"So there are really just a bunch of big caves sitting around under your city?" Telary asks, walking behind Basil as he leads the group down along the side of a sewer. They'd gotten a few strange looks up above, climbing down a manhole as they had, but according to Basil, that's the price one pays for pursuing truth.

"Indeed," the mouse detective replies with a nod. "The system is quite extensive, owing of course to our proximity to both an ocean and the largest river that flows from it. There are many of differing sizes all around. As a matter of fact, there's a rather small cave beneath my very home. I'll show you when all of this has been resolved, I imagine you'll find it quite interesting."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here," Riku says from farther back. "I'll have to see how I handle the excitement of one cave before I commit to another."

Basil ignores the Keyblade wielder's sarcasm, turning down a slightly shorter tunnel. "They've been mapped very thoroughly, and apparently a contingent of the constables' office checks them quite regularly. It makes sense, as this would be quite an attractive hideout location for any master criminal."

"A generally accepted to be dead master criminal, you should remember my friend," Dawson says, his voice muffled through the handkerchief he holds over his nose. "It must be said, I am not one bit fond of this theory of yours!"

"Your stories did make this Ratigan guy out to be pretty scary," Telary finds himself agreeing. "But, as someone with a returned nemesis who I personally saw become a smear on a floor, I can't poo-poo your suspicions, Basil."

The detective gives the wizard a brief smile. "Your support is appreciated, good fellow. Given all that I have seen tonight, I must say I've found my eyes opened to quite a few more possibilities than I had ever realized there could be."

"Oh, yes," Dawson mutters, just barely loud enough to be heard as more than muffled sounds. "How exciting, criminals hopping to and from the underworld as easy as they please. Just marvelous!"

Any further arguing for or against Basil's theory is curtailed as the party reaches their destination. At first glance, it appears to be just a section of the tunnel's wall. Riku is about to get sarcastic again when Basil reaches up and pulls out a loose brick. It extends out a few inches before stopping, a loud thump just barely escaping the confines of the wall. Steam hisses into the corridor as the bricks begin moving to the side, revealing a hidden doorway into a tunnel just barely tall enough for Telary to get through without ducking. A faint light shines out.

"Seems the place is occupied," Basil says, not without smugness, as he ducks into the tunnel. Indeed, the light proves to be coming through the opening on the tunnel's other end.

"Doesn't mean it's by your guy," Riku points out. "This seems like a dream set up for any criminal who could happen to stumble on it."

"I gotta ask," Telary says, following along. "Do you really not believe Basil here, Riku, or are you just being contrary?"

Before Riku has time to answer, they're already in the cavern. It is quite large indeed, big enough to contain a saloon-looking building while still having plenty of space in front of and above it, a single crude torch providing illumination. The building's main door is shut, and it's single front window is covered in boards, but noticeable lines of yellow light shine out around the door's rim and in the scant spaces between boards.

"I'm going in first," Riku says as he approaches the door, Way to Dawn appearing in his hand. "I can get that door open the easiest, and Gilgamesh is going to want to face me most of all. He has this thing about Keyblades."

"No argument from me," Basil replies. "My focus is Ratigan alone. He'll wish he hadn't survived that fall, I'll tell you that."

"No need to be reckless though, Basil," Dawson is quick to caution his companion. The detective's only reply is a shrug.

Way to Dawn taps lightly against the door, producing a sound just barely loud enough to hear, then a click as the lock disengages. Telary takes a deep breath, preparing himself for a quiet entrance. Until Riku straightens up, gathering dark energy around his hand before unleashing it in a blast that sends the door flying off its hinges with a great screech of tearing metal and splintered wood.

So much for stealth, then.

The interior of the saloon is lit by only a few candles, just barely revealing a space that was once ostentatious until it was left to rot. A thin layer of dust covers most of the otherwise white marble floors. A fountain stands in the middle of the room, long dead and cracked in several places. The remains of velvet drapes lie ravaged in the corner.

"Anybody home?" Riku calls, walking in slowly and making sure to keep his Keyblade prominently displayed. "I've got an investment opportunity that I think you're just going to die for, Mr. Alleyway! C'mon, where are ya?"

Basil doesn't indulge in any calling out for his nemesis, merely taking the place in in greater detail now that no threats are jumping immediately from the shadows. He finds himself lingering on a fallen object to one side of the room, the backside of a painting frame. He starts walking towards it.

When suddenly a dozen more candles spring to life, a flash of light that nearly blinds the heroes. When Riku's vision begins to clear, he sees a figure he knows all too well.

Gilgamesh stands near a curtain in the back of the room, obviously some kind of makeshift entrance to a back room. For some reason, the four-armed man hasn't made any kind of form change at all, still just as human as the last time Riku and Telary saw him. He's dressed in his usual red armor, four swords gleaming in the candlelight.

"Oh, I'll be investing!" Maleficent's minion shouts, settling into a battle stance. "I'm going to… Uh, I'll invest in…" He pauses, mulling his next line over in his head. He really should better prepare for these banter situations. "Oh, yes! Come over here, Riku, and I shall invest my foot into your face!"

Now it's Riku's turn to be bereft of a response.

Gilgamesh continues to laugh. "Ha! Got you with that one, didn't I?"

"Yeah, congratulations," the silver-furred young man replies, rolling his eyes. "You said something so bafflingly stupid, my brain just couldn't handle it."

"Oh, yeah?" Gilgamesh says, stomping one foot and leaning back on it to ready his upcoming leap. "Well, let's just see how you handle this!"

Telary takes a step forward, hand clenching into a fist as he calls upon the power of the wind. Air swirls in front of the leaping Gilgamesh, but it doesn't have time to coalesce into a true cyclone before the warrior has landed and is slicing at Riku.

