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[oom] Day 260
A bolt of lightning slams into the Wind Titan, dispersing it into eddies of air, the last flickers of its red eyes fading.
It figures, then, Eden notes, that as soon as it’s been dealt with, the Rock Titan, Ice Titan, and Cyclops all burst free from the vines binding them.
“We’ll deal with them,” Clare says, casting a glance towards the dark miasma rapidly covering the sky. “Find Thancred and Ardyn. Someone needs to close that Corridor in the Underworld.”
Oh, right, the mission they came here for. With all the Titans running around, Eden had almost forgotten about it.
“Sure, on it,” he says, tapping one foot against the ground. Pushing off, he gathers the familiar hum of light magic around his legs, speeding through the town in zig-zagging motions, cutting through Heartless as he finds them.
“Darkballs,” Chirithy, settled atop his head, murmurs. “Just like the Heartless that attacked Daybreak Town, and that we saw in Wonderland and Agrabah. There’s no mistaking that the Underworld is the source of them.”
“How are they spilling out into Thebes?” Eden asks. “If they’re using the Corridor there to get into other worlds, how’d they get here?”
“Someone must have opened the gate to the Underworld, let them loose upon the people of Thebes..”
“Hades was with us, he couldn’t have done this. Besides, he’s got no reason to cull a town of future dead people, right?”
“Then it was a keybearer. Or someone acting on their behalf.”
Eden breathes out through his teeth, slowing slightly as they reach the coliseum, making his way through the doorways and past the stands, towards the wide, sandy arena, where Thancred and a rather brawny man are back to back, fending off Heartless.
“Hercules,” Chirithy says. “The hero of Thebes, so to speak.”
“So long as he’s an ally, that’s fine by me,” Eden replies. A quick boost of speed, and he darts through the crowd of Heartless, slicing a trail through them, to land by Thancred and Hercules.
“Thancred, I’ve got Olympus Medallions,” he says, holding up the bundle of gold medallions. “Enough for us to get through the Underworld and shut that Corridor.”
Thancred grimaces, slicing through another Heartless. “There’s a few thousand Heartless between us and the gate to the Underworld. Someone has to clear a path if any of us are going to get through.”
“I can help with that,” Hercules says. “Just leave it to -- …”
Eden catches a flash of gold, a speeding streak of light, the telltale sign of a Hastega spell just like his. A familiar, wing-like keyblade is shoved through Hercules’ back, emerging from his chest.
Hercules gives a strangled gasp. Behind him, Mateus drags his keyblade here, flicking it to one side.
“Mateus!” Thancred starts, whirling towards the newly arrived keybearer. “What are you -- …”
A blast of magic sends him flying backwards, landing against the arena’s sandstone wall. Mateus shoves Hercules’ body aside as his heart, glowing and shrouded in swirling lights, floats out of his chest and starts to blacken.
“Well met, Eden,” Mateus says softly. His voice is calm, but Eden can see that his eyes are bloodshot and wild, his face drawn and pale. He’s practically quivering with excitement. Exactly how long has he been waiting to do this?
But there’s nobody watching now, so Eden lets the mask slip, drops the wearying pretense of being Eden.
“Getting back into bad habits, I see,” he murmurs. “Didn’t I teach you this lesson clearly enough last time? Do you really need a refresher?”
“This is about revenge,” Mateus replies. “You chipped my keyblade, so I’ll shatter yours. It’s that simple. And since you’re so fond of dirty tricks and underhanded tactics, I rather thought I’d play by your rules.”
With a sharp crack, Hercules’ heart collapses in on itself and blossoms into something huge and shadowy, a Heartless that towers over them both, with a bull-like head and a sword in its hand.
Eden suddenly remembers one of his visions, one of the ones that came in the flurry of visions that followed the invasion of Daybreak Town, of him and Mateus dueling in this very arena.
“Guess I can’t change what’s coming, then,” he says wryly. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
It figures, then, Eden notes, that as soon as it’s been dealt with, the Rock Titan, Ice Titan, and Cyclops all burst free from the vines binding them.
“We’ll deal with them,” Clare says, casting a glance towards the dark miasma rapidly covering the sky. “Find Thancred and Ardyn. Someone needs to close that Corridor in the Underworld.”
Oh, right, the mission they came here for. With all the Titans running around, Eden had almost forgotten about it.
“Sure, on it,” he says, tapping one foot against the ground. Pushing off, he gathers the familiar hum of light magic around his legs, speeding through the town in zig-zagging motions, cutting through Heartless as he finds them.
“Darkballs,” Chirithy, settled atop his head, murmurs. “Just like the Heartless that attacked Daybreak Town, and that we saw in Wonderland and Agrabah. There’s no mistaking that the Underworld is the source of them.”
“How are they spilling out into Thebes?” Eden asks. “If they’re using the Corridor there to get into other worlds, how’d they get here?”
“Someone must have opened the gate to the Underworld, let them loose upon the people of Thebes..”
“Hades was with us, he couldn’t have done this. Besides, he’s got no reason to cull a town of future dead people, right?”
“Then it was a keybearer. Or someone acting on their behalf.”
Eden breathes out through his teeth, slowing slightly as they reach the coliseum, making his way through the doorways and past the stands, towards the wide, sandy arena, where Thancred and a rather brawny man are back to back, fending off Heartless.
“Hercules,” Chirithy says. “The hero of Thebes, so to speak.”
“So long as he’s an ally, that’s fine by me,” Eden replies. A quick boost of speed, and he darts through the crowd of Heartless, slicing a trail through them, to land by Thancred and Hercules.
“Thancred, I’ve got Olympus Medallions,” he says, holding up the bundle of gold medallions. “Enough for us to get through the Underworld and shut that Corridor.”
Thancred grimaces, slicing through another Heartless. “There’s a few thousand Heartless between us and the gate to the Underworld. Someone has to clear a path if any of us are going to get through.”
“I can help with that,” Hercules says. “Just leave it to -- …”
Eden catches a flash of gold, a speeding streak of light, the telltale sign of a Hastega spell just like his. A familiar, wing-like keyblade is shoved through Hercules’ back, emerging from his chest.
Hercules gives a strangled gasp. Behind him, Mateus drags his keyblade here, flicking it to one side.
“Mateus!” Thancred starts, whirling towards the newly arrived keybearer. “What are you -- …”
A blast of magic sends him flying backwards, landing against the arena’s sandstone wall. Mateus shoves Hercules’ body aside as his heart, glowing and shrouded in swirling lights, floats out of his chest and starts to blacken.
“Well met, Eden,” Mateus says softly. His voice is calm, but Eden can see that his eyes are bloodshot and wild, his face drawn and pale. He’s practically quivering with excitement. Exactly how long has he been waiting to do this?
But there’s nobody watching now, so Eden lets the mask slip, drops the wearying pretense of being Eden.
“Getting back into bad habits, I see,” he murmurs. “Didn’t I teach you this lesson clearly enough last time? Do you really need a refresher?”
“This is about revenge,” Mateus replies. “You chipped my keyblade, so I’ll shatter yours. It’s that simple. And since you’re so fond of dirty tricks and underhanded tactics, I rather thought I’d play by your rules.”
With a sharp crack, Hercules’ heart collapses in on itself and blossoms into something huge and shadowy, a Heartless that towers over them both, with a bull-like head and a sword in its hand.
Eden suddenly remembers one of his visions, one of the ones that came in the flurry of visions that followed the invasion of Daybreak Town, of him and Mateus dueling in this very arena.
“Guess I can’t change what’s coming, then,” he says wryly. “Fine. Let’s do this.”