Taking Back the Crown

by JCMorrigan

Mozenrath. Archibald Snatcher. Roman Torchwick. Mad Madam Mim. Yzma. The Huntsman. Wuya. Ayam Aghoul. Their mission: take over the multiverse, or look fabulous trying. Rated M for swearing, steamy implications and VERY bloody battles. Contains slash and het shipping.

165. The Sinking Feeling

A/N: There may or may not be some mass slaughter in this chapter.

...

Chrysta, Rapunzel, Stork, Papyrus, Ven, and Sofia did not travel by air, of course, as they'd established. It took them a while to get all the way around to Forever Frost by bridge alone, but the sights on the way were nothing short of phenomenal. Giant beanstalks, peaks that nested colonies of phoenixes, flying carpets being woven on looms.

Though Chrysta took note that the isles closest to the Isle of Protectors were slowly being choked out by invasive crystal gardens. Prisma may have been pacing herself, but she wasn't wasting time.

Finally, the group arrived on the Isle of Forever Frost. They'd also deemed it necessary to stop at a shop on the way and pick up some warmer gear, though not without a small argument –

("You really need that many layers?" Chrysta had asked.

"I mean, I am cold-blooded, so yes." Stork shrugged on a third coat. "Actually, if you have any magic that would, um, make it warmer…"

"Warming spells aren't allowed," Chrysta said sternly. "This is a test of your skill without relying on magical gear that can be stripped from you!"

"Can't you make an exception?" Rapunzel pleaded. "He'll LITERALLY get colder than the rest of us, and faster."

"No exceptions, Princess," Chrysta huffed.)

So now here they were in winter dress (Stork had no fewer than five layers on now; Papyrus wore no extra, being used to Snowdin). The isle that stretched out before them was a vista of sparkling white, snow and ice abound, all building up to a glacier-covered mountain in the island's center.

"And here we are!" Chrysta announced. "The place Protectors get their Enchantlets!"

"What exactly is an Enchantlet?" Ven asked.

"YOU'D THINK WE WOULD'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION BEFORE NOW," Papyrus mused.

"An Enchantlet is the most important multitool in a Protector's arsenal!" Chrysta held up her wrist, showing off her ornate bracelet. "This can be turned into a rope or a net, or you can even use it to contact other Protectors – look!"

She gave her wrist a flick, and a rope snapped forth from her Enchantlet. It curved into a circular loop, and then –

"Oh," Chrysta sighed. "That's right. The other Protectors are all lawn ornaments right about now." She cast her gaze to the sparkling snow.

"We'll just have to work extra hard to get our own Enchantlets so we can rescue them," Sofia vowed.

"Good." Chrysta had straightened back up, looking at her students. "Because this isn't gonna be an easy lesson. Now, like I said before, this is a test of what's inside you, not your special gear. That means no Amulet of Avalor. No Keyblade. And no magic hair."

"But my hair IS part of me," Rapunzel argued.

"So what happens when the enemy cuts it off?" Chrysta raised a brow.

"It's like this because I'm the Sundrop," Rapunzel argued. "It IS a power inside me. This WAS cut off once. It came back. Even if I didn't have all this hair, I'd still BE the Sundrop."

"I dunno…" Chrysta regarded her pensively. "Just to be safe, let's go without it."

"No Amulet," Sofia repeated. "Got it."

"And…no Keyblade." Ven slumped his shoulders. "But it's the only thing I was ever taught how to use…"

"WHAT ABOUT ME?" Papyrus asked. "SURELY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FORBID ME FROM USING BONES. I'M MADE OF THEM! IT COULDN'T BE ANY MORE LITERALLY INSIDE ME!"

Chrysta gave a soft laugh. "You got a point on that one. Your magic is definitely a part of you, and to tell you the truth, I'm way more used to working with trainees who have your level of magic than…" She gestured at Ven, Rapunzel, Stork, and Sofia.

"Hey!" Rapunzel spat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you've got a long shot and a lot of catch-up to play," Chrysta barked. "Anyway, the trial of the Enchantlet requires you to know two vital skills: featherwalking and beast-taming. We'll start off with featherwalking, since it's easier."

"What is it?" Sofia asked.

"Allow me to demonstrate!" Chrysta fluttered to a high bank of snow, then gently settled herself onto it. Her wings fell into relaxation, but her feet stayed on the very upper crust of the snow without sinking down. She walked along atop the snow, delicately and gracefully.

"Is that magic?" Rapunzel asked.

"It's more based on muscle control and focus," Chrysta replied. "So even you should be able to handle it."

"Why do you keep saying that?" Rapunzel blurted. "Even us? It's like you think we're a lost cause already!"

"Well, if you're not," Chrysta said, "then prove it to me."

Stork put a hand on Rapunzel's shoulder, whispering to her, "Make her eat her words." Rapunzel nodded firmly.

"Well?" Chrysta gestured to the snow. "Let's see it!"

"Wait," Ven interrupted. "What exactly did you…do? All I saw was you walking on the snow. Was there a trick to it?"

"Just be careful and don't roughhouse about it," Chrysta replied.

"That's not what I asked," Ven sighed.

"PARDON ME," Papyrus broke in, "BUT IS IT POSSIBLE THAT YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN IT WELL BECAUSE YOU'RE SO USED TO IT THAT YOU AREN'T SURE HOW YOU'RE DOING IT ANYMORE?"

Chrysta let out a laugh at that one. "Puh-lease! I know everything about being a Protector! You guys are just overthinking it. Just step on and do it!"

"Okay." Ven walked up to a small overhanging ledge above the snowbank. He gently lowered a foot, touching down –

And sank in.

"Nope," Chrysta said, shaking her head.

"LET ME TRY!" Papyrus was now at bat. He jumped right in, and of course not only sank but made a splash.

"No," Chrysta sighed.

Rapunzel then gave it a try, sinking immediately yet again.

"No."

Stork gently lowered a toe to the snow. Then reeled it back, scuttling away from the edge, not even trying.

"No."

Sofia teetered and tottered, then sank.

"No."

Ven managed to take a few steps across the bank, arms out as he wobbled. Then, POOF, in he sank.

"No."

Papyrus somehow managed to moonwalk backward across the snow without even touching it and finished off by his whole body falling in.

"No."

Rapunzel squealed with delight as she featherwalked five paces – then tripped and fell on her face.

"No."

Stork put down both feet on the snowbank, then immediately leapt back to the ledge.

"No."

Sofia managed to take three steps atop the snowbank before falling backward.

"No."

Ven was doing better at featherwalking up until the snowball hit his head. When he saw Papyrus had been the one to throw it, he simply could not let the challenge go unanswered, and forgot all about his lesson. Into the bank he sank as he carved chunks of it to throw at his boyfriend playfully.

"No."

Papyrus then suggested the two of them make "snow harpies," and they flopped on their backs, waving their arms to carve out wings in the snow.

"No."

Rapunzel had thought she might get better at it if she ditched the heavy boots she'd worn. She lowered her bare feet down onto the snow, only to shriek "COLD!" and fall over again.

"No!"

Stork fell off the ledge and planted into the bank head-down.

"No!"

Sofia got ten paces this time before sinking. She sighed. A snowball crashed against her head, and she resolved to distract herself from the frustration by forming another one and throwing it back.

"No!"

Sofia, Ven, and Papyrus were putting the finishing touches on a snowman that looked like a very buff version of Ven.

"No – how did you even – "

Rapunzel stood on the edge of the bank, drawing in her breath slowly. "Focus," she whispered. She'd often heard strength came from within, so what if she looked to her own heart? Indeed, when she dug down, she could envision a light. When she kept that light in mind, stepping on the snow was easy. After all, "light" didn't just mean a glow, and now she was light enough to walk the bank. Gently at first, then picking up speed near the end. When she pulled up by Chrysta, she shrieked, "I DID IT!"

"Nice!" Chrysta responded. "That was a perfect featherwalk! Or at least it would be if you'd listened to me when I said NO HAIR POWERS."

Rapunzel cast a glance behind herself. When she'd found that light, her hair had apparently activated, glowing and coming loose from its braid. She had a forty-foot golden trail behind her. "Oops…"

Stork had abandoned featherwalking altogether and was trying to fashion a shelter out of snow bricks.

"WHAT are you doing?" Chrysta snapped.

"Blood's freezing," Stork responded through chattering teeth. "Probably gonna die out here. Prolonging it as long as possible."

"Hang on!" Ven moved over, kicking away some of the snow. He then cast a Fira on the ground, starting a small, contained bonfire.

"Ah…better." Stork slumped down before it. Soon, Rapunzel was next to him, and Ven, Papyrus, and Sofia joined.

"I kind of wish we had marshmallows," said Sofia as she extended her hands to the fire.

"Didn't I say no Keyblade?" Chrysta groaned. "What's the matter with all of you? I learned how to featherwalk after only two tries! You've all had, what, five whole tries? I've never seen anyone fail to learn it this fast!"

"NOW, YOU SEE, THE FACT THAT ALL OF US, WHO ARE THE BEST AT THIS, HAVE FAILED, PROBABLY SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT THE TEACHER MORE THAN THE STUDENTS," Papyrus pointed out.

"No, it says none of you know how to listen!" Chrysta rolled her eyes. "I knew this was a bad idea."

"WELL, I MEAN…BY YOUR RULES, WE HARDLY NEED TO FEATHERWALK." Papyrus stood. "SEE?"

He threw a hand outward. From where he stood, a bridge of tight-knit bones appeared on top of the icy crust. Papyrus stepped atop it and walked effortlessly along. "SEE? THE PEOPLE YOU'RE USED TO TRAINING AND ALL THEIR MAGIC DON'T EVEN NEED TO DO IT! THIS IS SO MUCH SIMPLER!"

"And that's the problem!" Chrysta urged. "It's taking the easy way out! If you wanna be Protectors, then you can't just lean on shortcuts!"

"But…he's actually crossing the bank," Rapunzel said. "The rest of us didn't. And how have you watched Stork freeze for this long and not done ANYTHING about the fact that he needs different gear than the rest of us?"

"No, I'm fine," Stork assured her. "I always knew this is how I would go. Freezing to death…well, I thought it would be alone in a valley of doom and waste, but this is a few steps up."

"You won't die," Rapunzel told him. "If it gets to that point, we'll just leave."

Chrysta rolled her eyes. "I don't make special treatment, remember? Not for amphibians, not for skeletons, and definitely not for princesses!"

"Why did you make up this idea of what princesses were before you even knew us?" Sofia barked. "It's like you want us to fail – because you already decided how this is all going to end!"

"Well, if THAT'S how you think – " Chrysta barked.

Ven stood up suddenly. "Guys, don't!" he urged. "Please. Don't. We're all supposed to be friends, remember? We're just frustrated about the featherwalking. How about we try the other thing?"

"Beast taming." Chrysta leaned back, folding her arms and smirking. "I wanna see how you handle this one."

Soon, she'd led them to a snowy clearing, in which slept a rather majestic beast – shaped like a Pallas Cat with golden-brown fur, but the size of a bear. "Meet the baronga," Chrysta said proudly.

Sofia walked right up to the baronga, giving it a scratch on the ear. The baronga opened one eye to look lazily at her, so Sofia simply said "Hello!".

"What are you doing?" Chrysta barked.

"IT LOOKS LIKE SHE'S BEING POLITE," Papyrus pointed out.

"That's a ferocious beast!" Chrysta pointed out.

After a pause, Ven asked, "How?"

"It's always the ones you don't suspect," Stork muttered. His knees were knocking pretty violently now.

"This baronga is wearing a calm collar." Chrysta pointed out the leather collar studded with gems, fastened around the cat's neck. "It's what keeps him from lashing out. When I take it off, he'll go into a frenzy. It's your job to figure out how to get the collar back on him."

"Do we each have to go on our own," Ven asked, "or can we work together?"

"Normally, you'd be on your own," Chrysta replied. "But since it seems it takes all five of you put together to do what one Protector can normally, I'll make ONE adjustment and say you can work together to calm it down."

"Gee, thanks," Rapunzel huffed. "Real glad for the vote of confidence."

"Let's just be glad it isn't drawn out longer than it needs to be," said Sofia. "I think we need to wrap it up on this island." This, with a concerned look to Stork.

"I still have feeling in one toe," he pointed out. "It's not over yet."

"IF WE'RE A TEAM," Papyrus said, "WE SHOULD COME UP WITH A PLAN!"

Stork raised a stiff hand to wave everyone toward him; "Huddle. I think I have our strategy."

He, Rapunzel, Ven, Papyrus, and Sofia formed a conference circle. "So obviously the best move is to start with me as live bait," Stork began.

"No!" Rapunzel hissed.

"I won't actually let it catch me," Stork replied. "I'm just getting it where we want it. Then Papyrus can fence it in, and Ven, Rapunzel, and Sofia, you surround it and pass the collar until one of you has an opening to get it on – "

Chrysta couldn't hear the murmurs, but she felt she didn't need to. "In a real emergency, they wouldn't have time to plan this out!" she grumbled to herself. "I'm gonna make sure they know the real pressure they're dealing with."

Quietly, she unhooked the baronga's collar.

With a yowl, the baronga lunged. The conference circle broke with five screams.

"GET IN POSITION!" Stork yelled.

Rapunzel and Sofia went one way with the collar. Ven and Papyrus went another. Stork stood right where he was, snarling at the baronga, "Come at me."

The cat thundered across the snow toward him, and Stork resolved not to move until the last possible moment. Not yet…not yet…

Then he lunged. But thanks to the cold coursing through his veins, his body was already going into torpor, and went a second slower, a degree more off-course.

WHACK.

Four screams rang out as Stork went collapsing across the field like a rag doll.

"No, no, NO!" Rapunzel ripped the ties out of her braid.

Papyrus attempted to constrain the baronga, but now it was on the move, following its prey, and Papyrus was shaking with fear besides. The result was a rickety fence that the baronga barreled through like a set of bowling pins.

Still closer the cat charged to the unmoving Stork –

Ven inserted himself between the two, Keyblade out toward the baronga. It hit a planar shield hard, then attempted to grab Ven again, increasingly frustrated with the barrier's efficacy.

Rapunzel took that opportunity to hurl a hair-lasso toward the baronga, catching it in a neat loop. Now Ven could back off; the baronga wasn't going anywhere, struggling against the iron-strong hair. "COLLAR!" Rapunzel yelled. "NOW!"

"I'M TRYING!" Sofia stepped to the left, then to the right. The baronga was in a frenzy, claws out and swiping hard. A misstep could spell her own end.

Then the right step took Sofia beneath a sunbeam. The light ricocheted off the Amulet of Avalor, creating a purple spot on the snow between her and the baronga. Immediately, the baronga focused all attention on the spot of shivering light.

"…You like that?" Sofia tilted the amulet, moving the spot this way and that.

The baronga batted a single paw at the spot. Rapunzel pulled her hair taut, making sure it still couldn't get far.

Sofia edged toward the baronga. "A little closer…just a little…"

She came within its sight. It looked up to her.

"SOFIA!" Chrysta yelled. She barged out toward Sofia to knock her away from the wicked paws.

"DON'T!" Sofia yelled. "I'M – "

Chrysta tackled Sofia. Sofia launched the calm collar high. Papyrus caught it, leapt onto the baronga's back as though riding a horse, and clipped the collar around its neck. Immediately, the big cat collapsed into sleep, snoring loudly.

"I HAD IT UNDER CONTROL!" Sofia yelled.

