Chapter A113
To the Imperial City
After eating breakfast at the crack of dawn, the troop packed up camp and began their march. Mulan, Shang, and the soldiers rode their horses while the majority of the foreigners in the party walked, although Mulan allowed Kairi to ride with her when her legs and feet grew tired, and one of the soldiers offered the same courtesy to Donald.
They trekked across the countryside for much of the day. The journey was rather peaceful, for the most part. They only ran into very few Heartless, and a trio of Dusks at one point, never facing a force similar to that which attacked Mulan's village two days prior. Sora questioned this phenomenon, but Mickey said that it made sense, as the majority of Heartless were gathered in the large army units, so there would only be a few strays.
"Speaking of the enemies we've been fighting, what are the Nobodies doing here?" Riku asked. "We ran into them a couple of times in the last couple weeks, but they've just been in small groups, acting without much of an agenda."
"Those white things? Those were 'Nobodies'?" Aqua questioned.
"Now that you mention it, we've seen very little of them since you were last here, after the last time that spy with the eyepatch was seen," Mulan added.
Sora shrugged. "Well, we did take out Organization XIII, so they don't really have anyone ordering them around," he replied. "And we also took out a bunch of them on our way through their stronghold. And there were those hundreds of Dusks that you and I fought after we beat Xemnas."
"I guess whatever Nobodies are still around are trying to find something to do with themselves," Mickey surmised. "They'd even be willing to work for people controlling the Heartless, like the ones that Dr. Facilier sent to fight us."
"Doctor? Is he some kind of healer?" Mulan asked, wondering who this character could be.
Donald shook his head. "Not even close. He's just a skinny guy with… a special kind of magic," he told her, deciding it was best to not try to explain what voodoo was.
"You know, after we finished off the Organization, I guess I kinda forgot about the rest of the Nobodies," Sora noted.
Riku shrugged. "Well, I guess that, aside from the ones that stayed in human form, we saw the Nobodies as just another type of enemy to fight, dangerous monsters like the Heartless. We only recently found out that they could have grown hearts of their own and that they could have become people with feelings and hopes again."
"Now I feel kind of bad for them, and how we treated them," Sora lamented. "We should have found some way to help them."
"Xemnas misled us. He misled them. There wasn't anything we could have thought to do," Mickey reminded him. "And we were too busy trying to stop him and them from causing pain and destruction across the worlds. Remember how Xaldin manipulated Adam's emotions to try to turn him into a Heartless and a Nobody? When Luxord sent the Grim Reaper to attack Port Royal? When Xigbar stoked a dragon to become a Heartless and attack the Imperial City?"
Mulan raised an eyebrow. "You were here for that?" she asked, not remembering the mouse's presence.
Mickey shook his head. "Riku told me after the fact. Along with the profile on the Heartless in the journal, I was able to put the story together."
"He has a point," Kairi said, referring to Mickey's previous argument. "Besides, now we know a lot more about Nobodies. We know that if they die, they will become Somebodies again, as well as the whole 'heart-growing' thing. But now that we do know this, what are we going to do about the rest of the Nobodies still running around?"
The party fell silent as they thought about how to answer the question. Before, they had only concerned themselves with protecting the fate of the people that the Nobodies threatened to harm. But now, with their more advanced knowledge of the nature of Nobodies and what may happen to them, they had to consider and decide the fate of the Nobodies themselves. Sora felt apprehensive, as he had never had to think this "big" before, never having to decide the fate of an entire species.
"I wonder," Sora muttered.
In the early afternoon, they approached a grove. Mulan and Donald dismounted, and they, along with Goofy, offered to scout ahead and determine whether the path was suitable to progress, or if any monsters of one variety or another were present.
They stepped into the line of trees, looking around to make sure that nothing escaped their view. After a few minutes, Mulan heard something. She raised her hand, beckoning for Donald and Goofy to stop. Donald squinted as he glanced around, while Goofy tilted his head and lifted one ear. The sound returned, a rustling in the grass and shrubbery. Mulan reached for her sword while Donald and Goofy's staff and shield appeared in their hands. They each took on a battle-ready stance as the noise grew louder and closer. They began to hear voices, although not loud enough to discern the words spoken: a deep growl, a high shrill, and a calm, soft tone. As the figures drew closer, Mulan began to make out some of the words, and she started to find the voices to be rather familiar.
