Rising Storm (Organization XIII, PM to join)

[Larxene]

Eventually the Melodious Nocturne showed up – his tardiness much to her annoyance – shortly followed by the likes of Marluxia and Luxord.

My, my… Aren’t we throwing a party tonight?

More than half the Organization was in attendance. A sizable force for a full-out assault, surely, but again this was supposed to be an almost stealthy mission, all of them playing the part of another person. Or Heartless in this case. Larxene still had reserves about their numbers, but she decided if someone was going to blow their cover it most certainly wouldn’t be her. Let the others do as they please, but she for one will carry her roll out as specified: the calamitous thunder of the storm.

It was the shift in the wind that alerted her that the tempest had begun. The overhead leaves of the palm that she hid behind caught the change: a gentle evening breeze to a stronger, more vicious gust. Xaldin’s doing. Next should come Demyx with the rain. And then it would be her turn.

Most certainly Demyx would be taking his sweet time with conjuring up some precipitation. Taking the initiative, Larxene vanished through a corridor of Darkness, reappearing mere moments later high up in the branches of the massive tree that occupied most of the play island, crouching amongst the foliage, hidden. It was an advantageous spot, close to the sky from which her lightning would rain down and out of prying sight. From so high up she could almost see all of what would be going on bellow, and direct her strikes accordingly. All she had to do know was wait… just a tiny bit longer.

As still and as poised as a cat ready to pounce, Larxene waited for rhythmic fall of rain.

[ayama]

Demyx was surprised by the amount of people assigned to this mission. Was everyone in the Orginization going to participate in this little charade? Well no matter. He just wanted to get this thing done and over with, so that he could create some music with Crystal. He still felt guilty...or at was mentally about the whole situation with her. But, at least he had a friend close by now. One that appreciated him for who he was; which to the Nocturne meant A LOT! He let out a small sigh, and feeling a drastic shift in the wind summoned his Sitar in his right hand. It was show time.

He strum a few chords; and at an instant the precipitation in the air started to gather. It took a minute, but once Demyx rose his hand and twirled a finger in the air, a small drizzle started to fall from the clouds. The drops of rain then started to get bigger, and bigger as the seconds went by. Causing the rain to fall hard against the soft, sandy shores of Destiny Island. Finally, his work was done.

[Doogie]

Sora was still embracing Riku, just really glad that he had finally found him when Riku suddenly changed the mood of the meeting. Now it was serious. As Sora looked slightly up into Riku's eyes, he saw concern. "Sora, Namine told you to come here? Are you sure?" At this question, Sora almost rolled his eyes, and would have, had Riku not looked so serious.

"Uh, yea I'm sure. She told me while I was at Traverse Town. In the First District! Right before I got to the door that exits the world." Then Riku followed up with a shocking revelation that didn't quite snap in Sora's brain. It took him a minute to understand why Riku was so concerned by this, and was about to voice his confusion when it hit him and he understood. "Oh! But...she told me you were here...and I just got here a little while ago. But...if she told you that I was here, and she told me that you were here...there's something going on, isn't there?"

Almost out of instinct, Sora summoned his keyblade. And just as he did, he felt the wind pick up speed. Sure, normally there was a nice cool breeze on the Islands, and sometimes there were gusts of wind...but this felt different. Something wasn't right. And as he noticed this, he felt a shift in the air as it started to rain. Sora looked up at Riku, then started looking around, hoping that he was just making things up and nothing was wrong.

Unfortunately, his instincts weren't failing him this time.

[Zephiris]

(( New round! Jason, Roxas isn’t with the Organization. ))

Xigbar

Xigbar smirked at Zexion’s insolence as he ripped another hole in this dimension’s fabric, entered, and stepped out again inside a tiny seaside shack. His eyes flicked back and forth, but he was feeling the space and listening to the wind outside more than seeing. He strode about the child-sized room.

After a moment he raised an eyebrow to himself; Luxord and Marluxia had arrived. Luxord may prove useful if anyone else shows up, but what the hell is Flowerboy doing here? Makin’ sure the plants were watered properly?

He rolled his eyes to the empty, cooling air, and assuming Xaldin's breezes would pick him up even in here, spoke. “Just stay outta the way until you're actually needed. If these two are our only opposition, this is gonna be too easy.”

Now bored of the shack, Xigbar warped away again, this time stepping out onto purple and green leaves. Blades of wind suddenly struck across the Cove, snapping violently past the trees.

“Woah, boy!” Xigbar whooped, balancing skillfully atop the crown of the palm tree as it swayed back and forth. He felt no fear of blowing their cover – heck, the kids were on the other side of the island – and he was definitely beginning to enjoy himself. Xaldin had begun kicking things into gear; in a few moments he knew the sizzling flashes of light would begin to lash down from the sky at Larxene’s call. And things would get wet –

Xigbar’s train of thought broke off, and he glanced down at his gloved hand, puzzled. The dark material was already speckled with blacker dots of precipitation. It had begun so insignificantly he hadn’t noticed. In a few moments the blobs became more noticeable, until his glove was thoroughly drenched. Gold eyes flicked back up towards the ocean; sure, it was raining hard. But the maroon gleam of sunset was visible through the squall.