It's no trouble for the young man, who simply catches the blade on Way to Dawn and quickly slaps it away. Gilgamesh presses his attack, alternating between high and low blades. Out of six slices in half as many seconds, only two manage to get close enough for Riku to actually block. The Keyblade wielder lets himself keep in retreat, giving Telary time to think up another spell.

The wizard doesn't need long, quickly re-purposing an idea he'd employed just hours ago. Light flashes around Gilgamesh, surrounding him in a solid shield of energy. The magical sphere is tight, leaving the swordsman without any room to even drawn his arm back for a blow. His momentum dies hard, the shield quickly shattering.

Riku dives in, slashing at his opponent's waist. The hit connects, sending Gilgamesh stumbling back several steps. Now it's Riku's turn to press advantage, every step propelling him forward powerfully. Gilgamesh has an easier time defending himself than Riku, using all four of his swords to keep the Keyblade wielder from landing another strike. But eventually his control slips, the sword in his bottom-left hand interfering with the movement of the one in his top-right.

Riku steps back, waiting for his opponent to untangle the swords and leave him a vulnerable moment. But Gilgamesh, for all his posturing and silly bluster, is still a warrior. He leaves no opening, instead bringing up his knee to smash into the Keyblade wielder's stomach. The blow is hard enough to send Riku off the ground by almost a foot.

He lands, in time to see Gilgamesh's follow-up charge interrupted by a trio of Fire spells from Telary. The swordsman catches the flames on his weapons. Riku goes after him, but Gilgamesh is already crossing the swords in his lower arms to defend himself. Riku grunts, grabbing the hilt of Way to Dawn with his other hand and pushing down with extra strength. Gilgamesh's top swords slice at him like a pair of scissors, and he has to break off to avoid decapitation.

Telary is ready again by the time Riku is clear, a single Firaga spell floating above his hand. It flies into Gilgamesh, slipping past the red-garbed warrior's defense and colliding right where the chest plate of his armor meets his neck. The swordsman sputters again, only magical protection saving his face from melting off entirely. Still, the spell is enough to stun him but good.

Riku is on him almost as soon as the magical flames have dissipated, swinging his Keyblade into the minion's chest. Gilgamesh loses his footing, falling down toward the floor. Telary reaches out, hitting the swordsman with wind once again. He flies even further, crashing into the fountain and falling over its stone lip. Telary focuses on the inert decoration, clenching his fist. A layer of frost forms on both the stone and Gilgamesh. He tries to rise, but the shock of the cold keeps his muscles from moving smoothly. Another fireball hits him in the chest, knocking the back of his head into the fountain's central display.

"Okay," Riku says, shaking his head as he approaches the groggy swordsman. "We had our little duel, you got your fun for the evening." He holds Way to Dawn out, the Keyblade's tip hovering just inches from Gilgamesh's throat. "Now tell us all about your evil plan to fund independent theater productions."

"A distraction," Basil says from over in the corner, examining the fallen painting. He steps forward, dropping it back to the ground. It lands faceup, but Riku doesn't bother looking at it in more detail. "I imagine you're involved with all this kidnapping business, and your group needed a way to keep me off the trail."

"Uh, try keep us away from it hotshot," Riku argues. "I'm guessing this master plan didn't factor in our splitting up."

"I was told that Sora would be present," Gilgamesh mutters. He looks rather miserable, the frost on his body beginning to affect his nasal passages. "Though I must say, my respect for your skills as a warrior has grown considerably." He levels a glare at Telary. "You, on the other hand, are an honorless, cheating dog."

Telary glares right back. "Oh dear," he says, completely monotone. "However will I live myself, having been insulted so. Incidentally…" The wizard clenches his hand into a fist, and all the water around Gilgamesh freezes again.

"I believe it would be in our best interests now to seek that party the rest of our number went to," Basil suggests. Though his face is set with determination, a small smile lifts the detective's lips. "The facts have been assembled to my satisfaction, and I have determined my enemy in this endeavor."

Riku frowns. "From the painting?" He takes a few steps into the corner Basil was examining during the fight. He sees the framed picture is now turned up, depicting a grinning rat dressed in fine black clothing. The canvas has been ripped savagely in several places. He observes the rest of the area as well, but can only find a few faint scuffs in the marble floor. Squinting, Riku idly thinks they match the scratches in the painting. Whatever conclusion Basil was able to derive from these few facts, the Keyblade wielder truly has no clue.

"Then again," he mutters, joining the others, "I'm no detective."

"What should we do with this chap?" Dawson asks, frowning at the still-frozen Gilgamesh. "He'll catch his death, left like this."

"Tempting," Telary mutters darkly under his breath. In a clearer, more pleasant voice, he says, "I doubt it, actually. He'll probably have nasty case of the sniffles, but thawing him out runs too much risk of him interfering in whatever incredibly dangerous thing we'll probably be doing next."

"It w-would increase m-m-my opinion of you c-considerably," Gilgamesh says before being interrupted by a sneeze, "if you were t-t-t-to warm the r-room by even a little."

Telary sighs, really looking at his enemy. Maleficent's minion does look rather pathetic, stuck inside a fountain and shivering. Sighing, the wizard starts the room's molecules moving just a little faster, increasing the temperature by ten degrees or so.

"Well, you asked so nicely," he says with a shrug. "But I'd better not see you coming after us again tonight. Got it?"

"Yes, indeed," Gilgamesh says, bowing his head. "I swear I will not."

"How nice," Basil comments, though the flatness of his tone suggests a certain disingenuousness. "Shall we all be about it, then?"

