In the Bayou, Kairi and the group of animals listened and were entertained by a story Ray had to say as they enjoyed some bowels of fine gumbo. Tiana asked the group. "Anyone up for seconds?" Naveen got up to take the offer and was enjoying the time. "That was magnificent." The waitress had a bowels worth ready, Naveen seemed more comfortable and confessed to Tiana. "You truly have a gift."
The waitress was charmed by that. "Why-" Pour. "Thank you." Ray looked up and gasped in infatuated aw. "There she is. The sweetest fire fly in all of creation." The group looked around the swamp to find no sign of any fire flies, Tiana asked. "Evangeline?" Louis was licking his bowel clean as he asked. "I want to meet this girl." Slurp! "Where she at?" Ray turned and answered. "Ah you can't miss her." He turned and kept fluttering to the sky. "She glowing right up there in front of y'all." The group looked up to find the bright north star, the frogs looked to each other confused as Kairi's mouth dropped, the fire fly was in love with a star.
She felt oddly charmed by Ray's odd love song and felt something was resting right next to her, Finding Namine looked up with disbelief over something she thought was ridiculous, the blonde girl looked to Kairi and tried to silently remind her that there was a reason they came to this world. Kairi nodded, they needed to find the princess of heart and try to resolve the conflict occurring. The frogs realized Ray really was addressing a star, Louis laughed to that. "That ain't no fire-" Bop!
A tiny bowel bopped him in the head, Naveen wanted Louis to keep quiet as Ray continued his little song, it reached to a couple words she had no idea of and the prince translated them to Tiana. Awkwardly making it look like he was flirting with her as he explained what he was really doing. Kairi felt a small shine of light in her pocket and guessed that someone had news for her as the she watched Naveen try and invite Tiana to a dance, the waitress refused. "Oh no, I...I don't dance." Naveen tried anyways and Tiana jumped to a lily pad to confirm her answer, waiting for a moment and explaining why she said no. "I never danced." Naveen understood why that was, someone who never really had time for herself never got to indulge.
The prince insisted teaching her and pulled the lily pad over, inviting her for a small lesson. "If I can mince, you can dance." Tiana was slowly getting it as Louise blew his trumpet to bring some jazz music. Giving Kairi the chance needed to check on her phone, finding a text message from Sora and one from Riku. From Sora, the message asked. "We finished at Olympus and found out about both Garland and A. Are you still busy?" Kairi texted. "Archaon? I am still busy right now, but if you need to talk about him, do it with the others." She texted a heart emoji and checked Riku's text. "Garland got a crystal of lightning and needs one more source of magic to finish what ever his plan is. But where would he find reflection magic?"
Namine watched the dance become more romantic and thought about what Garland said, like it was at the tip of her tongue. "Something... that reflects your heart. Could he be talking about." Kairi typed in. "Namine knows, we should ask her when we can." She saw an exclamation mark and Riku asked. "That wouldn't make a whole lot of sense by ourselves, but I know what you are talking about. We do need to get together and sort this out."
Kairi texted. "I'm right in the middle of something, should we meet in Twilight Town?" She was given a text of a thumbs up and hid her phone away, looking at the frogs, dancing more in sync and looking like they were going to kiss under the starry sky. Tiana realized what she was doing, politely declined. "Ah... got yourself one heck of a dancing partner." The frogs still held hands, the two slowly let go and Tiana chuckled. "Well... we best be pushing on."
Naveen looked like he wanted to say something, Kairi knew what he wanted to say and saw Tiana diving into the water. The girl sensed something odd and noticed a clawed hand in the shadows reaching for the princes legs, Naveen noticed and the claw grabbed and pulled him by the leg, sending the prince screaming as Tiana jumped out of the water and noticed the prince being dragged away by an unseen force. Kairi readied her keyblade and chased after what was seen, a horde of shadow demons. The rest of the group followed to try and keep up with the fast shadows, Naveen tried to hold onto a log and gave Kairi time to glow in a holy light and strike into the shadow, causing to vaporize and irritate the rest, they gave off eerie shrieks, one of them flew after her. Kairi jumped out of the way and readied a swing, quickly realizing that her shadow wasn't really getting out of the way.
POW!
The shadow demon tackled her shadow and caused it to go flying towards a tree, Kairi felt the force yanking her towards that tree and felt the full slam. The swarm went after a recovering Naveen and tried to drag him away. PEW! POW! A bolt of golden light shot to the shadow demon and obliterated it, Naveen fell into the water as two other shadow demons tried to find where that shot come from. Another fired to end another and the other tried to flee into the darkness. PEW!
The following trio caught up to Naveen as Kairi shook off the disorienting discovery. They saw a large, round figure in the shadowy mist, holding a kind of club. With in was a small golden wisp on a fat wand, being held by a dark skin, elderly, blind woman in a white dress that had a small highlight of gold around her neck. The woman chuckled and spun her wand in style. "Hee, hee! Not bad for a hundred and ninety seven year old blind lady. Hee, hee," She blew away a fire on the wand and asked the group. "Now which one of you naughty churen been messing with the shadow man?" Louis pointed to Naveen as Tiana, Kairi and Ray looked at the prince smiling nervously. There was a lot of explaining to do.
At the bench by the grand clock in Twilight Town.
Xion felt annoyed that a certain someone hasn't came back yet and saw it was nearing sunset. "What's taking him so long," She noticed Kendry coming with two light blue ice cream pops and was quick to give it to her. "Sorry about that, I was watching a film," Xion turned with her eyes squinted. "Without me?" She smiled slyly. "I forgive you, since it would be pretty awkward to be sitting by someone who isn't there."
Ken gave her an ice cream pop and asked. "You're brother still isn't back yet? What kind of job is he doing?" Xion answered and put together most of what she heard. "Fishing." Ken cringed. "From noon all the way to dusk? Sheesh, someone needs to talk to the management." He relaxed and looked to the sun with excitement. "I sent the word to Miss about something big and a meeting is going to happen when some guys show up," Xion took a lick of the ice cream and found it salty, yet sweet. "Really?"
Ken tasted the ice cream and realized why the flavor was popular. "Huh. Yeah, some pretty cool people had a big adventure. I can't say it right now because who knows who is listening to this." Xion felt the chill just thinking about it. "That would be creepy. Are they friends of yours?" Ken thought so. "I look up to them a lot. There is a girl who is constantly going ahead of me and shining. She is a rival and a fellow student, you're going to like her." Xion asked bluntly. "Another girl? What are you hiding?"
Ken snickered with great mischief. "Besides the names and the details, one other. One of the guys I mentioned and that girl have a biiiig crush on each other, they show it when ever they can and they are just short of kissing each other. It isn't my place to be involved in any of that, but they are swell together." Xion imagined someone wanting to play cupid and laughed with him. "Ha, ha, ha. That makes the romance better."
The boy burst laughing. "Ha. Is there any place you want to go to tomorrow in case this takes longer than I thought? There is a train ways away to other places," Xion puffed her cheeks and took a small bite out of her ice cream. "If it does, I'm coming with you to anything." Ken answered. "The kings town it is then."
Bleep!
He checked his gummi phone and saw a chibi avatar of a certain silver haired teenager texting something to a public page. "Ana gave out an idea for training, spread the word." He vocally answered. "When the ice cream is done." The duo licked away and enjoyed the sun set.
In the Bayou.
Kairi and the group were lead to a boat hanging in a tree with in the swamp, the home of the voodoo queen they were searching for. Odie was using a pink eyed snake as a walking cane and asked Ray. "Good to see you again Ray, how ya grand ma?"
The firefly answered as the group were weirded out by the colorful candles, odd jars and oddities. "Oh, she fine. Ha. Got in a little trouble for flashing the neighbors again." Odie found her way to a grand chair, her snake slithered and pushed a foot rest for his master that responded. "Oh, I like that girls spunk. Ha, ha, ha."
