Org. XIV (story)

Jackie paused in her combat, more easily stopped by Phoenix after the fight had gone on for so long. Not noticing something like that would have to be remedied, especially since she was working in a field that might request her to do time-sensitive work. She turned to lady Phoenix and bowed slightly in front of her before smiling and replying, "I apologize, but no, I have no further questions. I was hoping Vita could guide me to this Merlin for studies on magic, or miss Thalia for ways to improve my lightning magic. After that, I figured I might pester Mister Aleri about more weapon training before retiring."

Vita stood up straight, stretching her arms. "Twelve hits... not bad. You're already pretty good at tracking movements."

She began some cool-down stretches while she listened to Jackie speak. "...Wait, hold up. I'd be happy to take you to Merlin, but I can't open corridors. We'd have to use a gummi ship, and those take longer."



Xeromus leaned to the side. "Good point. My own guess is that they had either already been absorbed, or were afraid of the mud. Those don't seem terribly likely, though. You're correct, those merit further investigation."

Phoenix smiled, "I happen to be a personal friend of Thalia, I can show you to her. She's even on world with us right now."

---------------

Thalia looked a bit offended but held her tongue knowing better than to argue, "Very well, I wish you all good luck." She looked at Xeromus, "Can you send a messenger to Synthisle? Lance should know what's happening as well."

---------------

Lance himself however, was no longer on Synthisle. He was in Traverse Town's Third District examining a strange addition to the world's geography. A large marble column stood in the corner of the plaza where there had once been a large fountain, a fragment from the Olympus Coliseum that had been collaborated into the world's structure as Traverse Town normally did with interworld debris.

His hand rested on the pillar, "There are dark forces at work... My heart failing me, the new pieces here in Traverse Town... There's more than likely multiple threats to the Organization."

A deep chuckle resounded behind him, "You would be correct, hero king." The voice scoffed.

Lance turned, summoning a keyblade and holding the blade over his shoulder. He was met by Infernus, a man that he thought to be dead long ago.

"Infernus... You're the reason that Maya fell unconscious, aren't you?"

"Side effects. Things tend to go awry when your base of operations is destroyed. I hope my little spy isn't seriously injured." Infernus sneered.

"She isn't yours, Infernus. That girl has her own free will, her own mind." Lance glared at the man, anger boiling in his blood.

"Oh, that shattered shell of a girl? Her own mind?" Infernus laughed openly, "You jest. She's easily manipulated. Sure, she may have a few tangled strings, but she is my puppet at the theater."

Lance cleaved the air between them, golden hellfire trailing from the arc of his blade, "Fine then. I'll just destroy you and free her."

Infernus laughed, a fiery broadsword appearing in his grasp, "Fool. You're in no condition to fight me. I watched your little spar through her eyes. Oh, she was so disappointed when you went in hurt yourself in a silly little fight like that. She thought you were so /weak/."

"Grah!" The demon inside Lance urged him to lunge into the fray, and he did, the entire weight of his body coming down in the swing.

Aleri glanced at Necro with a touch of venom. "For the record, Thalia can hold her own in battle just fine. She's in a much better condition than Herc right now. The only reason she returned without fighting was that Xeromus ordered it."

"Aleri, be quiet. There's no point in discussing this any further, these three are being sent to investigate. I will send a messenger with a new PDA for Lance immediately. Aleri, I need to borrow you for a while. Thalia, do as you please."

"Well, we can't waste too much time," Hercules was all business now, "I'm sorry I'm asking so much of all of you. But once again... I'm going to have to rely on all of you," he gave a humble bow.

Xeromus drummed his fingers again. He was already out of gestures to repeat. "You and your world have been a great asset to us in the past, and this is our job. Now for the love of god, get going! Am I going to have to open a corridor myself for you three!?"

<Whoops, happened again. Fixed his dialogue for continuity.>

"No need," Siks cut in, wanting to get this over with himself. He jumped down from his chair and opened a corridor. "Sorry, Thalia, but I can't afford to take anymore people than I need. Hercules knows the area better than anyone, and, if he were in proper fighting condition, he'd be my only companion on this job. But, as it stands, Necro is currently in better physical condition than you are. This is my team, like it or not."

Necro, not wanting to mince words further, gave a curt bow to Thalia, before entering.

Siks glanced at his other teammate, "After you, Herc."

Thalia nodded, a discrete smile pulling at the corners of her mouth, "I will do as ordered. Thank you, Xeromus." She left the room, walking at a brisk pace. She found her way to the training room, knowing full well that Phoenix would be there.