"You saw that thing already hurt one of my trainees!" Chrysta barked back. "I wasn't gonna let it hurt another, especially a CHILD!"

Rapunzel, Ven, and Papyrus barreled toward Stork, who was moving slowly, planting an arm to prop himself up. "No red snow," Rapunzel sighed. "Good."

Stork heaved his face up out of the snow, shaking away the white layer that had accumulated on it. "All in all," he sighed, "I've been through worse."

"Here – " Rapunzel immediately knelt, latching onto his arm, pulling him to his feet. "I wanna try something. Trust me."

As she wrapped her loose hair around him, she took note of the one injury he did sustain. Not a very grievous one, just a shallow scratch across the face, four lines where the baronga's claws had hit home. "I wish this could still heal," Rapunzel said sorrowfully. "But after the featherwalk, I think I figured out it can – "

At her will, the hair glowed gold. Healing was still out; she hummed a few notes of the incantation experimentally and saw no result. However, her idea still worked – she could increase the temperature of her own hair by several degrees, and with no harm done to it. It acted as a warming blanket, and Stork finally felt his usual range of motion returning to his limbs.

"…Thanks," he muttered. "You don't need to do that, you know."

"Yes, I do," Rapunzel asserted. "You're my friend, and I – I hate seeing you get hurt. Or frozen. I KNOW you, and I KNOW that plan would've worked if you weren't so cold."

"Yeah. Would've."

Ven and Papyrus stormed over to Chrysta to give her a piece of their minds. "Our friend just got hurt thanks to you!" Ven barked.

"I didn't mean for that to happen," Chrysta replied. "But he didn't know his limits. And I could see the scratch wasn't that bad – "

"WASN'T THAT BAD?" Papyrus' eyes were bugging. "IF HE WERE A MONSTER, HE'D BE DEAD BY NOW!"

"I'm sorry," Chrysta sighed, "but this is how the testing gauntlet goes. You need to prove yourself against actual risks. I intervened when it looked like Sofia could get hurt, but the rest of you are older!"

"So you're not even giving me the real test!" Sofia gasped.

"You're a CHILD," Chrysta reminded her. "These tests shouldn't have to hurt you!"

"They shouldn't have to hurt ANYONE!" Sofia argued. "We're just learning! This is like a class! But you haven't taught us anything!"

"You just point us at things and tell us to go!" Ven asserted.

"Guys, guys!" Rapunzel walked over, with Stork at her side, snuggled comfortably in her warm hair. "Can we just – not fight for two minutes? I think we can talk this out."

"I don't," Ven snarled, "but go ahead."

"Chrysta," Rapunzel asked. "What's the final test to get our enchantlets?"

"You climb Glittering Glacier." Chrysta indicated the great mountain. "Up on top, the enchantlets are guarded by a family of arcticondors. You'll have to get a calm collar on one, slip around the other, and featherwalk your way across the snowbank into the cavern. There, your enchantlet chooses you. But at this rate, I don't know how you're going to even get them. The only way you could even reel in the baronga was by cheating with your gear!"

"Okay!" Rapunzel nodded with a smile. "This is good! Now we know what to do! …Everybody, let's get up that glacier!"

"WHAT?" Chrysta was stunned. "You can't – have you heard a word I said? You didn't figure out ANY of the skills you'll need to get those enchantlets!"

"Yes, we did," Rapunzel told her. "We didn't figure out how to do things the way you wanted us to do them. But we can get across to that cave. And more importantly, we can't waste any more time here in the cold. I have told you that over and over and over, but you won't LISTEN. So we're going up there to get those enchantlets ourselves."

"THIS IS THE BEST IDEA ANYONE'S HAD SINCE WE GOT HERE," Papyrus said.

Ven nodded. "Let's go."

"I'm sorry, Chrysta," Sofia sighed, "but this just isn't working, and you're not actually…teaching us anything. You're just making it worse. And you let Stork get hurt."

Rapunzel, Stork, Papyrus, Ven, and Sofia turned to march away.

"Ugh!" Chrysta stamped a booted foot into the snow. "I should've known I couldn't make something out of nothing!"

Stork stopped in his tracks. Then wriggled out of Rapunzel's hair, dropping it lightly to the ground so he could storm back over to Chrysta. "You…listen," he seethed. "I spent ten years in exile and solitude waiting for something, anything to break the monotony. A bunch of inexperienced teenagers showed up, and do you think I wasn't grateful? Yes, I doubted them, and yes, they annoyed me, but they WANTED to make a difference, and they became the best Sky Knight squad I know of. So first of all, yes, you can make 'something out of nothing.' Second, however, you're downplaying the Sundrop of Corona, a Keyblade wielder who's just a few levels short of Mastery, a monster worthy of the royal guard, and a kid who's already stopped way more villains at age eight than I'm sure you EVER have. And me? Well. If anyone here is holding this team back, it's me. I get it. I'm not 'Protector' material. That's why I'm a helmsman! I'm no hero, but I look out for my team of heroes, whether it's the Storm Hawks or the Ace Squad." He held up a finger in Chrysta's face. "And you. Have. NO RIGHT. To talk to MY TEAM THAT WAY! So why don't you go yell at someone else you want to feel bette than?"

Chrysta was struck speechless. Stork took that opportunity for one more parting shot: "Oh, and by the way, don't assume Rapunzel grew up in the lap of luxury and had everything handed to her, because I guarantee the first eighteen years of her life were worse than yours. Don't give her that. But even if she had? She wouldn't be the spoiled brat you think she and Sofia are. But you'd know that if you paid attention to us."

He turned to storm back to his friends.

"Stork," Rapunzel said softly. "You're not holding us back. You ARE a hero, just like the rest of us."

"Look," Stork sighed, "if anyone's gonna be the Protector here, it's you. I don't wanna fight about it. Let's just go get your enchantlets."

Chrysta wanted to yell at them as they walked away. Instead, she folded her arms. "Not my problem if they get themselves frozen or mauled up there," she grumbled.

She made her way to sit down on a frosty stone nearby, angry at them and frankly feeling very sorry for herself. Eventually, she lost track of just how long she'd been sitting there. Maybe it was a little overkill, to just sit and pout for who knew how long –

But with a gasp, Chrysta realized that maybe it had been a good thing she'd chosen to do so. Because it allowed her to see it first when the enormous gorilla in a suit started climbing Glittering Glacier.

Not quite at the glacial mountain's summit, a pair of majestic white creatures stood guard on a ledge, before a path that led into a mountain cavern. Each resembled a polar bear, but with only the two hind legs, and instead of forelegs, it had a pair of brilliant white wings fanning from its back.

From the vantage point that the five ex-trainees had picked to hide, Stork hissed, "How is that an Arctic condor? She said it would be CONDORS. Those are BEARS."

"They've always been called arcticondors here," Sofia offered. "But…I don't know why. They do look just like bears."

"Maybe it's the wings?" Ven whispered.

"Wings do not a condor make!" Stork hissed back. "Trust me, I know condors!"

"Shhh!" Rapunzel broke in. "Guys! Don't give us away too early! Anyway, do we all know what the plan is?"
The other four nodded.

"Then on three," Rapunzel said. "One…two…"

A spot of purple light blinked into view on the snowy path. The arcticondors' heads turned to regard it. As they did, twin whips of gold snapped through the air, lassoing each.

The arcticondors squirmed and snarled when they realized Rapunzel had them in her grasp.

"Hurry!" Sofia cried. "They're getting mad!"

Ven jumped out onto the path, aiming his Keyblade; "SLEEPRA!"

The two arcticondors collapsed, very silly looks taking over their faces. Soon they were both snoring.

Stork hurried to help Rapunzel get her hair unwrapped from around them as Papyrus built a bone bridge across the deep snow originally intended for featherwalking. "LET'S GO!" he urged once his construction was finished. He, Ven, Sofia, Rapunzel, and Stork bolted for the cavern, taking refuge in its blue shadows.

"Whew!" Rapunzel huffed. "That was a lot easier than Chrysta was making it out to be."

"You're telling me," Sofia grumbled.

"LOOK!" Papyrus pointed to the far wall, then the near wall, then every wall. "IT'S THE ENCHANTLETS!"

Sparkling bands were embedded in crevices in the cavern walls, everywhere one could look.

"All RIGHT!" Ven beamed. "Now all we have to do is find ours!"

"She said they would pick us," Rapunzel recalled. "Maybe we don't have to do much finding."

The five ventured further into the cavern, closer to the back wall. Suddenly, five points of light sparked, each at a radically different position from the one before. Five bands detached themselves from the walls, flitting toward one another to reunite in the air.

"Those have to be ours!" Rapunzel gasped.

One was pink and sparkling. One violet, with flower carvings. One with black-and-white alternating links. One black and spiky. One pure white, appearing as several linked bones.

Rapunzel put up her arm toward the flock of enchantlets. One by one, Sofia, Ven, Papyrus, and Stork did the same.

The enchantlets broke their formation, moving to hover above each one's chosen wielder –

"HA!"

A sudden whirl of pink in the air. The enchantlets were swiped from their flight. Darla Dimple spun round and round as she descended, skidding to a halt in the snow.

"Hey!" Sofia yelled. "Those were our enchantlets!"

"Hmm…I don't really care," Darla replied.

"Who are you?" Ven asked.

"I'm the one everyone will recognize as the REAL Protector around here," Darla said as she admired her new accessories. The black and white enchantlets encircled her ankles, the pink and purple ones rested on her wrists, and the one with black-and-white links hung around her neck. "I think these suit me, don't you? Even if they are TACKY."

Stork advanced; "You give those back RIGHT NOW – "

"Or what?" Darla scoffed. "You'll get newt slime on me?"

"THAT'S IT – "

Darla ducked Stork's grab. Ven and Rapunzel went for her; she danced neatly around them. For a moment, it seemed Papyrus had won when he sealed her in a circular fence of bone – but then nets of webbing from all five enchantlets hooked the upper rim of the fence, pulling her up and over, and from there, Darla shot the enchanted ropes to latch onto the nearest stalactite, using it as leverage to swing clear out of the cave.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Sofia yelled after her.

"Because I'm worth it!" Darla proclaimed. "Unlike YOU cut-rate losers. Go back to your trailers."

The ropes released; Darla hit the ground outside the cave running. She didn't have far to go before a giant hand was waiting for her, palm out, like an elevator platform.

"DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!" Ven yelled, leading the charge out of the cave. By the time they reached the entrance, however, it was too late. Darla was perched on Max's shoulder, and Max was hastily scurrying down the mountain.

They could still have pursued if not for the red snow.

"Oh, no – " Rapunzel hurried over to the two growing blankets of crimson. "No, no, no, no – "

Stork gasped, covering his mouth. Ven and Papyrus tried to follow, but stopped short once they realized what they were looking at.

Rapunzel dropped to her knees between the downed arcticondors. Each one broken beyond repair by Max's thick hands. "No," she sobbed, frosty tears pooling.

Sofia cautiously walked toward her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "This is awful," she said, breaking into even more prominent tears. "How could she do something like this?"
Ven, Papyrus, and Stork finally caught up. "They may not have been condors," Stork sighed, "but they were…definitely too good for this."

There was the sound of a flittering buzz, and Chrysta's boots planted down in the snow beside them. "There was an attacker on the way to you!" she babbled. "You – WHAT HAPPENED?"

The fairy was stunned, her breathing shallow once she took in the dead arcticondors.

"UH-OH," Papyrus realized. "LOOK, I KNOW HOW THIS LOOKS, BUT I SWEAR WE DIDN'T – "

"I know," Chrysta said softly. "You were…well, I complained about you a lot, but I know you wouldn't do a thing like this." Her brow furrowed. "It was that ape I saw climbing the mountain. I tried my best to get here in time, but…I guess even my best sometimes isn't good enough."

"If you say one word about how us failing our training led to this," Stork seethed.

Chrysta shook her head. "No, this is…" She sniffled. "This is my fault. If you'd gone through my training, you would've gotten here even later. If I'd listened to you – if I'd done things differently – we could've got here sooner. I'm…I'm so sorry. I failed you as a teacher, and I failed the arcticondors as a Protector. I was so caught up in how proud I was of how fast I learned that I didn't even realize when you all needed more help than I was giving." She looked to Stork. "And I'm sorry for letting you get so cold, and for what happened with the baronga. I just…assumed you'd be like everyone else we've trained."

"But we're not," Ven told her. "I get what you were trying to do, asking us to put away things that our enemies could take away from us and testing who we were inside. But we're not from here. We don't have the powers your friends have."

"That doesn't matter anymore!" Rapunzel barked. "I'm sick of fighting. The fact is, we COULD have done things differently in that training too. We COULD have listened to Chrysta more closely. I…I could've learned faster, and then we'd – "

"Don't," Stork told her. "Don't even say it. Look, it's not our fault." He looked over to Chrysta. "And, aggravating as you've been, it's not yours either. This happened because of that self-important little girl and her killer gorilla. And if you ask me, this has the smell of the Yzma regime all over it."

"HE'S RIGHT," Papyrus added. "OUR FIGHT WAS ONE THING, BUT IT REALLY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THE GIRL WAS READY TO PLAY DIRTY TRICKS. CHRYSTA…IF WE HAVE ANOTHER FIGHT LATER, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT THEN, BUT I'M NOT UPSET WITH YOU RIGHT NOW. NOT NEARLY AS I'M UPSET WITH YZMA AND HER MEAN NEW FRIENDS!"

"I'm sorry, Chrysta," Rapunzel muttered. "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough."

"No," Stork said gruffly. "You can be sorry for whatever miscommunication went on. But you – we were good enough."

"And I didn't see it," Chrysta muttered. She forced a smile; "At least you got your enchantlets?"

"No," Ven replied. "We didn't."

"That's why the girl came here," Sofia blubbered. "She – she wanted our enchantlets. And when she got them, she just – "

"Oh, no," Chrysta gasped.

"How are we supposed to save the Mystic Isles now?" Sofia bawled.

"…I don't know," Ven replied, "but we're still gonna do it."

"Without the important piece of equipment we NEEDED to do it?" Stork snapped.

"But that's the thing," Ven said. "This whole time was testing if we'd be good Protectors without using things like the Keyblade or the power of the Sundrop. We shouldn't need enchantlets in order to be good Protectors. It's about what's inside of us."

"You know…that's a good point," Chrysta said with a smile. "And the enchantlet isn't the only trick I have in the bag for aspiring Protectors. I have a few more magic gadgets that could give us a leg up once you learn how to use them." She cleared her throat. "I'd…like to take you back on as my trainees, but I'd also like to try a different tack this time. Explaining things better, and listening to you, and not getting caught up in my own ego."

"Yes!" Rapunzel said swiftly. "We'll do it – "

"But you have to be serious about it," Stork broke in. "No more bossing us around without actually helping anything. Got it?"
"I THINK WE CAN BOTH COME HALFWAY," said Papyrus.

"Then let's give it one more try," Chrysta said. "And if it's not meant to be…well, then we'll go our different ways, I guess, but we can each do what we think is best."

"That's a good compromise," Ven said with a soft smile.

"Thank you," Sofia sniffled, wiping at her tears. "I – "

A yipping growl got her attention. She turned to look at the cave, then gasped.

There was a small arcticondor cub staggering out of the cave, giving a rasping peep that many assumed was calling for his parents. Sofia, however, could understand him thanks to the Amulet of Avalor, and she knew without a doubt what he was saying: "Mom? Dad? I heard a lot of noise! What happened? I'm scared!"