"This is all your fault!"
"I just thought it'd be a good idea to scout ahead. I thought that tree was a good landmark to find our way back."
"I smell some delicious mushrooms somewhere around here."
"Would you just shut up about food?!"
"But this could be a good spot toー"
"Yeah! What are一"
"Shh! I think I hear something."
Donald and Goofy looked at each other in confusion. Mulan started to smile softly, coming to believe that she knew who was on the other side of those bushes.
"Okay, on my signal. One, two, three!" Three soldiers of different shapes and sizes jumped out from behind the bushes, with swords drawn. The short, portly one and the lean, skinny one let out threatening shouts, while the tall, fat one smiled innocently.
Donald and Goofy raised their arms defensively, but Mulan merely smiled and released her grip on her sword. "Well, look who it is!"
The three soldiers blinked first in confusion, then in recognition, then started to laugh. They sheathed their swords and embraced Mulan.
"Ha! We almost got you!" Yao, the short soldier wearing black and red armor and who had a thick beard and an eye that seemed to perpetually be swollen purple and shut, boasted.
"You sure did, Yao. You sure did," Mulan replied, humoring the man.
"Did you miss us?" Ling, the skinny soldier wearing black and yellow armor, asked.
"We missed you," Chien Po, the tall, fat, and bald soldier wearing black and blue armor, said.
Realizing that these three were not enemies, Donald and Goofy dismissed their weapons and waved amicably. "Hey, you guys. Long time," Goofy greeted.
The three soldiers broke off from Mulan and looked at the duck and dog in mild confusion. Yao and Ling waved nervously while Chien Po waved cheerfully. "Oh. Hey. It's… you guys," Ling said uncertainly. He sighed and slumped slightly. "I'll be honest here. I don't remember who you are at all."
Donald's jaw dropped. Goofy tilted his head in bemusement. Yao shrugged. "Sorry," the gruff soldier said. Mulan giggled.
"It is very nice to meet you," Chien Po greeted politely.
Yao turned to Mulan. "Good to see you back in the field. Say, you mind if we tag along with you?" he asked. "We kinda got separated from our troop."
Mulan nodded. "Of course. We could use all the help we can get."
Ling grinned. "Great! Let's一" He stopped as he registered what she had said. "Wait, what do you mean by 'all the help we can get'?"
Mulan explained the situation as she, Donald and Goofy led the three soldiers out of the grove and back to the troop. Yao, Ling, and Chien Po greeted Shang and the soldiers. Yao gave Sora a playful punch on the arm, which Sora returned, and Chien Po pulled him into a bear hug. Ling kissed Kairi's hand with a gentlemanly flair, then Yao shoved him to the ground.
"So, we're out to save China again?" Yao asked for clarification, an anticipatory grin forming on his face.
Shang nodded. "That's right. And we need to hurry. With any luck, we'll be able to reach the Imperial City before too much damage can be done," he affirmed.
"Which means we need to get a move on," Riku reiterated bluntly.
"Then let us go help our friends," Chien Po said sweetly.
Kairi smiled. "I like this guy," she remarked.
The troop continued its march. They approached a village and saw that it was under attack by Heartless. Aqua, Mickey, and Yao ran in to check the situation and help out, but saw that a dozen men, some dressed in armor and others in plainclothes, were already fighting the monsters off. Most of the townspeople had locked themselves inside their homes, and some of them were using brooms, knives, and pieces of armor to fend off any Heartless that attempted to break in. Yao laughed as he saw that the people were handling the situation well enough. Aqua and Mickey each let out a sigh, relieved to see that they did not have much to worry about in regards to the Heartless' country-wide assault. Deciding that they did not need to call in reinforcements, they charged into battle and helped clear out the Heartless.
When the battle was over, they rejoined their companions and reported to Shang. With the crisis resolved, they proceeded onward. As they hiked, the terrain grew rough and uneven. After a short while, a gap in the earth came into view. As they drew near, they saw that it was a ravine, in which a river flowed twenty feet down. The only link to the other side was a rope bridge, which was wide enough for three men and which appeared to be sturdy.
