Chapter 7 The Fallen Steel
Sora smiled at Kairi. They had been making out for the past half hour. Their peace on the couch at the Usual Spot had been undisturbed. He wrapped his arms around her tighter. He was amazed at how beautiful she looked with her eyes closed like that, as he gently stroked her strawberry hair. She looked like was sleeping and the illusion of how delicate she was completely lost on him. She was beautifully fierce and how he loved her.
"I love you," she whispered wearily into his chest. He smiled and squeezed around her waist just a bit tighter. He knew she loved him. But, hey, any guy loved to here it again.
"We should stay this way forever," she breathed again, opening her left eye just a little.
His smile grew into a grin. "We can if you want. I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon."
She giggled. "You had better not." She moved in closer again to continue their make out session from before.
But to Sora's eternal ire, he did not to continue their game of tonsil hockey. The room began to shake lightly, like a small earthquake. They broke apart and ran outside to see what happened. They saw no visible damage and then ran to check the rest of the town.
What they would find would change the fate of the worlds.
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Axel looked deep into her eyes. If you had told him a year ago that he would be doing this, he would have laughed at your face. There was no possible way this could be happening, yet it was.
He hadn't gotten Larxene to confess about her throwing the match. But their conversation had followed them against the door of a bakery many streets away from the sandlot where they had started. Now they were silent with their soft gasps of breath touching each other's necks. It just occurred to Larxene that Axel was almost a head taller than her. That meant that he was leaning closer to her and she was looking up. She didn't know how they had gotten there. But she wasn't complaining.
Neither was he. He couldn't help but gawk at their situation. He was admiring her little bits of hair that were sticking up like antennae and the sheen of her short blond locks. How he had gone from hunting her like game to this? It boggled the mind.
"You know," she said with her childlike smirk, "you can either continue stand there and get slugged or we can make-out. Is the answer that hard?"
He chuckled. Same gorgeous Larxene. "Not really," he said mimicking her smirk.
Of course, as they were only an inch from each other's lips, they felt the same tremor that Sora and Kairi felt. Only for them, it was much closer and caused them to be sent back. Axel was slammed against the outside wall of the bakery. Larxene almost lost her balance but Axel grabbed her wrist at the last moment to pull her back before she could fall on her butt.
They were close.
Very close.
Too close!
Larxene, red faced, pushed herself off from the real redhead. 'Come on stupid; let's go see what going on!"
Axel let his professional manner come out and charged out with his comrade, but inside he couldn't shake the feeling of how he liked having her so close to him.
This was going to complicated.
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Riku flipped through the rulebook that Pence had loaned him. Though very simple, the sport of Struggle was a bit intriguing. For Riku, however, it would be too easy. He had beat Organization members and Xehanort's Heartless. Just beating some amateurs over some colored balls seemed like pretty good training.
Mickey, Donald and Goofy were eating Sea-salt ice cream. Though he would never tell them, he missed the excitement, the sword fights. He missed having to survive only by his wits and sword. Now all he had to do was sit in a chair and study for school. He almost –almost – wished that Sora would get them in some new form of trouble and drag him along.
He hated his thoughts right then.
Almost as soon as he had thought of adventure, the ground began to shake. Though he was not as close as Axel or Sora it was more subtle, but he could still fell it. He sighed, and with a scowl, closed the book, and put it in his pocket. "I'm going to kill Sora."
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Boxcly grabbed his side in pain and fury. Damn, how he hated Maleficent. "Damn! You're a crafty witch!"
She smirked at her opponent's situation. But he seemed to have an inexhaustible stamina. She couldn't keep doing this for too long.
He smiled wickedly at her. He had done that too many times for her comfort. He was clever. She couldn't afford to underestimate him. It had been hard enough coming back the first time. She didn't know if she could do it again.
"You have tricks," he reached into a pocket and brought out a spiked crystal ball. A very sharp ball. This could get sticky. "But so do I!"