Phoenix herself beamed at Thalia's arrival, "Oh, there you are, queeny!" She teased melodically, "Jackie, this is Thalia Blackhearth. Thalia, this is Jackie. She was looking for instruction on Lightning magic."

Thalia rolled her eyes, a polite smile on her face, "Don't call me that, Phen. I am no queen. I may be Lance's betrothed but I am no royalty."

"Oh, of course, my mistake. You're just the king's lover. Wouldn't that make you a queen?" Phoenix poked at Thalia's ribs.

Thalia responded with a note of defeat, "We've had this discussion more times than I'd like to count. Yes, I am officially coronated, thanks to Lance's absence. But, he's back now. And the kingdom of Synthisle is his to rule. Now, more pressing matters than politics are at hand, Jackie, you said was your name?"

Directing her attention to the new member of the organization, Thalia smiled, "I'd be happy to be your instructor in the Thunder Arts, but, I have more important things to attend to at the moment. There's been trouble at the Olympus Coliseum and while I was not selected for the reconnaissance mission, I don't intend to be left out. Phoenix, would you mind accompanying me?"

Phoenix shook her head, "Jackie's my responsibility for the time being, I'd rather not leave her to wander the castle on her own. Maybe Vita should go in my place."

Thalia nodded, "Just as well, Vita? Would you like to accompany me? I can't guarantee your safety but I'll do my best. Having someone that I can trust with me would be comforting."

------------------------

Lance's fury burned in his heart as he lashed out at Infernus again and again, his dangerous swings flying with so much momentum that the fire user couldn't even think about a counterattack.

"Yes, fill yourself with hatred, demon king." Infernus laughed darkly as he backed away from Lance's swings and narrowly avoiding a cut that could have cleaved him in two.

Stripping off her boxing gloves and tossing them aside, Vita finished stretching. "I'd be happy to go along. What's going on at the coliseum? Is Hades stirring up trouble?"

She looked at Jackie. "Oh, and why wasn't Al with you when you came back? He seemed really enthusiastic about training you. I find it hard to believe he'd just bail like that."

Jackie smiled at the fervent denials of Thalia's queenship, a rather nostalgic smile on her face. "Ah, head mistress is it then, if not queen?" She sobered a little at the mention of Aleri, though. "Oh. Someone, I believe a second-in-command, Number II, was gravely wounded. I don't believe I caught his name..." She looked to Vita and Phoenix for confirmation, before internalizing for a moment. With a sudden surge, she stated in a declarative manner, "Of course. You were the Thalia mentioned when Lord Xeromus panicked earlier. That must have been the incident with Number II getting... impaled, as I recall."

"Yes," Thalia affirmed, a grim look on her face, "Rexial was gravely injured at the Coliseum earlier today. We were attacked by an unknown faction on the world's surface. That's why I need to go back."

Phoenix gave a look of concern, "Rexial is hurt now... It seems like all of the boys are getting themselves into trouble. With Lance and Aleri hurting themselves in that spar..."

Thalia sighed, "It is in their nature after all. That's another reason I plan on going back to the Coliseum. Necro and Siks are taking Hercules there, and I don't intend to let them injure themselves as well." She crossed her arms, "Vita, are you alright with leaving now? I'd like to depart as soon as possible."

The martial artist picked up her jacket and quickly pulled it over her arms. "I can go right this second! If it's an enemy that took down Rex, then we can't underestimate 'em."

She took her PDA from her breast pocket and checked for messages. "...Yeah, it says all available members should return to HQ ASAP. Glad I'm an Unnumbered; there's no way I'd sit this out. Let's go." Putting it away, Vita quickly checked for her knives and made sure she had a pair of gloves, slipping them on.

Thalia smiled, "Thank you for lending your aid, Vita. Let's depart immediately." A Dark Corridor opened with Thalia's command. When it opened however, it shone brightly.

"My apologies, an unfortunate side effect that I've experienced since Lance parted for two years." Reaching into her side pack, she produced a pair of sunglasses, putting on a similar pair herself, "You'll want these for the interior of my portals."

Vita donned the sunglasses. "...I... I don't even pretend to understand corridors anymore. I was lost when the Realm of Accelerated Light got brought into things."

She turned back to Jacqueline. "Sorry 'bout this. I promise I'll make it up to you later, okay? Just name your favor when we run into each other again."

"I will try to make a mental note of something, miss Vita!," Jackie called in after her. Sighing slightly, she turned to Phoenix. "Well, I suppose that just leaves us, then. Would you like to continue the training, or would you rather I popped in to see this Merlin? I would require some coffee beforehand though, most preferably espresso."

Hercules shot Thalia an apologetic look before walking through the corridor leading towards the Coliseum. He knew that Thalia was unlikely to be deterred by orders though. He knew her well enough to know that at least.