Quickly, Papyrus stepped around in such a way as to try and block the corpses with his body, but it was too late; the young arcticondor had already seen. "…Mom? Dad?"

"I'm sorry," Sofia told him. "I'm so so so so so so sorry – "

The little arcticondor collapsed into the snow and bawled. "Who would do this?" he wailed. "I just want them back!"

"Poor little guy," Chrysta breathed. "Normally, I'd take him back to the Isle of Protectors to house him until we found somewhere he'd be safe, but…"

"Maybe we could…take him with us?" Sofia suggested. "While we train?"

"That's the only thing we can do, I guess," Chrysta said. "Let me just get the calm collar on him and – "

"No, we won't need that." Sofia stepped closer to the little arcticondor. "Hi. I'm Princess Sofia. What's your name?"

"Stormy," the arcticondor sobbed in words only Sofia could hear. "My name is Stormyyyyy!"

"I can't even imagine how awful you're feeling right now, Stormy," Sofia said solemnly. "I wish we could've stopped it from happening. But you're not gonna be safe here all on your own – "

"What if the bad guys come back?" Stormy yelped. "What if they get me next?"

"We don't want that to happen," Sofia told him. "Would you please come with us while we train to be Protectors? I promise we'll all watch over you so nothing else bad can happen to you. But we have to keep working if we're going to save the islands from those bad guys."

"I…I don't have anywhere else to go," Stormy whimpered. "Promise you won't hurt me?"

"Of course we won't hurt you," Sofia said. "Will you be nice to us?"

"Of course…" Stormy choked out.

Sofia turned to Chrysta. "You don't have to worry. He'll come along, and he'll behave."

"How did you do that?" Chrysta gaped. "Is that the Amulet of Avalor at work?"

"Yup!" Sofia was able to smile again. "I can talk to most animals with it."

"So you were trying to connect with the baronga at the beginning of that test," Chrysta muttered. "I get it now."

"I wonder," Sofia said softly. "If I ask nicely…"

At the bottom of Glittering Glacier, Ven gingerly slid the collar off the baronga.

"Sorry we had to fight you earlier," Sofia said.

"Don't worry about it," the baronga grumbled. "I know exactly why you did it." He fired a glare at Chrysta.

"We're going to try and become substitute Protectors," Sofia explained. "But to save the islands, there might have to be a big fight later. If that happens…will you come and help us?"

"A fight?" The baronga lit up. "I love fights! YOU promise ME you won't forget to invite me when it happens!"

"We'll remember you!" Sofia said with a grin. "Promise!"

"All good?" Chrysta asked.

"Yup," Sofia replied.

"Then let's get moving," Chrysta urged. "There's still a lot left to learn – and this time, I wanna make sure you really learn it."

...

Lestallum was a tourist's paradise, with all of the charm of a seaside town packed into a city on the edge of a wide desert valley that played host to a godly event of the past. The city was thick with planted palm trees, restaurants, and shops of all kinds, from souvenirs to household goods.

Perhaps the biggest draw of coming to Lestallum was the open-air market, where reportedly you could buy just about anything. At that moment, Eos' greatest daemon-hunters, having no more daemons to hunt, were putting that to the test.

"Which one…which one…" A slender blond man, his hair swept up in a spike reminiscent of a chocobo's feathery peak, held up two styles of leather armband. "Hey, Gladio! I need a second opinion here!"

"The brown one." The muscle-bound, raven-haired man didn't even look up from where he was perusing knives.

"They're both black, Gladio," the blond groaned. "Will you actually look?"

So Gladiolus Amicitia dragged himself over to where his friend Prompto Argentum was having his little fashion crisis. "That one," he said, tapping a band with a finger.

"Now, are you saying that because it's more stylish," Prompto asked, "or are you saying that because you wanna get this over with? Because I gotta look good here! We have a reputation to keep up, y'know?"

"I know," Gladiolus sighed. "And they both look the same to me. If it means anything, I think you'll cut the figure of a hero of Eos no matter which one you pick up. Or even if you don't."

"Aww, you do know how to be sweet sometimes, Gladio!"

Gladiolus nudged him. "Now leave me alone. I'm shopping."

At a nearby booth, a woman dressed in black and bearing a long mane of dark hair gasped and squealed. One could easily tell by looking that she and Gladiolus were sister and brother. "Guys, look at this!" She lifted a handmade journal. "Do you see this?"

"Why, yes, I do." This came from a man with golden-brown hair and dark glasses hiding a nasty eye injury. He was perusing a booth of spices and other cooking ingredients, using his sense of smell to tell which was which. "As well as I can do such a thing, at any rate."

"Knock it off, Ignis," the woman groaned. "You're not funny."

"Then perhaps you should choose your words more carefully," Ignis Scientia replied. The injury he'd sustained years ago had robbed him of most of his sight, and what he had left wasn't very useful. He'd spent an entire apocalypse re-learning how to cook by scent and how to throw knives by hearing the target.

The woman, Iris Amicitia, rolled her eyes. "Gladdy. Prompto. You guys think I should get this?"

"Sweet diary!" Prompto crowed upon seeing it. "Heck yeah, go for it!"

"Why do you even need that?" Gladiolus sighed. "Are you even going to use it?"

"With no more daemons to punch, I need a hobby," Iris reminded him. "There are plenty of ways you can use a journal. Writing, drawing, ripping the pages out to make origami…that's it. I'm buying it."

"Whatever," Gladiolus grunted.

"Okay!" Prompto fitted on his new armband. "Now to hop on over to the ladies' booth to – " He gave a sigh. "Oh. That's right."

"Are you still sulking because Cindy found herself a new paramour?" Ignis teased. "You were going to look for another token to present her in order to try and win her affections, weren't you? And then you remembered."

Prompto cringed. "Hey, for all you know, I was gonna rock those fashions myself! I'm so over Cindy. In fact, I'm gonna go look at that jewelry right now!" He took a few steps over, then did a double take; "Whoa. Actually, these are pretty punk. Hey, how much for this silver chain…?"

This was the scene onto which Yozora and Stella entered. The latter tugged on the arm of the former, pointing to where the four hunters had reconvened at the market's edge. "It is them!" Stella proclaimed.

Yozora didn't even have to ask. He could tell just by looking at them. The strange tugging in his chest gave it away. He nodded, and they advanced.

"I hope you're all in the mood for turmeric and ginger garula," Ignis announced.

"I would be," Gladiolus replied in a deadpan tone. "But that's garlic and chili powder you're holding."

"As much as I appreciate your attempt to 'pull a fast one' on me," Ignis replied, "I know what I'm doing quite well, thank you very much, and I know what I'm holding."

Prompto peered around. Ignis was indeed holding turmeric and ginger. "Gladio?" Prompto said in awe. "Did you just attempt a JOKE?"

"Don't turn this into something," Gladiolus groaned.

"But this is big news!" Iris teased. "Everyone knows when you were born, all your sense of humor got left behind, and it transferred onto me when I showed up. You must be getting it back! And I might be losing some of mine…"

Gladiolus gave a low groan.

"Good day!" Stella trotted up to the group. "I think we are looking for you."

Ignis was the first to stand completely still, as though paralyzed. "It can't be," he muttered.

"Do we know each other?" Prompto wondered aloud. "You guys seem kinda…familiar."

"Well, you're never gonna believe this," Yozora sighed.

"My name is Stella Nox Fleuret," Stella answered. "My companion is Yozora Lucis Caelum. You are Gladiolus and Iris Amicitia, Prompto Argentum, and Ignis Scientia, are you not?"

"How did you know that?" Gladiolus replied, tone laden with suspicion.

"And what kind of trick are you trying to pull with those names?" Iris snapped.

"There are no more members of the house of Lucis Caelum," Ignis said. "Nor Fleuret. This is common knowledge."

"There are now," Yozora replied. "We're on a special mission."

"Apparently, Ardyn Lucis Caelum has returned to life," Stella said, "though you would know him better as 'Ardyn Izunia.' We have been sent – "

"Now you better shut up if you know what's good for you!" Gladiolus barked. "Whatever kind of joke you think you're playing, it's not funny." He readied a fist. "Now get out of here before I – "

"I think we should listen to them," Ignis piped up.

"…What did you just say?" Gladiolus snarled.

"This is going to sound rather incredulous," Ignis replied, "but they…smell like Noctis and Lady Lunafreya. And their footfalls are nigh the same. There is at least some…connection here."

"Yeah, but how is that even possible?" Prompto asked. "Unless the Six did something weird, and we're way past – "

"Guys," Iris panted. She'd cracked open her new journal, and there was something written on the first page. "This was blank when I bought it."

She turned it around to show the text "Expect guests. They have quite a story. ~Gentiana"

"Oooo-kay, apparently we're not past that stage anymore." Prompto shifted nervously.

"I'm going to assume Iris has shown us all some proof of divine intervention," Ignis said. "Even without it, I would be intrigued to hear the story they have to tell us."

"Back to the Leville so we can talk about it?" Iris suggested.

"The Leville?" Yozora repeated.

"Our hotel," Iris replied. "You must never have been to Lestallum before. Where are you from?"

Stella and Yozora exchanged glances.

"Lucis?" Prompto asked. "Accordo? Don't tell me Niflheim."

"We…have only just learned what most of those words mean," Stella replied.

"We REALLY need to hear this," Iris stated.

As that group moved back toward the Leville hotel, another group of unlikely companions with completely opposite motives assembled on the edge of town.

"Behold!" Loqi, who had his hair cut back to his liking just above chin-length, gestured to a row of six magitek mechs. "The finest cybersuits one can procure!"

"How did you come across such things?" Jihl adjusted her glasses. "They look pricey to say the least."

"By less than legal means, I can assure you." Loqi smirked. He walked to the end of the row of mechs, showing off their boxy frames, their tough metal construction. "Let me introduce you to each and explain your role, as I have planned this out to the letter. We begin with the MA-Veles, which is suited best for close combat. This is the armor the Huntsman will – "

"No, no…no." Mozenrath put up a hand. "Just no."

"You have a problem?" Loqi raised a brow. "Before you speak, realize you are speaking to a high-rank officer of the army that used these."

"Yes, I have a problem," Mozenrath said. "I'm not committing genocide in anything as ugly as that. Also, I hate the names. Do I look like an 'MA-Veles' pilot to you?"

"No, you look like the pilot of the MA-X Angelus-0," Loqi told him sternly.

"That's even worse," Mozenrath replied. "If I may suggest a few design changes."

"No, you may not – " Loqi attempted.

But Mozenrath was now a man on a mission. Sending incredible magic through the gauntlet, he washed waves of blue light over the six cybersuits, transforming them, making them sleeker, shinier, more colorful –

"WHAT. ARE. THOSE?" Loqi snapped when the end result stood before him.

"It needs a catchier name," Mozenrath told him. "I'm thinking 'Gigas.' No one runs in terror from an MA-30 cyber-Andromeda-3, but 'Gigas'? That strikes fear into hearts."

"I actually must agree on the naming convention," the Huntsman said with a nod.

"THEY LOOK LIKE TOYS!" Loqi screamed. "THOSE WERE HIGH-END NIFLHEIM MILITARY EQUIPMENT, AND NOW THEY'RE…PLASTIC!"

"They're even MORE solid than your cyber-things," Mozenrath said dryly. "What you're seeing is just a more fashionable coat of paint. Anyway, let me explain – "

"You are NOT going to explain MY cybersuits!" Loqi yelled.

"Well, I redesigned them, I renamed them, and I reassembled their weapons systems to be simpler," Mozenrath said, "so I'm – "

"YOU REASSEMBLED THE WEAPONS SYSTEMS?" Loqi was just about crimson in the face now.

"Mozenrath, was this TRULY necessary?" Jihl sighed. "First of all, our friend Loqi is entirely correct. These look like discount action figures enlarged to behemoth proportions. Second, was this really worth sending Loqi into a conniption?"

"THANK. YOU," Loqi spat.

"Bah!" Albel spat. "These are much more fearsome than those scrap heaps you were presenting to us earlier."

"Now THESE are Zords," Miratrix said with a wicked grin. "Finally, my own Zord!"

"It seems you are outvoted four to two," the Huntsman told Loqi.

Loqi pointed accusingly at the Huntsman; "You only said you agreed to the names. Never to the design."

"I believe that was implied when I said the vote in favor was four," said the Huntsman. "Please. Don't make me actually say I enjoy these colors. I do have a reputation to uphold."

"So here's how we're dividing them." Mozenrath pointed to the red-and-white one. "Huntsman, that's yours. The Power Ace Gigas. See those spiky shoulders? Perfect for tackling."

The Huntsman nodded. "I approve."

Mozenrath then indicated the cobalt-blue one. "The Speed Ace Gigas was practically built for Jihl. Heavy on guns, heavy on speed, light on everything else."

Jihl said nothing.

Mozenrath indicated a pair of silver Gigas. "The Little Ace Gigas. Built for stealth and maneuverability more than anything else. I figured it would be entertaining to give Albel one and Miratrix the other and watch them fight over who can kill the most people with the smallest mech."

"I CAN," Albel and Miratrix snarled at each other.

"You're playing into his hand, you know," the Huntsman sighed.

"Then there's the Hyper Ace Gigas," Mozenrath said, gesturing to the largest mech, which glittered pure gold. "It has power, two types of artillery, speed, maneuverability, the whole package. Because it's obviously the best of the best, I think the honor of piloting it should only go to the expert who brought us these fine machines. …Me. I'm piloting the Hyper. Aaaand Loqi gets the Gunner Ace Gigas, which is basically a glass cannon. Don't get in close range with it."

Loqi scowled at the purple-and-pink Gunner. "This was not necessary."

"Yes it was," Mozenrath told him. "Don't worry. You're new here. You'll figure out soon enough just how important it is to present aesthetic."

"THE AESTHETIC YOU ARE PRESENTING IS TOYS!" Loqi argued.

"Better than what you gave us," Mozenrath told him. "Anyway, let's not delay this any longer. We have corpses to make."

"Are you going to stand for this?" Loqi barked at the Huntsman. "If you change your vote…I will let you pilot the MA-X Angelus-0 instead of Mozenrath! He hasn't even given you the most powerful Gigas, and you're the captain of this mission!"

"Yes, but I expected as much," the Huntsman replied. "And from the looks of it, none of your cybersuits had appendages on the armor that would do damage on contact." He eyed up the spikes on the Power Ace.

"This has to be a JOKE…" Loqi sighed and turned away.

Jihl was immediately at his side, delivering him a light pat on the shoulder. He didn't turn it away. "There, there, now," Jihl assured. "I thought your suits looked professional. I'm certain if we band together, there's still time to – "

"BLEED IN MY WAKE, WORM!" Albel yelled from inside a Little Ace, gunning it directly into Lestallum's heart.

"EAT THE EDGE OF MY BLADE!" Miratrix screamed back, following him in her Little Ace and rapidly gaining on him.

"…Or not," Jihl sighed. "Let's just get this over with."

Inside a spacious and pristine hotel room, Stella and Yozora told their story. It left the other four hunters absolutely speechless at first. Then Prompto broke the silence with an awed "No way…"

"Then I was correct in my assessment," Ignis said, "which is more often than not the case."

"So what now?" Iris asked. "Apparently we have Ardyn on the loose again. I'm not letting that one fly."