KH-KH-KH

Kingdom Key appears in Sora's hand, the boy gripping it tightly as he takes in the sight of Pete coming down the stairs with Freya. Maleficent's minion is followed by another large figure, dressed in a fuller, more flowing black robe than the other cult members. The figure's hood is raised, bringing even more uncomfortable Organization XIII memories to the Keybearer's mind.

Pete spots Sora, smiling as he finishes his downward trek. "I'd put that Keyblade away if I were you, pal." He holds up the hand not keeping Freya secured over his shoulder. A small rectangular object pokes out from his grip. "I got all them fellas caged in with you hooked up to some of my explosives. One wrong move from you, and…"

There's no need for the fat cat to finis that thought. Sora grimaces, dismissing his blade. He stays silent and still, eyes on Pete, until Maleficent's minion stops in front of the cage Azlyn is in, unceremoniously depositing Freya on the ground.

"There's a good kid," Pete giggles. "Save your strength, Sora. You might find yourself needing it in the next couple minutes."

Fratley goes to the cage wall as Pete walks away, leaning against the bars and reaching a desperate hand out for Freya. "Darling, are you alright? What have they done to you?"

"I'm fine, Fratley," Freya says in a gentle voice, looking up at her partner with a smile. "That Blackpaw arrived a few minutes ago, and suddenly everyone had turned on me. I fought back, of course, but the numbers were rather in their favor."

"What matters, Freya, is that you are alright," Fratley says, his arm dropping as he realizes reaching for Freya is a fruitless effort. "We've been in worse scrapes before. As long as we're together, we'll be sure to make it through."

Freya looks around at the cavern's macabre trappings, seeming faintly amused somehow. "Not quite like any of our other jobs, is it?"

Fratley chuckles. "Reminds me rather of that inn on 15th street, actually."

"Not that this isn't cute and everything," Azlyn remarks, "but we've got a situation here, and a good detective always gathers all the facts she can. Did any of these wackjobs give you any clues as to what's about to happen?"

All around the painted circle, robed mice work to set up and light several candles. The candles' wax is purple, and they produce flickering black flames. The pair of burly manservants open a wooden trunk in the corner, reaching inside.

"As I'm sure you've surmised by now, this is a cult," Fratley explains, pulling his hand away from Freya to grip the iron bars. "It goes back centuries, I believe, and a good portion of the city's elite families have all been involved since the beginning. Their twisted belief is that by sacrificing what they refer to as 'dark hearts', they may obtain some kind of power."

"Not the power to plant trees and spread joy, I'd imagine," Azlyn mutters with a roll of her eyes.

"Hardly," Fratley replies.

Sora looks over the rest of the hostages, all of whom seem far too terrified to speak. "Dark hearts, huh? What's so special about all these people then?"

"Probably nothing," Freya answers, vehement. "The lords and ladies seem to just have assumed their nature, given their socioeconomic status. That's why Lady Bastion was so pleased to see me tonight. Apparently, my audacity to reach romantically above my station makes my 'dark heart' a particularly potent prize."

"I always knew," Fratley comments sweetly, "that there was something special about you, my dear."

Sora purses his lips, watching the cavern again. The manservants are setting something up on the inner circle's table. It's a chunk of black stone, a few blue crystals growing out of it at random angles. The crystals glow faintly, and something about them seems familiar to the Keybearer.

He also looks at Pete, currently watching as the last bits of setup get finished. Strangely, Sora can't help but think the fat cat seems a little nervous. His arms are crossed, one finger tapping against an elbow. Lord Blackpaw stands beside him, hunched over with his black robe falling over him in great folds of cloth.

"There's something to all this," Sora says, his voice low. "Pete wouldn't be so involved if there wasn't. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to break this party up before things get sacrificey."

"Anything on the big robe guy?" Azlyn asks. "I'm guessing he's that Lord Blackpaw or whatever. Sounds like he's the onsite expert tonight."

Freya sighs. "He's been covered up like that since he arrived. Though I was able to discern one thing: he's not speaking with his real voice. I've heard and put on enough fake upper crust accents to know one when I hear it. Fratley?"

"Afraid I don't know anything more than you," the mouse man replies. "Though I imagine we're about to find out."

The big manservants make their way toward the cages, most of the people inside scrambling to get as far away as possible. Sora makes a fist so hard his knuckles go white, helpless to do anything to save anyone. Pete sees his struggle, still grinning as he wiggles the remote in his hand. Maleficent's minion follows the mice over to the cage, picking up Freya once again and tossing her over his shoulder.

When the cage door opens, Fratley immediately charges the closest manservant. It's to no avail, he just gets a fist to the chest for his trouble. Sora grimaces, taking a deep breath before calmly walking out of the cage.

He turns back to the soon-to-be sacrifices, a defiant look on his face. "It's alright. I'm not going to let them hurt you. Follow me, I promise they won't touch a hair on one of your heads."

"Bold words, Keybearer," Lord Blackpaw says with a sneer. His accent almost matches that of most the party's attendees, though there's a harsh rasp underlining every word. He's arranging the cult members in the summoning circle's outer ring. "And who knows, perhaps what you're saying is true."

Over in the other cage, Azlyn has ripped off the blue party dress she was wearing, revealing her normal adventuring outfit. She flips the dress's skirt over, revealing her shield sewn into the fabric. With a quick yank, she tears the disc free. A look from Sora has her dropping it back into the discarded dress.

"For later," she tells the manservant as she walks past him. He watches her going peacefully into the circle, the cult members parting to make an aisle wide enough to get all of their sacrifices into the second ring. "Gee," Azlyn remarks as she passes through, "how very considerate of you."

Sora starts after her, hesitating before his foot is within the circle's first ring. He remembers the hideous pain he'd felt before, which he's hoping was more an effect of having the Keyblade in hand when he crossed earlier. One of the cultist's reaches out to grab at him roughly, pulling the young man into the circle. He braces himself, but thankfully nothing happens. Satisfied, he continues on.