Even though he had been expecting it, Hercules was still overwhelmed by the enormous destruction that had been wrought upon his planet. Viscous black mud covered the landscape, an acrid smell of death and despair lingering in the air like a dense fog. It felt so... wrong. So cold...

Hercules' lips thinned. "We better search for more survivors as well," he murmured, squaring his shoulders and forging ahead determinedly.

*** Elsewhere ***

"We retrieved it boss," Terath held up the gleaming black jewel to a young, dark-haired man. The young man took the crystal carefully, his onyx eyes appraising the jewel and the aura of darkness radiating from it coolly.

"Good. And Rexial?" He asked as he walked over to a round table with twelve seats, the raven jewel hovering out of his hands and settling into a slot in the middle of the table. A thrum of energy pulsed through the room, the young man smiling faintly at that before turning back to Terath for his answer.

"Comatose, doubt he's dead," Terath shrugged. "What do you want us to do with that thing, boss?" He asked, looking mildly uncomfortable at the mention of the entity, "It chose a heck of an avatar to bond to..."

"The summoning was incomplete but even so, it probably is beyond our control," the young man took a seat on the largest chair, crossing his legs and leaning back with a contemplative look. "Honestly, it would have been a useful pawn but the avatar it chose is... troublesome," his lips lifted in a smirk. "But we'll let those heroes handle it."

"You think they can stop it?" Terath sounded skeptical.

"Heroes will find a way," the young man murmured, no trace of doubt in his words as he lifted his head to glance at the ceiling lazily. "But well, that being said... I'll have to give their boss a present for them to work harder... It'd be rude of me not to," he chuckled as his eyes gleamed with an unholy light. "Hope not too many people are using those corridors..."

The moment his words finished, the jewel gave an ominous hum. Darkness erupted from it, rippling outward as the young man made a fist. In that instant, it was as if the air itself had shattered into a million pieces as every world trembled for an instant.

Terath looked shocked. "Did you just -"

"Destabilized the dimensional barriers between the worlds?" The young man finished for Terath nonchalantly. "Sure did. Being able to travel around so easily is kinda cheating, you know?" his tone was almost playful. "They better get out before their corridors collapse though, would be a shame if they fall into the abyss..."

Siks had followed directly behind Hercules. Upon exting the corridor, though, he couldn't help but notice that it felt as though the opening began to close in rather quickly on his foot. His questions there were quickly pushed to the wayside, however, as he saw the destruction and ruin that lay before him.

"Hercules," Siks addressed, if the locals were to survive an attack like this, where would they be most likely to flee to?"

Thalia felt the rumble in her bones. It shook her in her core as she gasped, feeling a build-up of the energy that pushed back the darkness within her corridor.

"Everyone! Get back!" Thalia shouted, reacting by pushing the others in the room away from her corridor with a strong gust of wind.

"Thalia?" Phoenix reacted in surprise as she was thrown backwards. Looking at the corridor, she saw a build-up in its energy and not knowing what else to do while flying backwards, summoned a Myriad Shield to shelter Thalia.

Thalia braced for impact as the corridor detonated, exploding with the megaton impact of Morning Star. Before the explosion came the shockwave, throwing Thalia who had been close enough to the explosion to be thrown across the room.

When the light of the blast faded, Thalia stood up her ears ringing.

"Is everyone alright?" She said despite her lack of hearing.

Phoenix appeared in her vision and nodded. She gestured toward Vita and Jackie who had also been thrown safely out of the blast range by Thalia's sudden gust.

The ringing slowly faded and Thalia shook her head, "Thank Cosmos... I... I'm sorry."

Phoenix shook her head, "We're fine. You're the one that took the brunt of it, are you alright?"

Thalia nodded slowly, "I-I'm a little shaken. But, I'm alright... I'm glad you were here, Phoenix... If you weren't, that would've killed me."

"Well, I was here." Phoenix wrapped her friend in a hug suddenly, "And I'm happy that you're alright."

Thalia was surprised at first at the sudden contact but after a moment, returned the embrace, "Thank you, Phen."

-----------------------------------

Infernus felt the ground rumble as the barriers shattered across the worlds. He smiled sardonically looking at the raging king, "And now you've become disconnected from your friends and loved ones. Oh, I hope the poor darlings didn't drop into subspace." He laughed darkly as Lance became more enraged, Maya's illusion flickering feebly trying to maintain his normal visage.

------------------------------------

On Synthisle, Maya awoke with a start, her heart pounding out of her chest. "Something's not right... Maya doesn't feel anyone nearby. Where are her friends?" The young girl jumped out of bed, stretching for a moment, "Maya's not sure how she got here. But, she intends to find out."

