Tahm laughed harder as Ken blinked and looked up to Clopin. "There might be people up there that deserve this, but not these two."

A feminine voice agreed with that. "That's why you all need to stop!" Esmerelda and her goat stood past the crowd, she jumped up the platform to confront Clopin. "These men aren't spies they are our friends."

Clopin asked the crowd. "Why didn't they say so?"

The gag was taken off and both said in unison. "We did say so!"

Esmerelda undid Pheobus's bindings first. "This is the soldier who saved the miller's Family," She went to the hunchback. "And Quasimodo helped me escape the Cathedral."

Pheobus shouted to the group of refugees. "We came to warn you. Frollo is coming," That caught the crowds attention as Pheobus continued. "He said he knows where you are hiding and he is attacking at dawn with a thousand men."

Ken gasped, turned back to the team of four and went to Sora as Esmerelda advised the next solution. "Then we must leave here immediately!"

The group of refugees agreed and went to get their stuff, Sora knew what Ken was suggesting and smiled in arrogance. "That loony thinks a thousand would be enough?"

Donald and Goofy shook their heads, the duck laughed at that number. "That's nothing new." Goofy nodded to that. "Even if those heartless are pretty aggressive."

Kairi smiled teasingly at Sora. "He should have tripled that!"

Ken agreed and asked. "Anyone got a statistic?"

Sora answered bluntly. "Nope! But this isn't even a sweat with all of us here."

Tahm over heard, he and Perkins approached with more humor in their minds. The Commissar spoke of the kind of odds they have. "Excluding me and a simple guardsmen, who require tanks, fire power and numbers to fight back a full war. I... say," He counted. "one who has witnessed countless battles, one of which is exactly what we are facing and became one of the strongest wielders of the Keyblade currently available. Two wielders that have the power to fight back against this foe and... two that manage to support when they can and have... thought of ways to deal with those numbers." He nodded. "Oh yes, Frollo has declared war upon us, but is he really prepared to fight those who have already gone to war or are prepared? We have a... eighty five percent chance of absolute victory?"

Perkins looked around in the underground court and found ashes scattering. "That fifteen percent... might end in you five causing this whole Court to crash down on their heads. If this is really the catacombs-" Tahm agreed with him. "If this caves in, a part of Paris will collapse with it!"

Kairi imagined the absolute havoc, shook it away and was nearly freaking out. "What kind of world did you two come from?"

Perkins sighed. "One where there is only war ma'am! One where there is only war." Tahm nodded and smiled. "Fortunately if... I dispense that signal, that fifteen percent would drastically decrease to a... five percent chance if Dabriel decides to... suddenly use his missile launcher. An absolute zero if he doesn't. Since Frollo refuses to listen to the Emperor's Angel of Mercy, he will listen to the Angels of Death! Then and only then will this city finally have peace!"

Ken cringed. "Hey I tried!" Tahm asked him sturnly. "But did you? Surely your circumstances made it... excusable?" Ken counted. "I was getting jumped before I can make a clear shot and if I did it infront of Quasi... that would be pretty bad for him since he NEEDS to stand up to Frollo before any of us can bring that minister down."

Sora agreed and looked at Esmerelda giving thanks to Pheobus first. "You took a terrible risk coming here. We may not exactly show it but we are grateful!" She embraced him as Pheobus saw the heart broken hunchback and drag him into the reunion. "Don't thank me, thank Quasimodo. Without his help, we would have never found our way here!"

"NOR WOULD I!"

The group saw a familiar dark figure and his army of heartless guards charging in. Ken gritted his teeth as Tahm guessed. "None of you three closed the door behind you?"

Ken clenched his keyblade. "There wasn't a door, just a stone slab and if I used a fog gate it be more obvious!"

A radiant light formed above Frollo, taking shape as Sora kicked started the plan. "Come on, we are finishing this."