The Keybearer makes sure he's standing next to Azlyn. "This might be a good thing," he says while the others take their places. "I'm guessing the real action will be going on in that central ring. If we put ourselves in the right place, we'll be able to see the best opportunity to mess things up."

Azlyn nods. "Gotcha. So, uh, when do you think that's gonna be?"

Freya is thrown to the middle table with a loud thump of impact. Fratley grimaces and charges forward, but a quick dark fire blast from Lady Bastion sends him back to the floor. She and her husband stand on the table's left, Pete and the still hooded Blackpaw standing on the right. The cult leader reaches into the folds of his robe, drawing out an object that makes Sora gasp in shock.

It's a large dagger, or maybe a small sword, about two feet in length. A blue crystal is embedded inside the hilt, with a black slash across the middle that makes it resemble some kind of beastly eye. The rest of the sword is red and purple, its design reminiscent of a particularly gruesome bat's wing.

"Riku's Keyblade!" Sora exclaims. "Or, well, and whatever it was he had before he got his Keyblade, actually. It looked just like that! What…?" He pauses, noticing that he's getting no reaction from Azlyn. Puzzled, he turns to look fully at the knight.

She's not looking back, focused on the floor instead. Puzzled, Sora gives her a light shove. She springs back, nearly backhanding him across the face in shock. "What? Were you talking or something?"

"Uh, yeah. I was!"

"Sorry," Azlyn says, shrugging. "I was just looking at the pattern of the writing on this circle. All I've got to go on is fuzzy memories of Tel talking about magic, but there's something about this design that doesn't seem right to me. It's something about energy, I think. How it flows when you perform the spell…"

Before she can finish her thought, or Sora can point out his own discovery, the cultists in the outer ring begin chanting. It creates an almost immediately incongruous effect, the refined tones of the city's upper crust chanting out words that sound so harsh with such steady rhythm and cadence. In response, the symbols painted into the circle's floor begin to glow with a sickly purple light.

The colored glow on the floor is matched by the crystals pushing out of the black rock in the center. The torches lighting the cavern begin to dim, a shadowy haze falling over everything. Sora looks to the middle ring, finding Lord and Lady Bastion chanting with the rest of their peers, eyes focused on the struggling Freya. Lord Blackpaw's strange dagger remains at rest, though it's obvious he's focused on waiting. Pete, however, seems only concerned with Sora. He smiles at the Keybearer, obviously relishing the fact that he can do nothing to stop what's about to happen.

Sora allows himself a frustrated grunt, and when he feels Azlyn elbowing his side he turns to the knight with a scowl. But she just inclines her head, and when Sora follows the motion he sees Fratley, slowly circling his way around the middle ring. It seems this may not be the Keybearer's heroic moment at all.

The chanting changes, becoming faster. The cultists' voices lose their melodic edge, unleashing every word with the harshness such dark-sounding speech deserves. Blackpaw begins to raise the dagger, his hood tilting back. Sora ducks his head a bit to try and look underneath it, where the circle's painted runes are illuminating the mastermind's face with purple light. But the Keybearer, probably as was inevitable, can't recognize the face that is revealed. All he can really tell is that whoever is beneath the hood of Lord Blackpaw, it definitely isn't a mouse.

Across the circle, Fratley readies himself to make his move. Increasing the chant's speed seems to have distracted at least Blackpaw and the Bastions enough that making a move now may be the feasible thing to do. Any hesitation dies when the lord looks down at Freya, seeing the cracks in her defiant facade. With a deep breath, Sir Fratley jumps to the defense of his beloved.

And is promptly and harshly rejected, a curtain of violet energy stopping the mouse man's heroic charge cold. He bounces back, landing hard on the floor. This really, Sora can't help but think, just isn't Sir Fratley's night.

He can't pay attention to his ally's misfortune for long, however, as both the dagger and the cultists' chanting seems to have reached their apex. Sora steps toward the inner ring, hand open and ready. He braces himself, hoping that he can at least get in one good, strong swing and perhaps take down the dark barrier before the pain overwhelms him. All around, the cultists are practically screaming out their dark spell, both the painted runes and the luminous crystals pouring out light equal to the once-lit torches.

Kingdom Key appears in a flash, and for a brief heartbeat Sora doesn't feel any pain. He pulls his arm back, grimacing as the agony begins. Gritting his teeth, the Keybearer fights through the sudden flood, taking his swing.

His Keyblade meets the dark barrier, and it shatters into harmless energy. Sora would be glad about that, except for two things: first, the pain wracking his body is now too great for him to take another step. Second, the fact that Blackpaw's dagger is slicing down through the air.

Straight into the chest of Lord Bastion.

The mouse aristocrat's chanting abruptly transitions to a choking gasp as the dark dagger pierces his heart. Lady Bastion hears her husband's cry, turning to him with a scream of her own. The blue eye-crystal at the dagger's center glows a fierce red now, energy spreading out along Lord Bastion's body. Only about half of the cultists are still chanting now, the others having noticed what's going on with their leaders. Pete lets out a disturbingly cheerful belly laugh as the strange red energy consumes Lord Bastion.

It doesn't stop there, an arc of crimson lightning shooting out to spear Lady Bastion's heart as well. It spreads further from her, skipping the circle's middle ring entirely before shooting off into over a dozen frightening tendrils. Each cult member cries out or gasps in shock as their hearts are pierced, the fur on Sora's body rippling as he feels their terror.

The cultists' bodies begin to fade, just disappearing from existence as if they were never there. The red energy stays like an outline around their bodies for a few moments after they've faded, before shooting back through the air once again. It collects in the lump of rock, the embedded crystals changing color from cool blue to a disturbingly familiar yellow, the exact shade of Heartless eyes. They shift to red next, but only remain that color for a few seconds, fading back to yellow.

