A Fragmented Tale

[Shadow Denizen]

Prologue: Acquaintance with Power

All it needed was the thought…

There was no need for fancy gestures or ridiculous incantations. The chaos…all it needed was the thought. And why not? For such destruction is always hungry, constantly looking for new things to feed upon. And if it took such a quick method to unleash it, then it made the destruction even more voracious.

And Xeron relished it.

He walked calmly through the village, his black cape billowing in the breeze behind him. Black was such a favorable color to those of the dark realm, as Xeron’s appearance suggested. Then again, black wasn’t considered a color, more like an enigma. And he wanted to be an enigma. He wanted to strike fear and hopelessness into the hearts of all; he wanted to make birds stop singing and the wind fall silent. He wanted…power.

The only thing that wasn’t black, besides his fair complexion, was his pair of gleaming yellow eyes. The fearsome eyes of the dark realm; the eyes that were like columns of fire that could burn right through you; the eyes that brought despair within its malevolent gaze. And they were his.

As he passed by the small, wooden hovels, they each suddenly burst into black flames. Ah, fire. He loved to observe its hungry tongue lick at those of innocence and watch its fiery form slowly engulf it and grow in power. This particular black flame was one that could not be extinguished.

He kept walking, his malicious gaze still concentrated on ahead. More houses were eaten by the hungry blaze. People suddenly fell down and died and their livestock turned into large, indescribable fiends. When Xeron reached the other side of the village, he still walked on, not caring to look back at his handiwork. The houses were nothing but charred remains and the monsters that were once peaceful animals began to feed on their masters’ pale bodies.

A few yards from where Xeron was, a dark figure stood. He appeared to be thin, but his upper body was concealed in a cloud of inky black darkness that swirled constantly. What could be seen of his body was black, except for his skin, which was a dark blue hue.

When Xeron approached, a voice emanated from the cloud, a voice that was gilded with power. “I have removed the seal on the Arcane’s power. Are you satisfied?”

Xeron glanced behind him at the village for the first time. “Very much, indeed.”

“Then give them to me, now!”

Xeron examined his gauntlets. “I think not, Arek.”

Before Arek could become enraged, an orb appeared in Xeron’s palm, which pressed into Arek’s hidden face. Arek screamed; it was an unearthly screech. Chains appeared on his legs and arms, although they were invisible.

“A Binding? From whence did you learn such magic?”

Xeron grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” And suddenly, they both disappeared, dissolving into blends of shadows and blue flame.

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A bit short, but I'm satisfied.

This tale is based on an RP I made a while ago. I would like to thank mike2014, Sora the warrior, and TWDIS for contributing to the plot, although I’ve tweaked the storyline.

Note that this is not a collaboration.
I’m determined to continue this story to the end, so at least post something.

[All-Star Gamer]

Just by looking at this, I can tell you're very talanted, with a good degree of skill. Spaces in between paragraphs, good descriptions, well written, etc. Keep up what your doing and you'll be fine.

[Destined]

I like the strong wording and the overall tone that you are going for. I agree that it is short, but sometimes short posts are better than overly drawn out posts that do not contribute as much creatively. Well done, and I look forward to reading more.

[-Arcana-X-]

A very nice prologue. Your writing clearly shows what is happening while it is happening. I mean, you're not saying it directly that Xeron did this or that. You've shown it indirectly. I also love your description of the character -reminds of Edward-
And of course, a perfect cliffhanger.
Update soon.
And the only mistake was:

strike fear and hopelessness

Comma please

[Jet]

Glad ya finally got it up, Shadow Denizen. We never finished the acutal sequal for the RP, but hey, im just glad you went with the original idea to turn BFTD into a fanfic. Love the tale so far =D
And im sending you a PM in a bit, mkay.

[Sora788]

I really like your style of writing. Yes, please do finish till the end. If you don't get that many comments, just keep writing. Good Luck.

[Shadow Denizen]

All of your comments have been appreciated greatly. Chap. 1's here.