Tiana asked as she and Naveen jumped on the foot rest. "Mama Odie, I don't want to take up too much of your time." The elderly woman offered an assortment of old candy. "You want some candy?" The two had no interest and declined. The elder plucked a round, pink hard piece. "Well, that too bad. This a special candy, woulda turned you all human." Flick, gulp, she ate the piece and caused the two frogs to plead to her, the elder laughed it off. "Ha, ha. I'm just messing with y'all."
Tiana asked. "How on earth did you know that we wanted to turn back-" S
nore!
Odie fell asleep right before them, Naveen crawled closer and poked. "Uh...Mama Odie?" The elder jolted awake and saw a bath tub of strange liquid bubbling out of control. "Juju!" She rushed to the tub as the snake was awake. "Why didn't you tell me my gumbo was burning." Louis asked Ray. "You sure this is the right blind voodoo lady, who lives in a boat in a tree in the bayou?" The fire fly answered certain, yet shrugging. "Pretty sure."
Kairi wasn't going to question her only answer for resolving the conflict of the world, she and the frogs approached, seeing the elder stirring the pot of odd gumbo, Tiana asked once more as the elder asked her with a finger's worth of the stew. "Taste it." Plop, the finger went into the frogs mouth, Tiana licked with an idea of constructive criticism, Odie asked. "Well?" The waitress with an experience cooking suggested. "Hit it hard with a couple shots of tabasco and it's the bees knees. Now, can we-" Odie called to her snake. "Juju!"
The snake risen up with a bottle of tabasco sauce and gave it two strong pours, the elder took a lick of the stirring gumbo, tasted it and hollered. "Yee hee hee, that's got some zing to it. That's just what it needed." She chuckled as Tiana and Kairi were feeling annoyed, Odie asked. "Now, you all figured out what you need?" Tiana answered. "It's just like you said Mama Odie, we need to be human."
Odie laughed to that and knocked the frogs off. "Y'all ain't got the senses wrong with it. You all want to be human, but you're blind to what you need." Naveen asked in an attempt to make sense of the elder. "What we want and what we need is.. all the same thing yes?" Twack. The prince was given a wack from the wand. "Is the same thing? No!" Kairi felt a rhythm and closed her eyes to what was coming, Odie had something to tell the frogs. "Y'all listen to ya mama now."
Outside of the tree.
The Replica felt he was at the strongest scent of the prince's trail and jumped from branch to branch, reaching to the boat. He hid under his hoodie and looked with in to find a flock of pink birds singing, an elderly woman in white singing and lecturing a masculine looking frog. He noticed an odd sight of a gator and firefly being caught in the rhythm along with a feminine frog, a lot of things that was baffling to him, one particular caused his vision to become blurry, a red haired girl in a pink attire and purple boots. The vision shifted to a blonde girl in a white dress, setting the Replica into a flash back of twisting illusions, he hid out of sight and wanted to scream, he found himself alone in his thoughts. "What is Namine doing here?!" He clenched his fists and held his head, trying to force the memories out. "They were fake, you know this. You don't know her, you never knew her." He saw something shift with in his shadow and drew his blade, in the middle between two poor situations, he whispered arrogantly. "Come out so I can send you back to the other side, punk."
The shadow spiraled into many tendrils that rushed to a hollow branch, causing a pillar of darkness to twist and turn, a humanoid with talons for hands, blood red eyes and a structure looking like a teenage boy formed. The replica saw boy with spiky hair, resembling one from a memory. "S...Sora?! Wha-" The creature crawled to him on all fours, the Replica swallowed and sensed a bestial, instinctual drive. "No...no... you're not him. You-" He closed his eyes and had a vision of a boy he remembered having something torn of him. "You...came from him?!"
The creature peeked into the window to find a feminine frog be brought to a gumbo pot, the elder had her judgement to give to her "You a hard one, that's what I heard," She tapped to the pot and broke in tune. "You're daddy was a loving man, family through and through." She put a finger on the frogs chest as the gumbo shined a golden light. "You're your daddy's daughter. What he had in him you got in you." The creature noticed Kairi gasping and turning to the window, it slithered out of sight and looked uncertain, the Replica asked it. "What ever is going on, she isn't doing much here. We need a way to fight those things... but, how can we do it without her seeing me?" The creature looked upon him, it raised to an upward position, its structure became a fog of shadows, the Replica tried to attack and was quickly engulfed by the shadows, he felt a slight push and felt nothing different happening, save for one detail, he was with in a wall.
He found the creature next to him, also merged with in the wall. Kairi popped her head out of the window to look, it looked like the suspicion was close to her. BZZT! Kairi gave a mosquito a glare and scared it off, she went back in at the eve of a tune, the Replica looked upon himself more and found he was literally with in the shadows. A shadow of a hooded boy, next to the shadow of a spiky haired creature that took the form of a type of long skinny dog. The Replica whispered. "Now we can sneak to that witch doctor, put an end to his scam and... stop Ztardon from burning an entire city to do it." He deepened his throat and had the creature follow, towards a plan that could be beneficial. "She won't thank us, but through this, we can talk." The shadows crawled into the darkness, escaping the rays of sun shine.
On top of the tree.
Kairi, Louis, Ray and Naveen watched the conclusion to a song and were in a place with many hanging, colored bottles. Tiana was riding on top of Odie's hat proudly, the elder asked the frog. "Well miss froggy? Do you under stand what you need now, child?" Tiana answered proudly. "Yeah, I do Mama Odie. I need to dig a little deeper and work even harder to get my restaurant."
Odie and the birds placed a hand over their face, Kairi snapped to a connection and chose not to say it. The elder let the frog off her hat and decided. "Well, if y'all set on being human, there is only one way," She lead the group back bellow and to the vision gumbo, she stirred in the steamy stew and chanted, bringing a golden light into vision. "What's ya got?"
The vision showed a blonde woman in a pink sleep mask, snoring loudly. Tiana questioned the image. "Lottie? But she isn't a princess," Odie asked quickly. "Hush up and look in the gumbo." The group saw Lottie in a mansion, with a door opening to show a large man with a red mustache, dressed up as a king and presenting a princess's tiara. "Tada!"
The woman woke up, pulled her mask up and was hyper excited about the crown, Tiana realized. "That's right, Big Daddy is king of of the Mardi Gras parade." They watched the man put the tiara on the woman's head as Tiana continued. "So that makes Lottie... a Princess." Naveen asked. "Does that count?" Odie answered. "Yes it does. But only till midnight, when Mardi Gras is over."
Naveen knew that wasn't a whole lot of time as Odie told them and stirred the image to a crowned princess kissing one of two frogs. "Hop along now, you got until the end to get that Princess to kiss ya. When she does," The image shined, showing two humans before her. "Ha, ha. You both, turn human."
She placed the frogs down, Kairi cringed. "That really isn't a whole lot of time at all if it is the morning now," The three went to the door as Louis asked Odie. "What about me Mama, I want to be human too, so I play jazz with the big boys. I want fingers and toes and a belly button, not the kind that sticks out but kinda goes in." Odie closed the snout shut and advised. "Snap jaw, you dig a little deeper, ya find everything ya need." She tried to push him and Ray out with the group. "Come on, come on, come on, he ha, got a river here darling. Y'all best get to swimming."
Shove! The gator was in between the door and announced. "Wait, I got a better idea."
In a few moments; Kairi, Tiana, Naveen and Ray were out of the boat to listen. The Prince politely laughed about it. "We are to sneak aboard a ferry cruise to sail back to New Orleans? Ha, ha, that could work my scaly friend." Tiana folded her arms and watched Louis clap in excitement, the key bearer sighed. "That... could work for a couple frogs, a firefly and maybe you if you're fast."
Tiana agreed with that. "But would that work for you? I don't think they take it too kindly to a human stowaway either," Ray chuckled to Tiana. "Girl, you seen her go do what she gotta do," Kairi agreed with that and smiled to Ray. "I know, it's an easier way back to the city... but I think I can find a way back, boat or no boat. You all get on that boat and I'll catch up."