"Once we cross this bridge, it will be only a day's trek to the Imperial City," Shang said.
Goofy peered over the horizon. "Gawrsh, you think the Heartless went this way?" he asked.
"Probably, if they were going for a straight shot," Mulan replied. "But I don't see them anywhere, and they didn't seem to be moving very fast." She gazed downhill beyond the ravine, not even seeing a dot on the plain.
"We did tail them and catch up to them pretty quick after each fight in the villages," Donald remarked.
"And that last fight didn't look like it had started too long ago," Yao added. "Maybe a little over an hour, tops."
"Maybe they decided to take a detour, go the scenic route," Ling quipped.
Two of the soldiers studied the map. One pointed out the number of villages marked on either side of the river to the other. "Maybe they did change course so they can go after more villages and increase their ranks," one of them suggested. They turned the map around to show the others.
Donald looked across the bridge, then glanced to the right, where the Heartless had most likely gone. "So what are we supposed to do?" he asked.
"We'll have to split up," Shang said. "A small contingent will continue to follow the Heartless and make sure that they don't take any victims on the way while the rest of us head straight for the Imperial City and mount its defense."
Sora nodded. "That's a good idea. Now, how about we…" He trailed off as he heard a peculiar noise. As he listened, trying to discern the nature and source, the noise grew louder, or rather, the source came closer. Everyone else looked around in all directions, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from.
They soon realized that the noise sounded like a yell, and that it was coming from somewhere above them. They all looked up, just in time to see a massive armored figure drop from the sky and land in the middle of the bridge. The giant man reached behind him and pulled out a naginata and a jian sword with a brown leather handle and an octagonal red guard.
Sora jumped in surprise as he recognized the warrior. "You again?" he blurted, flabbergasted.
Mulan shot Sora a bemused glance. "You know this beast?" she asked.
Gilgamesh pointed his sword and twirled his naginata. "Yes! We meet again, Keyblade's warrior!" he shouted. "We were interrupted before our fated duel could properly begin, but I hope you are ready this time!"
Shang squinted as he studied the samurai's weapons and gasped. "That sword… it belonged to my father!" he exclaimed. He glared at the swordsman and drew his sword. "He said that a strange warrior had confronted him and stolen it. That warrior was you!"
"Stolen? Bah! That General Li fought quite admirably, but he lost in the end. I simply claimed my prize," he corrected. After a brief pause, he cleared his throat, speaking in a slightly softer tone. "I, uh, heard what happened. You have my condolences, good sir." There was another brief pause before he decided to resume his original business. He twirled his naginata again and swung the sword. "Now we shall share our own great match, Keyblade master Sora! Step forward, and we shall fight like men!" He glanced around quickly, registering the presence of Kairi, Aqua and Mulan. "And ladies! And ladies who dress like men! For Gilgameshー"
He was cut off as he heard wood creaking and twine ripping around him. He looked around and saw that the rope holding the bridge together was stretched thin, and that cracks were forming in the wooden boards that he was standing on. He looked back up and gulped. A few seconds later, the ropes broke completely, and the bridge fell against either rock wall, with two broken boards dropping into the river. He remained still in midair for several seconds before dropping into the water with an enormous splash. Sora, Mulan and Shang ran to the edge and watched the armored figure as he was swept away in the river's rapid current.
Mushu climbed out of Mulan's robe and stared in the same direction as them. "Uh, what just happened?" he asked, utterly bewildered. Sora could only shrug in response.
Mulan sighed. "So much for mounting our defense ahead of the invasion force," she lamented.
Shang shook his head. "Well, there's no point standing around here." He turned around to face the rest of the troop. "We're going around."
They continued their march, this time going the long way and hoping that they will not be too late. One of the soldiers estimated that, with minimal delay, it should take three days to reach their destination. Shang responded by declaring that they had best not delay.
"I wonder what that guy's deal is," Sora mused after an hour of walking.
"Who?" Kairi asked.
"Gilgamesh," Sora clarified. "He just started to show up out of nowhere and said he wanted to duel me. You don't really run into that very often."