The rock implodes, collapsing on itself and losing physical coherence. In its place stands a swirling portal of Darkness, immediately bringing to Sora's mind the preferred method of travel for Organization XIII members. Sparks of flickering red energy, instead of the usual violet, surround the portal.

Pete laughs again, the sharp sound breaking the fearful trance pretty much everyone else in the cavern has found themselves in. The next thing Sora notices, thankfully, is that he no longer feels pain coursing through his body. He checks his hand just to make sure he hadn't reflexively dismissed the Keyblade, but the silver and gold weapon still rests in his hand.

Azlyn takes a breath, no doubt preparing to ask what just happened. Before she can get the words out, though, something explodes out of the dark portal. A veritable horde of Shadow Heartless come pouring through into the cavern, dozens of the little buggers all clustered together. They fly into the air, the mass flowing upward to become a slowly revolving ring of dark creatures.

Pete's not laughing now, instead looking up at the monsters he's summoned with the slightest of frowns. "Hmm," he says, obviously confused. "That's really it? Meh, not quite what I had in mind."

His partner doesn't seem to share the fat cat's puzzlement. "What are you talking about?" Blackpaw asks, all traces of accent gone. His voice comes out in a full-throated, guttural growl. "This is excellent! I'll have this city bowing at my feet, and they'll be so terrified that they'll never mention the name…"

The tide of Heartless unwinds itself from its circular formation, the "head" of its long collective body swaying in the air like a serpent searching for prey. It quickly spies the false sacrifices below, the roaring tide of Shadows charging forward to feast.

Sora prepares a defensive stance, Keyblade held diagonal across his body. Bracing himself, the Keybearer prepares to meet the Demon Tide.

KH-KH-KH

Riku sits up in his carriage seat, the frown he's been wearing for the whole crosstown trip deepening. Telary knows the other man well enough to recognize what that look means.

"There's got to be a way to make this thing go faster," is all the silver-furred Keyblade wielder says, before opening the door and climbing along the carriage's side, heading for the driver's seat.

"You know," Basil comments, reaching out nonchalantly to close the door, "there's an intensity about that fellow that I find truly admirable. Do you think he might be persuaded to work for the agency, add a bit of muscle?"

Dawson offers his partner a smile, but it's strained. "Well, I suppose that would be helpful." Sitting back, the doctor mutters so low Telary can only barely hear it, "Just what I need. Two of them leading me around by my nose into trouble."

The carriage does start moving faster, and it seems as if they come screeching to a stop only seconds later. Telary quickly clambers out, the others right behind him. The wizard finds Riku standing in a few feet away, looking up at a trio of townhouses at the street's end.

"I think I mostly get it," Telary says. "But what exactly are you…?"

He stops speaking abruptly, realizing the answer on his own. Shadow Heartless come rushing out of a nearby alley, sinking into two-dimensional form and slipping up the townhouse steps and beneath the door.

"Ah, I see."

Riku turns, Way to Dawn springing to his hand. Telary follows his partner's motion, seeing another group of Heartless coming up the street. The wizard steps forward, opening his hands and unleashing a massive blast of fire on the horde. Over two-thirds of the creatures are destroyed instantly, the few survivors sinking into the safety of the ground.

It's Riku's turn now. As the first Shadow comes close, the silver-furred young man reaches down toward its flat form. Somehow, he manages to grab it, pulling the Heartless out of the ground and raising it to slashing height. He repeats the process with several more, until just a trio of Shadows succeed in getting past and into the townhouses.

"I say," Basil mutters to himself. "These are certainly less than ideal circumstances. How am I ever to give my summation of this case in the midst of all this ballyhoo!"

"The rest of us will just have to try and puzzle it out ourselves," Riku replies, rolling his eyes. "Come on then, and both of you stay behind me and Tel!"

KH-KH-KH

The Demon Tide jives and jukes as it comes for Sora, the Keybearer trying to keep track of its movements so he can place his weight appropriately for defense. He manages to guess correctly, deflecting the charge with Kingdom Key and sending his opponent back from shock as its forward motion is arrested.

Gritting his teeth, Sora points the Keyblade and summons a Fira spell, quickly following it up with two more. The spells hit the Heartless horde and set off explosions, Shadows disintegrating from the heat and flame. For a brief moment, Sora can see through the layer of lesser Heartless to a dark core that seems to be the true target. It glares back at him with the usual Heartless eyes, though he notes that these are red rather than yellow. More Shadows quickly move forward to cover the core again, before the Demon Tide starts charging at Sora again.

There's not enough time to deflect, so he simply skips around the strike. The Demon Tide flows right through the cavern floor, leaving a pool of dark energy behind in its wake. Another pool explodes out of the ground just feet away, the Heartless horde flowing out of it to charge Sora again. Grimacing, he tries to position Kingdom Key to deflect.

But the Demon Tide has learned, swinging around Sora before diving at his side. He grunts as the Heartless crash into him, flying several feet through the air like an insect being flicked away. The Keybearer bounces hard enough against the stone floor to go back into the air, flip over, and ultimately land on his back.

The Demon Tide rises, ready to slam down on Sora like a fist. Before it can, Azlyn's shield hits it in the side of the "head". The Heartless twists its body and goes charging after the knight, who's already moving out of the way. The Demon Tide cracks its body like a whip, but Azlyn is able to use her greater agility to her advantage. She flips over the strike, then thrusts the face of her shield at the creature's Shadow body. The blow crushes several of the small Heartless, then more go flying as she pulls back.