The group felt that was a plan as Naveen smiled to her. "Well, if you insist, you are full of surprises," Tiana sighed. "She isn't no slacker, that's for sure." She gave her parting to Kairi. "We'll see each other soon." The girl hoped so and took off into the swamp, retracing her steps and finding the buzzing to be annoying her.
With in a spot of land surrounded by a few trees, mossy logs and mushrooms, she felt something watching her from the shadows. She drew out her keyblade and found something emerging from the shadows, a black dog with red eyes, it looked like it was the same creature from the previous night. She tensed and felt something odd. "What... are you?" The dog broke apart and rearranged itself into a form slightly resembling someone she knew, like a feral boy with spiky hair, the talon hands, pure black body and red eyes didn't hide it. "You...you're that thing that was torn out of Sora?"
The creature stilled as Kairi felt a slight pull, dragging her into the shadows and causing a chain reaction, she rushed from the darkness and stood ready to fight, feeling lighter than air and looking upon herself. Her body was reduced to what looked like pure light, if mixed in with gas's to be a wisp. The creature returned to the form of a dog and returned to the shadows, a figure lurking with in spoke in a deep voice, sounding impressed. "I didn't think you would turn into this?"
Kairi faced the shadow and raised what looked like a blade of light. "What are you? Show yourself!" She saw a figure looking like a hooded figure with baggy pants, pleading. "Woah, woah. Calm down miss. If it wasn't needed, I wouldn't have made Shadey over there be the bait," He looked upon Kairi's form to find no shadow, in fact she was deflecting the darkness. "There is definitely something special about you to turn you into that instead of what Shadey did to me. This means if you fight those... thing, you will be able to kick their butts much easier."
Kairi asked confused. "So... he turned you into something like those shadow things?" The boy nodded. "Or as the witch doctor called them, his... Friends From the Other Side." Kairi still wasn't amused. "Is there a way to turn us back?" The dog whined and Kairi felt she had an answer, focusing her will against the light, she shot herself out of the form and back to a human. "...Hmm." She looked at her shadow and felt there was a point to the plan, she wasn't trusting the shadowy figure and asked. "I know how those things can attack you, they are not like the heartless I been fighting when they show up."
The shadow felt there was a reason behind it. "The Heartless are a weak presence in this world... maybe because those guys from the Other Side make this world their turf and those things are darkness. You found out that they only need to touch your shadow to hurt you and without that." Kairi agreed with that as the dog like creature emerged from the shadows "I can fight them. Who are you?" The shadow answered. "Dupmic."
He had his hands in his pocket and watched Kairi willingly go with the hound, going to the shadows, her form reacting against it and became a will-o-wisp like creature. "So, now that we introduced ourselves, lets see what we know. The Shadow Man's scam involves the prince and you might not have figured it out, but he needs his blood to disguise a mook of his into putting up a show for a rich girl... for something."
Kairi felt she seen that cliché to death. "That's why you wanted to stop this? I met the actual prince, a waitress that got dragged into this whole mess, two others that are helping them out and I just left Mama Odie. Is there someone else apart of this? There could be someone right now, trying to make this worse."
Dupmic knew of one. "You can leave him to me, he is a friend and he can be... overzealous. He would bring more harm than good right now and I just... need to just convince him that I have it under control." Shadey approached him and nudged, Dupmic agreed with him and asked Kairi. "We will handle him, do you know what to do?"
The girl in light does. "Now I can sneak into the boat and watch for those shadow demons. I'll catch up in case your friend is more than you can handle." She flew away and giggled in joy, Dupmic smiled with in the shadow and made sure she was far away. "She really is smart, come on Shadey, we need to stop Ztardon from causing chaos." He and the creature flew as shadows towards the way they came, without anything hindering them, they would be able to manage.
At Twilight Town.
Xion was more outraged as she watched the sun set. "What, what is going on with him?" She and Ken tossed away the ice cream sticks, the boy vowed to her. "I have no idea, but you can't be left out here alone. I got a plan so this doesn't make me look like a freak. Could you wait here one more time?"
Xion nodded. "Please hurry, I don't feel comfortable being out here at sunset." Ken pointed up to the tower with flying nobodies. "What's up there could be the reason. Be back in jiffy."
He went to check around town and reached the tram way to find Aqua and Mickey talking with a full five person group of Sora, Donald, Goofy, Riku and Ana. Mickey wasn't to happy of the news. "Garland got away and we know Archaon is out there." Sora felt ashamed that he couldn't beat the mentioned foe as Ana nodded. "We need much more than what we have if we are to face that monster." She noticed Ken and firmly asked. "If you see an armored knight on a three headed, winged demon, don't confront him yet. None of us are ready."
The boy didn't mind as Aqua turned around without much astonishment. "It's a reason why Kairi is starting to worry us," Mickey agreed with that as Riku asked. "But the world she is in sounds like someone has to really go out there to find it. If she isn't back by morning, we will go look for her."
Ken noticed Sora looking depressed and asked. "What else happened? You can tell us." Sora had his hands behind his head and tried to let it go. "It's just that, it was yesterday that a friend of ours gotten hurt and today that nearly happened again," He looked content to something. "That's why we need to stop those Chaos guys for good. So our friends don't get hurt by them again." Ken gasped as Mickey looked crestfallen in an understanding of what happened. "And hope it stops."
The boy with the cybernetic arm agreed with him and went to Sora. "That's why they gave everything for us, it... always hurts thinking about it." The spiky haired boy agreed with that. "That's why we need to see it wasn't fo-" He was interrupted by an embrace from the fanboy, the cybernetic gave a firm pressure, the spiky haired hero was unsure of what to say, Ken let go and exhaled. "That it wasn't for nothing. I miss them too." Sora wiped tears from his eyes and appreciated it. "Thank you."
Riku smiled to the blonde boy as Mickey asked. "Aqua, should we wait for Kairi to come before you tell them our discovery." Aqua looked impatient and asked the spiky haired boy. "Sora, I need a word with you, it's about a friend of mine. Ventus." Sora remembered something. "Oh yeah!" He went for his pocket as Riku guessed. "That was something we were thinking about since we... saw a picture of your friend."
Sora gasped and took out a picture of four. "This is a something we found a while back. You met Hayner, Olette and Pence, right?"
Aqua nodded, Sora took a deep breath and showed her the photo, revealing the trio making a group photo as Riku explained. "There was a virtual Twilight Town where our... mysterious fourth spent time in. Making friends with the digital copies." The fourth person next to the three was an image Aqua mistook. "Ven?!" She shook her head. "No...Roxas. So it's true. Sora, why does your nobody look like Ven?"
Sora had no idea and felt just as confused as Goofy answered. "It sure is no coincidence." The group more in the know felt there was a small piece of the puzzle to unravel before any of it can come together, even the bystander with little knowledge felt like his head was aching. "So what can we do besides wait for Kairi?"
Mickey answered that. "If she is in a world with a Princess of Heart, then it could take time before any of the bad guys will figure it out. We should trust her to take care of it." He asked. "So fellas, what do we know about where Garland is going to next?"
Riku sighed. "That's why I need to talk to Kairi... or more specifically... Namine. There is one place that could hold the power of reflection magic... but that was something me and you never stayed around to figure out."
Aqua felt like the description was familiar, yet Sora, Donald and Goofy felt a complete blank, they keyblade master asked. "Should we talk about it out here?" Mickey shook his head. "No, who knows what the place could be used for." Aqua felt a bit annoyed and instructed her male student. "Tomorrow sounds like it is going to be busy, you don't have to stay in this town forever, but this isn't helping any of your training."
The Stormcast agreed with that. "But I got an idea of how you can let loose, but it needs time to set up. It's like how Ol' Sigmar has us trained before being sent out and we could make it happen ere." The teacher approved of it. "Making illusionary foes that fight like the real things?" Ana nodded. "You got that right, any kind of enemy we might fight out there or those that can help us get use to the idea that those like Archaon and the Varanguard are much, much, much more lethal than any of the Heartless can do."