"I guess we have to help out by tracking him down," Prompto said. "I mean, we can't just leave this alone." He swung a fist, striking a pose. "Whaddaya say? Eos' greatest daemon hunters, back at it again for the next adventure!"

"No." Gladiolus folded his arms. "This is their problem. They can take care of it themselves."

"Gladiolus," Ignis urged, "do we not at least owe it to Noctis and Lady Lunaf – "

"They're NOT Noct and Luna, damn it!" Gladiolus barked. "They seriously think they can just walk up to us and take the place of where Noct and Luna used to be? No. Not happening."

"We never asked to be substitutes," Stella told him. "We asked to be traveling companions."

"But it wouldn't matter if we hadn't been Noct's friends, right?" Gladiolus seethed. "There've gotta be a million other heroes you could band up with. But you picked us because two people we used to know and love make up a little fraction of your own souls. If we owe Noct anything, it's to not replace him with a cheap imitation."

"Gladdy," Iris urged, "we all miss him and Luna. But they can't come back. These people are the last link we have to them."

"Do you even hear what you're saying?" Gladiolus argued. "That's not even fair to them either. Treating them like the fill-in for the people we lost. What a load of shit. The Six can pull together patchwork souls from every king that ever existed, apparently, but they can't bring back the people we…" He trailed off.

"It seems the wounds may yet be too fresh for us to forge an alliance," Ignis said softly. "The more Gladiolus speaks of it, the more I see his side of things. Perhaps this is not what we owe Noctis after all. Perhaps it's my own grief speaking out of turn."

"That's how you want it?" Yozora made for the door. "Fine. We don't need you."

"And THAT'S how I know you're nothing like Noct," Gladiolus seethed.

"Now, hang on!" Prompto urged. "Can't we work something out? I mean, they're still people, and we could be friends eventually, and we're not just gonna let Ardyn run around doing what he wants, are we?"

"Please, Yozora!" Stella urged. "Let us not give up so quickly! This cannot be a lost cause!"

Yozora's hand was on the door. "Forget it. This whole thing was a mistake. Stella and I will take down Ardyn on our own."

"Good," Gladiolus told him. "Because it's not our problem anymore."

It might have ended there if not for the cacophony of screams, thuds, and booms that came from the center of town.

"What was that?" Iris blurted. "There's not supposed to be a fireworks festival today…is there?"
"Really hoping they decided to do one on the fly," Prompto said nervously, "because I don't like those sounds."

"We have to see!" Stella urged, flying toward the door. "It may be Ardyn!"

"And if it's not – " Gladiolus kept pace with her. "Still not happening on our watch."

Forgetting their dispute, Stella, Yozora, Gladiolus, Iris, Ignis, and Prompto ran together toward the sounds of the disturbance. Almost immediately, they froze in abject horror.

The six Gigas were wrecking Lestallum, punching at foundations, shooting at stalls, and stamping on citizenry. With no apparent goal but slaughter.

"WHY?" Iris yelled.

"Ardyn," Yozora snarled.

But he was soon proven wrong when the pink-and-purple Gigas on the sidelines opened its speaker to let loose a loud and proud laugh. "AT LAST!" cried an all-too-familiar voice. "YOU DISRESPECTED ME WHEN I FOUGHT FOR NIFLHEIM. BUT NOW I FIGHT FOR MY OWN ARMY, AND YOU WILL PAY FOR SLIGHTING ME!"

"THAT GUY?" Prompto yelled in disbelief.

"You cannot be serious," Ignis sighed. "I recall the man's voice but not even his name!"

"This ain't Ardyn," Gladiolus huffed.

"No matter the case…" Stella drew her rapier. "We must put an end to this senseless violence!"

The WHAM ARMY was having a grand old time indeed. The Huntsman moved his Gigas with grace, but you couldn't tell it from his strategy, which was to bash wherever there was the greatest concentration of people. Mozenrath, meanwhile, was going where he wanted when he wanted to, and clearly only divine intervention could stop him.

The cockpits were linked by a communication system, meaning everyone heard when Albel gloated, "My count has just passed two hundred!"

"Mine has passed two hundred and FIFTY!" Miratrix yelled back.

"TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY-ONE!" Albel retorted.

"Within three seconds of your last report?" Miratrix snorted.

The Huntsman sighed. "Mozenrath, it may have been an oversight on my part to introduce them to the idea of sibling rivalry."

"No, no," Mozenrath replied. "The more they're motivated to kill, the greater my workforce. Just let them have it out."

The pair of Little Ace Gigas rampaged through town like two oversized metal children on a playground. Jihl, in the meantime, picked a vantage point, stayed there, and spun while letting off her shoulder cannons.

"This really was a promotion!" she cackled. "Now I no longer have to make up an excuse for the press when I want to do THIS!"

A wall she'd undermined collapsed onto a small crowd, crushing many of them instantly.

"Fine work, Saboteur," Loqi told her. He kept dancing around the edges, a one-man fence, firing every now and again to keep the fish in the barrel.

"I know," Jihl replied. "Now, don't you have to assassinate some assassins? No, wait, assassin COSPLAYERS."

Loqi chuckled. "Indeed. Hardly worth the time. And yet – " He switched his speaker to external once more. "YOU THOUGHT YOU COULD MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME? THAT MY HUMILIATION WOULD BE YOUR HEADLINE A DECADE AGO? WELL, THINK AGAIN. LOQI TUMMELT NEVER FORGETS, AND NEVER FORGIVES!"

"Loqi Tummelt," Ignis repeated. "That was the name, yes. At any rate, from what I can hear…we can't afford to waste any more time."

"Let's GO!" Gladiolus yelled.

At the same time, Yozora barked, "TAKE 'EM DOWN!"

The two charged. Ignis and Prompto followed into battle.

"But why?" Stella gasped. "Why kill for its own sake?"

"Hey, hey!" Iris urged, beckoning her along. "No time for that! We have to STOP the killing! Now!"

Stella shook her head, charging after Iris.

Iris took a flying leap and vaulted onto the back of Albel's Little Ace. "Hi!" she greeted. "You sure picked the wrong city to destroy." She leapt again, coming down with enough force on Albel's shoulder to send the Little Ace staggering to the side, almost losing balance.

"What is this?" Albel recoiled. "You will PAY for that, scum!"

He threw a punch. Iris sidestepped it, then grabbed his Little Ace's other arm, using the weight from Albel's own strike to spin the mech around.

"STOP THIS AT ONCE!" Albel now used his free hand to blindly slap at Iris.

"Now, let's see…" Ignis crept along the areas where the noise was less thick. A knife readied in his hand. "I can hear you, and you're just about…THERE." The knife flew, lodging into the arm of Miratrix's Little Ace.

Miratrix recoiled. "I won't let you get away with that!" she barked as she barreled right toward Ignis at full tilt.

Ignis waited, hearing the footsteps grow closer, closer…and then at the last possible moment, suddenly he wasn't where he'd been. He was off to the side, a long polearm drawn, and the lance had carved a sizeable gash into the Little Ace.

"I won't be bested by you!" Miratrix yelled, spinning around.

"Funny you should say that – " Ignis sidestepped once more. "Because you already are. Being bested by me, I mean."

Miratrix gave a wordless scream at that.

Prompto danced on out in front of Jihl, waving at her. "Hi there!"

"Either you're an idiot, or this is a trick," Jihl sighed. "Either way, I'm not in the mood to play games."

So she fired, and Prompto somersaulted. She kept firing, and he dashed around her, literally running circles around the Gunner. Peppering in cries of "HA! TOO SLOW! CAN'T CATCH ME!"

Jihl flipped a switch. Then leaned hard. The Gunner sprinted ahead of Prompto, repositioning.

"Oh." Prompto scrambled to a halt. "Maybe you CAN catch me – WAGH!"

He dove, narrowly missing being seared by the next salvo.

Gladiolus stood firmly in the Huntsman's way. "Thought about picking on someone your own size?" he growled.

"You are hardly a fitting match in that case," the Huntsman told him.

"Maybe on the outside," Gladiolus told him. "But you got no idea what you're lookin' at."

He withdrew an immense sword, leaping high. The Huntsman barged forth. When they'd crossed each other, Gladiolus was unscathed, but the spikes on one of the Huntsman's Gigas shoulders had been severed, clanking on the street.

"Well played," the Huntsman said as he swiveled around. "It seems the hunt is on."

Yozora lifted into the air, glowing a bright red aura. He set his sights on Loqi's Gigas, darting through the air at lightning speed. As he willed it, his weapon sent bursts of crimson through the sky, so fast and hard it seemed he was hitting Loqi from multiple angles at once.

Loqi's Gigas stumbled from all the damage it was taking. Loqi then got a closer look at who was assaulting him. "YOU? No…it cannot be…you are different. Then how do you look like him – no, like THEM?"

"You're a real pain," Yozora droned. "Let's get you out of the way."

Loqi had failed to notice – somehow, Yozora had planted three devices. Though they looked technological in construction, he had obviously summoned them of his own will via magic. They emitted a glow, connecting to one another, sealing Loqi's Gigas in a triangular field of red light –

"NO!"

The devices went off, filling the field with burning energy. Loqi's Gigas exploded, and yet again Loqi went tumbling to the street, scraping and bruising all the way down.

"LOQI!" Jihl shrieked, changing her mech's course to rush after him. She planted down, a foot to either side of him, and stood guard.

"He really is sent from the Six…" Gladiolus had to force himself to focus on the Huntsman.

He wasn't the only Amicitia intrigued by the divine intervention. When Stella charged down Mozenrath, Iris' attention was immediately caught.

"Now, what do we have here?" Mozenrath mocked. "A little princess who thinks she can use the power of friendship and justice to defeat me? I hate to break it to you, but the real power is in the weapon you're wielding, and yours?" He aimed a solid punch. "PITIFUL."

His Hyper Ace's fist was stopped by a thick shield of ice that crackled into being between him and Stella. It crawled up the arm of the Gigas, paralyzing it.

"WHAT?" Mozenrath flailed, trying to break the ice away. "NO!"

Stella launched herself into the air, flying high over the Hyper Ace and using her rapier to conduct thunder itself, sending bolt after bolt into Mozenrath's armor like a raging storm. As she descended on the other side of the Gigas, a stream of water formed in midair; her feet landed lightly upon it, and she used it to skate back around front. From there, she let loose blasts of Light, pummeling the Hyper Ace Gigas again and again.

"Whoa…" Iris' eyes were wide. She nearly missed the next strike from Albel.

"Is she doing Elemancy?" Prompto called over. "Where'd she even pick up the energy?"

"I think that's just…her," Iris responded as she teased Albel off balance again. "That's not Elemancy. That's MAGIC."

Mozenrath's Gigas toppled onto its back. Stella rose high on a geyser of water, extending her arms to either side. The earth shook, but somehow, only beneath the Hyper Ace Gigas. Stones ripped themselves from the street, bashing the Gigas from every direction. Then, with one final blast of Light, the Hyper Ace was shattered into pieces, Mozenrath skidding and tumbling across the street.

"WOOOO!" Iris cheered.

Jihl refused to even move her feet, keeping a firm guard on the downed Loqi. Loqi himself was simultaneously embarrassed and a little bit touched; he just stayed where he was, counting on Jihl. Her gunfire seemed faster than ever now, and Prompto was having a harder time keeping up. Then she had him in his sights, he couldn't move fast enough –

A crimson shield blocked her ammo off. Yozora had landed in between Jihl and Prompto. "Switch!" Yozora yelled.

Prompto knew exactly what he was talkimg about. He passed over his pistol, and Yozora handed Prompto the blazing red sword. Together, they struck the final blow, one shot and one strike. The combination of a divine being using a mortal gun, and of a mortal using a divine sword, evened them both out, and Jihl was overwhelmed with red light.

Then she was falling through the cracks, plopping down right next to Loqi. Loqi immediately seized her arm and ran, dragging her to an escape.

Stella winked as she used another stream of water to float over to Iris. She encircled Albel's Gigas with a ring of water, then immediately froze it. The Gigas' arms were pinned to its sides, and Albel stumbled about clumsily.

"TAKE THIS!" Iris descended from on high, drawing the strangest weapon Albel had ever seen: a plush Moogle.

"You think your soft toy can – " Albel began.

SLAM. When the Moogle hit, the Gigas broke. Albel went bouncing down the road.

"Yes," Iris answered. "I do." She put out a hand. Stella careened by and slapped it a high-five before they both maneuvered over to Ignis.

"Soooo," Prompto asked Yozora as the two looked over to Gladiolus and the Huntsman, "any chance you remember what Noct used to do with us for an Iron Giant?"

Yozora didn't answer. He just surged the Huntsman, diverting his attention with sparkling red beams, same as he'd done for Loqi. The Huntsman spun, trying to keep up with Yozora's flight, but Gladiolus saw the play for what it was. With a roar, he raised his blade, bringing it down –

Severing the hands of the Huntsman's Gigas. Turning them to two useless hunks of metal, grating across the stone, leaving sparks.

"YOU!" the Huntsman yelled. He surged toward Gladiolus, aiming one of the sparking ends of the Gigas' arms –

Yozora descended, using the crimson blade to run through the arm, pinning the Gigas to the ground.

"Ha ha!" Prompto pointed at the Huntsman with his pistol. "Loser!"

"WHY YOU – " The Huntsman flailed toward Prompto, who took a running leap at the other sparking arm. Then Prompto was running up that arm, heading right for the cockpit –

The Huntsman crashed his Gigas' wrist into Prompto, knocking him away. But by the time he'd done that, he realized that Gladiolus and Yozora were spinning toward him, swords in hand, their free hands clasping one another so they could use each other's weight as counterbalances.

The Power Ace was cleaved twice down the middle, breaking apart, raining metal onto the street. The Huntsman tumbled.

Compared to that, Miratrix went down in no time at all. Iris hopped on her back to distract her, then in came Stella and Ignis, spinning rapier and lance from two directions. The stabs hit at the same time, cleaving the Little Ace in a perpendicular direction to the Power Ace's wounds, and when Ignis kicked the whole outfit, Miratrix went tumbling down in a shower of metal.

Quickly, as soon as they were downed, the WHAM ARMY reconvened. Loqi and Jihl, Albel and Miratrix, Huntsman and Mozenrath. They stood braced for battle.

Opposite them, Yozora and Stella blazed red and white, weapons at the ready. Prompto, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Iris slid in behind them, ready to back them up.

"I don't think we can defeat them in close combat," the Huntsman hissed to Mozenrath.

"That's fine," Mozenrath said out loud so all could hear. "We don't need to. We got what we came for."

He reached up with his right hand, snapping his fingers. And then, in a surge of blue light, all six were gone, transported back to their wrecked stronghold in Accordo.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Gladiolus yelled. "WHERE'D THEY GO?"

"Search the city," Yozora barked. "Split up!"

So they did. And when the six heroes reunited, they could say with only the slightest shadow of a doubt that the perpetrators had gotten away with it. Now that they weren't focused on fighting, they could really take in the damage left behind.

"I don't think I want to hear how badly the city fared," Ignis panted.

"You don't," Yozora assured him.

Stella could not keep from crying. "They slaughtered so many. We could've stopped them so much sooner – "

"Hey," Prompto said softly. "We did our best. We got here when we could. The only way we could've done any more is if we'd literally been there when they touched down."

"And it was a lucky enough chance we were in the same city to begin with," Ignis remarked.

"Unless this was a planned assault," Gladiolus said.

"They could be working for Ardyn," Yozora suggested.

