Author's Note: Well for those that thought it was finally over…psych! Sorry for dragging it out but really I couldn't just end it there could I? Besides I still have some ammo left in my bag, get ready for the real ride.

"Roxas, Roxas wake up."

Roxas frowned, it sounded like Namine, but something was strange. He blinked blearily as she called him again, shaking him roughly.

"What is i—"

He stopped and looked at her, taking her in his arms. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Namine shook her head, pressing against him, her tears wouldn't stop flowing. "Something terrible is happening."

"I don—"

The room shook violently; Namine screamed and wrapped her arms around him. Roxas held her closely. There was a sudden flash and Mim was there in the room, she grabbed them both roughly and a moment later they were standing outside, the world was still shaking, both Roxas and Namine fell over, gagging violently. Then Mim appeared again, this time with Sora and Kairi who also turned over and retched. When Roxas recovered he looked up at Mim, she was staring up at the night sky in shock. He followed her gaze and felt his heart sink, there was a whirling maelstrom of energy above the castle and it was slowly tearing the castle apart.

"What's happening?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"I don't know, I don't know." Whispered Mim, which for Roxas was even more terrifying than the swirling mass of energy.

Until then there had been the glow from street lamps and the strange glow in the sky where the castle was lighting the night, now though the lamps went out and the sky grew even darker.

"No, no...." Namine started whispering, clutching her head and closing her eyes.

"Sora!" Roxas yelled, Sora rushed to his side, they put their arms out and their keyblades snapped into existence, their light illuminating the area around them.

Roxas stared in horror at the Heartless before them, it was the same one that had killed Rikku, but there were five of them now and they were spreading out around him and Sora, their fangs bared, their eyes glowing menacingly as their tails lashed back and forth.

"Sora, be careful."

He nodded, looking back at Namine and Kairi; the former had lost consciousness and was being supported by Kairi now.

"Children, get back." Mim murmured.

She stepped forwards, pushing past Sora and Roxas both. Roxas looked up at her and gasped, her face was elongating as she walked and her teeth had grown long and sharp. The dragon-like face on a human body was horrifying and he stepped back rapidly as Mim's form surged upwards and filled the tight quarters, her tail lashed out and struck the ground violently, shattering cobblestones where it struck. The Heartless seemed uncertain now, their chosen victims were now behind a towering wall of angry flesh and scale and there was no easy way around. They slunk back slowly, snarling and gnashing their teeth impotently as the dragon advanced and snapped at them warningly; Roxas with Sora, and Kairi supporting Namine between them followed in Mim's wake.

The massive body of the dragon was too large for the street, however Mim paid no heed to the damage she was doing to the surrounding buildings as she moved forwards inexorably, Roxas was feeling increasingly nervous as Mim continued. Then he looked up and realized what was wrong.

"Mim above you!"

The dark purple dragon raised its head to see more of the Heartless on the buildings surrounding it, without anymore warning they leapt onto her back and began tearing and slashing, she shrieked in agony and thrashed violently, her tail swinging wildly into the buildings around her.

"Take my girls away from here!" She shrieked in an agonized cry as the Heartless continued their attack, Mim clasped one in her jaws and crushed it with a sickening crunch, throwing the limp form into the cobblestones where it burst into a mist-like shadow. "Now," she bellowed desperately

Sora and Roxas looked at one another, then at Kairi, there were tears in her eyes but she nodded. "We have to run."

With Namine between the three of them they ducked down a side-street and ran, it was slow going but the Heartless didn't come for them.

"Where is Cid's defense system?" Sora called out.

Roxas shook his head, "just run!"

They emerged back on another main street and a familiar cry caught the boys' attention.

"Red where did you come from?" Sora yelled in surprise.

The big chocobo skidded to halt in front of them and squawked in their faces Sora reached up and pulled the bird down, helping Kairi up onto his back and with Roxas' help they got Namine's still unconscious form up with her as well.

"You have to carry them Red, okay? Take care of them."

The bird chirped excitedly and nuzzled against Sora, Roxas scowled. "Not now Red, come on."

They moved off at a jog, Red trotted after them as if the city around them wasn't filled with screams of terror. It was the first time that Roxas had stopped to listen to city, there were cries of alarm and fear everywhere. He wondered how many of those people were being attacked by Heartless and felt tears sting his eyes. What was happening? Hadn't they sealed the heart?

"Boys!"

Their heads snapped up to see Laguna with several other mounted knights at the next intersection. He leapt from his mount and came up to them.

"Where is Mim?"

"She got ambushed and told us to run."

Laguna nodded, and then he looked at Red with a scowl. "You dumb sack of feathers; I thought you'd gone crazy."

Red hissed at him threateningly and Laguna rolled his eyes. "He bolted from my place as soon as the shakes started."

"What about your family?" Sora asked worriedly.

"They're safe, Julia and Yuffie are with Merlin, Rinoa was with Tifa and your brothers. I can't think of many safer places can you?"

Roxas and Sora shook their heads; Laguna moved past them and looked at Namine with a frown as he felt her forehead and lifted her face up.

"She'll be fine, she's just unconscious."

"What happened to Cid's system?" Sora asked again.

Laguna's lips thinned and he pointed over their heads; they turned to see that the sky was alight with an orange glow. "Something attacked Cid's place, we don't know what happened or if anyone survived. The entire area is an inferno."

Roxas sank to his knees. "Not again," he whispered weakly.

Laguna grabbed him and pulled him up. "Don't you dare collapse now Roxas, Namine still needs you."

The words seemed to have a magical effect on Roxas and he pushed all thoughts of defeat out of his mind and nodded grimly.

"Sir!" One of the Knights called.

"In a moment," Laguna looked down at Roxas and Sora. "Head to Merlin's, it's probably the only safe place in the city right now and until we know what happened at the castle there isn't a lot you can do out here."