Ken didn't wish to be reminded. "It takes one bullet, but this sounds kind of fun. Miss, you don't want me to wander off and look for an unknown world?" Aqua nodded to him. "Exactly, it could take a while before lessons begin again." The student understood and gave a respectful bow to her. "I don't mind Miss." He smiled and looked forward to something as he readied to take off, leaving the main group to talk about some progression they made in the skill department. The boy went to the hotel for a questionable rent for the night.
At a boat in the Bayou.
Kairi jumped aboard hiding in plain sight of the light as she heard a Namine being suspicious. "Are you sure you should trust Dupmic?"
Kairi sighed and watched an alligator play jazz with a trio of musicians that were dressed as a toucan, puma and armadillo. "He was hiding something from me and got me into this crazy idea. But he has a point, can we really guard our shadows as we were?" Namine answered firmly. "No and it isn't like you are stuck like this either. Although going back right now isn't a smart idea."
Kairi agreed and used her form to fly around the corners of the ship in search for the smaller group. "I'm not complaining, this is pretty cool. Louis is playing with the big boys so that means-" She flew to the top of the boat, finding Naveen finishing, the construction of a wedding ring and placing it with in a walnut shell. The prince contemplated something that was pretty obvious and spoke to the star in the sky. "Oh Evangeline, why can't I just look Tiana in the eye and say: I will do what ever it takes," He readied the walnut shell as Kairi noticed Ray listening in. "to make all your dreams come true." The frog went on one knee and popped the ring open. "Because I love you."
Kairi kept quiet as Ray misunderstood and became defensive of his star. "Woah, woah, woah cap." His yellow glow turned red as he flew after Naveen. "You making goo, goo eyes of my gal?" The frog blocked and tried to explain as Ray punched and bite to, comedically, no avail. "No, no, Ray, I'm not in love with Evangeline, I am in love with Tiana." Ray listened to that, seemed to forgotten he was mad and yelled out as his red glow became yellow. "Woot! I knew it, I knew it. Come here you."
The fire fly kissed Naveen on the cheek in good will as the prince decided firmly. "I can no longer marry Ms. Charlotte LaBouff, I will find another way to get Tiana her restaurants." He realized. "I could get a job, maybe two, maybe three." Ray was fully supporting the idea, flew around to leave a trial of light and formed an arrow, giggling all the way. "I can't wait to tell Tian."
Naveen grabbed him by the wings and stopped him. "No, I must tell her, alone." Ray kept being a wing man. "Right, heh, you rascal."
With in New Orlens.
The Replica and the creature of shadows made quick work of solider like heartless, lantern like heartless and an odd mage like heartless resembling a blue sorcerer with well timed strikes from the shadows. They both saw it was becoming night once more, the Replica realized. "Xion will kick my butt for this." Shadey looked back to the Replica like it was questioning, the Replica answered and had a faint scent. "She is kind of my sister. Maybe she won't be too angry over this, when I introduce you to her."
The creature stabilized its dog like form, caught a stronger scent and made a dash through the street, the Replica followed like a phantom towards a well built house, feeling a faint sound of buzzing and looking with in to find a pitiful, middle age man cowering about something. "Oh, why did I get myself into this madness."
The man's shadow shifted to that of a bird like creature the Replica was familiar with, he heard a whisper that the Replica listened closely to hear a familiar tone. "For something much grander than what the Shadow Man promised you. The only price is that you allow me to carry out my masters will under his nose." A vision of grandeur filled the man's mind, the Replica felt it was suspicious and watched the shadow of Ztardon shift into a large mosquito. "A larger plan than a simple fortune." The man looked behind and asked. "But... what makes the city so important to you?"
The shadow shifted to a symbol of a burning eye the Replica was familiar with as a whisper reached deep with in. "The city is insignificant save for a few stray hearts and the power the Shadow Man's friends wield." The shadow shifted into a formless horror and tried to say something, it sensed something and returned to the mans shadow. The witch doctor appeared from the shadows and asked. "Talking to yourself again Larry?"
The man yelped, turned around and answered. "Oh..j...just a little nervous th...that's all." Facilier wasn't buying it as his shadow looked around the mans shadow with curiosity. "Hmmhmm and who's fault was that? If my friends don't make it back with the Froggy Prince, that's all going up in smoke. The thing about making deals to get out of deals, you have no idea if the other guy is any better." The doctors shadow slithered to the window the Replica and dog were at, the duo sneaked away and heard more. "Then you got to pay back a debt to two of your buddies. Ha, ha, that won't go well for anyone."
The two shadows got as far away from the house as they can, being left alone to contemplate. The Replica felt a chilling sweat and realized. "That was never Ztardon... I was lead here by something else. What... did I allow to happen?" He shook his head and knew deeper. "Azhek is going to kill me for this... unless." He hoped. "We are on our own Shadey, but we can still turn this around, Kairi is here for a bigger purpose than just traveling and we could bring back information about what she is seeking. In return, she could help us clean up this mess." He gestured that the hound followed him, towards a shining light beyond the river.
On the boat during the night.
Kairi waited with in the aura of the light bulbs and watched Naveen escort Tiana towards a pleasant surprise, hiding closely to listen to Tiana asking the prince. "Where are you taking me?" Naveen answered as Kairi watched. "Oh, I just... wanted to show you something to celebrate our last night together as frogs." Tiana looked at him charmed and looked at what was set up on the roof, a well set, romantic table of cups, complete with a rose and a shot of champagne. Tiana gasped. "In all my years. No one's ever done anything like this with me."
She looked back at Naveen and giggled at a goofy scene she and the hidden princess found amusing. Naveen in an overly long bow tie. The prince realized. "Ha, it's a little too much isn't it?" He coughed to clear his throat. "Thank you bow."
The bow tie fluttered, revealing a tiny bitter moth that thought it was a nice detail, the prince escorted the lady to the table, like a gentlemen. He picked up a tray of something, sparking Tiana's interest. "What's this?"
Naveen pulled up the lid. "Tada." He showed several chopped up fruits and vegetables, Tiana was impressed. "You minced." Naveen smiled in pride. "I did." He sat on the other end of the table with a flirt in mind. "You've had quite and influence on me. Which is amazing, because I have dated thousands of women and.." Taina squinted her eyes in as scolding, Naveen stopped and tried to save himself, acting tongue tied and reaching for the walnut.
Kairi looked away, nearly failing to keep herself in cover and realizing something that would be awkward to go back to her friends for. Slip! Tip!
She floated up and saw the disaster of a date, Naveen fell off the table and flipped the chopped plants by accident, trying to save his dignity and sitting up. "That was a disaster." Tiana disagreed and playfully plucked the leaf from Naveen. "No, it's cute."
The prince laughed with her and tried to propose, the waitress saw something and went to get a closer view. "There it is." She looked on to a port with four buildings, the right most building in particular, Naveen sat next to her and asked. "Your restaurant?" Tiana had it envisioned. "Oh can you just picture it? All lit up like the fourth of July." Naveen envisioned it herself. "Yes, jazz, pouring out of every window." Tiana agreed with that. "It should be elegant." Naveen advised with that. "But you better keep it loose, kind of let it swing." Tiana asked. "You know a good ukulele player?"
Naveen asked. "Really? You would let me perform?" Tiana teased him. "I'll talk to the owner," She looked around and whispered. "Owner said yes." That caused the two to laugh with each other, Tiana kept her day dream alive and gave off a shine that Kairi noticed. "Folks are going to be coming over from all walks of life. Just to get a taste of our food." Naveen asked and looked upon his walnut with the ring. "Our food?"