Given a moment to observe, Sora notes that the Tide's body is growing smaller with less Shadows to incorporate. He stands, preparing another Fira spell. Before he can get the casting together, a group of Shadows jump at him from behind. The attacks from their claws don't penetrate the tough material of his outfit, but his aim is thrown off by the sudden force. The Shadows either flow around or leap over him, jumping at the Demon Tide's body and immediately grafting on.

While the offworld heroes face the Demon Tide, and Pete and Blackpaw continue to stare at the portal it came from, Freya grunts and rolls herself off the stone table. She ignores the impact with the cavern floor, keeping rolling closer to the dazed-but-recovering Sir Fratley. She reaches him within seconds, and he begins slicing at the ropes binding her with his fingernails.

The two villains don't even notice. Pete is looking at the dark portal with an unmistakable air of expectation, plus something like hope. The expression begins to fade as nothing continues to happen, the dark energy simply swirling in the air without letting anything else through. After a few long moments, the portal begins to collapse in on itself. Pete scowls, stomping his foot against the floor. Whatever it was Maleficent's minion was anticipating, it didn't happen.

Blackpaw doesn't even notice his companion's anger, too focused on seeing what the creature now under his control is capable of. The Demon Tide ignores the false sacrifices, focused instead on the pair that are showing themselves capable enough of fighting against it. Freya, now freed from her bonds, and Fratley are helping to organize the terrified citizens by the stone staircase.

Pete interrupts his partner's mad reverie, gripping the hooded creature's shoulder. Blackpaw pulls away roughly. "What do you want?"

"Show's over," the fat cat replies, shrugging. "Nice as this here Heartless is, it's all that's coming up outta the Realm of Darkness for us today. I'm blowin' this ice cream stand, and you're coming with me!"

"Are you crazy?" Blackpaw practically screeches. "You promised me that Basil would arrive, too late to stop the summoning but just in time for my revenge! Well, he's certainly too late to stop us, but he isn't…"

"Too late? I'm afraid you're mistaken if you think that phrase exists in my vocabulary."

Blackpaw gasps, gripping his dagger tighter as he looks up to the cavern stairs. Basil of Baker Street stands there looking triumphant, while the last false sacrifices are fleeing back into the townhouse.

"No, I guess not!" Blackpaw agrees, his voice becoming lower and more guttural. "You're right on time, detective. On time to die!" He holds his dagger high, the central gem glowing. "Heartless, kill Basil of Baker Street! Rip him apart!"

The Demon Tide responds immediately, whipping Azlyn out of the way and barreling past Sora to move up the staircase for its new target. The Heartless has no luck fulfilling its objective, though, as an explosion of flame that makes Sora's fireballs look like kids' stuff erupts into the air in front of the Heartless.

As the flames begin fading, Riku jumps through, a dark shield around his body to protect him from the lingering heat. The protective energy also allows him to slam straight-on into the Demon Tide. As the Heartless is momentarily stunned, he flips and plunges Way to Dawn into its collective Shadows, sliding down the dark creature's body and eliminating Heartless as he descends to the cavern floor.

The Demon Tide turns toward the Keyblade wielder as he lands, its mindless rage allowing it to ignore the commands of its master. It hits Riku straight on, sending the silver-furred young man flying through the air. Azlyn and Sora go at the Demon Tide with a sneak attack, again pulling its attention from Blackpaw's command.

Basil strides confidently down the staircase, Dawson following with considerably more caution. "This isn't a Hallows Eve costume ball, my good mad," the detective sardonically informs his enemy. "And I've already deduced your identity, so you may as well lose the hood, eh Fidget?"

Blackpaw screeches in anger, reaching back and throwing off his black cloak. It is indeed the peg-legged bat standing before them, though his appearance is quite different than when they last met. He's larger, body bulging with so much muscle he looks nearly deformed. His leg is no mere wooden stump either, but rather shining black metal with a wicked spike at its end.

"Hardly your best guess ever, Basil," Fidget retaliates defiantly. "And besides, I was just about to let you know who was going to be killing you anyway! You cost me everything, you and that slimy Ratigan! I may not be able to get my revenge on him, but you are going to die here and now, Basil!"

The deformed bat has clearly worked himself up, spittle flying from his lips as he rants and yells. Dark power begins covering his body, violet everywhere except within the hand holding the dagger, which glows red.

"And there's objective number two in the bag!" Pete howls with delight. The fat cat grabs Fidget from behind, getting him in a firm headlock. The former Blackpaw cries out, becoming more and more feral. "C'mon, Batty. Time for you to join up with the big leagues!" Whatever happens next, it's obscured as a dark portal opens beneath the pair, sinking into it and out of sight. Fidget loses the grip on his dagger as he sinks in, and as the portal closes its force pushes it across the cavern floor.

"Hmm," is all Basil has to say about the situation.

The Demon Tide has become a ring again, hovering above Sora, Azlyn, Telary, and Riku and occasionally sending out a group of Shadows like streams of water from a hose. It keeps the quartet off balance, but as a long term strategy it cannot stand. It doesn't have infinite Shadows to work with, after all.

The Heartless flows out of ring form, focusing all its power on barreling head-on into Telary. The wizard's magic has been the most effective at trimming the Tide's numbers, and so must be the first to go. Telary goes flying, the shock of seeing her husband hit momentarily giving Azlyn pause. The Demon Tide takes advantage, cracking its body sharply. She gets her shield up to block, but her feet aren't secured. The knight hurtles backwards through the air, several Shadows in pursuit.

The Demon Tide rises again, building up momentum before its next charge. Riku flings out a Dark Fire ball, but a stream of Shadows absorbs the blow and keeps coming, knocking the silver-furred Keyblade wielder away.