"He seems to be able to travel from one world to the next," Riku noted. "My guess is that he's a warrior without a war or a cause, so he gave himself a purpose by tracking down soldiers and champions from all over and fighting with them. I can only guess why. Something to prove to himself? Something to prove to his girlfriend? Fun?"
"So he's a lone samurai who goes around picking fights for the thrill?" Aqua paraphrased.
"I think the technical term is 'rōnin'," Mickey corrected.
Mulan shrugged, not knowing what the distinction meant.
"What do you think will happen when we see him next?" Sora asked.
"Well, if you don't get interrupted, I guess he'll just start a fight with you," Goofy answered.
"Launch him to the dark side of the moon for me, okay?" Shang requested.
Sora smirked. "I guess all I can do is be ready."
As night fell and they continued on, they saw what appeared to be an army camp a few hundred feet away. Donald, Ling, Chien Po, and two of the soldiers smiled, thinking that they were going to meet up with some allies, but Shang, Mulan, Mickey, and Riku put their guards up.
"Careful, fellas. Something's not quite right," Mickey warned.
"What do you mean?" Donald asked.
"Take a closer look. There aren't any lights, and it isn't that late," Riku noted. "There also doesn't seem to be anyone keeping watch. And, though I can't see very clearly, I can't see any horses anywhere." He sniffed. "I also smell something… disconcerting."
Chien Po sniffed the air. "I also cannot detect the wafting aroma of a recently-cooked dinner."
"A real sign of disaster," Ling quipped.
Mulan and Shang sniffed the air, as did Mushu. "Now hold on. I don't smell anything funny," Mushu remarked.
"You probably wouldn't. It's not a regular scent," Sora clarified. "Riku can literally smell the power of darkness."
Mulan, Shang, and Yao looked at him in bewilderment. Riku sighed. "Just roll with it and pretend it makes sense," he advised dryly.
Shang shrugged. "Approach with caution," he instructed.
Sora and Mulan nodded. The troop walked toward the quiet camp silently, watching and listening carefully for any sign of life. When they drew within two hundred feet, they slowed their pace, waiting for anyone who might be present to stir.
As they reached the edge of the camp, they stopped as they heard something shuffle inside one of the tents. They stood still, barely moving a muscle. The flaps on the tent were pushed open, and a figure stepped out and made its way to them. As the figure came closer, the party could tell that he was dressed in a soldier's uniform, with a sword at his belt, although they could not make his face out in the darkness. Three of the soldiers looked at each other in confusion, wondering why this man was wearing his armor. The figure stopped five feet in front of Shang, his face still difficult to see clearly. He stood at attention, showing respect and deference to Shang.
Shang nodded. "At ease, soldier," he said. The figure relaxed. "Status report."
Rather than answer, the figure reached for the hilt of his sword and drew it. Mulan gasped and drew her own sword. She brought it up to block the figure's attempt to swing his weapon at Shang. Riku summoned his Keyblade and stabbed the figure in the side. However, the attacker did not flinch. Instead, he stepped back and reared to swing again, heedless of the growing gash in his side as the still-impaled Keyblade did not budge. He swung again, but Mulan parried his attacks and then kicked him in the stomach. Donald cast Thunder, calling down a bolt of lightning to hit the enemy's sword. The blade glowed as electricity crackled through it, finally lighting the figure's face, if only for a few seconds. However, these few seconds were enough to expose a shriveled face of decaying blue skin, jaundiced, lifeless eyes, and a hole where his nose ought to be.
Kairi yelped while Yao, Ling, and Chien Po screamed. Aqua gaped in horror, Sora gasped before scowling, and Goofy grimaced.
"What is that thing?" Mulan asked, similarly freaked out.
"A Mamluk!" Sora replied. He attacked the zombie, striking its joints hard enough with his Keyblade that its limbs fell off. He finished off by smashing its stolen helmet, crushing the metal and caving its head into its torso. "You can't kill them, but you can take them out." He demonstrated by pushing the Mamluk's now-limbless torso onto its back and kicking the limbs away so that it would not be able to put itself back together.
A few seconds after the first Mamluk had been defeated, a dozen more of the zombies stepped out of the tents. Each one wielded a scimitar, and only a few of them had bothered to wear any of the armor. The Mamluks stalked toward the troop, their swords raised to kill.