Tiana asked confused. "Huh?" She realized what she said and explained. "Oh no, no. My, my dad." She looked upon the building with a simple, pure wish that shined. "My dad always wanted to open his own restaurant." She felt mournful of a memory. "He died before he could see it happen." She held Naveen's hand and vowed. "Tomorrow, with your help, our dreams are finally coming true." Naveen's smile lessened as he asked. "Tomorrow?" Tiana answered. "If I don't deliver the money first thing tomorrow, I lose this place forever." The glow kept strong as Kairi sensed a well meaning, but soul crushing feeling from the prince. "Tiana, I love.." Tap. "the... way you light up when you talk about your dream." He kept trying to hide his change of plans. "A dream, is so beautiful that I..Huff I promise, I'll do what I can to make your dream come true." TOOOT!
Kairi went into hiding and heard a depressed Namine realize. "He is going to do something desperate for her." The Princess nodded, heard footsteps leaving and listened to Tiana wishing upon a star. "Evangeline, I always been so sure about what I wanted... but now I...what do I do? Please tell me." The will-o-wisp listened and wanted to say something, she heard a muffle and went to the sound. Finding something disappear into the darkness, towards the city, she drew out her blade and pursued, finding half a dozen shadow demons circling around two familiar shadows that fought back against the darkness.
She dived down after them and quickly took them out, for those that rely on attacking through a shadow, they only require one strike to vanquish. She confronted the duo and asked. "What did you see?" Dupmic cringed and was embarrassed. "The prince being taken away and those things were on to us. I found out about Ztardon, who lead me to this world." The dog like shadow mimicked a formless horror and Kairi guessed. "Either he was using you... or that was never him. Either way, you were tricked."
Fizzle!
The three saw reality giving a slight distortion, eighteen pink horrors crawled out of the distortion as a burning chariot emerged. Riding upon that was an exalted flamer that gave off a glow of his own, causing Kairi, Dupmic and Shadey to take on a more corporial form, yet still shrouded in light and shadow. The demon hissed upon Dupmic. "So treachery begets treachery." The screamers pulling the chariot flew to the sky and circled around the three as the demon spewed flames and asked the boy. "Do you believe that you would change the wrongs you sowed by sowing more? Even now you, from the reality of what you are-"
Dupmic glared and had his weapon ready, it gave off a blue and pink glow, slowly resembling a birds like wing with blue and pink feathers. "Do you always keep talking?" The dog like shadow shifted to its vaguely human form and pounced upon the pink horrors readying a spell, it let loose many sharp clawed tendrils and attacked them in rapid speed, leaving Kairi and the boy who isn't what he was claiming to be, to confront the demon that focused on her. "You're actions changed nothing, everything you succeeded in has been in according to the Great Game of my master. Let me educate you."
The screamers dived down and charged at her as the flamers maws glowed pink. Kairi flew into the air with angelic wings as Dupmic back flipped and jumped onto the chariot and struck against the flamer. Kairi pounced on the disk and joined in the assault. The flamer lashed against the two with tongues of flame, knocking them off the platform and firing blue flames upon them, with scorch marks all around. Dupmic growled in a blue glow, rolled to dodge with Kairi and aimed his free hand at the chariot, firing a barrage of blue bolts upon the chariot and causing it to shake and slow in an attempt to regain balance. Kairi questioned what was done and enveloped herself in water, she shot high in the air like a fountain and shot to the flamer like a missile, striking the demon with slashes of water and knocking the demon off. She jumped above the demon that let loose a breath of pink flames and with a mighty swing, sent it crashing to the ground like a rain drop. The demon fizzled out in the water and splashed with the drop, the duo listened and watched the shadowy beast decimate the pink horrors, leaving behind a pilotless chariot that turned to face the three. The beasts were unaware of a massive claw reaching for its shadow, struggled from a kind of pressure and realized another claw coming from the other side.
The trio watched it mercilessly crushed in mid air and saw an eerie glow of purple eyes down an alley, giving off visions of angry masks looking down upon them. Dupmic and Shadey returned to the shadows as Kairi turned into a will-o-wisp. The princess advised. "We should run."
The duo agreed and rushed to a particular direction, Kairi flew after them and heard a collection of eerie howls after them. She turned mid air and found numerous shadow demons in pursuit. She swung her blade in radiant light and wiped them out, more took their place. They found a well kept house with a particular car driving off. Dupmic growled and yelled. "Come on we found the hide out where are they-" Kairi looked at a party in the distance and answered. "To the Mardi Gras, I'll go stop that while you rescue Naveen, watch out for the shadows." Dupmic and Shadey listened, going towards one path as Kairi went to another.
At a hotel room in Twilight Town.
Xion watched a particular scifi film and saw a scene of a bar filled with aliens, complete with something resembling jazz, she crouched on a bed uncertain as Ken sighed at the marvel. "The film that started it all." He admitted it as there was a small moment. "A friend of mine is pretty late, me and the others are getting worried about her and I'm worried why your brother is gone for this long."
Xion appreciated the concern and watched a bartender point out to two droids. "We don't serve their kind here." Xion pitied the golden, humanoid robot and a smaller, blue, non humanoid robot that had bits of blue. "It's fine, work had to have been that important." She gasped and asked. "What if my brother and your friend got into the same trouble together? We should do something about that."
Ken agreed and cringed. "I want to, but Miss will flip if I go disobeying her." Xion kept watching the film to where a human farm boy was tugged hard and was forced to confront a strange spider insect like alien with a strange pink mouth, Ken whistled with a good guess. "Besides, with how strong my friend has gotten, anyone who tries to go after her is going to end up like Ponda and Evazan over here."
Xion watched the farm boy get confronted by an actor looking like a deformed human, who told the farm boy. "He doesn't like ya," The farm boy apologized and tried to get back to his drink, the deformed human let him know. "I don't like you either. You just watch yourself, we're wanted men. I have the death sentence on twelve systems." The farm boy tried to lay low. "I'll be careful." Pull. The deformed human threaten him. "You'll be dead." Xion watched an elderly man stand up for the boy. "This little one's not worth the effort, now let me get you something."
The deformed human tossed the farm boy to a table and his alien friend drew out a gun. The elder drew out a laser like sword and slashed back at them, the deformed human and alien wailed, Xion gasped at the severed arm and asked the boy. "You're making a joke like that after what happened to yours?"
Ken corrected her with a wag of a finger. "I was stopping a megalomaniac, you saw how Ponda was threatening Luke. He deserved it." Xion watched the elder draw back his light sabre and the people of the bar going back to their business, a cold move, yet the girl agreed with the boy. "I think my brother can handle himself fine, just... when he comes, let me do the talking."
Ken cringed and tighten his grip. "This is awkward but it is the only way you can get a room. I would in so much trouble if he has a light saber... or the force." Xion yelped and kept watching. "You would be in trouble, for someone to just... choke you, without being near you." Ken had another. "Ha, ha, ha, ha. Vader just needs to know where you are, he gets worse in next film." Xion reached for her throat in discomfort and listened to the casual music, getting drawn into the movie.
In New Orleans.
Kairi accounted for a few things in the Mardi Grace wedding, parade floats, one that had Louis playing jazz with other musicians, many locals and a particular float that had a large king overlooking a wedding between Charlotte and a dark skin prince, she found something definitely wasn't right, squinted her eyes and found a medallion that had a blood red glow, wrapped around the mans neck. A minister speaking the vows of a bond asked. "If anyone objects to this wedding, speak now or forever hold your peace."
Kairi saw a small chest next to the prince, shaking and having a tongue sticking out, the prince stomped on the tongue and the girl figured out what happened. She flew to the chest as a radiant glow of light and readied herself, she noticed a familiar fire fly buzzing near the box and looking into the peep hole. "Is that you cap?" The frog in the box asked. "Ray? Get me out of this box." Ray answered innocently. "I can't hear you. I'm going to get you out of this box."
He adjusted his antenna and flew upside down to look like a keyhole, he flew with in and caused a glow of light with in, Kairi heard the knocking and of locks being undone, opening the box to reveal Naveen. The girl watched Charlotte being too excited to notice anything. The minister nearly finished. "By the power invested in me, by the state Louisiana I hereby pro-" Naveen jump on to the back of his imposter and pulled against the necklace, causing the imposter to fall off the cake with him. The imposter grabbed onto the frog as Charlotte was concerned. "Oh gracious, are you alright?"