A wave of panic seemed to grip Jackie for a moment as she hurriedly stood up and then faltered, her blood rushing out of her brain. She stumbled and looked hesitantly at all of this, before taking a deep breath and standing firm. "I gladly report that I am personally unaffected. Thanks to you, Thalia. Perhaps I should take up Aero magic as well. The applications seem quite useful." She paused. "However... I must express a misgiving. It seems I am far out of my element here, and I'd like to resume any kind of training whenever possible, with whomever possible."

Vita landed some distance away, having to come back over. "...Yeah, that's probably a good idea, but I think we're all just as confused right now. What the hell just happened?!"

She shook her head. "This is insane. Last I checked, corridors don't explode. I'd ask you to open another one, but I don't think that's safe..."

Looking over at Jackie again, she grimaced. "And we need to get you trained up. With so many of us incapacitated, we'll need all the help we can get."

I really want to check out these new enemies, but we've got to prioritize.




"Your business with Lance Willright is not as urgent as mine."

The massive doorway to the First District swung open, revealing Xeromus himself standing there, scythe resting on his shoulders, and a scowl on his face.

"I'll have to ask you to leave, if you're not fond of being decapitated. I'm in a poor mood already from my corridor failing, and I'm not known to be gentle with your sort when I'm unhappy. Now go, before I'm forced to spill you."

To demonstrate that he wasn't kidding, he swung the sinister weapon, bringing it to bear.

Thalia looked at Vita, "We'll need to take a gummi ship."

Phoenix pulled away from Thalia, "I'll stay here with Jackie. Your priority is the Olympus Coliseum."

Thalia nodded, "Thank you, Phoenix. Vita, let's go. We need to get to the Coliseum." She turned towards the door, walking into Castle Asylum's winding corridors.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Infernus smiled from beneath his cowl, "Very well, I'll leave the beast to you." With that, he disappeared in a pillar of flame.

Lance turned on Xeromus, his eyes burning with rage. He took a swing, barely able to pull back in time to miss the scythe wielder, "X-Xeromus? Why... Why are you here?" He drew a painful ragged breath, panting from exertion, "I apologize... My heart... It's dark. Maya... She's the only one who knew... D-Did she tell you that I was here?"

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Maya was alone on Synthisle. Xeromus had appeared and questioned her. Intimidated by the authority, she had obediently told him that she knew where Lance was and why he had left. Now, she was alone again.

She made her way to the throne room, sitting on the step to the throne when a shout broke her reverie.

"King Willright! Intruder!"

Maya stood up, Pain and Panic appearing in her hands, "Lance isn't home."

The guard that had cried out looked rather surprised that Maya was the only one in the throne room, "T-then, what do we do? He's destroying the courtyard!"

"You didn't let Maya finish." The young woman smiled innocently as she skipped past the guard, "Maya is home. And she doesn't play nice with strangers! ~" She sang.

Despite himself, the guard smiled, he knew that the threat wouldn't be a problem for Maya even with her cheery demeanor.

Vita nodded. "Then let's go! I'll call up the Round Room and ask the boss for clearance while we run."




Xeromus let his scythe vanish, returning to his usual, dignified posture, but seemed to be sagging slightly. "I had to. My apologies, but as I told both her and your unsavory acquaintance, this is urgent. The situation has gotten much worse in the past hour. Let's start from the beginning. Did Thalia inform you of a situation brewing in Olympus Coliseum? Because Herself, along with Rexial and a man going by the name Necro left your party to deal with it."

"She went in my place... Is everything alright?" Lance's expression morphed from anger to fear in a singular moment, "I came here after Maya passed out because the darkness pulled me in this direction. This column is from the Coliseum!" He turned and placed a hand on the debris, "Xeromus, what else has been happening?"

"Apart from mild exhaustion, she's fine. Calm down." The man moved out of the gate, sitting down. His breathing was heavier than normal. "...You see, Olympus Coliseum has been mostly engulfed in a strange black mud, a miasma that we're told absorbed Hades. They found Hercules fighting a mysterious figure near the coliseum itself. Whatever it was, it gave them all a hard time before critically wounding both Hercules and Rexial. Once I heard about it, I ordered Thalia to return. She had to use a mass-transport corridor and an Aero spell to return safely, which left her somewhat drained, but she seems to be back to normal now."

Xeromus looked back up at Lance to read his reaction.

"It injured Rexial and Hercules." Lance grimaced, "Of all the times to disable myself..." He growled involuntarily, scowling at himself, "So, there's been a disturbance on Olympus. Wouldn't it be best to head there now?"