By this point, the soldiers had calmed down from their terror and had drawn their weapons. Everyone else also took out or summoned their own weapons and prepared for battle. They charged at the undead soldiers and engaged them. The Chinese soldiers had a difficult time fighting them, even when fighting two-on-one, as the Mamluks were skilled and they were not fazed in combat. However, they quickly began to overtake their opponents when Riku reminded them to go for dismembering blows. They found that the decaying skin and atrophied muscles made cutting through the walking corpses a simple matter; while one kept the zombie occupied in a frontal attack, another soldier would slice at the shoulders, elbows, knees, hips, and neck.
Mulan and Shang paired up against a Mamluk in a similar manner, although Mulan had her sword ignited and charged up with Mushu's dragon fire. The heat flared each time her sword connected with her enemy's scimitar, and she managed to cut off the Mamluk's hand, igniting its wrist in the process. Shang severed its opposite arm while Mulan dealt a few more flaming slashes, incapacitating the zombie and causing its body and clothes to start burning up. With her opponent vanquished, she spun her sword like a windmill, dispersing the flames that wreathed her blade.
Donald cast Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga to try to take out some of the Mamluks, while Kairi tried to throw them off balance with Aerora and then attempt to slice at sensitive nerves and tendons with her Keyblade (she did not have as much success as she would have hoped, however). Aqua blasted three Mamluks with Blizzaga, then cast a Blizzaza spell at one of them, freezing it solid. She then hit it with her Keyblade with enough strength to shatter it to pieces.
Sora, Riku, and Mickey overcame their opponents with their superior strength, speed, and swordplay. They made sure to sever the Mamluks' limbs and heads to keep them from getting back up. Goofy assisted them by blocking sword strikes with his shield and pushing them off balance. Once all of the Mamluks had been defeated, Riku conjured a pool of darkness to dispose of the broken bodies. With the battle over, everyone regrouped.
"I suppose we can imagine what happened to the soldiers that were at this camp," Shang mused grimly. "But what were those things we just fought?"
"Mamluks, undead soldiers from the Land of the Black Sand," Sora answered. He looked over at Riku and Mickey knowingly. "Which means we know who's controlling the Heartless here."
"Mozenrath," Mickey confirmed.
"Who is that?" Mulan asked.
"He's a powerful sorcerer who specializes in dark magic and manipulations," Riku explained. "When we faced him, he tried to use the Heartless of a wind spirit to destroy a city in order to find an item of value to him and his associates."
"I see. I suppose an army of Heartless carving through the entire country to invade the Imperial City is a strategy that fits someone who is that ruthless," Mulan remarked.
"Maybe he sent that eel of his to set things up ahead of time," Donald added, recalling the theory that the Heartless invasion had been prepared before the commander's arrival.
"If that's the case, then we'll need to hurry to the Imperial City to stop this invasion, and prevent this Mozenrath from getting what he wants," Shang asserted. "We'll rest for the night, and continue on our way first thing in the morning."
No one complained. They prepared and ate dinner, then spent an hour sparring before hitting the hay. Sora took another lesson in bo staff fighting with Shang and Mulan while Riku, Kairi and Mickey sparred together. Aqua would have joined them, but Donald wanted to talk to her.
"Hey, Aqua," he began, getting her attention.
Aqua turned to face him. "What is it?"
"How did you learn to use those fourth-tier spells?" he asked. "I've been at third-tier level for a while, and I haven't figured out how to cast next level magic." He shook his head. "Until I saw you cast Firaza, fourth-tier magic was only something I'd read about years ago."
Aqua reflected on her experience in the Realm of Darkness, recalling how she unlocked the power in the first place. She sat down next to Donald. "I'm not sure how to explain it. When I was down there, the monsters I fought were like nothing I'd ever seen before," she explained. "It took all of my power just to survive down there. At first, I tried being strategic with my spells, but after a while, as the assault was just as fierce, I resorted to casting Firaga in succession, putting all of my power into trying to destroy the horde. As I flung spells left and right, I think I felt the intensity rise. My anger and frustration burned to a peak as I cast the strongest fire that I could manage. Then, suddenly, I felt a strange warmth. I cast my next spell, and it came out with an explosive force. Instead of just a really big fireball, I'd engulfed the entire horde in flames. I couldn't believe it."