“Um, Dem?” Xigbar growled out to the tempest winds, his voice drowned by a growing roar of air. “Think hurricane, kid, not April showers!”

In a violent lurch the tree beneath him was whipped by a sudden increase in wind velocity. Xigbar warped away quickly, emerging this time on the play island. He turned. A strange tree bearing star-shaped fruits had snared his attention.

[Zephiris]

Riku

“. . . there's something going on, isn't there?"

The Way to Dawn appeared in Riku's hand almost the exact moment Sora’s blade was summoned to his. A chill was racing down the young man’s spine that had nothing to do with the sudden temperature plunge, and he felt his heart turn icy. “Yeah,” he murmured quietly. “Yeah, Sora, there is.”

They stood together, tense, as the wind began howling. The gentle lapping of the ocean turned into a violent, frothing beast as waves began to roll and crash with the gusts. Within a few moments Riku felt drops of cold fall upon his skin and cloths; tears were falling from pale grey clouds that had swept over the island, where they lingered, tinged crimson, though without yet obscuring the sun.

As soon as he registered the rain, Riku suddenly felt life return to his limbs. Adrenaline surged all at once through him, powered by a deep foreboding. He spun from Sora. "C'mon."

Something was horrifyingly wrong, and they had to find out what, now. Riku set off at a run.

He found himself racing towards the Secret Place again. Perhaps faint recollections from his childhood were guiding him, even reminding his subconsciousness that something precious was guarded by the narrow tunnel, and that something may now require his protection. Riku himself was aware of little more than a rising sense of agitation. He didn't have so much as time to consider that the anxiety didn't stem from fear for himself, but for a powerful connection to his Heart that was in peril.

The spray from the waterfall was dancing in the wind. Had the rain not done the job for it, the water would have been drenching every available surface nearby. Riku slowed as he skirted the pool towards the entrance of the Secret Place, coming to a halt before it.

His eyes narrowed. Something unidentifiable felt off about the shady overhang.

[Deleted]

((Due to request from Zephodear, I will chuck Tidus in and poast as Xaldin later.))

He's been gone for a while...something is wrong, I can jst feel it.

As Tidus appeared on the island in the teleporting beam of his Gummi Ship, he was buffeted by high winds like none he had ever seen on Destiny Islands. His sword was already in his hand, and he raised his arm in front of his face when he made a beeline for the small shelter the kids had always resided in. It took him a little bit, but he reached the small clubhouse and got inside it, closing the door and sighing.

This wasn't natural, he knew that. And ti was his duty to protect the island at all costs. But these winds didn't make it easy...

As he unhooked the straps on his armor and took it off, he opened the door once more and looked out, now seeing it start to rain. Seeing no reprival in the storm, he decided to go for it and picked up his sword, sheathing it. He then threw the door open and ran out into the storm, looking around.

With his scans, he eventually saw somebody in the rain, and yelled as he realized it was his friend.

"Riku! What's going on?"

Then he noticed the other person with Riku, and froze in place. It couldn't be...

"Sora!"

[changes]

Zexion, Lexicon in hand, sighed at Demyx's stupidity. Or at least he called it that. What would this rain do? Make the island damp? Getting ready to address the problem, Zexion found Xigbar explaining it to the helpless sitar-playing nobody.

"What in the worlds is Marluxia doing here..."

Zexion sighed to himself so the Graceful Assassin could not hear him. This was their storm? Oh come on! Zexion could do better than this, even if his idea was only illusionary. Some drizzles, a crackle of lightning and a breeze? What was this? Angered, Zexion found himself "helping" the others out, just a little...just a little. The storm clouds were a little darker, and a couple drops of extra rain come down. No one could feel them, but they would help.

There.

He smirked as a whisper escaped his mouth. They wouldn't stand a chance. Destiny Islands would be theirs soon enough. Almost the full Organization was there, and they all would pummel Sora and Riku. Scanning the area, he glared at yet another figure from behind a few trees. Tidus. The boy wasn't a worry to him, but he would be nuisance just because of his presence.

Impatiently sighing, Zexion rested against a tree, waiting for the others to get going. He had to stay out of the midst of the battle, so his illusions could stay in place.

((It's a crap post, I'm sorry. I've been busy lately, but I'll definitely get to post at least once per round.))

[Era]

Waiting. This mission was chalk full of it. He hated waiting. Yes, Axel could recognize it as a necessary evil, but it still irritated every fiber of his impulsive nature. Like a restless Fire, he needed to move.