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Chapter 1: Desires

Elvn awakened from his slumber with a long yawn before completely opening his eyes. He looked around his mediocre room and then leaped off his bed to throw open the window. Shafts of warm sunlight entered his room, greeting him with their gentle touch. It was a typical Serenity Town morning.
Elvn hastily got dressed. After doing so, he glanced at himself in the mirror.

Wearing his signature silver attire and black boots, he was satisfied with his look. He sighed and ran a hand through his dark brown hair before hurrying through the door and down the stairs. Without bothering for breakfast, he exited the house, where his best friend Ren was waiting.

Having been friends since the farthest reaches of their memory, Elvn and Ren were practically inseparable. They looked out for each other and rarely had arguments. Recently though, Elvn found Ren to be a bit more solemn, although Ren tried his best to hide his thoughts.

“Race you to the square!” exclaimed Ren, who already had a head start. Elvn grinned and ran off after him. Neither of them noticed the distant thunderheads.

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Around the same time, if you could assume time was related between worlds, another young man had just gotten up from his nightly rest. Unlike Elvn, however, Voran was eager to get back to sleep.

Also unlike Elvn, Voran had no last name. This thought probed its way through his mind like a stubborn worm as Voran turned to face the wall. Ever since he’d arrived at Hollow Bastion—or Radiant Garden as it had recently been renamed—he had the desire to know of his origin. Voran had no memory of it whatsoever.

Things had become even more puzzling when something called a Keyblade appeared in a column of light within his hands before the invasion of hundreds of strange monsters. And since then he had fought against them along with the other defenders of Radiant Garden.

But what intrigued him the most were his abilities. The power that was called the Inferno. The word “Inferno” had sprang into Voran’s mind as soon as he had arrived at Radiant Garden. He often liked to think of himself as the son of some great hero. He didn’t know it at the time, but years later he would call this ironic.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t believe it himself.

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Mike—or Mikey, as he preferred—examined the world he was floating above in his Gummi ship. After making the necessary measurements, he pressed a key on the computer, removing the world’s name from the lengthy list.

“Atlantica’s intact. Very good.” After the last fiasco at Olympus, he was making sure that the worlds weren’t plagued by excess amounts of darkness. Where all of it was coming from was a mystery.

Mikey was a proud defender of Disney Castle and a direct servant of King Mickey. Being a quick learner and a talented warrior, he was one of the most potent, partly because of his ability to wield Fenrir, his Keyblade. But most of his success was due to the mysterious power that was called the Inferno.

Like so many heroes of legends told, Mikey had the urge to know. He wanted to know everything about his past and the meaning of his existence. He had never felt sympathy toward family tragedies because he had no loved ones. No Keyblade could wipe away the longing that weighed down his bitter heart.

The King supposedly knew nothing of Mikey’s history. Everytime Mikey mentioned it, the King would either look away or change the subject. When this happened, Mikey did not press on any further. It was uncalled for to upset a king.

So throughout his life, he was naught but a mystery, a being that even fate itself was uncertain of.

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What was it about towering heights that made men feel so superior? Was it the prospect of seeing all and thus knowing all? Such is the belief and desire of a tyrant.

Only fools seek power without knowledge.

So thought Xeron as he stood atop the Clocktower of Twilight Town, surveying the surrounding area. It was a habit of his to observe a world before it was to be engulfed by his shadowy grasp. It made him chuckle to think of the inhabitants having to so abruptly yield to the darkness as it slowly seeped into their impotent hearts.

He could already taste it coming. The disorder…

Indeed, the birds had stopped their chorus and the wind had lost the will to live. There had been no flaws in his plans until recently, when he had discovered the existence of new Keyblade wielders. It would be a tiring hindrance.

Nonetheless, he would conquer the light and steal what was called the power of the Inferno.

People looked up with fright at Xeron. Paralysis gripped their limbs as they witnessed the coming of inky black clouds behind Xeron and the Clocktower. Rain splattered upon their terrified faces. The puddles turned dark and turned into the creatures known as Heartless, whose eyes were as yellow and malevolent as their master's.

Xeron's eyes gleamed as well, their yellow hue mixed with a glowing red as they watched the ascension of countless hearts into the vast void beyond the storm and all the chaos.