Donald thought over her account. "So, you focused on the fire, letting it rage inside you and letting it all out, pushing yourself to your limits," he summarized, considering Mushu's words from the previous night.
Aqua shrugged. "I don't really try to go right for the big spell. If I go all in with a single spell over and over, it'll happen, but I won't just use something that powerful offhand."
Donald nodded. "Makes sense. It seems a lot stronger and tougher to get a handle on than lower-tier spells, especially if you can't really practice in a controlled environment," he mused. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
"You really think you're ready for fourth-tier Black Magic spells?" Aqua asked.
Donald shrugged. "Eh, when has a wizard really been ready for something he's ambitious to learn?" he joked. "But if and when I am ready, I'm sure I'll be able to do it. When my heart has the strength, it will let me do it, right?"
Aqua nodded. "That's right. Don't worry. Your heart is strong. You'll find that strength. Heck, I got it to work, and I wasn't even trying."
They laughed for a moment. Their attention fell upon Sora, Mulan and Shang's training session, where Sora was getting the hang of the new weapon and fighting style.
After breakfast at dawn, the troop packed up the camping set, seeing as no one was using it anymore, and set off. They marched for two full days, facing no opposition, which was both relieving and worrying; they did not have to worry about delays due to semi-frequent encounters, yet it also gave them an idea of the scope of the invasion force, indicating that nearly all of the Heartless in the world are participating in the horrific assault. Knowing that they needed to catch up to the Heartless before they could do any damage, they moved as fast as they reasonably could. By the morning of the last day of their trek, they could see the platoon of Heartless that they had been tailing. In the afternoon, the Imperial City started to come into view. As they finally approached the city, they watched the swarm of Heartless grow and envelop the land around it.
Ling screamed. "It's begun!" he announced.
The soldiers dismounted from their horses. Shang drew his sword. "Then let's end it before they get too far in."
"There is only one direct entrance into the city: the front gates," one of the soldiers reported. "The enemies on this side will enter through there, while the rest would have to climb the walls. Or, you know, teleport inside the city. The streets will be overrun, but defenses on the walls will be better-matched."
Mulan nodded. "Alright, then. Our priority will be to eliminate the threat and defend the gates. We will also need troops to fan out and make sure the city is clear and no one is harmed," she declared.
"And we also need to find their commander," Mickey added. "Mozenrath will certainly be headed straight for the palace. We'll need to stop him and protect the Emperor."
"Certainly," Shang agreed. "But first, we'll need to cut through the mob in front of us." He pointed his sword in the direction of the gates to emphasize.
Sora studied the crowd before deciding how they should proceed. "Magic users go first. Blast a hole in them so we can pass through and cut down the rest!" he ordered. He, Riku, Mickey, Donald, Aqua, and Kairi charged ahead of the rest of the troop, readying the spells that they would use. Mushu climbed out of Mulan's robe and jumped over to Sora, grabbing onto his hood, clambering up his shoulder and hair, and standing on his head. As they drew within a hundred feet of the crowd of Heartless, they began flinging spells left and right. Mushu spat fireballs at enemies as well. Aqua took the lead, launching Firaga spells into the center of the crowd. Flames enveloped her Keyblade more and more with each spell. After the fourth spell, she threw a Firaza spell, which obliterated a large percentage of the Heartless in front of them and caused dozens others to be blasted backward, clearing the way for the troop to proceed through the gates.
When the troop reached the gates, carving through any Heartless in arm's reach, Riku, Goofy, and four guards stopped. "We'll cover this entrance," Riku said. "These things aren't going to get past us!"
Shang nodded. "Understood." Sora gave his friends a thumbs-up before they continued.
As they proceeded, they saw Heartless running through the streets and flying around houses in search of victims. Shang directed the Chinese soldiers to break off into groups of three to clear the alleys. Yao, Ling, and Chien Po ran together, charging with determination toward an Assault Rider and two Nightwalkers. The rest of the group continued on their way, sprinting up to the courtyard in front of the palace, where they saw that the palace was surrounded by Heartless of all kinds. When they reached the center of the courtyard, four Bolt Towers descended on them. Sora jumped into the air and lashed out at one of the Heartless' floating heads. When he finished a combo and started to drop down, the Bolt Tower shot its head straight at him, hitting him in the chest and launching him over the party. Another Bolt Tower shot a bolt of electricity from its antenna, striking Sora and causing him to drop to the ground. Mulan ran over and helped Sora to his feet. Mushu climbed up to Mulan's shoulder and spat a few fireballs at the Heartless directly above them.