He threw the ball at her, Maleficent tried to block with her malicious fire but it seemed to pass through it at her feet. She only had time to register her shock before the ball exploded with a fury of rainbow lights and the spicks launched forth and cut through dark robes! She would have retaliated, if she could see! The bright lights had blinded her. But not made her immune to pain. Boxcly surged forward, crystal spear in hand, at an inhuman speed. He cut through her robes even deeper, bringing forth that dark red blood that so drove Boxcly on. In a blind, literally, rage, she backhanded him, sending him back. She blinked several times as her vision slowly returned. She glared at the cornucopia of colors that was Boxcly. She let her power well up within her. She would have to finish this now, with all her power behind her.
She began to transform.
Boxcly smirked. "You're not the only one who can pull that off!" Crystal began to form around him as he shot up and a huge form began to grow around him.
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Axel and Larxene ran through the screaming streets of Twilight Town like unthinking soldiers. They had fallen into their old training to lead them to the source of the anarchy. Axel's face held no emotion. Hers held the sadistic smirk that she was famous for. Lightning gathered around her hands and her kunai appeared in a flash. He did the same only with his fire. With a glance, Axel looked at her and examined her. The graceful way her body flowed with his as they ran. He couldn't get the sensation out of his head. Why was this happening to him? Sure she was hot, but was he really falling for the girl who he had betrayed and left for Sora to destroy? How could this be happening?
He was driven by his thoughts when another huge crash rocked the ground. Only this time, there was a form to go with it. The two former organization members stopped in their tracks as they saw the black draconic form began to rise.
Axel snarled. "That's not fair! Sora got a whole year vacation! I haven't even been back a month!" How could his luck get any worse!
Clink! Clink! Came the distinct sound, almost like glass hitting glass. Clink!
Their eyes bulged to the size of dinner plates. As a testament to their shock, a huge crystalline form began rise with the dragon. Colored light began to shine everywhere with malicious radiance. They couldn't believe what was happening. This couldn't be! But if the giant crystalline pinchers and scorpion tail were anything to go on . . .
They were screwed!
It was huge! The legs were like gigantic pillars reflecting the sun. The pinchers looked like they could slice through anything with relative ease. The stinger was like a giant tower curved to fit the barb at the end.
Again, they were screwed. Got it memorized?
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Riku and the Disney group charged through the streets of Twilight Town. It seemed someone had summoned some Nobodies and Heartless to increase the anarchy of the situation. Who had done it, at the moment, Riku didn't care. All he was worrying about was keeping the Heartless here so they couldn't start devouring again. That wasn't really a problem for two Keyblade users, a wizard, and the captain of the castle guard. They were only low level enemies so they weren't that much of a fuss, but unchecked, they could be a threat.
Riku snarled as he cut down a Dusk. Where were they coming from? It was alright to catch the drops from a leak, but you needed to find the leak. He climbed up to the roof tops to see the source of their newest troubles.
They were back.
Organization XIII.
"Your majesty!' he yelled from the roof. The mouse king gave a bit of his partially occupied attention to the silver haired youth. He followed Riku's pointing hand to see the black cloaked figure standing at the edge of a roof.
Mickey quickly assessed that he didn't know this member. Through his searches, he had come to notice that each unique Nobody held themselves in a certain way and held their cloaks in a certain way. He had never seen any of them hold their hands behind their backs or at least, never on one of the broader shouldered of the Organization. There was a new piece on the board.
"Donald!" the king cried. He hoped his friend could hit the newcomer. But they didn't have time for hope, only action. Donald followed where his liege was directing and unleashed a powerful barrage of lightning attacks. Mickey wasn't going to take any chances. He sent some fire in as well to at least wound the member. Now they needed to utterly finish their once finished job.
However, the attacks fell on deaf ears. When the smoke cleared, the hooded enigma was still there as though nothing had happened. Mickey gritted his teeth, hands held even faster to the handle of his blade. Everyone had a weakness, even he, but he would have to find this man's. That would take time, which many people, at the moment, didn't have.
The Organization member stepped out into thin air, but instead of dropping thirty feet, a line glimmering grey material stretched forward from the base of the roof like a floor. He went forward again only closer to the ground and the process repeated like a stairway, which that was exactly what it was. He was coming towards them.