"I highly doubt this is the work of the Starscourge," said Ignis. "It seems quite off-brand for him, to be honest."

"Unless he arranged it so the circus would be in town to distract us while he did his dirty work behind the scenes," Iris suggested.

"What even were those things they were driving?" Prompto wondered. "I thought they were cybersuits, but they looked more like giant toys."

"I'm guessing Noctis had a history with the bratty one," Yozora sniffed.

"You have no idea," Ignis scoffed. "That one was a veritable cockroach. Stamp on him, and next thing you know, he's back again."

"So what now?" Iris asked. "We need to track them down, but I don't think we can afford to wait to hear on the news where they started the next slaughter."

Stella let out a sharp gasp; "The dead – I can HEAR them cry out – "

"Is that supposed to be an Oracle power?" Prompto asked.

"This isn't just any Oracle, remember?" Ignis urged.

"She's pretty special, all right…" The look on Iris' face was downright dreamy.

Gladiolus shoved her. "You serious right now?"

"What?" Iris hissed.

Gladiolus shook his head. "Never mind."

"They are on this world," Stella said, in a hazy trance. "They have not crossed over, not moved on…they are across a vast and shining sea…in a city broken…they are being asked to rebuild that city to its former glory…that is…" She snapped out of it. "That is why this happened! The attackers – they RESURRECTED the dead and pressed them into slavery!"

"How deep does this even go?" Prompto groaned.

"And I thought the slaughter was bad enough," Gladiolus said gruffly.

"Lady Stella," Ignis brought up, "I do believe the place you mentioned was Altissia. In about which direction do you think they are? Someone confirm to me which way she indicates."

Stella pointed. "They are in that direction."

"Altissia," Prompto confirmed. "Right on the money."

"Okay," Yozora said. "Then let's get going. Stella. We're moving." He started to walk. "Thanks for the help, I guess."

"Hey!" Gladiolus ran around and cut him off. "You're not going anywhere without us. Not after that."

"I thought you accepted no substitutes," Yozora told him gruffly.

"Well, that's not what we're doing," Gladiolus responded. "This just got real, all right? We're not gonna sit back and just let this happen. And maybe you don't make the worst combat partner. We'd be idiots not to join up with you after that display."

"He has the right of it," Ignis said.

"Plus, I still wanna get to know you guys better," Prompto added. "Do you have any memories from, like, a thousand years ago? Yozora, can you tell me anything from the Somnus era? Oh, Stella, is it true there was an Oracle that was in love with Ardyn, or did he just make that sob story up?"

"We do not remember anything," Stella said, "but we would be glad to converse with you further."

"Speak for yourself," Yozora grumbled, "even if you're right."

"And I'm getting pictures of you guys." Prompto now had his camera at the ready. "No way I'm going without shots of THIS."

"Long way to Cape Caem," Iris said. "Let's get moving. Gonna be cramped in the car with six people."

"And I'm guessing you wouldn't mind sitting that close to Stella," Prompto teased. Gladiolus rolled his eyes to that.

Stella completely missed the insinuation. "I would be glad to sit by you as well!" she told Iris. "I hope we can become friends."

There was a certain spring in Iris' step as she led the others back out to where they'd parked their vehicle.

...

Baaj was one of the civilizations that had been destroyed in the olden days. By Sin, by Zanarkand, by the Heartless – sources couldn't agree. What they could agree upon was that it had once housed an Aeon, and Arius claimed to know exactly which one it was.

The place where there had once been a city was now a mist-choked wasteland. Barren, gray rocks bordered valleys filled with dark sludge.

"What is that, tar?" Deymos asked as Vexen's group edged along the cliffs.

"I could not tell you without examining a sample," Vexen replied casually.

Deymos watched as the sludge below shifted and bubbled once before falling still again. "Eugh." He cringed away.

"Small wonder why no one has sought this place out," Victor observed.

"The path is this way." Arius led the group to a narrow stone bridge spanning the valley. "I would be careful if I were you."

"Yeah, no," Deymos said, "I'm not taking my chances with the death bridge."

"Deymos, it's structurally solid," Vexen scoffed. "What are you even worried about?"

"That it's not actually structurally solid," Deymos replied.

"Are you saying my assessment is incorrect?" Vexen barked.

"Yes. I. Am," Deymos snapped. "Problem with that?"

"I'm inclined to agree with Deymos here," Albert piped up. "It doesn't look safe. We should find another way around."

There was no faster way to get Vincent to take the opposite position. "I think you're just afraid," he scoffed.

"Vincent," Victor warned. "That is not a concern here."

"And if it were," skekSil added, "what is problem with fear? Fear protects from nasty fates."

"I'm not afraid!" Simon blurted. "But I'm not going first either!"

"Perhaps there is a way we can c-c-combine our p-powers to make a new b-bridge," Agnus mused. "If we were to – "

"There is nothing wrong with this bridge right here!" Vexen snapped. "Watch. I'll prove it."

"Oh boy," Deymos groaned as Vexen tread upon the stone bridge and began to glide across like it was nothing of note. "Vex? Vexster? Can you not? Just this once, can you NOT?"

"I thought you were better at masking and weaponizing your own fear than this," Vexen barked back.

Soon after, Vincent stepped up onto the same bridge, striding after him. "It's perfectly solid," he said. "I don't think you could have made yourself look more stupid, Albert."

"Albert…stupid?" Xerxes mused. "No, Albert smart. Vincent careless. Vincent needs to come BACK."

"Vincent, please," Albert begged. "This isn't about proving anything anymore. We don't even know what that is below the bridge. If you fall – "

"You would love that, wouldn't you?" Vincent snapped back.

"Vincent…" Albert trailed off.

"Maybe it's fine?" Tsumugi stepped onto the bridge. "Look, see? It's fine!" She walked backward a few paces. "We should all know better when it comes to trusting Vexen, you know! He is our mastermind! And what a mastermind says – "

CRACK.

"You heard that?" Simon was on full alert.

CRACK. CRACK.

"GET BACK TO THIS SIDE NOW!" Victor called out.

"HurryhurryhurryHURRY – " Deymos sputtered.

"It's just a noise!" Vexen barked back. "There is no indication of any sort that this bridge will – "

Right then, the bridge did.

With a resounding cacophony, it shattered, raining sharp shards into the sludge below. Tsumugi gave a yelp, leapt up into the air, and sprouted wings that carried her back to the safe side. Vincent and Vexen didn't have the luxury of shapeshifting, however.

A scream went up – Deymos, Simon, Tsumugi, skekSil, Albert, Victor, Agnus, Xerxes, even Arius, all in unison – as Vexen and Vincent plunged down.

The group scuttled to the edge of the cliff. At first, the way down was obscured by fuzzy white mist, but soon, as it cleared, they could see two shapes down below.

"PLEASE tell me you're not dead down there!" Deymos yelled.

One of the figures quite dramatically crossed its arms. "Of course I'm not DEAD, Deymos!"

"But we…we are…" The other started thrashing. Unleashing appendages, sparking cords. "We're mired…no, no, I can't go this way – "

"Will you calm DOWN, Vincent?" Vexen barked. "You're sinking yourself faster!"

Now it was clear to see that Vexen and Vincent had landed feet-down in the muck. Vexen had sunk about halfway in already. Vincent had probably been at the same level, but his panicked thrashing was not doing him favors.

"No – " Victor put a hand over his mouth. "If it reminds him in any way of – " He looked to Albert, eyes wide. "We have to get him out of there."

Tsumugi popped her wings back out. "Agnus!" she cried. "Wing squad!"

Agnus shifted into his insectoid angelic form, wings buzzing as he ascended. "Let us be the ones to s-save this d-d-day!"

They swooped down into the trench. Tsumugi took the easier task of attending to Vexen; Agnus flitted about, trying to find a way to get ahold of Vincent without running afoul of any of his blows or sparks.

Vexen was already miffed when Tsumugi locked her arms around his chest in a metal vice-grip. But when it turned out she couldn't actually lift him out of the sludge, well, he didn't want to admit he was panicking, and yet…

"What even IS this stuff?" Tsumugi asked as she strained. "You're glued down!"

"So is he." Agnus gestured down to Vincent, who was hyperventilating now because he'd slapped an arm against the surface of the muck and now couldn't peel it back away.

"My…" Vexen swallowed. "My best guess is a compound similar to tar or – will you let go if it's doing no good?"

"You might sink!" Tsumugi shrieked.

"And you might drive me to the point where I want to!" Vexen swatted. Finally, Tsumugi buzzed off.

"Okay." Deymos was breathing hard. "Don't panic. Whatever you do, guys, don't panic. It's not going to help the situation ANY if one of you starts freaking out! Looking at you, Chamberlain!"

"Chamberlain is calm," skekSil said casually. "Nocturne is the one who is panicking."

"Deymos!" Vexen snapped. "Pull yourself together and THINK about this! If the compound is liquid, it is obviously some percent WATER, is it not?"

"Right…right right right!" Deymos panted. He summoned the sitar, placing shaking fingers upon the strings. "Okay. Let's see if this slime is any good at dancing."

With a chord, he managed to peel away a good chunk of it from around Vexen, depositing it on the opposite bank. "Ewwww!" Deymos yelled. "That feels gross and wrong in SO many ways! That's about the max I can move at once."

"What are you – " Vexen seethed. "For one, I don't care, and for another, don't begin with ME! Start with VINCENT!"

"Why Vin – " Deymos realized it. Vexen wasn't sure if the replica could be brought back from the dead in the same condition, and of course, of course he was more worried about his masterwork than his own body. "Okay, yeah, yeah, got it! Just hang in there and don't move – I mean – you KNOW what I mean, okay?"

"Chamberlain is still calm," said skekSil.

"STOP BRAGGING ABOUT IT!" Simon barked.

Vincent had slopped forward, falling onto his chest, face an inch away from the tar. With a chord, Deymos ripped away the muck from Vincent's chest, freeing his upper body again. "CAN YOU STOP WRIGGLING?" Deymos yelled.

There was no answer from Vincent. Instead, Victor filled in, "He…may not know where he is right now."

"Oh, are you KIDDING – " Deymos groaned. "Okay. Let's try and speed this up a bit."

As he continued to play, Simon whirled to glower at Arius. "Aren't you the big important Summoner guy here?" he yelled. "Can't you do any magic or anything to fix this?"

"Of course I can!" Arius huffed. "Who do you think I am?"

"Well, right now, I think you're being a USELESS WASTE OF SPACE!" Simon yelled.

Arius' brow furrowed. "I will show you a useless waste of space."

"Ph-phrasing, Arius," Agnus pointed out.

"Rrrgh…" Arius went high-pitched. "I will show you THE OPPOSITE OF A USELESS WASTE OF SPACE!"

With both hands, he thrust the Arcana Bastone toward the gray skies. Colorful light twisted around the staff, shooting skyward, calling a particular Summon that could not be found in Radiant Garden: the demon moth Noctpteran.

Something was wrong. The light sputtered and sparked. Arius actually smacked the Arcana Bastone with the heel of his hand; "What is WRONG WITH YOU?"

Then came the resounding baritone only he could hear from within his own mind: "YOU ARE MINE."

He realized it then. Before he'd been dragged to Hell, he'd been possessed by the grand devil he was trying to summon, Argosax. Now that he'd opened his connection to the demonic once more…

How could he have forgotten that Argosax had never truly been exorcised from his body or soul?

The others saw the change wash over him. His skin turning sickly green. His eyes glowing red. With a horrible cracking and squishing sound, a pair of tentacles erupted from his back, through his pristine white jacket.

"Arius?" Tsumugi asked nervously. "Is that your final form? Please tell me that's your final form."

Agnus touched down on the ground beside her, sputtering, "N-n-n-n-no-no-no-no…"

"You fools," Argosax boomed through Arius' mouth. "Arius is no more. Now you will face Argosax the Chaos!"

And then he lunged.

Deymos, Simon, Tsumugi, Agnus, Victor, Albert, and Xerxes scattered. "THE LAST THING WE NEEDED WAS ANOTHER TEAMMATE TO GO CRAZY ON US WHILE SPROUTING TENTACLES!" Simon yelled.

"This is getting out of hand!" skekSil huffed, looking from Arius to Vincent and back. "Now there are two of them!"

"If I had a nickel for every time – " Albert began.

"Don't finish that sentence," Tsumugi snarled.

"It's just weird that it happened twice is all," Albert replied before dodging another of Argosax's blows.

"Okay, forget this," Deymos muttered. "If I can only save one, I'm not messing around anymore." He turned to look down into the valley, hitting a chord. Then he reached out his arm, extending his hand to face the valley.

Water careened down his arm and took the form of a lengthier arm, bending down into the valley and erupting into a five-fingered hand. That hand seized Vexen's upper arm, refusing to let go, no matter how Deymos ducked and dodged Argosax on the surface.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Vexen yelled. "LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT! SAVE VINCENT!"

After all, from what he could see, Vincent's misty silhouette was three-quarters beneath the sludge now.

"He's never been this concerned about another person before!" Tsumugi yelped.

"Yes." This thought distracted Victor. "That is odd." There was a horrible possibility forming in his mind that never quite got to take root because in the time it took him to think it over, Argosax had slammed into his chest, throwing him back across the gray wasteland.

"Victor!" Albert gasped.

"DEYMOS, YOU IDIOT!" Vexen yelled, and everyone could hear him. "HE'S SINKING FASTER THAN I AM!"

Victor scrambled, flipping over in panic. Argosax loomed over him like a predator. "He's sinking," Victor repeated breathily. If he were killed here, that was one thing, but –

Albert needed but two seconds to read the terror on Victor's face, to see how far Vincent had mired himself by struggling. Then he turned around, bolted right for the ravine, and launched himself off the edge.

"ALBERT, NO!" Victor yelled, reaching out a hand. A hand he immediately had to convert to a gun to hold off Arius.

"…Maybe Albert stupid after all," Xerxes muttered.

He was very good at judging distance, however. He landed feet-first in the muck with a SQUELCH, and no sooner had he touched down than he fell, sinking above his knees in the sludge. No solid ground below, but the fluid was thick enough to keep him from immersing right away. He'd landed right before Vincent, as he'd planned, and what the mists obscured from everyone else, Albert could see plainly as day.

Vincent had struggled and thrashed to his own detriment; strands of black goo covered him in entirety, holding him down like cables. Thankfully his head was still above the fluid. He was down to his chest, but he'd expanded himself, all cybernetic parts showing. His face had split completely, showing off sharp metal and wires. His neck, his arms – all were extended on what wires he could eject. He gave a feral snarl as he continued to try and free himself.

"Vincent!" Albert decisively reached up, waiting for the right timing, and then deftly seized Vincent's head, one hand on each cheek. One palm felt flesh; the other metal. "Vincent, you have to stop!"

"Let me GO!" Vincent roared. "You can't keep me down here! I'll break free! And when I do, I'll kill you! I'll kill EVERYONE who contributed to this!"

"Vincent," Albert said softly. "I didn't realize that the mist would make it look…dark. You must think you're in the cyborg basement, don't you?"

"Am I…not?" Vincent caught his breath. Monsieur M would never speak to him that way. "What…what's happening…"

"You're panicking," Albert told him. "You fell into this pit, and between the shock of it, the mists obscuring your vision, and the way you're held down by the sludge…your mind dredged up old memories and obscured your vision with them. Vincent, you're sinking, and the more you struggle, the faster you fall. You have to stop."