The imposter answered with an excuse. "Just need a moment to compose myself." Charlotte was reaching a limit in her patience. "Cheese n crackers."
With in a grand building.
The Replica and Shadey readied their ambush, seeing the imposter prince go past the door and listen to the real prince asking. "Lawrence, why you do this?" The imposter answered with a scorn and walked deeper. "It's payback, for all those years, the humiliation." The shadow man emerged and ordered with his purple orb cane aimed. "Get your royal rump back on that wedding cake and finish this deal." Woosh. The Replica and Shadey emerged to confront the witch doctor, distracting him as Naveen croaked his chest and broke from the imposters grip, he took the pendent and revealed a small middle aged man. Facilier glared and the whole situation as his shadow kicked Lawrence's and sent out a formless horror that giggled maniacally, the witch doctor looked done with complications. "I knew there was competition trying to ruin this," He snapped his fingers and caused many shadows to surround the fighting duo. "Get rid of them or the deals going to be doomed."
Shadow demons pounced after the duo, the Replica looked upon his shadow, glowed with his bird like sword and spun around, actually sending the shadows back as Shadey focused on the formless horror, sinking into the ground and pouncing on it. The formless horror took the form of a spiky haired teenager with a keyblade and dueled against the creature as the Replica found his shadow being encircled by a serpent with a top hat.
The Replica back flipped and focused upon the serpent, his shadow lit something in its hand with him, the boy smiled and aimed, firing a barrage of dark bolts that pelted the snake back and sent Facilier into a wall. Distracting him long enough for a fire fly to squeeze from underneath the door way and seeing the frog prince fling the blood pendent loose. The fire fly grabbed it and yelled. "I got it!" The pendent was much heavier than expected and was falling with it. "It got me too." Thud!
The pendent falling caused Facilier to convulse in fear and try to go after it, Lawrence pleaded to the fire fly. "Let go of that yo-" Facilier had it with Lawrence, grabbed him by the back of the collar and ordered. "Stay out of sight and deal with them."
The fire fly went under the door and squeezed himself through with the pendent, slipping through as the witch doctor opened the door to find the fire fly escaping with a will-o-wisp. He gave a sharper whistle and went after them. The Replica sighed, knocked the prince out of the imposters hand and asked Shadey. "Can you stop this demon?" Shadey circled around the shape shifting horror and turned itself into a lion, assuring a yes and giving the Replica a chance to run for it.
Outside.
Kairi saw Ray with the pendent and followed him, she swiped a wave of light after the chasing shadows to dispatch them and found more coming, Louis noticed them as the will-o-wisp followed the fire fly to a graveyard. "Ray, where is Tiana?" The fire fly kept flying and asked. "Kairi?! Girl, what happened?"
The will-o-wisp sighed. "It's a long story, but I think I'm done hiding from these shadows. You... knew that what you did is something only a keyblade wielder normally does?" Ray blinked to that and found Tiana heart broken, Kairi called out. "Tiana, Tiana!"
The frog turned and saw a will-o-wisp with Ray. "Kairi, Ray?" Flicker! Jump! Kairi's true form jumped out of the wisp like body and landed gracefully as Ray fluttered to her and gave her the pendent. "This proves what we say ain't what we saw."
Tiana looked down upon the pendent and asked. "What is it?" Ray answered fast. "It's a voodoo hi echo. The shadow man been using it for-" "Howwwwl!"
Kairi and the fire fly turned to find shadow demons in hot pursuit, Ray gasped and begged Tiana. "You can't let the Shadow Man get this no matter what. Now run girl, run!" Tiana ran away as Kairi readied to fight the shadow demons, Ray fluttered next to her with his abdomen glowing as the shadow demons encroached. "Don't make me light my butt!"
The demons giggled and went for the shadows, Kairi glowed in bright light and struck them away as Ray rammed his rear at a few, causing the shadows to burn and dissipate away along with the ones Kairi was fighting against. Impressing the princess to where she asked. "Did you learn this from Odie?" Swat!
Ray laughed loud at took out another. "Eh, he. Don't you know it, you isn't no island girl I heard of. You making that up?" Kairi shook her head, back flipped to dodge the swipes from the shadows and answered. "I'm an island girl, but..." she smiled nervously as Ray was getting it. "Oh, I see." Bump! SHRIEK! "It like why I don't see that there key thing before. Heh."
Kairi raised her keyblade to the sky and caused a star to form, she shot it in the air and caused it to spring like a flower, it rain down a meteor shower of light as Ray kept doing what he was doing, he laughed. "Ha, ha! Who's next?"
Swat.
Ray was swatted by a dark hand from behind a grave yard, the fire fly landed on the ground and was surrounded by a dark aura that was let loose. Kairi saw the shadow man and charged after him, the shadow demons kept getting in her way as the witch doctor focused a hand over Ray and took out a bright glowing heart, causing a darken presence to fill it and for it to twist into something. The girl muttered. "No, you wouldn't-" The witch doctor didn't care, had his foot over the body for good measure and stepped on it, he saw the heart turning into something, fluffed his jacket and looked away from Kairi like she wasn't a problem anymore.
The shadow demons realized what was happening and saw more dark shadows emerging from the graves, yellow eyes and blackened claws, oddly infuriated them. The witch doctor walked away and snapped his fingers to the shadow demons, like they had something else to do, they followed begrudgingly and left Kairi to confront a forming heartless. The shadows like heartless crawled after Kairi to attack and were caught of guard by a figure jumping from the shadows, a boy in a blue hoodie, purple shirt and orange pants, he wielded a bird like sword and incinerated them in blue fire. Apologizing to the Princess. "Sorry I was late, did that Shadow Man do what I think he did?"
Kairi nodded and noticed an alligator coming to the scene, the gator noticed a crushed body fading into darkness and asked. "Ray?" The girl closed her eyes and looked upon the darkness forming into a small straw like effigy with a bright glow with in. The effigy resembled a human with a straw hat and red overalls, the effigy swelled in darkness and took out a club. "We can still free him and set things right, Louis... are you ready?" The gator timidly looked upon the remains of his friend and felt a spark of righteous anger, giving a hiss fitting for a gator.
More shadows crawled to attack, Kairi flung flowers of light at them and swung to attack as Dupmic rushed to the Effigy and struck it from afar quick slashes. The effigy shot twenty pins from the ground and caused the boy and girl to feel a black mark upon them. The pins, oddly enough, aimed at the effigy, Louis's cheeks puffed in horror. "Oof, don't let them pins touch em!"
He charged against five of them, Dupmic and Kairi struck seven each away, the remaining two flung at the effigy in record time and caused a sharp painful prick in the duo. Leaving both to be smacked upside the head with the club and felt dazed, the effigy summoned another twenty pins, Kairi glowed in water and let loose a combo to wipe much more out with Louis as Dupmic focused with his shadow and caused it to ready an orb of energy, he fired it upon the shadows of the pins and the effigy, knocking it asunder and giving Kairi the chance needed to leap to it with angelic wings, upper cutting it and diving down with a burst of light. Burning away the voodoo bindings and taking the small heart out of the body, she held onto it and felt it glow with her.
Feeling a strong resolve as the battle concluded, Louis asked. "Shadow man done laid poor Ray low?" Kairi took a deep breath and felt the gators pain. "He isn't going to get away with this. You get somewhere safe while me and Dupmic handle this." The boy agreed with a burning vengeance under his hood. "Thanks for the help, but this has gone too far." He lead the way. "Come on."
Kairi felt the heart floating into her chest and followed, towards a passage that was masked by an illusionary light. The humans didn't care and jumped in, finding themselves as figments of light and darkness. With in the vision was of a grand restaurant. They found a dark skin woman with black hair and a grand white dress. Kairi recognized Tiana, the woman held in her hand the voodoo talisman as she heard a voice speak, finding Facilier by a table. Having his feet up and enjoying some champagne, asking. "Now isn't this a whole lot better than hopping around the Bayou for the rest of your life?"