What's left of the Demon Tide's body, maybe two dozen Shadows in all, heads for Sora with maximum force. He dodges, skipping once to keep from falling as the Heartless's impact with the floor shakes the cavern. The layer of Shadows around the creature's core is thin enough that Sora can see the glow of its red eyes.

The Keybearer raises his blade high, calling down a Thunder spell to clear more of the Shadows away. He moves forward quickly, raising his blade high to try and get in the final blow on his opponent's most vulnerable spot.

But it's a trap. Before Sora can get close enough to swing down, the Shadows menacing both Riku and Azlyn come rushing back to the Demon Tide's core. The Heartless swarm around Sora, obscuring his vision with a curtain of black shadow. All around him, their claws scrape against his body. He's mostly protected by his clothes, but any exposed skin gets scratched, his face included. Though the Shadow's claws are small, two dozen of them going to work against the Keybearer at once adds up.

A hand grips the fabric of Sora's sleeve. The Keybearer squirms reflexively, going still as the mysterious grip increases. He feels himself pulled, hauled through the Heartless like they're nothing but sand he's buried his foot in on the beach.

He can feel it the instant he's freed from the Shadows, gasping for air. Funny, he hadn't even realized that he'd stopped breathing within the Tide. Sora opens his eyes, finds himself staring up at the cavern's ceiling so high above. After a moment, Azlyn's face bursts into the picture, looking down at him with a concerned scowl.

"Good, you're breathing," the knight says, expression softening just a bit. "Because I was not looking forward to mouth-to-mouth."

Sora tries to sit up, but that only hurts, pain screaming out from every one of the cuts on his body. There must be dozens, gritting his teeth, the Keybearer forces himself into a sitting position, so he can see what else is going on in the cavern.

The Demon Tide is constantly on the move, dodging fireballs from Telary and Riku's attempts to leap up and slice it. Though the Heartless is much smaller than when it came through the portal, the reduction of composite Shadows seems to have given it a boost in speed. Neither of the Keybearer's friends can so much as touch the thing. Gritting his teeth, Sora tries to stand up and go help. Maybe with all four of them fighting, they could have a chance. But the pain is just too much, and he falls back onto the cold, hard cavern floor.

"Whoa there, dude," Azlyn cautions him, her hand on his back the only thing keeping him from falling over completely. "Don't push yourself, not until Tel can heal you up or we get you a potion. Damn, I should've thought to…"

A shiver suddenly runs through the Demon Tide, a few Shadows falling free from its body. The Heartless whips its "head" around, focusing on another spot on the cavern floor. Following his gaze, Sora can see that Basil stands where the creature is looking, something underneath his heel.

The detective throws his head back, laughing. "Aha! Just as I suspected! I…"

There's no more time to brag, as the Demon Tide shoots toward him with clear purpose. Basil gasps, the sound mostly drowned out by Dawson screaming next to him. The detective's foot moves in a fast kick, and suddenly something goes sliding across the floor towards Riku.

The silver-furred Keyblade wielder's foot stomps down on something, and Sora can finally confirm that it's the dagger. Riku looks terribly startled for a moment, quickly holding up Way to Dawn and squinting at it. This is hardly the time for pondering though, as the Demon Tide has shifted course and is headed for him.

"Center eye, chap!" Basil yells. "Destroy the…"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence. Riku stabs his Keyblade down, right in the dagger's central hilt. The Demon Tide shudders again, and Sora swears it would scream if it could. Taking advantage of the moment, Riku stabs down again. This time, a sharp crack resounds through the cavern.

The Demon Tide loses coherence completely, Shadows falling to the floor in a heap. Telary holds up a hand, a rain of lightning bolts falling down on the shadowy creatures. Its the weakest version of the spell, and the wizard looks just about ready to collapse, but it clear away the tiny Heartless.

Only the central orb remains, angry red eyes glowing bright within the black sphere. It moves forward weakly, like a dying man attempting to drag himself one last foot. Riku rushes the Heartless, leaping up with his Keyblade held high. Grunting, he slashes the Demon Tide's remains in two. The monster fades out.

Sora lets out a breath, feeling that now would be a good moment to just pass out.

KH-KH-KH

"So," Sora asks, leaning back against the couch cushions, "what made you go for the dagger like that?"

The group has returned to Baker Street, relaxing in Basil's firelit den. A few hours have passed since the Demon Tide's demise, most of them spent giving the constables a vague explanation of the night's events. They hadn't been happy, but Fratley and Freya invoking the queen's authority had gotten things moving much faster than normal. All of the false sacrifices are securely in the hands of the law, surely to be returned to their homes before morning's light.

"Well, it really was a fairly simple deduction," Basil says without a trace of modesty. He sits up proud in his chair, cup of tea in hand. "Fidget had clearly used that dagger to control the creature. I imagined its destruction would aid in the beast's defeat, and the center crystal simply seemed the likeliest weak spot."

"Good show, Basil," Dawson congratulates his partner, briefly raising his own teacup. "Speaking of deductions, old boy, however did you conclude that Fidget was this Blackpaw person?"

"It had something to do with the painting," Riku throws in. He's eschewed the teat, but has eaten five of Mrs. Judson's biscuits since arriving. "In Ratigan's lair."

Basil nods, his smile becoming somehow even more smug. "I honestly had my suspicions of Fidget as soon as we first encountered him. The most obvious clue I had was that he even survived Ratigan throwing him from that flying machine. Add that to the fact that his wooden leg was shinier than I've ever seen it, and the remarkable aerial ability that he had never displayed before, and it hardly added up. Then of course there was the way he set us up to waste time on Tantalus, which lead us to Ratigan's and Gilgamesh."

"Which had you convinced that Ratigan was back from the grave," Riku points out teasingly.