"Sir here they come!" The same Knight called desperately.

Laguna's head snapped around. "Go! Get out of here and stay safe!"

Roxas felt his jaw drop as Laguna ran back to his mount and leapt from the ground into the saddle, the silver was taller than Red, he couldn't see how Laguna had made the jump.

Laguna drew his sword from over his shoulder. "Come on Knights, tear them to pieces!"

The group of chocobos charged the oncoming Heartless, sending shadows flying in every direction as they began to fight, once again Roxas and Sora turned to leave their hearts sinking in their chests as they did so.

"Now don't look so depressed boys, everything will be alright I assure you." Merlin said cheerily.

Red warbled mournfully from the opened door, Merlin eyed the big bird threateningly. "You stay out there or I'll throw you into the cooking pot!"

Red croaked forlornly and lowered his head pitifully. Sora watched as the sugar pot danced over to his cup of tea and served him. He waved the pot off and it proceeded over towards Roxas. There was a gust of wind and a stack of Merlin's books tumbled over and created a domino effect, raising a cloud of dust and sending numerous effects scattering in every direction.

"Who? Now what," Archimedes said dubiously.

Mim picked herself up from the pile of books and assorted junk, glaring at Merlin warningly; Merlin had the sense to simply offer her a cup of tea which she accepted gratefully. Kairi leapt up from the table and wrapped her arms around her grandmother's waist.

"My dear Madame," Merlin remarked, "you look terrible."

Indeed Mim did look haggard, there was blood covering her clothes and she was badly bruised, though there were no obvious wounds.

She eyed Merlin dangerously, "my Namine?"

"Upstairs sleeping soundly with Julia and my coat rack keeping an eye on her, I think you should be more concerned with yourself Madame."

She waved his concern aside and flumped down in Merlin's large cushioned red chair, seething.

"Did you see that thing above the castle you old fool?"

Merlin nodded simply, smiling politely. "Yes, it was most curious; if I didn't know better I would say it was another world heart."

Mim snorted. "Preposterous, there can only be one heart per world and you know it."

Merlin nodded agreement, shrugging. "I was simply stating what it appeared to be."

"The city is in turmoil, the Heartless have turned the streets into a battlefield, Soldier, the Knights, and the Elites are all over the city trying to fight back hordes of the cursed beasts, and no one has seen the King."

"How can there be so many Heartless? We locked the heart didn't we?" Roxas asked desperately, this was all like a nightmare, he kept wondering if he'd wake up back in Namine's bed and find this was all a horrible dream.

Mim sighed, stroking Kairi's hair gently as she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. "I have no answers for you Roxas, this is all beyond anything any of us know. The Heartless should not be attacking like this with the heart sealed but they are, and we have no answers."

Merlin paused and looked out towards the door frowning, without a word he vanished in a puff of blue smoke, then just as quickly reappeared with Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo, and Riku besides him, the boys were carrying Paine with them and she was bleeding profusely.

Mim leapt to her feet and with a sweep of her hand cleared the table of everything. "Put her here, gently."

They laid Paine out, she had a wound in her stomach and blood was trickling from her mouth, her eyes were staring vacantly at the ceiling. The only sign that she was even still alive was the steady rise and fall of her chest.

Loz was practically sobbing; he knelt down next to her, clutching her hand desperately. "Mother, wake up, please wake up."

Roxas looked at the others; Kadaj and Yazoo were tight lipped though there was no hiding the pain and fear in their eyes as they watched Merlin and Mim work over Paine. Riku was standing stoically to one side, Kairi went over to him and grasped his hand, and he turned to look at her, his expression just as vacant as Paine's. She wrapped her arms around him; he hesitantly embraced her as well. Sora joined them and Riku reached out to wrap him in the hug as well. Roxas suddenly felt very alone.

"You boy," Mim snapped at Kadaj. "What happened?"

Kadaj opened his mouth to answer but Paine spoke first, her eyes still unfocused. "The King, Sephiroth, the King…."

Mim scowled, "talk sense woman."

Paines eyes began to focus. "We went to find the King, he was in his chambers, it wasn't the King, and the man in red was with him. The King….the King attacked Sephiroth, attacked my husband, impaled him with shadows."

Mim and Merlin exchanged bewildered glances; Merlin for the first time looked truly grim. "They killed Sephiroth?"

Paine nodded, whatever composure she'd had vanished in that instant and she began sobbing uncontrollably. Mim sank back into Merlin's chair; Merlin joined her as Paine's children helped her up, seeing Paine of all people crying shook Roxas to the core. They were all going to die he realized, they were being eliminated in groups and the King had been the first. There was no hope.

A book slammed into his head and he staggered, "ow!"

He looked up to see Mim scowling at him. "None of that boy, if you intend to stay with Namine through all this you need to be strong; so none of that."

"Pin feathers, the only thing keeping us safe here is the enchantments! As soon as we step outside we'll be torn to pieces!" Archimedes squawked from his perch.

"Archimedes, shut up." Merlin said tersely, the owl puffed up indignantly and bustled inside his house.

Merlin stroked his beard thoughtfully, his face and voice grim. "We need to find how much damage has been done, and who is still alive. Then we must decide what to do next from there, but for now all we can do is rest." He held up a hand as Mim opened her mouth to protest. "Madame I will take no protests, you will take a bed just as the rest of us shall. We will do no good to anyone emotionally and physically exhausted."

Mim nodded sullenly sinking back into the chair again. "Have it your way you old goat."

Roxas looked over to the stairs then and his eyes widened, "Namine!"

Everyone turned as he rushed to her side, putting an arm around her waist as she swayed on her feet.

"I know…I know what happened." She said meekly, her face pale.