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Just a bit of characterization. Short, but I had to get that out of the way. IMO, the last part came out nicely, so you might’ve enjoyed it.

[Jet]

Me like it :D
All the characterization of each of them was wonderful. Even though I already know the story, I must know the tweaks. :D

[Frozen Fate]

I loved your detail and description. You certainly know how to develop characters. Overall, superb.

[Shadow Denizen]

Another cliffhanger coming up at the end lol.
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Chapter 2: Betrayal and Sorrow

Elvn never managed to beat Ren to the square. He was a swift runner and maintained a clean ten-foot lead. They stopped at the square with their hands on their knees and trying to catch their breath.

“Looks like you win,” Elvn remarked through gasps of air.

A cold wind passed through the square. Elvn and Ren were the only two present. A shadow loomed over the area, chasing away the sunlight. Elvn turned to see black clouds ominously moving towards them.

“Rentus, what is that?”

“Looks like rain.”

“But it almost never rains here!”

Suddenly, there was a cold chuckle. It echoed throughout the terrace and then disappeared in the wind. Elvn and Ren turned every which way, looking for its source, but the square was as empty as ever.

And Master Xeron said they’d be trouble. He obviously has never seen them…

Elvn turned to look behind him for the origin of the powerful voice. A fully armored soldier stood there upright. Its entire body was covered in grey metal that looked old, but sturdy. Its winged helmet concealed its face, but

Elvn imagined it was smirking. The soldier held a strange weapon.

“Who the hell are you?” shouted Elvn.

They’re rude, too. How ignorant of them.

“What do you want?” Ren brandished a pole, which he had found lying on the paved ground.

Oh, nothing. I’m just helping the inevitable come to pass. Best part is, I don’t have to do the dirty work. The armored soldier raised its hand, and black creatures spawned on the ground in front of him. Their yellow eyes glistened as the dark clouds positioned themselves directly above them.

Just a few Shadows will do. You don’t look like you could pose as a challenge.

“Elvn,” said Ren. “Go get a pole. I’ll hold ‘em off.”

“But—“

“Go!”

The creatures pounced. Ren knocked one away with the pole, but they kept coming. One of them grabbed Elvn’s feet with its sharp claws, causing him to trip and fall. Ren was also on the ground. The Shadows jumped, aiming their talons at Elvn and Ren’s chests.

There was a sudden burst of brilliant light. Elvn covered his eyes as he was enveloped by it. Ren soon blurred out of sight.

When the light dispersed, the hand that Elvn had used to cover his eyes was now wrapped around a strange, key-shaped weapon. He stared at it, stunned at the shiny silver and gold metal that he held. He looked to his left, but Ren was no longer there.

Instead, he was standing up as if nothing had happened. In his hands was another key weapon, except this one looked considerably darker. Its hilt was the shape of a black heart and its blade was long and thin, with intricate carvings engraved into it. A navy blue keychain hung from the Keyblade’s pommel, its heart symbol glistening, despite the shadow of the storm clouds.

Ren himself was immersed in a cloudy purple aura. He looked around himself and then…laughed.

“I feel great!” he cackled.

The cold chuckle once again filled the air. Darkness? That was unexpected.

Ren laughed again. “So this is darkness? I like it.”

“Ren?” Elvn had never seen his friend like this before.

“You stay out of this,” Ren replied coldly.

Indeed, you do like it. Why? Because you have power. Do you want more power?

“Very much.”

Then follow me. This world won’t last very long, anyway.

“Ren, don’t go! You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into!” Elvn jumped to his feet and ran towards Ren. An invisible barrier knocked him back with such force that his nose began to bleed. Not heeding the blood, he looked at his friend pleadingly.

“You were always an idiot, Elvn; always prancing around and having fun. This is the real world, where it’s all about power. And I’m going.” Ren strutted towards the armored soldier, who made a gesture. A large, black cloud of darkness emerged from thin air. The armored soldier walked into it, and Ren followed, not even bothering to look back as the portal dissipated.