The Commissar didn't mind and readied his position. "This was exactly what we planned for. He fooled you into thinking he was coming and if you three never came... you wouldn't have lead him to us!"

The rather joyous tone spoke of praise rather than disappointment. Donald realized. "He was lead to us."

Kairi agreed to that. "His worst mistake was taking his own bait." Goofy nodded and patted Ken on the back. "Good work. We all got this." Sora smiled to him battle ready. "Let's give it everything we got!"

The other four readied their weapons, ready to go to war as Frollo was boasting to Quasi, Esmerelda and Pheobus. "Twenty years of searching, the Court of Miracles is mine at last!" He mockingly petted the hunchback. "Dear Quasimodo, I always knew you be of use to me."

He noticed five particular adversaries in the distance, carving against his heartless minions with no effort. The light took form and a blinding angel snared the five in fire, the angel roared. "To finally bring justice to the heathens and heretics!"

The five realized that was a meat grinder plan that immediately backfired as the angel chanted to Frollo. "So long as you trend this path, you will not be harmed!" The chained fire was slowly consuming the five as the minister felt he was under protection, Tahm squinted his eyes at the figure, gasped and whispered to Perkins. "...Do you see it?"

The guardsmen did so and almost dropped his weapon. "...By the Emperor. Frollo has-" The vast guards were closing in on them, Tahm pressed a button to let loose a distress signal. The two were grappled by the heartless and the signal was smashed. The Commissar watched the five be engulfed and dropped down in fire, he felt a static noise and whispered. "The Emperor Protects."

With in a futuristic palace.

Riku, Mickey and Resira took down a group of noble thugs and carved their way to a governors throne. Finding a brown haired, middle aged man in cybernetics and a marking of Slaanesh carved into his forehead. Holding a rifle that had a mixture of flesh and speakers, the governor aimed it at them, Riku flowed straight to the man and kicked him across, the man was backing away in fear for his life. "No...no! I was promised that my trap would work, I would live forever!"

Riku was grossed out by the mutated, form grabbed the squirming man by the scruff of his neck and tossed him to Resira. Mickey wanted to look away as the Adeptas Sororitas remembered what happened. She sighed and aimed her flamer stoically. "In a kingdom of ashes!" Flick!

SCORCH!

Petraeus was burned with in the fire and yelled in pain, the scene was getting too grizzly and Riku looked away to ask. "What is this guys deal?"

The screaming was dying down as Resira answered. "This is a case I had dealt with before my pilgrimage to another planet. If I found something suitable, I would have quickly advanced my rank to a Palatine... a rank of Canoness. Alas... before I reached the rank... all this happened. Ten years of work... I would be lucky if I wasn't demoted already." She went to the subject matter. "Petreaus was the governor responsible for introducing the Ministortum officials of this world to... Chaos. Among other things he failed to maintain. Heed my words, no matter how sympathetic you may find a heretic, know they are supporting those like him!"

Snap!

The sound of a limb falling off gave enough mental images as Resira sounded more drained. "Selfish, stupid, no regards to the lives under them, that is when we come to clean up their mess, when innocent people have to be brought before the torch. People like him fall under temptation willingly and listen to the lies of those like Zagor. They are the reasons we must do this, for who else listened to the Word Bearers?" She sounded more guilty and asked. "What did you and the King hear from Frollo?"

Mickey blew at the air. "He was blaming Esmerelda and her people for something... similar to what you are talking about."

Resira found it completely outrageous as Riku asked her. "You want to know the real difference between you and him?" Resira growled and chuckled. "I actually bothered studying those strange people before making judgement? I am aware that some would swindle people, but that is minor and people should know better. I have been told that I would have made an excellent Inquisitor had things been different."

Riku and Mickey felt the answer was kind of valid, yet the teenager shook his head. "Well... that is part of it. You actually have the heart to admit what you do is wrong."

They heard stamping noises and more burning, Resira agreed to that. "The heretic is guilty of bringing Chaos! Those in power, like me... are guilty of allowing it to happen. One of us, bothers to correct that mistake."