Goofy sent his shield, Save the King, spinning towards the man in hopes of ending this. But they were dashed as the man caught the shield with horrific ease and sent the shield back spinning even fiercer at Goofy, with metal spikes seemed to have grown on them instantly. thankfully he dodged. Mickey didn't want to be at the end of them.
The man came down to the bottom of the stairs and as he did so, the grey material seemed to melt and the liquid flow into the man's cloak like water. Riku jumped down from the roof he was on to help his friends confront this man. Mickey hoped their valor wouldn't be wasted.
"Ah, your majesty," said the Organization member in a cold emotionless voice that sent chills down Donald's spine, "What a pleasure it is to finally meet you. I have heard so much about you from many mutual acquaintances."
Mickey was in no mood to talk. "What do you want and who are you?" he yelled as fiercely as his squeaky voice would allow.
A scoff could easily be heard from the man. "My designs are of no concern to you. You and your companions just seemed to have been caught up in a bit of a witchhunt, per se."
Mickey could put together some of what the hooded one was saying. The Organization was after Maleficent. That wasn't too bad. He could take that; it would even be good for his friends. However, once they were done with the malicious fairy, who was next? No doubt that this man knew about all the events with the rest of the Organization. And no doubt, revenge was in the equation somewhere. This was why DiZ and himself both wanted the Organization completely destroyed. No one to pull this sort of evil weight. The people of light didn't need this.
"We know who and what you are, Nobody!" Riku yelled at the member with anger. "I'm not some child to be manipulated! I will take you down!"
A sound could be heard after Riku's tirade. It sounded almost like nothing but soon Mickey and the others could understand what it was. The member was chuckling.
"Is that so?" he said with cold laughter still in his voice. "Well then I hope we meet again. But, for now, a parting gift."
The man brought his hands forward and pulled back the hood that concealed his face. The sight froze Mickey's heart with memories. He had seen that face before! Not in the same way he remembered Xemnas' face, but it was still familiar. The man's face was lean and somewhat old. He was bearded around the chin, with blackish brown hair with streaks of grey. His hear went down back into his cloak with more grey. The man's face was covered in scars of battle and many looked very old. He had not a wrinkle on his face but the scars made up for them. His eyes freaked Donald and Goofy out. They were icy blue, almost white with lightning flashing behind them.
"I pray that we will meet again, oh sovereign of Disney castle, and on better terms," the Nobody left in a swirling of a Corridor of Darkness, but in his place stood multiple lesser Nobodies, all of whom were ready to kill.
The war had begun again.
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Sora and Kairi looked out at the giant dragon that began its titanic clash with some sort of creature that they had never seen before. But he recognized the dragon. Maleficent. Couldn't the old bat just leave them alone? They had lives too, for Pete's sake!
"Kairi!" Sora said to his girlfriend whilst summoning the Keyblade. "I'll be right back!"
He would have gone off to defend the town and do all his daring do but a strong arm held him back. He looked to see his redheaded girlfriend summoning her own island like Keyblade, now named Island's Destiny, with a look on her face that would have stopped Xemnas cold. "Have you forgotten already?" she said grasping even tighter on his arm, "I'm coming with you whether you like it or not!"
He smiled. She let go and they all went off to fight the giant dragon. What a perfect day.
However as they ran through the streets to the dragon, another saw them. He had been lost for a while in his own memories of the town, but now he had no time for such petty things. Boxcly had shown him how to summon his weapon. 'You'll need it, to defend yourself,' he had said. But Feixser didn't know whether the Rainbow Ravager had meant against their enemies or the Technicolor one himself. He didn't want to know.
He loved his new weapon. It was much better than those poor Struggle things. His was a real blade. A gunblade. It was cruelly shaped, thin with a curved handle like a revolver. But this was much better. Now he could defeat Axel and take back what was rightfully his: his pride.
Feixser quickly turned, surprised, to see Sora and Kairi in the Town, their weapons in hand. He had been humiliated by Sora too, it occurred to him. One well placed shot would end that annoyance here and now. But he held that reaction back. He saw the strange weapons they held. Though Nobodies act on calculation and emotion like action, he felt an instinctual pull to fear their weapons. Or at least be weary of them; Nobodies could not feel fear.