Elvn was stupefied. It was all so sudden. He slowly got up and glanced at the key weapon in his hand. He scowled, wanting it to disappear. Surprisingly, it did disappear, dissolving in a column of light.

Elvn was about to sigh when there was a deafening roar of thunder. Elvn looked up to see a gargantuan orb of darkness that was swirling around like a maelstrom. One by one, to Elvn’s horror, buildings were ripped from their foundations and spiraled up into the orb, where they disappeared.

Elvn stepped back as the ground beneath him began to crack. He started to run, but he tripped and fell on his face, losing consciousness for a moment.
When he awakened, he found himself lying in a pile of wood. He stood, paralyzed at what he saw.

What was left of Serenity Town was now a small piece of land the size of a tiny isle. All around him was a swirling mess of purplish haze and debris.

It’s all gone. There’s nothing left. It’s all gone…

And it was all gone. Home, family, friends, and memories…

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[Jet]

Good chapter, once again :D
Now who's next? Mikey or Voran? It dont matter, I just cant wait for it to get more intersesting.

[Star Light]

This is really, really good. You might inspire me in my stories. Definately continue.

[Shadow Denizen]

Chapter 3: Curses

Mikey finished up with Agrabah, removed it from the list, and then looked at the next item. “Serenity Town? Must be a new one.” He pulled a lever and the Gummi ship sped off, with Mikey tapping the command board casually.

His light-hearted mood was shattered when he saw the remains of Serenity Town. It was nothing but a pitiful piece of land covered in debris. “Holy…”
He was about to send a transmission back to Disney Castle when he spotted a kid sitting amidst the rubble. He was staring into space absentmindedly. Mikey pitied him as he lowered the Gummi ship next to him.

“Get in, kid,” he shouted. “You won’t last long out here.”

The kid did not answer. Mikey repeated his exclamation and this time, the kid’s head turned. Mikey beckoned him inside. The boy slowly rose and dragged himself to the ship’s ramp. Once inside, he dropped down into a chair, his head bowed.

Mikey turned back to the controls. “Hey, kid. What’s your name? I’m Mikey.”

“Elvn.”

“Cool name.” Mikey steered away from the ruined Serenity Town and had not gotten far when suddenly the devastated world dissolved away. “Damn!” cursed Mikey. Now there was no chance of bringing it back. Who could’ve done this? Mikey stared at the empty space where the world had been before turning back to the controls.

He swore loudly when he saw the giant warp hole directly in front of them. Before he could steer out of the way, they were sucked into its depths.
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Xeron stood on top of the Radiant Garden castle, arms crossed and lips twisted into a half-smile. Everything was falling into place. The worlds were like a row of dominoes: destroy one and the rest would fall. Already the energy of their obliteration had supplied him with more power; he could feel it coursing through his veins.

A dark portal materialized from another realm behind him. Shortly afterward, the armored soldier and Ren emerged from it. Without turning, Xeron said, “Well, Incor?”

The dark portal disappeared. “One of them is dead. I brought the other. Take a look and you’ll see why.”

Xeron glanced behind him. Seeing the dark Keyblade, he completely rotated his profile. “Interesting. His heart is very strong and he possesses much potential. I have been looking for an apprentice for quite some time. Do you accept, Ren?”

Without asking how Xeron knew of his name, Ren nodded. “Yeah, as long as you give me power.”

“In time, in time. But I must ask you one thing: do you have hatred?”

Ren looked at him inquiringly. “What for?”

Xeron turned back to the scene of Radiant Garden. “Hate is the father of power. You cannot have the son without the father. So I ask you again: do you have hatred?”

“No. What would I have to hate?”

“How about your best friend?”

Ren was startled. “He’s not my friend anymore,” he spat. “He was just an idiot that was in my way. Besides, he’s dead.”

Xeron continued to gaze at the peaceful houses. “No, he is not dead.”

“What?” Incor and Ren exclaimed simultaneously.

“He’s joined forces with…well, someone. I can’t tell from such a powerful world. He’s out to kill you.” The latter was a lie, but Xeron knew it would spawn hatred in the boy’s heart.