Mickey asked and heard more collapsing. "There is also... the reason that when things get bad because of these guys. Gulp It can get bad. How... much longer should we keep looking away?"

Resira answered content. "You don't have to, but I am almost done. He is already dead... I'm making sure there is nothing remaining to corrupt the next sorry soul." She stamped again, they heard something collapse entirely. They turned around to find nothing but ashes, Resira had one more confession to make. "So long as those brought into question don't hide from me, I'm easy to drive away. It's those that do...that leads to complete disaster if some of us were in the wrong place... at the wrong time."

Riku nodded as an elevator appeared. "Like you were when Kairi showed up and had to stand up to you." Resira nodded back. "In the eyes of another, she was protecting innocents. She is in no obligation from anything in regards to me." She wondered as she noticed the elevator. "But... if this isn't our final obstacle... what is?"

Riku escorted her like a one would a lady as Mickey realized what it might be. "Resira... what... would happen if an Imperial official goes too far? Have... you worked for people like that?"

Resira growled and nodded, her mouth dropped in a realization. "...We need to go and get out of this realm! Now!"

Mickey hurried in, Resira pressed the buttons and looked to be sweating. "There is... thankfully an organization with in the Imperium for when that that happens. The Ordo Excorium... a force of the Inquisition that... questions our last resort for certain wars."

Riku didn't wish to think about what the last resort was. "...You know what last resort is?"

Resira nodded and was panicking, hoping the elevators machine spirit would hurry. "William told me of it. Exterminatus... in normal circumstances, it is only called upon if the world is beyond doomed and beyond salvage. Although the more... unreasonable of the officials would declare it anyways."

Riku and Mickey sensed the fear with in what was a bold figure, the mouse asked. "You... are worried that is what will happen to this planet?"

Resira walked back and forth. "This was my homeworld... and while we were certain we purged this world of the heretics, everyday I wonder if we have severed the roots completely. For... if this wasn't stopped as it was... more like what you saw would be the fate of those of this world." Riku guessed. "And you don't want to be on a planet that is scheduled for... Exterminatus?"

Resira wheezed. "Riku, Mickey, no one does! Everything and everyone on this planet would be denied to the enemy and the sickening things they have in mind... but at the cost of...?"

Riku and Mickey felt something in their minds explode, they were silent about the topic, Resira felt her point was made. "It is with in good fortune that power is not with in your galaxy and it is the reason me and the others have to go back when this is over. If the Word Bearers, the only real way for our enemies to plant the seeds of corruption, are removed. You would not need any of us to even think about the word Exterminatus, you would only need to think of a way to minimize the corruption to where it is a more manageable ordeal. If there is someone you know of that would intend to use the powers of Chaos, stop them and see they never rise again."

Mickey realized one person that would, he and Riku looked to each other in realizing the looming horror. The elevator stopped and the door slowly opened, like the realm itself was playing upon Resira's fears. They heard a distant shouting ahead. An accusation of some kind. It opened half way and stopped, Resira growled and took her chance, charging at the door and sliding forward, the door was closing, the keyblade wielders slide past it and felt the mighty thud. Finding a figure on top of a white throne accusing a group of captives about something. "You are guilty of being either a mutant or a xenos!"

Resira gritted her teeth and got up in an unlady like manner as Riku and Mickey stood up to seeing a man with a white beard and a mighty sword. Riku asked on seeing the scowl of anger in the Sister of Battle. "Is.. this someone you know?!"

Resira charged in without a word, he was definitely someone she know, the two followed and heard another accusation. "You are guilty of being, a mutant or a xenos as well as being an rogue psyker!"

The three entered to find well armored guardsmen and five people bound in cuffs, Goofy and Donald looked both confused and mentally hurt. The man on the chair yelled out to Sora and Kairi, who were both angry at the man. "You are guilty of harboring these scum, using these heretical powers unbound and defying judgement!"