Patience chafed on him like an unreachable itch, and he was beginning to grow bored. And finally, things began to pick up: the wind, the rain, and the thunder: they merled vehemently together into the perfect storm. Strands of light flashed across the darkening clouds, and the drizzle grew more and more intense.

Sharp jade eyes mocked the drops of liquid that bombarded the Island, then they traced the roof of the Tree Cave. Thank goodness he was out of the despicable downpour!

Thunder barreled across the sky, and his attention shifted from the detestable precipitation, to the golden-white flashes dancing like a spider-web through the storm above. And finally, it was his turn. The flash of angry electricity he had been waiting for had just come into play, dancing low, right over the Island. It landed on the other side of their wet, sandy playground, disappearing beyond a thicket of green and purple trees.

A small flicker of light, different than the lightning, fought into existence, battling the rain for a chance at life. The air around a particular tree began to spit and cackle.

The dark, jesterish marks on the pale Nobody's face twisted with Axel's smirk.

And then, there was Fire.

[Deleted]

(( Because Doogie INSISTS on procrastinating with Sora, heresssssss Xaldin! ))

Yes, the plan was coming along nicely, and resembled a true storm. However, the objective of the mission ahdn't fully been achieved, for taking the island wasn't their only intent. There was a reason the guise of the Dark XII had been put upon them, and now the illusions would play their use, in framing their very Heartless.

As he called his single "spear" to him, he ripped a hole into the darkness as wide as he could, being sure to let the scent of pure darkness out. Then, he stepped through it, and emerged from where it was widening, a rift on the island where the beloved paopa fruit tree was found. With an aura of dominance around him, Xaldin spoke to the winds, declaring his presence as well as giving the rest of his allies the signal to emerge, the winds making his voice heard all around the island.

"Dark XII, now is the time! Take this pathetic world to complete our grand goal and achieve what we wish! The world will be ours!"

Then, looking to the trio of boys, he focused several gusts of hurricane-force winds upon them, holding them back as Xaldin let the essence of darkness escape the portal, drawing exactly what he needed to the island.

Heartyless, lesser ones that played like puppets to Xaldin's will, being so weak in power. As the rift shut, he held his spear at the ready, his human eyes glinting dangerously.

[Larxene]

It was almost a twisted rapture, letting loose her lightning to rain down upon the islands.

High up on her perch Larxene had poor view of what was going on down bellow, heard but bits and pieces of her comrades’ conversations carried by the winds, too enthralled with the call for destruction to care about their petty politics.

As the winds intensified and the first drops hit her face she knew it was her turn to begin. Her turn to call down her electrical lashes and blinding bolts. She started with small rumbles that led into smalls sparks arcing within the tumultuous clouds, then deafening roars and violent jolts. Like a conductor leads an orchestra she led the lightning into a crescendo, calling it down from the grim sky to rain ruin.

The bolts struck trees. Branches snapped, the sundering limbs sounded like fire crackers as they fell away, hissed with the heat, drowned out by the roar of the storm. Larxene directed the arcs that rained down from the clouds, deftly leading them where they would most be calamitous, carefully keeping watch for her allies.

The Savage Nymph let out a pitiless laugh - her voice Arlene's - for the island to hear. The storm was raging. Now it was up to Xigbar and the others to accomplish their task at hand.

[Zephiris]

Riku

Riku spun around.

Sora.

"Tidus!"

You wanted one, didn't you?

The keyblader was taking a step forward, his center of gravity already lurching forward as he prepared to sprint towards his friend, when the first bolt of lightning struck. The energy hissed past him in less than an instant, but it was as if the electric shock had shot through Riku's veins. His heart froze.

If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what. C'mon, I know you want to try it.

As if in slow motion, he watched as a shadow ripped wide the small island. The bridge shuddered. The paopu tree swayed. Then it, too, began to be engulfed by the darkness. As it was swallowed an unfamiliar figure emerged from the rift in the world.

The features of the man were indistinct through the rain, but what Riku could see vaguely resembled another's. He was suddenly forcefully reminded of the fateful night in Traverse Town, when he had learned of the return of the Organization. . . as well as the existence of another.

It was one of them. No, more. As the first began speaking, others became visible about the island.

"NO!" Riku shouted. A terrible realization had dawned on him. Life suddenly returned to his limbs; he leapt back into a fighting stance. His brain struggled to think. It protested dully, as if numb. "Tidus, Sora - "

A powerful gust of wind struck them at that point, effectively cutting him off. Riku found himself flung backwards, towards the entrance of the Secret Place. He landed thrown on one knee, but stayed low, gritting his teeth against the pain. He quickly took advantage of the moment to breathlessly relay his words again.

"What they're after is in the Secret Place. They will not get it."