“What?” Ren was obviously shocked. “But—“

“I thought you didn’t care about him.”

Ren stuttered, “Y-Yes, but—“

“Then you must hate him. Emotions are the enemies of power. Kill them off and you will be powerful.”

Ren bowed his head, his mind flooded with conflict. He then closed his eyes and tried to suppress his heart’s commands.

“Very good,” remarked Xeron, still observing Radiant Garden’s civilians. He did so enjoy watching people freeze as darkness tore into their chests and plucked out their hearts.
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The Gummi ship spiraled one more time before it was spit out by the warp hole. Mikey, pale in the face, dragged himself to his chair. Elvn followed suit. Mikey whispered strings of curses before retaking the throttle.

“Alright, Elvn,” he said after everything was normal. “I’m taking you to Disney Castle for recovery. You can—okay, this is getting out of hand.” Below them was Radiant Garden…being infested by Heartless.

Through his ship’s magnified visionary lenses, Mikey could see legions of Heartless storming the world. The most fearful sight of all was the indescribable amount of hearts that slowly made their way from all the tumult.

“Shit.” Mikey pushed a red button and flipped some switches. The Gummi ship engaged the planet at full speed. Once close enough, Mikey pulled the lever to slow it down.

Shit, it’s stuck!!! He pulled at it with all his might, but it wouldn’t budge. This day really sucks.

Mikey and Elvn braced themselves. No sooner had they done so when there was a deafening crash. The Gummi ship paused for a split second on a hill, and then rolled down, with both its passengers being thrown around and Mikey still cursing loudly. The Gummi ship fell off a ledge and head straight for a house.
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Voran ran out of his house, Keyblade in hand as he saw the scores of Heartless scattered everywhere. He beheaded one of them and was about to go for another when he heard a huge crash. He turned around, appalled and pissed at the same time.

A heavily dented and burnt Gummi ship had just devastated his house. The roof had caved in and all the furnishings and been squashed. Only the wooden door still stood, lonely as a hermit who has been rejected. The door opened, and an angry, dirty-looking teenager stepped outside, followed by a glum, depressed-looking boy.

“What’re you looking at?” Mikey snapped at Voran.

“You destroyed my house!”

“Look—“

“No! You’re dead!”

There was a blur of motion as Mikey performed a flurry of blows on the large Heartless that was creeping up behind Voran. As Fenrir relaxed its iron bite, the Heartless disappeared in plumes of black mist. Voran stared at him, awestruck.

“If I hadn’t done that, it wouldn’t be me who’d be dead.” Mikey pushed past Voran. “C’mon Elvn. Grab something to use as a weapon.”

Elvn caught up with him, his shiny Keyblade in hand. ‘Will this do?”

Mikey stared at him in bewilderment, and then grinned. “Now that’s good timing. Let’s do this.” They both ran off, leaving a shocked Voran in their trail.

“Hey!” Voran shouted after him. “That house was expensive!” He re-summoned his Keyblade and ran off after them.

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OOC: Lol, I had fun writing that. Did I overdo Mikey's frustration?

[Jet]

O-O
Li'l bit. I knew Mikey swore and and was like you said most of the time last chapter, but im pretty sure he didnt swear that much. He wasnt THAT much of a jackass about things.

Ah well...will he be like that ALL through the story? Or just atleast up till.."you know when and where."

Even with the swearing, it was REALLY fun reading Mikey's lines in your tweaked story. Expecally when he crashes Voran's house. :D

[Shadow Denizen]

Chapter 4: Live to Fight

Voran was still trying to catch up with the two teenagers. What was that he had just seen in their hands? Were those Keyblades? He hacked through a Heartless soldier’s midsection as he continued to sprint on and on.

The two teenagers stopped as they became surrounded by ten Morningstars. “They’re huge!” exclaimed the one with the shiny Keyblade. “I can take ‘em,” replied the other one, who still looked angry.
Voran caught up with them and jumped. Landing on the head of one of the Morningstar Heartless, he plunged his Keyblade into its head. He leaped off as it dissolved and beheaded three more. Through all the haze he said scornfully, “You owe me double, now!”