Sora growled at him. "They are our friends, you wacko!" Kairi agreed with him. "We been trying to fight Chaos for days, are you nuts?"

The man on the throne threaten the duo with a gun wielded by a mixture of man and machine. "And you continue, your guilty of wasting my time with a plea of innocence! Continue more and you will be the first to be executed!"

The duo kept an unbroken glare at them and felt a third agreeing with them, Ken howling to the man as he tried to break his cuffs. "We were taking that minister down because he IS bringing Chaos!" The man on the throne scoffed to that. "And you committed as much Heresy as they! You all brought corruption among the Emperor's faithful, you delay the Imperium's justice upon these heretics and are allowing the influence of Chaos across the worlds!"

Riku and Mickey found the accusations completely irrational, they jumped into action and met dark chains, the group noticed and were completely astonished. Shouting the twos names in unison, the man on the chair looked upon the two. "And you brought more Heretics upon these halls, who seek to advert justice!"

The gun glowed, Resira bolted against the man and stabbed at the man with a power sword, she flung it off and was snarling. "Fyodor are you insane?! They are their worlds only hope of stopping-" She reminded herself and stopped, this isn't really the man she knows of, just a figment. The man took his sword and swung at her, she jumped back, took her bolt pistol and shot the dark chains, Riku and Mickey dropped and recuperated as the hall distorted, to a dark hall with skulls and pyres. A heartless emblem shined, yet the man on the throne looked the same. The guardsmen aimed their guns at the three, Riku freed the keyblade wielders as Mickey freed Donald and Goofy.

The five were glad to be able to fight, Sora bull rushed three of the guards on the left, Kairi pounced on two of them and Ken sparked out in his fire, he rushed at the five to the right, firing his weapon and doing a variety of dirty tactics as Donald and Goofy joined in the right. Leaving the three to take on the man on the throne by themselves. Resira answered the unspoken question. "Fyodor Karamazov of the Ordo Hereticus. He is what you should argue with me about in regards to the Inquisition."

Fyodor glared at the Adeptas Sororitas and felt he was justified by something. "And you allow yourself to be tainted and rebel against an Inquisitors judgement? This is what I fear, that galaxy is only a nest for Chaos!"

Resira aimed her flamer and scorched the illusion, seeing it distort in black mists and trying to reform. Riku and Mickey jumped at the burning figure and attacked with quick speeds. Resira joined in with her sword and slashed with great faith, letting loose a pulse of light that caused the figure to break down. The vast group quickly took down the soldiers and watched the darkened place distort back to a simple court and leaving behind a simple rift of light. Riku and Mickey didn't think the Adeptas Sororitas had it in her to be that open. The mouse asked as Goofy and Donald were rushing to his side. "What... did he do to make you... do that?"

Mickey was tackled down as Resira noticed the keyblade wielders observing the place of light, she answered. "While he claims to be faithful to the Emperor, his methods of enacting his will are far too extreme, I was warned that his tactics leads to such... unnecessary death and I witnessed too many innocent people be dragged into his court... without even letting any fellow Inquisitors partake in interrogation and voice another suggestion. A whole regiment of Tempetsus go under his command... they don't come back. They are a cousin of the Imperial Guardsmen in a way and are most obedient, would they fall to Chaos after a simple witch hunt?"

She shook her head as Kairi overheard. "You... were wanting to do this to him for a long time?"

Resira nodded. "I am in no power to confront him, even with an army. This must be what that demon wanted from me, to see if I would have the heart to do it if I could." She felt something holy calling to her as she and the many, heard something. Riku looked out the window to find a large explosion and the sight of an inferno coming. She barked. "We will discuss this later! Go, go, go!" The group did as ordered, Riku feeling overwhelmed and rushed into the light. Resira felt herself shaking from such an act and jumped in, hearing the shattering of glass and escaped from the intense heat.