He stretched forth his hand to try to summon those creatures the boss had let loose all over town to deal with Sora. He reached within himself to find that darkness within the hollowness. Feixser penetrated it and seven Dusks appeared. He smiled at his accomplishments and sent the skinny beings down to fight Sora.
But the spiky haired one saw them a while off. While not the brightest bulb in the factory, he had experience in fighting Nobodies. He would normally charge ahead without thought of his own or his comrade's safety. He knew they could handle themselves. Now he didn't. While he had been training her in the ways of the sword with help from the others, she was still a novice, and novices do what they do best: make stupid mistakes. And that could possibly result in injury or worse. He could not and would not let that happen to her after all he had gone through to see her again.
He pulled her close to him, though she struggled but he whispered something into her ear that calmed her down. He waited a bit more till the levitating Dusk got closer. He breathed out the incantation for his plan.
"Reflecto!"
A quick clear dome came around them and the Nobodies were sent flying. But he had no time to celebrate. He quickly charged forth with Kairi by him and they began to hack away through the dazed creatures.
Feixser fumed at his minion's failure. He needed more power to show that he wasn't useless. From the corner of his eye he could see the boss—without his hood!—scowling at Feixser. He waved his own hand and creatures that looked like giant things with large metal hammers or axes appeared and charged for Sora and Kairi. The boss disappeared again, the scowl never leaving his face. Nor the 'anger' leaving Feixser.
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The devastation caused by their battle was immense. They cared not. Though they had only fought in one small area town, their own form of projectiles (fire and crystals) had their own list. They cared not. The dragon that was Maleficent swiped and threw great clumps of fire at her opponent. She could not hope to match Boxcly in rages of ammo, though. Even if she destroyed one the giant scorpion's crystal spears, he could still utilize the fragments to make small nicks and cuts. But with such, he had caused great damage over the course of their battle. Along with that, she also had to deal with those huge pinchers, and that barbed tail had already stung her. Fortunate, at least for the dark fairy, he couldn't inject poison into the tail, so it was only another one of his many, many blades.
Boxcly grinned manically. This was so much fun! To hell with that cryogenics chamber. He wasn't going back! Though being waist deep in the crystal scorpion's head wasn't exactly a five-star bed either, but at least here he could do whatever he wanted! Oh, how he loved this job! He brought his left hand which the left pincher mimicked perfectly. He stabbed it forward to jab the dragon back. Maleficent roared in pain. But he wasn't finished. He had years of training and he never let his opponent breath once he had them. The right pincher came in and smashed her face. He wouldn't relent. The tail came down and forced the witch-dragon to the ground, bleeding and groaning in agony. Going beyond possibilities, his grin got even wider as he slowly lowered his pincher to clip her head off and take a new trophy. It's great to be me!
But suddenly, his eyes were burning! He couldn't see for the pain and the fire! Fire! His eyes were on fire! He screamed and wailed about holding his eyes calling out for vengeance against Maleficent. The scorpion wailed with him flailing about causing even more damage to the surrounding area.
"My eyes!" he screamed. "DAMN IT ALL!" The damage was not even being caused by his crystals any more. Light was being concentrated all around him. The beams were slicing through things but completely uncoordinated. Thrashing lasers. But Maleficent didn't escape this newest weapon completely. New wounds opened on her already bloodied body.
He moved his hands from the chard surface that was his face. He closed his eyes so as not to let the air irritate them even more. He screamed out, "Where did you go, you witch?" But before he could figure out that she was still at his feet, he stiffened. His eyes opened to show bloodshot things that glowed with shock. Lightning arched all over his body. His head twitched slightly to the left again and again. But with that, he couldn't concentrate on maintaining the scorpion any more. But it didn't crack like a statue would or glass. No, the pieces just fall off each other as they had been held together by his will alone. A shower of shards began to flow over the area. With him falling from that height. Ouch.
Axel and Larxene smiled at their handiwork. They knew who this was as they had worked a little with him, but they still feared Boxcly. They had to make him fade away. Now!
He nodded to Larxene who just as serious did the same. She fired lightning sticks from her kunai into the pile of prism shards. The electricity caught and arched through it. Axel spun his chakrams around and sent them trailing around the pile with fire streaming and melting the outer shards.