“So you’re a Keyblade wielder, too, huh? Something must be up,” said the angry teenager as he performed an impressive series of spiral blows, tearing a couple of Heartless to shreds. “After all, the only good Keyblade wielder around is Sora, and he’s in no condition to fight right now. I’d bet even Elvn here could beat you.” He gestured at the other teenager, who had just sliced up three Morningstars in a row.

Voran glared at them. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Name’s Mikey. That’s Elvn.”

“First you obliterate my house,” Voran raged. “And now you’re acting as if nothing happened! And watch your mouth before I stick this Keyblade up—“

“Why did you follow us?”

Voran’s expression changed into one of puzzlement. Mikey and Elvn continued to hack and slash at the last Heartless. After it disappeared into the air, they faced him, both waiting for an answer. Elvn didn’t seem so depressed anymore, but there were still hints of sorrow in his eyes.

“What do you mean, ‘why did you follow us?’. You destroyed my house! What am I supposed to do, stand there and watch the demolishers of my house just run off?”

“That’s life. You gonna help us out or not?” Without waiting for an answer, Mikey ran off with Elvn not far behind. Voran scowled and then sighed. He was still mad about his home, but Mikey was right. What happens is what happens.

“I guess I’ll help,” he whispered reluctantly. Rather than running, he walked after them.

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“Master Xeron, the current horde is diminishing.” Incor and Vulcan stepped to their master’s side, armor clinking as they did so. They were in a secret lab separate from Ansem’s and Xehanort’s. When he had feigned his death in order to escape apprenticeship from Ansem the Wise, Xeron had built the lab in order to conduct research. He already had all the knowledge and power he’d ever wanted, so now the lab served as a means to keep watch over the universe using Xeron’s advanced computer system.

“Is it? And why might that be?” Xeron was sitting in a tall chair in front of the large, blue computer screen. The light from its glow reflected off his servants’ armor as Incor answered.

“Several Keyblade wielders and that accursed Restoration Committee are making things difficult. One of them is the kid I thought had died. Another’s the one that we’ve been watching for some time and the last is a kid we’ve never seen.”

Xeron did not answer, but instead pressed a button on his keyboard. An image of Radiant Garden flared into view. He pressed another button. A small, blinking square appeared somewhere in the middle of the town. Pressing a few more buttons, the computer zoomed in to the square. Three teenagers were clearly seen fending off some Heartless as if they were fighting children.

“That’s them, Master.” Xeron glanced at right side of the screen. It currently said “72 of Legion 57” and the “72” was swiftly dropping.

“I believe we must send in something a bit more challenging to our guests. When the counter reaches zero, I will unleash my latest project.” Xeron smiled.

“That?!” exclaimed Vulcan, whose voice was deep and rasping. “The world could fall apart, Master. You said yourself that this world must remain intact at all times!”

“Your ignorance never ceases to amuse me, Vulcan,” Xeron replied smoothly. “I am far too powerful to allow a creation of mine to go out of control.”

The counter was already at “46” and was still rapidly dropping. “This is also the perfect chance to test the power of my new apprentice,” Xeron commented. “His newly found hatred will serve him well.”

37

“His heart is as bitter as a stubborn night and his core is immersed in the deepest of darkness.”

29

“He burrows into the dark realm like the power-driven soul he is.”

18

Xeron rose. The ceiling above him made a loud a rumble and then slowly began to open in a circular motion. Simultaneously, the floor on which they stood began to steadily rise.

9

Xeron smiled as they reached the roof. “They promised the worlds peace. I promised them oblivion!”

0

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It is quite difficult to imagine something as “indescribable”, simply because it is just that: indescribable. This word was all that coursed through the trio’s minds as Radiant Garden was rocked by an incredibly deafening rumble. The three Keyblade wielders were sent to the floor, momentarily stunned.

“What the hell happened?” asked Voran as he steadily rose.

Just then a gigantic shadow enshrouded the town. The trio looked up in horror.

“Ah shit,” said Mikey.

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It's shorter than I like but cliff hangers are so cool=D