"No," Vincent panted. "I can't stop. I can NEVER stop. Not until I'm free and he pays – "

"We will get you free," Albert promised. "Victor and I. We must have done so last time – or Victor must have, at least. But you have to calm down. Do you…do you know who I am?"

"You're…" Vincent's eyes were practically glazed over. "You're…"

"Mudskippers mate and lay eggs on land despite being fish. This is because they are amphibious fish, classified in the family Oxudercidae – "

It clicked. Vincent's vision cleared. "Oh. It's YOU."

Albert couldn't help but give a proud grin.

"I…am sinking," Vincent realized, his breath catching in his throat. "You – you came down here to drown me, didn't you? You came here to end it!"

"No!" Albert shook his head. "I would never do that to you. If I lost you, who else would I show up? Who else would make me feel so smug when he got things wrong? You realize I have to save you for very personal reasons. But to do that, I have to get you to stop moving."

Vincent nodded. The panic was plastered across his face.

"I want you to breathe on my count," Albert said softly. "Four in. Four out. Can you do that?"

Vincent gave another nod.

"One," Albert said, never breaking eye contact with Vincent, never removing his hands from the broken face. "Two. Three…"

Up on terra firma, Simon had drawn his hook-shot, skekSil his blades, and Agnus his most demonic powers to combat Argosax. Deymos threw a water-form at the devil when he could, but kept most of his energy on the arm holding Vexen. No matter how much Vexen complained about it.

"Please, Arius!" Tsumugi yelled. "Aren't you in there? I'm really hoping this is the time for the anime trope where your friends call out to you and you can hear us even though you're possessed, and you fight back!"

"L-listen, Arius!" Agnus called out. "You c-c-can fight the Ch-chaos! I kn-know you'd be b-b-bragging about it if it were only a hypothetical situation! D-don't prove me wrong!"

The words of both Tsumugi and Arius echoed down the long void of Darkness that separated Arius' heart from the rest of the world. Arius, the real Arius, heard it loud and clear, but at first, he had bigger problems on his mind.

He stood on a stained-glass mural that had depicted himself lounging lavishly with a cigar. He might've taken the time to admire how handsome the depiction was if not for the fact that he wasn't alone there. Like a tumor, Argosax was plastered to the glass, a massive lump of flesh that bulged with the faces, limbs, and appendages of other demons that Arius had known.

Arius clutched his staff, stepping backward. Toward the edge.

"You will always belong to me," Argosax growled – not through any mouth, but simply emanating the voice from the center of the fleshy mass. The mass that was growing, sending out veiny tendrils, threatening to encompass Arius' entire heart. "Give in now. End your struggle. End your pain."

The words of his fellows on the outside then echoed even louder around Arius:

"You fight back!"

"D-don't prove me wrong!"

Arius' grip on the Arcana Bastone relaxed. Then tightened again – not with fear, but with resolve. "No," he seethed. "You cannot pretend to have power over me. I am Arius!" He stormed toward Argosax. "I am the one that gave you a road to the world of mortals! I am the one that assembled the Arcana! You are nothing without ME!"

He thrust the Arcana Bastone into the air. A light show erupted from it, sparkling off into the dark void. Then came the rumbling. An immense silhouette was rising from over the edge of the glass platform, suspended in the void. It was three times and more the size of Argosax.

"What IS that?" Argosax growled. "No…no! It cannot be!"

"It is the one thing you cannot overcome," Arius sneered. He spread out his arms: "ME!"

What he'd summoned was a giant replica of himself, silver-white. It reached out both arms toward Argosax, then peeled the demon right off the glass, lifting him high.

"YOU CANNOT DO THIS!" Argosax boomed. "I AM THE ONE WHO MADE YOU!"

"No," Arius snarled. "It is I who made YOU. Perish."

The giant Arius squeezed its hands together, compressing Argosax. The demon collapsed on itself, folding smaller and smaller, screaming in agony and rage. Then, at last, it popped between the great Arius' hands.

A brilliant orange light rose up from the deflated shell of Argosax. Arius knew what that light was. He raised the Arcana Bastone; the light flew to him, into his staff, absorbed into the holy weapon.

A bright white light surrounded Arius, changing his vision from the interior of his heart to the wastes of Baaj once more. During the transition, he laughed long and loud. "I, ARIUS, HAVE RETURNED!" he boomed.

And so the others could see his skin lightening back up to a paler hue, his eyes dimming, the tentacles retracting from whence they'd come.

"WE DID IT!" Tsumugi cried, throwing up a fist of victory. "WE CALLED OUT TO THE ARIUS INSIDE, AND THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP SAVED THE DAY!"

"No," Arius said, "it is I who will save the day!" He raised the Arcana Bastone again. "COME TO ME, DESPAIR EMBODIED!"

A bright flame erupted from the Arcana Bastone. When he'd been banished, they'd stripped him of all power to summon Ifrit, but this being burned even brighter than Ifrit ever could. Seemingly made of fire, the horned humanoid figure beat wings made of solar flares, flying out over the ravine. From some angles, it looked to be a barrel-chested man, but from others, a voluptuous woman. Either way, the wings distracted from almost everything else.

When Vexen, now sunk up to his chest, saw the Despair Embodied, his vision went red. Fire, fire like Axel's, he was about to die, not by the sludge swallowing him but by this thing combusting him –

The watery hand on his arm squeezed hard. Grounding him. Maybe the monstrosity was a blessing in disguise, maybe one of the others had summoned it, maybe Arius –

"Albert," Vincent panted, his shoulders sinking under. "Albert, I'm about to sink, please – "

"Victor will come through," Albert said confidently. "And if he doesn't, then you can die knowing you took me down with you. Isn't that some satisfaction at least?"

And Vincent actually gave a coughing snort that was the best laugh he could possibly manage under the circumstances.

The Despair Embodied stood tall in the air over the ravine, molding a circle of dark matter with his hands. A great black hole formed in the sky above, swirling, spinning –

Then the sludge was sucked upward. And only the sludge. Vexen, Vincent, and Albert collapsed through empty air as the Despair Embodied cleared out the whole ravine, sending all the goop into the black hole. The three hit a solid rock bottom to the valley.

The last of the muck disappeared through the void. The Despair Embodied, his job done, dissolved in flames, a dying fire.

The danger, finally, had passed.

With a chorus of concerned yelps, Deymos, Tsumugi, Xerxes, Victor, Simon, skekSil, Agnus, and Arius clambered down the ravine's edge, using the myriad jutting rocks as handholds and footrests. They reunited at the nadir of the valley, and only when Deymos was within ten feet of Vexen did he call off the water-arm.

Vexen dusted off his coat. "That was unpleasant to say the VERY least." There was still a tremor in his voice, and then in his body, and he gave in to just a little weakness, falling to a knee to catch his breath.

Deymos rushed closer to him, hands out, and Vexen was about to snap at him to absolutely not seize him, when Deymos stopped with his hands hovering two inches above Vexen's shoulders. The gesture of holding him without actually making contact. "You okay?" Deymos asked.

"Hm." Vexen smirked. "Now which one of us is it who panicked? And you mocked me for my reaction to your disappearance into Nightmare."

"Okay, fine, fine, you win," Deymos groaned. "But seriously, are you GOOD?"

After a moment, Vexen muttered, "You can close the distance. Gently."

Deymos lowered his hands onto Vexen's shoulders. Keeping the pressure light. "I will be well in a moment," Vexen said calmly. "You…you utterly did not listen to me."

"Are you surprised at this point?" Deymos replied.

"No," Vexen realized, somewhat amused. "I shouldn't be, truly."

When Victor hit the bottom of the ravine, he sprinted over to Vincent's broken cyborg form, and before Vincent could react in any way, Victor had seized him, cradling Vincent best he could in a tight embrace. Lengthening his arms to close the grip.

"I thought you – " Victor panted. Then cut himself off: "…You're going to need your face sewn together again."

"A design flaw I am working on remedying," Vexen grumbled.

Vincent threw his own arms around Victor. "It wasn't my finest hour," he mumbled.

"It's all right now," Victor told him. "Just breathe…"

Albert watched the two of them snuggling. Wishing more than ever that he was at the center of it, between the two of them –

("In my dreams," as Verosika had sung, "I can see us in a tight embrace…")

He turned away. Best not to get wrapped up in such things. His destiny wasn't with either of them.

There was a firm grip on his upper arm. Victor had telescoped one of his own arms even further to grab onto Albert, get his attention. Albert gave him and Vincent an over-the-shoulder glance.

"Thank you," Victor breathed. "I can't even think how to repay you."

After a pause, Vincent averted his gaze from Albert, then gave the smallest of nods to indicate he agreed.

"I…" Albert shook his head. "It was personal. I merely didn't want the rivalry to end just yet." His voice dropped softer. "Or our friendship."

"Albert," Vincent muttered. "I have to…I have to tell you something."

The tension mingled with the mists in the air.

"Yes?" Albert asked.

"I find it all too amusing that the only real therapy technique you've ever used was to save a man from a slime pit," Vincent said. "That is all."

Albert nodded and carried on, turning to the others.

Of course, Arius was bragging now; "I control the Despair Embodied itself: an aura manifestation of Argosax the Chaos. The most powerful entity I can think to control!"

Deymos shrugged. "Maybe that can help us beat up the god of pizza? Maybe we don't have to get an Aeon after all?"

"NO!" Vexen yelled. "No – we need an Aeon still! Trust me!"

"Oh." Deymos realized that the problem was always going to be the Despair Embodied's fiery countenance. There was really no point in heading into battle with that Summon if Vexen wasn't going to be able to function in its presence. "Yeah, actually, you're right. Stupid pizza god jerk probably came prepared for a literal demon. Aeon it is."

"Then let us not delay any further." Arius began to scale the opposite side of the valley. "The way is now clear."

"It better be," Deymos muttered. "I've had enough panic for one lifetime, THANK you."

There was a soft "Hmmmmm" followed by "Chamberlain was calm whole time."

"YES!" Simon screamed. "WE GET IT! WE KNOW! YOU WERE CALM! YOU HAVE NO EMPATHY! GOOD FOR YOU!"

SkekSil just laughed with a "Hmm-hmm-hmmmm!".

Truly, the Despair Embodied had left a perfectly safe path now that the sludge was devoured, provided one didn't mind climbing down walls one way and up another. In short order, the group came upon the Temple of Baaj, having a good look around as they entered. There had once been a grand antechamber here, but it was in ruins, all its statues decimated.

"Are we going to have to worry about what destroyed this temple?" Tsumugi asked.

"It has likely drowned in the mire," Arius said haughtily. "Which means the Despair Embodied has only just unearthed its bleached bones."

"Way to make it creepier," Simon droned.

"Curious," Vexen realized as they passed into the next room. "Most Aeon temples require a Cloister of Trials. This one is far too straightforward."

"Baaj is a known special case," Arius said as he walked forward into the circular room, toward the golden raised dais inset to the floor. "In days of yore, it was accessible only to those who had completed the rest of the pilgrimage, barring the infamous Final Aeon, and then and only then could a Summoner access – MINEEEERVAAAAAAA?"

He stood atop the dais, his scream echoing off the circular walls.

"There was ZERO NEED to say it that dramatically!" Simon barked.

"No!" Arius' eyes were wide. "The Aeon! It is gone! WHERE IS THE AEON? WHERE IS MINERVA?"

The dais was empty. Dormant. Not even bearing the luminosity it should bear with an Aeon present. Once all realized this, a search party quickly cased the interior and exterior of the temple, but soon it was all too clear that the Lost Aeon of Baaj was truly lost.

"HOW CAN THIS BEEEEEE?" Arius whined, on his knees in the midst of the Aeon room. "WHAT WILL BECOME OF ME NOWWWWW?"

"What will become of YOU?" Vexen yelled. "What will become of ME? This was our last chance to find something to counter that god and retrieve Xion!"

"If I m-may – " Agnus attempted.

"I CONQUERED ARGOSAX THE CHAOS FOR THIIIIIIIS?" Arius screamed.

"STOP MAKING THIS ABOUT YOURSELF WHEN IT IS CLEARLY ABOUT ME!" Vexen barked.

"P-pardon – " Agnus said softly.

Arius pointed at Vexen; "I TRUSTED YOU NOT TO LEAD ME ASTRAY!"

"And I trusted YOU to know what you were talking about when you confirmed THERE WAS AN AEON HERE!" Vexen yelled back.

"WILL YOU STOP?" Agnus yelled, inserting himself between the two men and shoving them aside, assuming full Angelo form. "I have f-found something!"

He then extended his hand, holding out a peculiar charm. It was shaped like a triangle, with one eye at its center, two tendrils protruding from its upper half.

"Is this a c-clue of any sort?" Agnus asked.

Arius plucked the charm up, regarding it. "This is a Summon Charm," he said softly. "But what is it doing here? And what manner of minor beast does it summon?"

"WHOA NOW!" Deymos ran over to him, swiping the charm. "Trust me, you do NOT…want…oh." He got a closer look at the charm. "Oh, this isn't what I thought it was." He began to laugh nervously. "I thought this was – okay, if you find one of these, and it's yellow, and it has a little top hat instead of those antennae, burn it. This one should be fine though. Think fast!"

He lobbed it at Arius, who caught it in one hand. "I am not walking away without one creature to Summon."

"Think before you – " Vexen barked. But it was too late. Arius was already clutching the charm, and a bright light emitted forth. "Oh, never mind!"

When the light cleared, Arius was holding the very creature the charm had depicted: a little black triangle, about the size of his head, with a pair of wiggling, feathery antennae.

"Oh, uh, hi," said the creature, its voice high and nasally. "Good thing you came along when you did. I was getting anxious stuck in there, and I was starting to think I'd be trapped there forever – WAH!"

Arius dangled it by one of the antennae. "What manner of Summon are you? Are you even useful?"

"Useful – of course of course of COURSE I'm useful PUT ME RIGHT-SIDE UP!" the creature screamed. Only when Arius righted it did it calm down. "Phew. Okay, so the thing is, I don't fight, but I know things. That's my job. I'm a Helpsie, which means I can guide you guys to whatever it is you're looking for. Anything at all! You name it! Or ask me a question and I'll answer based on the information I have."

"Where is the Aeon of Baaj?" Arius barked. "WHERE?"

"Calm down, okay?" the Helpsie panted. "You're making me nervous! So the thing is, the Lost Aeon of Baaj gave up her godly form years ago so she could become human. I guess she fell in love with a mortal man or something? You all know the tropes. And since she became mortal, well, she kind of…met mortality."

"Consummate liar here," Deymos broke in. "How do we know we can trust this thing?"

"Because if I lie to you, you could very easily kill me, and I don't want that," the Helpsie replied. "Okay?"

"Not sure I buy it," said Deymos, "but for now, let's just roll with it."

"But maybe I can help you figure out another way to do what you wanted to do with Minerva!" the Helpsie suggested. "Like, is there another question you wanna ask?"

"In fact, yes," Vexen said. "We are seeking an Aeon or equivalent power in order to surmount a god. Where can we find such power?"

"On this world, you mean?" the Helpsie responded. "That'd have to be the Final Aeon."

"The Final Aeon doesn't exist," Vexen sighed.

"That's what you think," replied the Helpsie. "But it's real! I know about it! That's what I exist to do! I can even lead you right to it! You just have to start by going to Zanarkand, and since you guys came all the way out here to Baaj, that should be an easy trip, right?"

Vexen looked to Deymos. "I don't trust this creature."