"Which led you to the evidence that helped you reach the truth," Telary says, giving his silver-furred friend an admonishing glare.

"Indeed it did. The torn painting of Ratigan indicated a level of hatred for that rat which matches my own. I could only think of the betrayed Fidget who may feel so strongly. The other clue within the hideout, which served to confirm my suspicions beyond doubt, was the odd pattern of claws scuffing the floor, which only could have come from someone possessing only one leg."

Sora smiles at the detective. "You've certainly got skills, Basil. Thanks for using them to help us out." Still grinning, the Keybearer turns to Freya and Fratley. The pair stand by the fire, holding tightly to each others' hands. "Same goes for you two. Freya, we would never have known about the cult angle, or have found Basil, without you. And of course you got those hostages out of the cavern so we could fight the Heartless without worrying."

"It's what we do, Sora," Fratley says, shrugging.

"Thank you for being my backup," Freya adds. "Though honestly you ended up taking charge of the mission. But you brought me and Fratley together again. I'll be forever grateful."

"Same here," Sora replies, raising his glass. "I swear, Freya, I'll never forget our adventure tonight."

"What was up with that ritual anyway?" Azlyn asks.

"I imagine it went off as described, for the most part," Telary says. "Except of course for the fact that the 'dark hearts' they sacrificed ended up being their own. After all, it doesn't get much darker than assuming you can murder a bunch of people for power just because they're poor."

"That's a sentiment I'll echo," Dawson says, shaking his head. "Now, I don't mean to pry, especially not into territory so abjectly frightening, but what really went on tonight? Who was the chap with Fidget, where did the monster come from? In fact, where did you all come from?"

Sora frowns, looking at his fellow world travelers. Riku regards him coolly, shrugging slightly. Azlyn is nonchalant as well, while Telary is clearly mouthing the words "world order" at him. The Keybearer opens his mouth, ready to give the best answers he can.

"Now, just hold on there a moment!" Basil stands up, setting his tea down. "Where would be the fun in that, simply being told? I've dedicated my entire life to the pursuit of the mysterious, deciphering the unknown. Some questions need answering, I won't deny that. But perhaps some things, some mysteries, are better left for us to make up our own minds about."

"You know something, I agree," Freya adds with a decisive nod. "All I need to know about you is that you helped save lives tonight. Anything else, well it hardly seems important in light of that."

Telary sighs, shaking his head. "Y'know, I am really glad to hear you say that."

"Too bad we're not finished with this city's mysteries yet," Azlyn points out. "Anybody got any clues as to where the Keyhole might be?"

Everyone is silent, until Basil starts chuckling. It take a moment to notice everyone is staring at him, prompting a grin from the detective. "Well, that is fortunate of you to bring up. Even with all my talk of things remaining mysterious, there was one last thing I had hoped to get an answer from you about. If you'll all follow me."

They do, soon reaching a wooden door near the back of the house. Basil opens it with a flourish, revealing a sight that sends a momentary jolt of remembered terror through the group. Once everyone is over it, they follow the detective down.

The cavern is much smaller than the one beneath the Bastions, with barely enough room for everyone to stand. Especially considering that Basil is using it for a wine cellar. They stop between two shelving units, only a bare stone wall to look at in between.

"Uh, okay," Riku says, frowning. "I'll bite. Are we supposed to be seeing something, or can only super detectives notice it's there."

Basil chuckles, reaching into is pocket and producing a magnifying glass. "Here," he says, holding it out. "See for yourself."

By silent group consensus, Sora takes the glass. He holds it up to his eye, looking at the wall again. He lets out a small gasp of surprise, not expecting to see a Keyhole through the lens. Kingdom Key appears in his hand, and in a flash light is shooting from its tip and sealing the Keyhole with a loud click.

"I guess you'll want to explain this one too, eh?" Riku asks.

"You possess a giant key, that is an unusual, unexplainable keyhole. Another rather simple deduction, I must say," Basil says with a grin, prompting a round of chuckles from the group. "You see now why I wish to leave myself with bigger, more challenging mysteries to solve about you lot."

KH-KH-KH

As Pete finishes sealing Fidget into his glass case, the one-legged bat's eyes darting around the chamber while the rest of him stays immobile, Maleficent's minion can't help but feel disappointed. He looks around the room, taking the frozen captives in. Six, in all.

He feels Maleficent enter the room, like a cold wind on the back of his neck. Pete turns to his mistress with a deferential nod. When he looks up, the jade-skinned woman is regarding him coolly. "Well?"

"The ceremony worked just like you said it would," the fat cat reports. "A good test run. Though I gotta say, I was a little let down by the actual results. All those dark hearts, and all we got was a buncha Shadows?"

"I'm afraid that was all that could ever have happened, dear Peter," Maleficent explains with a shrug. "In an enterprise like this, quality is far more important than quantity. Besides, this initial breach served its purpose. The next ritual will allow us to go deeper still." She gestures to Fidget. "Not to mention the fact that you secured yet another component for the final summoning. I don't say this to you often, but I'm pleased with your results."

Pete shrugs and clears his throat, fighting a blush. "Well, I just follow your orders, Maleficent. The credit really all belongs to you."

"A pleasant sentiment," the witch replies, smiling bitterly. She places a hand on her heart, feeling a phantom pain. "Though not a true one."

Finished with the Great Mouse Detective Arc, and finished with the first third of this story, chapter numberwise! W00t. To answer a previous review, it was supposed to seem obvious that Ratigan was the mystery cloaked villain in chapter one. So I could maybe get someone with the actual reveal. I'm pretty sure I didn't, but oh well.

Shoutout to DJ Scales for his last review! See you guys again next time, where we go on a world visit that involves a movie I love, and a movie I dislike pretty strongly.