Tiana recognized the witch doctor for what he is. "Shadow man." Facilier, laughed, stood up and shuffled a deck of cards side ways as he approached. "Got to hand it to you Tiana, when you dream, you dream big," He split the deck into a fan like hand, causing a small card with a radiant restaurant. "Just look at this place." He stepped away with more temptation. "Going to be the crown jewel of the crescent city." He asked charismatically. "And all you got to do, to make this dream a reality," he extended his hand. "is to hand over that little ol talisman of mine." Tiana looked at the amulet and shook her head. "No, this, this is not right."
She kept the charm close to her as Facilier had pink mist ready. "Come on darling, think about everything you sacrificed." A swirl was let loose, giving Tiana visions of the time and life choices she sacrificed for her goals. "Girl, all you ever do is work." "I told you she wouldn't come." He formed another swirl of memories. "Think of all the nay sayers who doubted you." Puff. "You ain't never going to get the dang thing." "A woman of your... background, your better off where you at." The last one hit a special nerve with in the waitress and the bystanders trapped in limbo cringed. Facilier went to a window with curtains and pulled a string. "And don't forget your poor daddy."
Tiana looked out the window to find her father going home from an exhausting day at work as the witch doctor continued. "Now that was one hard working man. Double, sometimes triple shifts. Never letting on about how bone tired and beat down he really was."
The vision shifted to Tiana's father on a chair tired, the witch doctors point was made further from a faint memory of a girl saying. "Daddy."
Yet the man in the vision kept going with a strong facade. Facilier sighed as the vision shifted to a family of three with a boiling pot. "Shame all that hard work didn't amount to much more than a busted up old gumbo pot." The vision shifted to a neighborhood eating the gumbo. "And a dream that never got off the front porch." The tempter directed to her. "But you, you could give your poor daddy, everything he ever wanted." He whispered to her ear like a snake would. "Come on Tiana, you're almost there."
Her hand holding the talisman lowered, conflicted about what she was seeing, near the witch doctors. "My daddy never did get what he wanted," Her face tensed, she clenched to the talisman and gave off a bright glow. "But he had what he needed," She placed the talisman firmly to her chest, refusing the temptation. "He had love." She looked ready to smash the talisman and caused the tempter to nearly panic. "He never lost sight of what was really important." The witch doctor was asking. "Easy with that, careful with," Tiana readied to throw the thing to the ground. "And neither will I!"
She hurled it and Facilier's shadow caught the thing. The demon rushed to his masters side to drop it in his hand, Facilier laughed sinisterly as the illusion faded. Kairi and Dubmic felt themselves held firm in place by shadows as the witch doctor turned Tiana back into a frog. Faciliar pinned her to the ground with his cane. "Y'all should have taken my deal." He gloated. "Now you're going to spend the rest of your life being a slimy little frog." Tiana tensed and had a taunt back as lightning boomed. "I got news for you shadow man, it's not slime, it's mucus." She shot her tongue at the talisman, taking it from the witch doctors hands, Facilier gasped in horror and watched Tiana take the talisman and slammed it to the ground.
Shattering it and causing it to burst in various symbols, the calm witch doctor broke down into a panic. "No, no!" He picked the fragments up as the shadow demons let the teenagers go, like they were no longer in contract, they and Tiana hid behind a tomb stone and heard the sound of drums.
"Bumb, bumb, bumb, bumb, bumb, bumb."
Facilier asked to himself. "How am I ever going to pay back my debt?" He turned to three tomb stones with face and felt something coming, bursting through the faces were a trio of chanting voodoo masks animating and with glowing purple eyes. Facilier greeted them with a sweat. "Friends." The super natural masks floated close together with a sadistic smile, asking in a cheerful tone. "Are you ready?"
Facilier answered and backed away in his plea. "No. I'm not ready at all. In fact, I got's more plans." Shrunken heads dropped down with the tune. "Are you ready?"
Facilier tried to make excuses. "This is just a minor set back in the major operation." He stepped back and heard something rising, turning around to find voodoo dolls digging out of the grave and towards drums in the shadows. "Soon as I whip up another spell, we be back in business." He was surrounded by his shadow demons, that looked upon him like prey. "I still got that froggy prince locked away," He backed into a tomb stone with only his shadow hiding behind his back. "I just need a little more time."
Lightning boomed and the three were in shock to find a massive mask with glowing green eyes, downward horns and sinister teeth glaring down upon him. The eyes let loose a green aura as Facilier begged. "No, no, please no." Backing away with his shadow still in terror, the shadow looked towards his host uncertain of what to do and away from a massive claw that grabbed him and dragged. The witch doctor fell on his back and flipped to try and hold to the ground, giving a scream of peril as the masks lined up and chanted, the voodoo dolls beating the drums and the mask open his maw into a vortex of green and darkness. The hand shifted into a demonic shadow, dragging Facilier in as he begged. "Just a little more time." Facilier begged once more as he was dragged into the maw. "I promise I'll pay you all back, I promise."
He was dragged in and the voodoo sucked in with him, giving off a scream, the drums continued and the duo realized the Friends From the Other Side, were angry at them. Dupmic and Kairi stood in front of the mask to confront what was coming, Kairi asked Tiana. "Run."
The clock was dinging towards midnight, the frog had to get going and hope for the best. The mask glared at the two and caused another flash of light. Before them was a terrified, human like, yellow eyed voodoo mask, with green glowing, skeletal like body, wearing a coat made of darkness, showed sharp talons and formed a heartless emblem on its forehead. Dupmic guessed as shifting, ghastly shadows surrounded them. "They think we were responsible for that... thing, throwing their plan out of order?" Kairi nodded and deducted. "And they didn't like how he brought the heartless here so they made him into one."
The shadows closed in after the two, Kairi shined like the light and grabbed Dupmic, dispelling the shadows and jumping high to toss him to the mask. Dupmic landed and attacked as much as possible as the Shadow Baron danced and flung a barrage of symbols at Kairi, the girl was knocked back, landed and healed herself. She focused on the baron, aimed her keyblade and caused a flower of light to form, it five blue beams at the heartless, doing rather significant damage and causing it to grab Dupmic with its left hand and flipped him upside down, rendering him like a puppet. The boy was forced to draw his blade and was trying to fight it in a panic, Kairi focused on the tomb stones and jumped through each one to the left. She slid to the hand and hacked at it, finding nothing being done and looking to the shadows, seeing strings across the hand. She glowed and swiped at it, causing Dupmic to fall on his knees for a moment and seeing another shadow coming, towards it. Leap! A red eyed lion jumped from the shadows and pounced upon the heartless's chest, tearing and biting like a mighty beast, the boy laughed with some relief. "Shadey, oh thank you." He raised both hands in the air and saw in the shadows, that familiar energy. He fired at the heartless's shadow and caused it to back away. Kairi jumped to the right tomb stones and leaped at the mask for her turn.
The right hand tried to reach for her for a similar, if identical trick it did to Dupmic. Shadey burst into darkness and pounced at the hand, resembling Sora once more and rapidly attacking like an animal. Kairi back flipped and landed behind Dupmic, they felt the grave giving off odd, hallucinating colors. The baron danced towards them and readied a mighty slam with both fists, the teenagers jumped back and Dupmic jumped to the mask to carve with a hint of feathers scattering. Kairi dashed and shot herself upward to the masks forehead like a spear of light.
PEW!
The mask shattered and left behind a green skeleton that lost its glow, being reduced to black bones that dissolved into darkness and releasing a blackened heart.
The group felt a vision clearing and heard giggling, Dupmic turned around to find an image of a spiky haired teenager in the shadows, putting a hood across his head and becoming a formless horror. Emerging from the darkness was a blue robbed creature with blue skin, three arms on its right side and a simple arm on its left, it held a staff that had a tip of a serpent. The creature laughed. "So the Princess beckoned the last and the Replica has embraced his new path."