"Me either," Deymos replied, "but also, think about it. Are you absitively-posolutely sure the Final Aeon is a sham? If it's not…wouldn't you like to be the guy to discover it?"

"What are you getting at?" Vexen asked.

"That we're running on fumes here," Deymos replied. "On the off chance there's a Final Aeon there…we could find and use it."

"We could just use Arius' demon, though," Vincent chimed in.

"YOU OF ALL PEOPLE – " Vexen shut himself up. "Never. Mind."

"You know…I think we should go for it," Simon said. "If it's a trap, we can just spring it and fight whatever's waiting!"

"I built you," Vexen told him. "So how is it that you're now parroting Roman Torchwick propaganda?"

"Because I, Arius, am strong enough to best whatever may await us," Arius said.

"It's not a trap!" the Helpsie groaned. "How many times do I have to say this? Why would you be able to summon me as a magical creature if the magic talent I have isn't even legit?"

"I say we go for it," Albert said. "Trust is important among friends, and the Helpsie is a friend of ours, isn't…isn't…I'm sorry, what are your pronouns?"

"I'm a he," the Helpsie replied. "Don't even sweat it; I get that question a lot."

"Very well," Vexen sighed. "Let us proceed to Zanarkand."

"More friend squad adventures!" Tsumugi squealed.

"All RIGHT!" Simon excitedly ripped the Helpsie from Arius' hands, breaking into a run. "This is gonna be awesome!"

The Helpsie immediately panicked; "WaitwaitWAIT I forgot to tell you aaaaaAAAAA – "

Then it exploded. Simon stared at his empty hands. The others watched in awe.

Arius awkwardly fiddled with the Summon charm until it shone again. The Helpsie reappeared in Arius' grip.

"Don't. RUN," the Helpsie seethed. "I don't do well at high speed. If you have to go fast, put me back in the charm."

"At the end of the day," Deymos surmised, "it always comes back to not running in the lobby. Poetic."

...

Almost immediately, Mozenrath had raised all the dead he'd created in Lestallum. Not fully; only enough so they were half-alive, with sickly green skin and emaciated frames. Some were native Accordans who'd gone there in the diaspora; others were Lucians. Mozenrath didn't really differentiate; he just stitched up their mouths with a wave of his right hand and then set them to work.

"Not sure 'Mamluks' is the right word here," Mozenrath explained. "That was a little…region-specific. Loqi, what would you call an undead slave in this corner of the multiverse?"
"They bear a strong resemblance to the Reaper daemons," Loqi said. "Or perhaps the Wraiths."

"Those are both a little generic…" Mozenrath muttered.

"So we use both," Jihl said. "Reaper-Wraiths."

"Perhaps it is better said as one word," the Huntsman suggested. "Reaperaiths."

"You know, I don't hate it!" Mozenrath said with a grin. "All right, Reaperaiths. Your mission is to rebuild Altissia to its former glory by any means necessary. Now GET TO WORK."

The Reaperaiths set about their toil. In the meantime, Mozenrath wrangled a gondola for himself, the Huntsman, Loqi, Jihl, Miratrix, and Albel. They cruised around the city's canals, observing the work of their undead slaves and calling out reprimands as they saw fit.

In one particular plaza, the Reaperaiths had amassed in large quantities, seemingly just standing around. "GET BACK TO WORK!" Mozenrath barked. "THIS IS AN ANTI-UNION WORKPLACE!"

The Reaperaiths parted, showing Mozenrath a clear view of what they were all looking at. At the sight of it, Mozenrath ground the gondola to a halt in the water, anchoring it with magic.

Staring back at the six gondola passengers were Stella, Yozora, Iris, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto. "We have come to put an end to this," Stella said firmly.

Yozora drew his blade, giving it a threatening slash through the air. "You're done."

"And by 'done,'" Gladiolus snarled, "we mean you'll be lucky if we let you live long enough to bring you in."

"Is that so?" Mozenrath rose from the gondola, taking a step toward the plaza –

Before anyone could warn him not to stand in a boat, much less to rock it by moving to one edge, the entire vehicle tipped over.

"These are SERIOUSLY the guys behind the Lestallum genocide?" Prompto said in disbelief.

Mozenrath and his five sopping-wet companions dragged themselves onto the shore, standing up at the edge of the plaza. "I mean, if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get," he said.

"We're just gonna pretend like you didn't dunk in the canal, huh?" Prompto egged.

Albel was first to draw his sword. "Allow me to cut them down and demonstrate why they called me 'Albel the Wicked'! This will be a lesson not soon forgot by whichever of you we spare to tell the tale!"

This of course got Miratrix spinning her own swords; "I am a master ninja, and far greater in combat than any of you could possibly be!"

"Careful…" the Huntsman hissed to them both, remembering just how easily this squad had brought down their Gigas armada. If it had just been the four daemon hunters, that would be one thing, but he didn't have to be told that Yozora and Stella were superhuman.

"Oh, no need for that!" Mozenrath said flippantly. "After all, it's not US they'll be fighting. Reaperaiths, as your necromancer and master, I command you to destroy those aspiring heroes."

The undead army turned to stand at attention, glowering at the six would-be saviors.

"Let's see how well you stand up against the people you're trying to save," Mozenrath grunted. "Something tells me you won't be able to destroy them half as quickly as you did our Gigas."

Without any further ado, the Reaperaiths – the same victims who the six heroes had come to save – turned on those very heroes, rushing toward them with surprising speed.

Yozora was quick to put up a deflective shield, glowing red hexagons intersecting, and the others crowded behind it. Then, with a smirk, Mozenrath whisked himself and his friends away with a little magic, reappearing on a rooftop that would give them a bird's-eye view.

"This has to be the most enviable seat in the venue," the Huntsman chuckled as he watched Stella, Yozora, Iris, Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto get mobbed by the undead.

"I would have preferred to take them down with my own blade…" Albel grumbled.

"No," Loqi said with a gleeful grin. "This is FAR more entertaining. Now that Noctis-Regis doppelgänger will get what he deserves – in the name of revenge for what BOTH kings had done to me! If he does not fall on the battlefield, then LET HIS NAME BE KNOWN AS MURDERER!"

"We can't fight these guys!" Prompto urged as the group cowered behind the wall.

"They aren't alive," Yozora reminded them all. "They probably can't be killed by the methods we would use. We could probably attack them."

"Worth a shot," Gladiolus said.

"NOT worth a shot," Ignis growled.

"I'm not sewing a hundred people back together," Iris huffed.

"Not to mention that if we did pull off such an attack," Ignis went on, "and IF it were harmless, we are left with a conundrum. Left whole, they will continue to want our destruction. The only way to stop that urge is to break them. Neither of these situations is truly saving them or ourselves in any manner!"

"So then we take out the big guys," Prompto said. "We find a way around the crowd, we get up on that roof, and we beat the crap out of those jerks until they call off the mob."

"I'm not convinced they won't blow up the entire mob to spite us," said Gladiolus.

"But it's a better plan than we had," said Yozora. "This shield won't hold forever. And we can't stand here like idiots forever. Gotta make a move. So what'll it be?"

"…You try and find a way to attack the masterminds," Stella breathed. "I have another plan. I am calling for help."

"Who are you gonna ask to help all the way out here?" Iris barked.

"You gave me the answer when you spoke to me of this city on our journey here," said Stella. "Trust me. Now go."

"Shield coming down in three," Yozora grunted. "Two…"

It shattered into crimson sparks. Yozora, Gladiolus, Iris, Ignis, and Prompto surged into the Reaperaith crowd in all different directions, trying to fight their way to the WHAM ARMY without damaging any of the victims. Stella hopped a stream of water to ride through the city, down to the ocean's edge, where once the dread Leviathan had been summoned and brought Altissia to its knees.

As Stella was on her knees on the coast, hands knotted together in a prayer. "Leviathan," she begged. "This city is your domain. These people are your worshippers. Please lend me your aid."

At first, Stella worried she'd simply spoken into silence. Then Leviathan's voice boomed within her mind. Though she again spoke the godly language of earlier, this time, Stella could understand every word of it.

"What insolence have you to ask me for aid?" Leviathan snapped.

"Please," Stella begged. "It is your choice to make in the end, but these people…they rely on you…they worshipped you once…"

"That does not obligate me to cater to them," Leviathan retorted. "Your words fall upon deaf ears. This is not a matter of gods."

"Even if you will lose that worship?" Stella asked. "If the people of this world suffer…if eventually they are all eliminated…then who will be left to sing your praises? Who will be left to recognize you as a deity?"

A low, growling chuckle preceded Leviathan's next statement. "You are clever. However, it will not be enough. I need spend no energy on the affairs of mortals. If it silences you, however, I will send an avatar in my stead. One far less powerful than I, and a denizen of another realm, but a dragon of the waters nonetheless. Take her aid, and that of her companions, and leave me be. You will be responsible for her fate when all is done."

"Thank you, Leviathan." Stella smiled. "You may not care, but it means a great deal to me that you would even go that far."

Leviathan went silent. The waters of the murky sea began to spin, a maelstrom in the making. Faster and faster the waters went until at last, the help Leviathan had rounded up was spewed from it, arcing gracefully through the air.

The dragon was long and blue, but there, her similarities to Leviathan ended. Her color was more of a sky shade, tinted with soft lavender. Her tail ended in feathers; her neck was shrouded by a fluffy lion's mane of blue and violet. Two horns protruded from her head, one shorter and a taller one behind. Her face looked nothing as fearsome as Leviathan, almost uncharacteristically cute for a dragon.

Two people shot up from the whirlpool as well, one to either side. As they descended toward the shore, Stella got a better look. To the dragon's right, a young woman with a thick mane of hair, clothed in earth tones and a red shawl; she carried with her a long sword.

To the dragon's left, a taller, more muscular woman, her hair shaved into a long mohawk that draped over the right half of her head. She wore a white tank top and black pants, at the waist of which twin swords were sheathed.

The dragon and her two escorts landed beside Stella; the dragon shook off the excess water. "Wow, that was a trip!" she blurted. "Whooa, where even is this place?"

Stella rose, beaming. "You were sent by Leviathan!"

"Uh, yeah?" the dragon replied. "Were you the one that called?"
The woman with shorter hair stamped toward Stella. "What is the MEANING of this?" she barked. "Why have you ripped us away from – from – where are we?" She seized the front of Stella's dress, pulling her threateningly close. "ANSWER!"

"Chill out, dep la," the longer-haired woman teased. "Unless that whole 'trust' thing was lost on you."

"You know better than to use that against me." Still the short-haired woman let Stella go.

"And speaking of," said the dragon, "who are you, again?"

Stella bowed. "My name is Stella Nox Fleuret. I am the Oracle of Eos reborn. You were brought here from another world thanks to the grace of Leviathan in our darkest hour. This is Altissia, the capital of Accordo."

"Yeah, I don't know what any of those words mean," said the dragon, "except 'darkest hour,' and I'm guessing that's the most important one."

Stella inclined her head. "May I know your names?"
"Me?" The dragon indicated herself. "I'm Sisu. And these are my best friends Raya – "

The long-haired woman nodded. "Hi."

"And Namaari!" Sisu beamed.

Namaari scowled. Sisu nudged her hard with a foreleg. Namaari grunted, "Hi."

"Um." Raya stepped forward. "I don't know where we are or what's happening – you prayed to a god and got sent us?"

"That is exactly what has happened," Stella replied.

"Ooookaaaay," Raya replied. "Not every day that happens. But I'm the princess of Kumandra, which I'm guessing you have no idea what that is either, and the point is, if there's some kind of emergency here that made a god send us over…I'm ready to help."

"This is ridiculous!" Namaari hissed. "There's something wrong with this whole situation."

"Like what?" Sisu asked. "We used a god portal, we're here, and Stella seems nice!"

"Tell us what's going on," Raya urged.

"My friends and I have come here to stave off a syndicate of villainy," Stella explained. "They have killed the innocents of this world, then transformed them into undead fiends to use as their personal slaves. Those are the bodies that hold off my friends at this very moment, knowing that my friends and I cannot harm them. It is the sorcerer and his companions who need to be punished, and the citizens must be saved from their curse."

"Oh, oh-oh-oh!" Sisu was bouncing in place. "I can do that! I can so do that. I saved an entire country full of undead people once!"

"Statues," Namaari grunted. "They were statues cursed by Darkness. It's not the same!"

"Just let her do this!" Raya yelled. "We can't afford to waste time arguing! Sisu – "

"Already on it!" Sisu had taken to the air, and a gentle geyser of water followed her up from the ocean, twirling around her in a spiral, clarifying to a brilliant opalescence.

"Now." Raya hoisted her sword. "About that sorcerer."

Atop the roof, Albel was pacing. "I'm getting bored," he grumbled.

"So am I," Miratrix barked, "but you don't see me complaining!"

"I see no reason the two of you could not use this as a training exercise," the Huntsman said. "Consider it a Huntsclan standard. Your aim is to pick off the weaker of the warriors – the pugilist, the lesser swordsman, the gunner, and the lancer. Leave the swordsman bathed in red light alone. Don't be afraid to make casualties among our Reaperaiths – they can easily be put back into commission later."

Miratrix and Albel exchanged smirks, then ran and launched off the rooftops, touching down on the street below. Like bloodhounds with a fox's scent, they raced to find their targets: anyone not named "Yozora."

"Now hang on." Jihl squinted up at the sky. "What's that?"

"It almost looks like…" Mozenrath looked to where she indicated. Then he flinched; "A DRAGON?"

"WHAT?" the Huntsman yelled. "HERE?"

As Sisu, still surrounded by whirling water, descended over the field of zombies, she began to transform the water she'd brought into a sparkling rain. Gently it showered onto the Reaperaiths as Sisu said, "A little resurrection for YOU and a little resurrection for YOU and some over here and some over here and – oop! Missed a spot."

Wherever the water made contact with a Reaperaith, the skin of the impacted began to either lighten or darken back to a more human shade than green. The bindings on their mouths dissolved in the blessed water, and many of them slowed or stopped entirely, starting to wonder why they were doing exactly what they were doing.

"NO!" Miratrix yelled once she realized what was happening. "Once I eliminate our rivals…I WILL SLAUGHTER THEM AGAIN!"

"Why wait?" Albel asked, readying his sword. He made a spinning strike –

His blade was caught by the curved metal edge of Raya's. "Sorry!" she said with a smirk. "Can't let you do that."

"Who do you think you are?" Albel growled, pushing at the sword with his hand of flesh while his metal claw drew back.

In an instant, Raya went low without moving her sword's position. Albel was knocked off his feet; Raya's sword lengthened into chained segments and wrapped around Albel's blade like a whip. He pivoted around to grab his sword with both hands, trying to free it from Raya's weapon, but Raya pulled back, the two of them effectively having a tug-of-war over the katana.

Miratrix laughed at his misfortune – and then found Namaari in her face, the latter roaring and swinging her swords. Miratrix immediately put up her own to defend, and the two women became engaged in a clashing duel.

"You have no idea who you're challenging," Miratrix seethed.

Namaari smirked. "Do you?"
By then, the Reaperaiths were all but human again. "What happened?" someone asked.

"IT WAS HIS FAULT!" Another pointed to the rooftop where Mozenrath, the Huntsman, Jihl, and Loqi looked down below.

"Well, this is inconvenient," Mozenrath remarked. "Looks like it's time for us to get back in the WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

The Huntsman had vaulted himself off the roof, using his staff as a javelin for leverage, while bellowing, "DRAGOOOOOON!"