With a sharp breath he scraped the damp hair from his eyes, rose to his feet, and strode back into the heavy rain. It was as if the sharp twangs radiating from his knee were inexistent.

Back out in the open, Riku rose the keyblade to his shoulder. His eyes were hardened like ice.

[Zephiris]

Xigbar

Jets of lightning seared across the sky. Where it struck, rain would quickly extinguish, though the Axel's flames were beginning to prove harder to quench. Someone's having fun.

Xigbar’s laughter rang loud and coarse before drowning in wind. The roar deafened him, shot energy to every corner of his body. He felt it close. There was without a doubt something up with the tree. But. . .

Xigbar’s laughter ceased for a moment, and his brow pulled into a disused puzzled expression that looked out of place on his face. When he concentrated harder - an extremely difficult task, courtesy of the lightning and flames now distractingly wreaking havoc upon the island - the energies he 'saw' were enigmatic. He had seen similar, strange gaps in his peripheral vision before, but never before had he given them much thought. And he wasn't about to now. It was evident the tree was not what the Organization was searching for.

"Ah. . . Xaldin? This ain't it."

The gaps were products of his lack of emotional capacity to decipher what he sensed in the energies surrounding the lone tree. No Nobody would have been able to recognize the strange, bittersweet remnants of a bond of Hearts. Like Number II had thought, it wasn't what they were looking for; the paopu tree was no gateway to the Heart of the world. It was a shadow of memory, imprinted by the strength of the Hearts that set it there.

Not that Xigbar knew that. He snorted and turned. "All yours, Axel."

A dark shadow enlarged to split the smaller island, and began to swallow the star-fruit tree. Xigbar frowned, and then shrugged. “Eh. Or not.”

The blindspot in his technique was odd, but Xigbar found himself not caring less. He had a job to do. Peering across the shore, eyes narrowed to see through the driving rain, he suddenly said, "Hey. . . What're they doing, Xaldin? Did ya check the place they're standing in front of?"

His eyes were powerful enough to distinguish the motion of silver and brown hair through the sheets of water. In a blur of thought the Freeshooter ran through his mental checklist. He had already found a tree house and two caves, one of which had lead him to the cove from earlier. The star and paopu tree had been a waste of his time. Still, he had missed a vital location. His gold eyes narrowed as he watched the keybladers and their friend before the shadowy opening of the waterfall.

Suddenly, he had a fairly good idea of where his target might be.

[Doogie]

Tidus? It made sense that he would've been on this world, but it still caught Sora off guard that he'd be here. As he rain pelted them in the face, and the fire and lightning rained down above them, Sora turned to Riku,

"What's happening? Why are they here? What do they w--"

Sora was cut off by someone yelling out from where the Paopu Tree was. The Dark XII? Mickey had told Sora about them last time he was in Traverse Town. If there was more than one of them here...they were going to have a real problem. Riku started to say something to them, calling out their names before a huge gust of wind caught them, and Sora was flung toward the Secret Place as well, flipping over, he got thrown just a bit further than Riku, landing on his back.

His Keyblade flew out of his hand, landing a few feet away, but as Sora got up, it flashed back in his hand as he heard Riku. "What they're after is in the Secret Place. They will not get it."

"The Secret place? What's in there? We've been in there a hundred times! There's nothing in there." Then, suddenly it clicked. There was something in there, and Sora wasn't going to let any Heartless get it, humanoid or not.

Riku stepped forward into the rain, and Sora stepped up next to him. He crouched down a little bit, holding the Kingdom Key in two hands, ready to strike at anything that came near him. Nobody was going to be taking his world away from him. No matter how big of a Heartless they were, shadow nor humanoid. As branches fell around them and lightning cascaded about, Sora blocked all of that out, concentrating on what he was about to have to do.

But he was ready.

[Zephiris]

(( Post, my dears. Any of the Organization can attack Tidus, Sora, and Riku - no need to wait for Xaldin. (Though it'd be great if you'd post, Chris. >>) ))

[Larxene]

((Herpitty derpitty. Xaldin can bitch at Larxene later. She got tired of waiting for him... and the rest of the guys. Stupid boooooys~ x: ))

She couldn’t figure out why, but the others had yet to launch an attack. The storm was in its full fury – the winds howled, the rain cascaded, the lightning crashed – but none of her comrades have made a move to engage in combat. And the heroes… they seemed to be wising up to the scheme already. Not good.

Not good at all to leave a bunch of men to do a woman’s job.

Hissing, Larxene stood up from her perch in the canopy, no longer concerned with remaining unseen, and glowered down upon the young boys. Raising a hand to the sky, electricity began to spark within her palm. The sparks curled around her fingers as charge began to grow, shining like a beacon that continued to grow brighter and brighter… until she let the energy loose. She cast down the Thundaga spell upon the heroes in a shower of crackling bolts.

It was high time they got this show on the road.