He snickered as Dupmic took offense and wanted to battle, nearly breaking his fake voice. "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't con me like you did." Kairi sensed a chaos daemon and wanted to banish the evil from the world. "I know the color... you're another daemon of Tzeentch?"
The daemon took the form of Riku from over a year ago and smiled sinisterly, using his voice perfectly. "I am of many things. on the whim." It changed its appearance to that of a younger Kairi, with shorter hair, a white tank top, purple skirt and a black collar. It putting its hands at its hips and yelled to her. "All for the machinations of my master." It changed once again to a tan, black vested man with an exposed shirt that had a heartless emblem, having long white hair and a using a voice Kairi remembered. "I could be anywhere in the dark corners of the world." The demon changed to the appearance of Aqua. "Or I could be in the grace of the light." It changed once more to the image of a Tzaangor Dupmic was familiar with. "You are all a joy to mess with."
Swipe!
A claw from Shadey flung to it, the demon back flipped and changed to its hooded form as Kairi barked. "Cut out the games and show us what you are already. Then get lost." The demon gasped at such a bold attempt and adjusted his hood. "For someone as brave as you, to venture so far, I'll gladly obliged." The form adjusted into a black robed figure with a single arm on each side and a set of legs, looking humanoid, Kairi realized the demon wasn't going to go away and asked Dupmic. "Get out of here, I got this." The boy stiffened his lips and asked Shadey. "She does, come on, let's get of here."
The shadowy creature looked upon the confident girl as the staff of the demon was shifting into a metal tube, it obeyed the boy and followed him out of the grave as Kairi was expecting something dreadful. The fiend revealed a sinister, red face with black stripes, yellow and red eyes and hints of horns. It certainly looked demonic, yet Kairi knew the daemon was playing a trick on her. The daemon pulled the hood down to reveal a crown of horns, held the metal tube with its left hand and raised it in front of it, causing one end to erupt a red, sword length beam and another to do the same. The demon spun the strange sword and flipped towards her, Kairi jumped back and countered. The demon took the hit and parried with one end of the sword, causing sparks to fly as it tried to slash at her with the other end. The girl flew high to the air and landed behind it, getting another swing in and having to defend herself, the demon smiled to reveal yellow, menacing teeth and rolled back, it focused its free hand at a couple of large rocks and with a telekinetic force, flung them at her.
Kairi was pelted was exposed to a frontal attack, she felt a slight glow and watched her keyblade split into two. On one hand was a fruit star hilt laser sword with a golden glow, on another was a blue laser sword with a hilt having a white flower at the end. She parried both ends and spun to the demon, sending it waddling back and angering it to where it made a reckless charge. Kairi jumped over the demon and sliced its abdomen, causing it to rupture in chaotic energy and collapse into the shifting blue form it was. Disappearing back into the warp, Kairi spun her light swords and felt the beams receding into the hilt, it returned back to the keyblade it was, she felt a pained feeling in her heart and went to where the Mardi Grac took place. She caught up with Tiana and watched a group of police tossing a small middle aged man into a police car as he pleaded. "I'm completely innocent, the shadow man bambozled me."
Slam.
The car took off, the two on lookers watched Naveen finish explaining something to Charlotte, who recited. "This is so much to absorb so let me get this right. If I kiss you before midnight, you and Tiana will turn human again and then we are to get ourselves married and live happily ever after. The end." Naveen answered. "More or less. But remember, you must give Tiana all the money she requires for her restaurant. Because Tiana," he looked up to the sky. "She is my Evangelina." Charlotte was perfectly okay with this and put on lip stick. "Anything you want sugar." Her lips smacked and she let him know. "Pucker up."
Naveen readied for his sacrifice in happiness as Tiana couldn't stand it no more. "Wait." Both recognized the voice, the feminine frog hopped along. "Don't do this."
Naveen told her. "I have to do this and we are running out of time." Tiana held his arm back. "I won't let you." Naveen argued back. "It's the only way to get you your dream."
Tiana asked. "My dream? My dream wouldn't be complete without you in it."
Naveen turned around even more hesitate as Tiana confessed. "I love you Naveen." The prince approached and the two held their hands together. "Warts and all?" Tiana answered lovingly. "Warts and all."
That caused Charlotte to become teary eyed. "Sniffle. All my life, I read about true love and fairy tails and-" She decided on something. "Tia, you found it." Kairi listened and sensed a generally good heart, Charlotte picked Naveen up. "I'll kiss him, for you honey. No marriage required."
The woman and the male frog were quick to get to the kiss. Ding. Kairi closed her eyes and cringed, it seemed to be midnight, Charlotte realized it herself. "Oh my lord. M..maybe that ol clock is a little fast."
Smooch.
She kissed him and saw nothing was happening, much to Naveen's disappointment. She kissed him multiple times in desperation and Kairi felt hurt looking at it. Charlotte knew she let her best friend down. "I'm...I'm so sorry."
She placed Naveen down and tried to hid her shame by slumping away into the building, Kairi and the frogs heard a shout. "Tiana. Naveen, Kairi." The frogs saw Louis down at the streets, the gator was frantic, they approached and saw Kairi catching up, she felt a heart fluttering out of her chest and landing between her hands. The girl felt more depressed as the gator looked at the sparkle. "You...you can fix that, right gal?"
She shook her head and lowered herself to show it. Tiana asked in feeling a familiar friend. "What happened?"
Kairi took a deep breath and answered. "It's the Shadow Man's doing, he turned Ray into a heartless, a monster that is made when a heart becomes consumed by darkness. I had to get his heart out of that thing."
The frogs gasped, Naveen asked. "But what else could you do? He is-" Kairi didn't want to answer that. "The shadow man crushed his body, there... isn't a way to get him back."
That caused the frogs to feel the sting in their hearts, Louis was teary eyed as Kairi felt a recurring pain, she knelt on her knees and looked to her side to find Namine looking just as crestfallen. The tiny heart shined brightly, with a star from above, the group looked above to find Evangeline shining above the heart. Like something or someone, beckoning something home. The heart gave a slowly float and ascended, Kairi wiped a tear from her eyes as she and the group looked on, finding the heart going higher and higher, until the flicker caused a shine in their eyes. The four's vision cleared and they saw the north star with another shining just as bright, that caused a choke among the group, Tiana broke down in tears.
Namine sniffled and was given a back rub from Kairi. The girl wanted to tell Naveen what she discovered, yet there was something keeping her from interfering. She stood up and asked. "So.. now what? The kiss didn't work."
Tiana guessed so. "We're still frogs." She and Naveen held each others hands in mourning. "But we're staying together."
Kairi felt there wasn't much she could do and felt herself in a familiar zone, she looked above to find the two stars shining a beam only she could see and forming a keyhole. She formed her blade, raised it into the air and fired, causing the keyhole to open up a pathway. She felt her task of locating the new batch of princesses were done and sighed, thinking to play along. "At least you are, but... don't give up just yet."
Naveen found that encouraging. "We will still try... something for the morning." Tiana knew what he meant and sighed, looking to Kairi with some gratitude. "Thanks for the help, is there... something you need to do?"
Kairi nodded and looked to the girl only she could see. "There is, I need to get back to my friends. I wish you luck together." She and Namine were given a parting and Louis thought in good will to play smooth jazz. The girls turned around to a corner, hand in hand. Namine giggled. "It took a while for Tiana's heart to awaken. But she and Naveen are going to be in for a surprise come morning."
Kairi agreed to that and felt it bittersweet. "I hope they kiss in the morning. After everything they been through, it would stink for it to be for nothing." She smelled herself and had the aroma of a swamp. "Phew. Master is going to have a lecture with me."
Namine didn't worry. "We found the last of the seven princess's of heart and found a new pathway. Let's get back to Twilight Town."