"Wuh-oh!" Sisu zipped quickly out of the way of the descending Huntsman. He landed on a gable, spun, aimed, and started blasting.

Sisu was forced to twist this way and that, kept on the move. "Hey, you're really cramping my style here!"

"YOUR EXISTENCE CRAMPS MY WORLD!" the Huntsman yelled back.

"Rude," Sisu muttered.

Then one of the blasts finally caught her, grazing her side. She staggered, then dropped to the street below. The Huntsman was quick to follow, staff at the ready.

Sisu let out a low groan as she twitched on the ground. Still alive, but needing a moment to get her bearings. The Huntsman advanced, storming toward her. His staff raised high.

"NO!" In came a blinding flash of light, and Stella's rapier had intercepted the huntstaff's descent. "YOU WILL NOT HURT HER!"

"She is a dragon!" the Huntsman snarled. "She is a MENACE!"

"No," Stella cried. "She is my friend!"

"I'm your…?" Sisu's head shot up in awe.

A cyclone of thunder channeled through Stella's rapier, and soon the Huntsman was wracked with pain, staggering away. Sisu was immediately at Stella's side, claw raised; "High-five, bestie!"

Stella was fairly sure she knew what to do here. She raised her own hand and lightly slapped the dragon's claw.

"NO!" Mozenrath, Jihl, and Loqi came running in to the Huntsman's aid. When they did, then Yozora, Prompto, Gladiolus, Iris, and Ignis ran over as well. Miratrix and Albel ducked their current opponents in order to sprint for their targets; Raya and Namaari gave chase.

First, Albel and Miratrix rejoined with the WHAM ARMY. Mozenrath raised his hand high, burning blue; "I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THESE GAMES!"

"So have we," Yozora said, pointing his sword toward them aggressively.

Then the WHAM ARMY was encased in a dome, a large magical shield. When Mozenrath loosed the burst of blue, it fizzled out against the barrier. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" Mozenrath yelled, not unaware of the great disco-ball-shaped orb that had planted itself in the midst of the dome.

"Desperation," Yozora replied. "But I had to wait for all of you to be in the same place. It's over."

Searing red beams tore through the dome, which protected those on the outside from the wrath of the rogue magic.

"THIS MAY BE A CONDITION FOR A TACTICAL SURRENDER!" Jihl cried as she hit the ground to prevent her hair from catching fire.

"This…is not…OVER!" Mozenrath yelled as Darkness pooled around the bottom of the dome. He, the Huntsman, Albel, Miratrix, Jihl, and Loqi sank down into the Corridor, whisking themselves on the path back to the Lost Lounge of the Sun.

As they did so, the Huntsman grumbled, "You've not…seen the last…dragon…I will…"

He was drowned out by Loqi's scream of "I WILL KILL YOU, LUCIAN! I WILL SEE TO IT!"

With no more WHAM ARMY to torment, Yozora called off his attack. "Think it's over?"

"I'll believe it when I see it," Gladiolus huffed.

"No, I think they know they were outmatched," said Iris. "Look."

All those they'd killed were now whole again, murmuring to each other, discussing the incredibility of what had just happened. There was no love here for those who'd brought them down to begin with.

"If those guys come back," Iris said, "they have quite the angry mob to deal with."

Someone pointed at Sisu; "IS THAT A DRAGON?"

With a POOF, Sisu had suddenly changed forms, becoming a human with a silver-blue-lavender mane of hair and a goofy smile. "No it isn't," she said quickly.

"There have been miracles here today," Stella announced to the crowd, "but now the Six's divine help is no longer needed in this city. Pray return to Lestallum, and rejoice that you live again!" She smiled.

A cheer went up. And what Stella didn't realize is that many of the people there would soon decide that the Altissia reconstruction effort really hadn't been a bad idea, and the flaw was in the execution more than anything. Soon, a movement would form to reconstruct the grand city, and this one would allow unions.

For now, Stella led Yozora, Prompto, Gladiolus, Iris, Ignis, Sisu, Raya, and Namaari to a more sequestered area where they could talk over what had just happened. En route, Prompto caught himself staring at Sisu, and Sisu caught him doing the same.

"What?" she asked. "Something on my face?"
"No," Prompto laughed. "It's just – I didn't expect a whole dragon to be able to turn human like that. You look kinda cute this way. N-not that you don't look cute as a dragon too, because you do! No, wait, that sounded creepy, isn't it? Gah, sorry, forget I ever said – "

Then Sisu was up close to him, pinching his cheek. "I'm glad you said it first," she babbled, "because you are just the most adorable little people man I've ever seen! Yes you are!"

"Ugh," Namaari spat.

Finally, they were able to rest. "Okay, crisis averted!" said Raya. "We can go back to Kumandra now!"

Stella shook her head. "I am afraid…I cannot do that of my own will. Leviathan promised aid, but on the condition that I would handle the ensuing responsibilities. I would like to return you to your world, but it will be a more difficult journey back than the way you have come."

"Great," Namaari groaned. "Just great. Stranded in a fantasy world."

"…I guess it's not a horrible place." Raya looked up to the broken towers. "Kinda reminds me of Talon port." She made eye contact with Stella once more. "We can't stay here forever. We're rebuilding our nation. We were split into five tribes, and only just now putting together what our future's gonna look like."

"I understand." Stella nodded. "As you are princess, I am certain the responsibility falls upon your shoulders." She looked to Namaari. "And you are…a courtier?"

Namaari snorted. "Try the princess' fiancée. Not that I'm happy about it."

"Why not?" Prompto asked. "You guys are gonna get married! That's awesome!"

"No, it's not," Namaari grunted. "We never asked for this."

"Of the five tribes, all had governments of their own," Raya explained. "One chief stepped down after a six-year coma. One had recently died and left no heir. One was deposed for abuse of power. That left the royals of what used to be Heart and Fang, and, well…there was really only one way to settle who got the throne that didn't involve our parents fighting to the death over it."

"To be clear, my mother was ready to draw her blade on Raya's father and begin the war all over again," Namaari said. "I agreed to the arranged marriage so as to keep Kumandra unified and stop her from doing anything drastic."

"And Namaari and I have a…weird history at best," Raya admitted.

"One way to put it," Namaari huffed.

"Ah, so then you travel together out of necessity, not because you enjoy one another's company," Ignis deduced.

"Well…" Raya dragged a foot.

"We don't hate each other the way we used to," Namaari sighed. "Once, before the war, we were friends. There's one thing the two of us agreed on, and that's even though it's not likely…we should at least try to see if we can find what made us friends to start." She cast her gaze down. "Before I ruined everything."

"You were trying to protect your own people," Raya told her. "I mean, don't get me wrong, you did break the world. But I get why. Seriously."

"Raya and Namaari have had trust issues," Sisu explained. "With each other. With everyone else. We're working on it. Personally, I'm hoping we get things wrapped up so well that the wedding will actually be a happy occasion and doesn't involve any insults or swordfights."

"Heh…brings to mind when Noct and Luna were engaged," Gladiolus said wistfully. "Though they were never enemies. Soul mates to the end. If only we could all be that lucky."

"Which brings up an interesting question," said Ignis. "Stella, Yozora, are the two of you…?"

"No," Yozora said flatly. "Not like that. Just friends."

"We are made up of all kings and all Oracles," said Stella. "And of course not all kings loved all Oracles, and vice versa. We are also people of our own hearts. Our romantic decisions are our own."

"I'm hearing you're single," Iris blurted.

Stella nodded to her. "Yes. Is that…a good thing for you?" She blushed lightly.

"Is it a good thing for you?" Iris replied. "If I am, I mean. Wait, I'm getting this mixed up – "

Then Stella's hand slid into hers. "I truly have admired your skill on the battlefield," she said. "I would like to speak to you more. Our conversations on the way here made me feel…light."

Iris was over the moon. "Me? You're the one who keeps pulling out all the stops and looking cool! And you're sweet."

"Let's see…" Ignis ticked it off. "Stella and Iris, Raya and Namaari, most likely Prompto and Sisu…I'm to suppose next Yozora and Gladiolus will become a pair over their mutual rage."

"No," Gladiolus and Yozora said flatly.

"Wait, what did you just say about me and Sisu?" Prompto cried.

"Huh?" Sisu flinched. "You mentioned me?"

"Later," Ignis said slyly. "For now, we have more important matters to tend to. It seems we not only are tracking down Ardyn, but must find a way to return the royals to their point of origin so they may diplomatically wed, and lest we forget, the foe we only just bested seems in no way connected to either of those goals, effectively giving us a third helping on our plate."

"Can't believe whatshisname got a whole team of friends," Prompto groaned. "AND that he's the next big bad guy!"

"Who is this 'Ardyn'?" Namaari asked.

"Doom upon Eos," Ignis answered, "though I suspect all the more he has found his way to other worlds by now. Last time he was active, he unleashed an eternal night that fostered an army of daemons fashioned from innocents, much in the way our undead just were. The ensuing Darkness was considered a plague: the Starscourge."

"Darkness," Namaari repeated. "Like the Druun."

"We have a lot of Darkness roaming free in Kumandra," Raya said. "Ours turns people to stone. They aren't alive, but they aren't dead either. It's horrible, and if something like that is happening with this Starscourge…"

"Raya," Namaari snapped. "It's not our business. We need to go home."

"Do we?" Raya snapped. "Or is this what the future queens of Kumandra should ACTUALLY be focusing on? Helping other people who are suffering what we suffered?"
"I think this is a nifty little team we got going on here!" Sisu laughed. "Why not stick together just for a little bit? See what happens? I know I'm not ready to leave my new bestie Stella yet."

Namaari sighed. "Fine. But only because I know the guilt will eat me if I don't agree to this."

"Then I guess we know what our next missions are," Yozora said. "Scour Eos. Return to Kumandra. Find Ardyn. Find Loqi. Stop them all."

"We should be on our way, then," Stella suggested.

"Yay!" Sisu clapped. "Road trip with my best buds!"

As they left for the harbor, Prompto asked, "Hey, uh, Sisu? Could I maybe…get a picture of you as a dragon later? I promise not to show anyone. It's just for my own collection. It's not every day you meet a real actual dragon!"

"Get a picture?" Sisu asked. "You mean, like, draw me? Yeah, I'm down for that."

"No, more like…" Prompto brought out his camera. "Here!" He began to show her how it worked.

Together, Yozora, Stella, Gladiolus, Iris, Ignis, Prompto, Raya, Namaari, and Sisu set out on a quest that would span worlds. Not all heroes can have their stories told in full, and sometimes the bond of trust must be between storyteller and listener, for the listener simply to trust that their adventures would take them through many trials and tribulations that would strengthen friendships, romance, and reconciliation before they ever came back in contact with the WHAM ARMY or anything adjacent to it.

However, it is of note that they did not find Ardyn on Eos. He already had moved on to another world, another story. His is far more relevant.

...

The sun had set below the horizon. Loki's Asgardian tour was ending at the steps of the palace. Asgardians had gathered to hear "Odin's" parting words, and Loki was taking the time to well and truly monologue, inserting the Loki-isms he wanted the crowd to internalize. Thankfully, this gave Aghoul's team a good window of time to plot their move. They stood on one of the golden gables of the palace itself – trying to get in was a bad idea, but no one was surveying the upper walls to make sure no villains had plastered themselves there.

In Aghoul's eyes, the only risk was that whatever plan they came up with, they had to execute before Loki walked into those gates, because once he was within the safety of the palace…thanks to a certain home invasion not a short time ago, he had probably beefed up security immensely.

"Now here's the plan," Aghoul said to the others. "First, we'll need to keep him outside and keep him talking. And what better to do that with than an adoring young fan who looks up to him with wide, sparkling eyes full of life?"

"That's me!" Coco announced. "Kween of the fangurlz!"

"You read my mind, dear!" Aghoul said. "Now, this will go most smoothly if everyone's mind is in the right state. The right musical state, that is. That's where Ember, Verosika, and Nevan come in."

Valentine was the first to notice the dark patch in the sky. Asgard was normally blessed with a glory of constellations and even a couple celestial bodies whose outlines could be seen quite clearly. Now there was something blocking some of that out, gliding across the sky. Valentine didn't much like that.

"The worms crawl in," Aghoul said. "The worms crawl out! Nightmare worms, to be precise. Carrion, I'll need you to unleash – "

Valentine elbowed Letheo, pointing upward to the sky. Letheo gave a glance. Now he saw it too.

"Whisp, you'll keep to the shadows," Aghoul said. "Then, when the time is right – "

"Lord Aghoul?" Letheo ventured. "What is – "

"Not now, my boy," Aghoul told him. "Mimsie, you're going to be the key to all of this. It's going to be you who blows off his disguise – "

"Ayam," Valentine squeaked, "I really want to know what that is."

"Your part in the scheme is coming up in just a minute!" Aghoul waved him off. "As I was saying – "

"The boys have a point," Carrion said, looking up to the sky, which was now almost half blotted out, as though some sort of dark vehicle were lowering itself toward Asgard. "If that is Loki's newest defense, we may have to turn our attention toward it instead."

"Stinkin' zero!" Sho yelled, shaking his fist at it. "I don't care who you are! I'll knock you down and drop the moon on you!"

"And in conclusion!" Loki bellowed. "Know that the true meaning of heroism is not the façade given by those who wear the colors. The true meaning is they who are willing to take the power afforded them by…"

Then he noticed it, his one unpatched eye rolling slowly upward.

"Erm…" Skulker looked from Loki to the sky and back. "I don't think that's his. He seems just as surprised by it as we are."

"Then what in the afterworld – " Aghoul began.

Hell broke loose. Screams traveled from the edges of the city. Those up high, such as Aghoul and his cohorts, could see the armed troops that had descended upon Asgard, engaging any living being they could find in battle. Seemingly with no goal but to kill.

"Who invited THEM?" Mim huffed.

"Well, whoever it is – " Aghoul's eyes bugged. "Oh. Oh no. This is…we have to get out of here."

"Do I want to know what could scare a dead man more than Loki?" Verosika asked.

"You don't understand!" Aghoul hissed. "Anyone who has any meaningful connection with death knows THAT mortal and his relationship to it, and you DON'T want to be in his way, especially if he's…got…what he's wearing on his hand right now."

What Aghoul had spotted coming down the thoroughfare was now visible to everyone else. It was Loki, however, who burned with the most rage and the most fear at seeing the procession. An enormous man, muscle-bound, leading a team of four warriors in varied shapes and sizes. A slender creature, white hair framing his smooth gray face, cried out, "Rejoice, for your salvation is at hand! Your suffering shall end here, without the cold depths of Niffleheim to chill you nor the cacophony of Valhalla to disturb you!"

But no matter how that one talked, the one whose presence commanded the most attention was the man in the lead. Even in the dark, one could see that his skin was a brilliant shade of purple. He had no hair upon his head, and a prominent chin bearing many ridges. He wore a glittering golden gauntlet that bore five multicolored stones.

The three followers who weren't prattling were menacing the audience with their weapons, keeping the Asgardians back so their master could walk right up to Loki himself. The enormous man did not kneel. He stared Loki dead in the eye. Then raised a hand; "Enough, Maw."

The one who'd been monologuing about the tranquility of death immediately silenced himself, bowing down.

The large purple man kept his eyes trained on Loki. "I have come to retrieve the Tesseract. You would do well to give it to me without struggle."

"And…if I do not?" Loki asked.

Thanos grinned. "It's better not to delay the inevitable."