But that didn't stop number XVI from busting from the pile. His cloak was burning and electricity continued to ark over his body. He was breathing heavy. The front of his rainbow hair was singed. He was not happy.
Where his prey had been there was only the retreating end of a corridor of darkness that lead who knows where. It closed.
"Damn it! Who in the hell shoots fire and lightning at someone when they are fighting! Isn't there any decency in the worlds anymore!?"
"You should talk."
Boxcly froze. He knew that voice. Suddenly the truth of his situation hit him. This was getting weirder. He waved his arms about, not facing Axel or Larxene. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" he turned to face them with a blank expression on his own. "This ain't right! I heard that you two were dead. What are you doing here?'
Axel did his trademark smirk. "Not a clue.'
Boxcly shrugged. "Not that it matters, but welcome back my brothers and sisters!" He yelled with his arms in the air. Then he turned to look at Larxene. "And of course whatever you are."
She didn't respond. She knew him, too well. He was a monster and she would take his incessant rambling just so she could kill him. He would die here.
Axel saw her tense at Boxcly's words. He knew what had happened between the Nymph and the Ravager. All the members did. He wouldn't let it happen again. Too many things had happened between them. Even if they really hadn't been feeling anything back then, they thought they were. Larxene didn't deserve that. No one did. Axel would kill Boxcly.
"Not anymore, bastard!" Larxene screamed at him.
He waved her finger at her like she was a disobedient child. "Now, now, Larxene, just cause you somehow came back from the dead doesn't mean you can go and betray the Organization, now can you. You're like me, no heart," his smile grew wider, "where exactly do you plan to run?"
Axel was getting tired of Boxcly once again. He never could stand the color controller. Now with his emotion switch turned to the on position, he was ready to kill him.
But once again, Boxcly started acting strange. He started sniffing around. "What is that smell! It smells like. . . emotions!" He smelled to his left then to his right then took a big sniff towards their direction. His face lit up. "No way! How! How'd you find your hearts again?"
Axel spun his chakram in his hand, the fire lining it again. "Like I said, not a clue. This time get it memorized!"
Boxcly chuckled. "Always the same, but we have a problem here. You have your hearts back and I'm still a Nobody, which means I have a job to do." Axel held his chakrams up ready for the fight. "Let's start with you, Blondie!" quicker than she could see, he shot a swarm of crystals at her. True to her training, she didn't flinch. Her kunai launched her lightning towards the projectiles, destroying them.
He smirked. "Well, well, even with hearts we still have our powers. I would ask you how but I think I know what the answer would be. But can you do this?" He waves a crystal staff that he held and multiple Dusk and Creepers appeared. Axel gritted his teeth. Even now they were after him. Just now he had something worth fighting for. He smirked towards Larxene. He charged forward, his spinning blades flaring. The Dusk didn't stand a chance. He cut through them like they were nothing. With each strike he destroyed one. Without a second thought he sliced up at a Creeper that thought to ambush him. His fire decimated it. Left strike with a line of fire to take a whole line.
Larxene fought with her kunai and extraordinary speed. They never could catch her even with their own speed. She sliced with knives in a scissor motion to slice a Dusk in half. She removed her knives and sliced to her left destroying the other two Dusk. This was the real deal.
Boxcly smiled as she destroyed the last of his summons. They hadn't lost their touch. He would have to take it up a notch. "Very good! Very good! But I don't suppose you remember these boys?" Another wave of his staff summoned what seemed to be smaller versions of the giant crystal scorpion that he had been attached to with the organization symbol on the front. There were only four. That wouldn't be too much trouble except for their special ability.
Axel threw his chakrams at them which hit their mark on each one. But it wasn't over and all three of them knew it. The crystals began to gather again into smaller versions of the Nobodies he had just destroyed.
This day was just getting better and better.
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Riku continued to charge through the streets of the city. Except for them and the denizens of the dark, the streets were empty. The people had fled to other parts of the town. He hoped that all had gotten away. But he seriously doubted that. You couldn't win at everything.