"Thanks," Sora said. He leaned to the side to look past Mulan, and his eyes widened when he saw a Bolt Tower descend to ground level and bend up and backwards about its top so that its base was reared back. "Everyone jump!" he shouted.
Mulan, Donald, Mickey, Aqua, Kairi, and Shang turned around to see what the Bolt Tower was doing. Mickey, Aqua, and Kairi were confused, but the others were quite familiar with the Heartless' strategy. "Jump! Now!" Donald yelped. Knowing better than to question their friends' judgment, Mickey, Aqua, and Kairi joined the others in jumping just as the Heartless swung the heavier part of its body forward, crashing it into the ground and causing a large shockwave.
When they landed as the shockwave faded, Donald cast Agua, directing a snaking tube of water in circles above them. Kairi then cast Aerora. The wind currents dragged the water around in an airborne whirlpool that expanded and enveloped the Bolt Towers. Not only did the water harm them, but they were also made to crash into each other. Sora and Aqua cast Blizzaga at the Heartless. Two of them became trapped in blocks of ice as the water around them froze solid, and they fell out of the cyclone and crashed to the ground. Mickey began to hack and slash at one of them while Mulan, with her sword once again ignited by Mushu's fire, carved into the other one.
When both spells faded, the Bolt Towers set to realign themselves. One of them fired a laser at Kairi, which enveloped her and lifted her into the air. Sora looked up in shock, but he remembered facing this same attack multiple times. "When it charges and sends a bolt down the line, send it back at it!" he instructed. The other Bolt Tower shot a bolt of electricity at him, but he blocked it and threw his Keyblade at its head, knocking it out of orientation. Kairi nodded, understanding what Sora had told her. She waited for the opportune time. When she felt a subtle change in the energy, she used a small amount of Aero magic to spin herself around, swinging her Keyblade as a thicker bolt of energy emerged from the antenna and zoomed straight toward her. She successfully hit the bolt and sent it back to where it had come from. An explosion of energy burst from the antenna and sent the Bolt Tower flying.
Sora and Aqua pursued the Bolt Tower and attacked the head, batting it back and forth to one another. As it was being passed back to Sora, it regained its senses and returned to its body. However, before it could do anything, Kairi ran up and stabbed her Keyblade straight through the head. The head dissolved, and then the rest of the Heartless disintegrated.
While Mickey and Mulan destroyed the frozen Heartless, Shang and Donald fought the last Bolt Tower. Donald used Graviga to bring it down to their level, where Shang carved at it with his sword and Donald cast Fire spells at it. It knocked Shang on his back with its head and shot a bolt of electricity at Donald, but the two persevered and defeated the Heartless.
With the fight over, the party gathered together again and ran up the stairs to the landing just before the tall, crimson front doors. When they reached the top of the steps, they saw a figure clad in dark robes, as well as an eel floating next to his head. He raised his gloved right hand to cast a destructive spell.
"Stop right there, Mozenrath!" Sora shouted. Shang groaned at his lack of discretion.
The dark sorcerer turned around and smirked. "Ah. I was wondering what all the commotion was," he remarked. "Have you come to die?"
"We're here to stop you!" Donald answered, casting a Firaga spell at the villain.
Mozenrath casually slapped the spell aside and shook his head. "Well, we can't let that happen, can we?"
Xerxes shook his head. "No, no. He he he."
"Don't take this personally, but I can't allow you to interfere any further." With that, Mozenrath waved his hand. Miniature fireworks exploded at the party's feet, blasting them backward and sending them tumbling down the stairs. He then held his hand out, palm forward, and willed a honeycomb barrier to materialize along the edges of the platform, rising twenty feet up and stopping just under the edge of the roof. He turned around and used a spell to telekinetically pull the doors open, then casually strolled through.