He had seen a while ago that the dragon had disappeared. He knew who it had been the moment he saw it. He hoped she had been destroyed by that scorpion. She deserved it for all the lies she had put into him. Turning him against Sora had even caused her first downfall. He wanted Maleficent gone.
"Riku!" squeaked his majesty. Riku turned to see Axel and Larxene fighting little crystal scorpions with a rainbow haired Organization member circling them like a lion waiting to pounce. Riku didn't know the specifics. He could figure where he would play in the fight. He ran forward to attack the Nobodies, though they were unfamiliar to him. He hit one with Way to Dawn and moved onto another, slicing it in half.
"Riku! Behind you!" yelled Axel over the clammier of battle.
Riku turned to feel the grip of four small pinchers grab his arm and hold fast. He felt the skin slice through. But that wasn't all. He turned to see the Organization member point his staff at Riku. The Staff began to grow! It was like a river coming closer and closer still it was at his throat with a very sharp point, "Oh,' he said mockingly, " I guess you don't know about my Nobodies little trick. The Crysmals don't exactly disappear in the puff of smoke like the others. Each shard grows into a new one. Very handy in big fights. That way they are never out numbered." He would have been skewered then and there but he felt the little pinchers break away from a blond flash and Axel smashed the spear with his chakrams. "I forgot about you," Boxcly sneered.
Axel grinned. "Did you forget about them?" He cocked his thumb over his shoulder where he could see Sora and Kairi charging forward.
Boxcly smiled Perfect! "Greetings Keepers of Light and Darkness! I am Boxcly. The Rainbow Ravager. Emperor of the Spectrum, Lord of the Iris. All that you see, bows before me."
Axel rolled his eyes. "At least if your going to be the enemy, you can be professional."
Boxcly smiled. "You don't know me at all."
Sora ran up and slammed a Crysaml away. "Axel, you know this creep?"
He nodded, "I'll tell you later."
Sora agreed and brought his sword forward ready to bare anything this maniac could throw at them.
"Was there a party and I wasn't invited?" said a cold voice that reverberated all around the area. A dark portal next to open to reveal a bearded man with black and grey hair in organization robes.
Boxcly looked at the man in total shock and glee. "My, my, am I starting to rub off on you?" He was answered by the man turning his head glaring at Boxcly. "I'll take that as a no."
Axel and Larxene tore their attention away from Boxcly to the newcomer. Their eyes were the size of dinner plate. The hair on the nape of their necks stood up, though you can't tell with Axel.
The bearded one turned his attention back to the Keybladers. "It seems we're all here. Then let the show begin."
"Hey!' Sora spat angrily at the older man. "Who the hell are you! We beat all the Organization."
The man slightly smiled at Sora. "I know that, dear boy. I know about all that has taken place. Though the existence of Axel and Larxene came as much a surprise to me as to you.'
Boxcly burst out laughing. "That's not all! Take a whiff!" Xonsaj did so and his face contorted into one of intrigue.
"Interesting," he said quietly, "However, this changes nothing. We will move accordingly, but I will introduce myself. First rule of etiquette. I am Xosnaj, the Fallen Steel. I will be watching you Sora Hiakri. You can memorize that." He clapped his hands and the Crysmals disappeared. "We will meet again; I can assure you of that. Another parting gift.' He snapped his fingers.
All around them the ground began to shake and in the multiple different places they could see the fire of explosions.
They were back in the big leagues.
GOOD LORD! I AM HERE! THE GREAT AND POWERFUL XOSNAJ! MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA! THA'S RIGHT! No we'l move onto other things, such as how you all enjoyed the last chapter and the fact that if you want to learn how to right fight sceans like I did, read R.A. Salvetore's Legend of Drizzt seris. Tremendous. But other than that . . .
REVIEWS! MY LIFE FORCE!
CattyGothLoli-Correct she did let Hayner win, but not now! They didn't get the witch sorry, but you will see her later. Just keep on reading an youl find out!
Fiendslayer-I wonder if anyone will be able to figure out our names we are the great and awesome ones!
flowergirl220-do you think Feixser will be normal again? You tell me. Now tell me what you think of Xosnaj. I will you now that he is the main villain and not Boxcly who you will see more. But never forget! CONSTANT VIGILANCE!