A Joining of Powers (Eno, Morgan, Gwain, Tsumiko)

[Faye]

The morning sun beamed down upon Agrabah, a hot merciless heat that the natives dealt with on a daily basis. They went about their day as any other in the bazaar. Merchants called to passerbys promising the best wares and prices. Children ran to and fro, playing under the feet of their parents and strangers alike. Herds of animals balled as they were ushered through gates and placed upon a stage for auction. It was a life not so different from the ones experienced on other worlds.

Their attention was suddenly drawn away from their casual routine as a white floating carriage, an exotic jewel trimmed in silver, moved down the street pulled by a single palomino pegasus, and surrounded by armed guards. Slowly, they began to break away and follow, curious as to the destination of this visitor. Whispers and rumors began to spread, speaking of rulers from another world. Was this one of the three that had come to take refuge on their desert world?

For the queen of the Enchanted Dominion, hailing from a land of mountains and temperate forests, this heat was a nightmare. Wearing one of her extravagant gowns didn’t help matters, but she refused to wear anything less. This meeting between the sultan and the Darkson monarchs was very important. Faye wanted to display herself in the best light possible. Fashion was a symbol of power and she oh so loved to flaunt her style, especially when around other leaders. One could call it bragging, and perhaps she was to a degree, but it was also a sign of respect for her fellow rulers. The queen wanted to look her best for them.

“We’ve attracted quite the crowd, your majesty.” Her guardian dragoon said as he peered out the window.

“Of course, we have.” Faye replied flipping open her ornate fan, surrounded in an icy mist. It had been enchanted to combat the heat, emitting a puff of cool air with each wave. “As foreigners, we will remain a focal point of curiosity for some time.”

“Especially when that focal point is being transported in a pegasus drawn floating carriage.”

Faye chuckled, softly. “Ours is a magical world full of endless possibilities. With a single look, I wish for the people of Agrabah to understand this.”

After her little parade, Faye’s carriage reached the great looming gate that led into the grand palace of Agrabah. The crowd stood back as the doors swung open, allowing the queen entrance into the main courtyard. They were promptly shut as she made it inside, cutting off her line of sight from the curious citizens. The imperial guards lined up at the carriage door, saluting their queen with swords as she emerged.

“Impressive.” Faye said as Xander assisted her down the steps. She gazed up at the exotic architecture that was the sultan’s home. The smooth curves were so different from the slopes and sharp corners of her castle. It had its own special charm. “I wonder if Queen Morgan and King Gwain have arrived yet? We are slightly early.”

[Gwain Darkson]

A minute or two after the pegasus drawn carriage arrived on the scene, the locals of Agrabah had their eyes subjected to technology never before seen. A black and gray ship, sleek and elegant in its design, came through the atmosphere at a controlled speed. It circled around high in the air like a vulture would carrion and lowered its altitude greatly enough to pick a spot to land. This specific ship, the Sleipnir, had been outfitted to be more compact yet serve was a competent fighting vessel, for the King of Radiant Garden, Gwain Darkson. The populace of the world only had so much time to take in its shape and size, before it landed behind the gates.

Accompanying the king was his queen, Tsumiko Darkson, who ruled a world of her albeit a more smaller and less influential world. Regardless, she was a leader and her status among the Darkson family warranted her presence.

"We're here, love." He'd say with a smile before shutting down the ship and opening the doors to make the exit below. Without the air conditioning of the vessel the sweltering heat blasted through the only available opening. The conditions were very unfavorable and as a vampire, Gwain had a thing for disliking the sun. Nonetheless, he donned his ceremonial armor (very functional as actual armor) and while he no longer carried Excalibur, outfitted himself with a greatsword brandished upon his back.

Stepping out, his red eyes scanned over the place seeing who was there. Apparently Queen Morgan Darkson, his niece was to attend the meeting as well. The uncle hadn't seen her since she and Destinie parted ways, sometime in their teen years if he could remember, so it'd be great to see how much of a competent leader she grew into. Besides her, there was the queen of the Enchanted Dominion, Queen Faye, who he assumed was the first to arrive. The ebony haired man caught her since she stood out the most, wearing her elegant dress. "Ah, there goes the Queen of the Enchanted Dominion, dear. Now all we need is Morgan and the Sultan Eno Vale then our ensemble will be completed."

The king said over to his queen.

[Tsumiko]

Sitting at the windowside as the ship circled around the sprawling city below, Tsumiko made note of several various changes she noticed from her last visit. It was but one of many worlds that she used to visit often to sing for the people, before duty and obligations prevented such ventures. With the words of her husband announcing their arrival, the songstress stood from her seat with a smile and headed toward the ship’s door. The dry heat that flooded the ship caused her to shiver. Thankfully, she chose light clothing that wouldn’t let the heat effect her all too much.


Walking out of the ship and into the bright sunlight, Tsumiko looked where Gwain had directed her eyes and looked upon the being that was the Queen of the Enchanted Dominion. Turning her silver-blue eyes back to her husband, the songstress, smiled at him and nodded. “We haven’t seen Morgan in what feels like an eternity. Though I am curious as to what this Sultan is like. I've heard he's a bit of a giant.” She said to him, walking with her arm linked in his, and teasingly grinned. While this was supposed to be a serious gathering, it would do no one any good if they couldn’t be relaxed enough make playful banter and, more importantly, to think clearly. Being serious all the time could hardly be healthy.


Being that she was the leader of a world, albeit a small one that very few visited and a second, even smaller world, that not many knew existed, Tsumiko was invited to join in this event. Though her true purpose in being there was to support her husband. She had no doubt to his capabilities as a king, or his cunning, but it was always nice to have that extra moral support nearby should the need arise.

"Shall we greet the Queen while we wait for the others?" Tsumiko asked with a soft smile, pulling Gwain towards where Faye was.

[Morgan Darkson]

A meeting of world leaders was an extremely important gathering and one that Morgan didn't dare miss, despite whatever repairs she was making on her world. Sure, Eno had come in with that giant moon that healed everyone's stamina and wounds, but that wouldn't cut it. Damage had been done to the city thanks to her champion's fight against the Heartless horde. It wasn't until after a behind the scenes meeting with the wayward Sultan, did Morgan remember who he was. The man who went under their noses and overthrew the planted Darkson member, who was left in charge of Agrabah. The Usurper Eno Vale, was his reputation among the last regime but what a lot of people forgot, was that the plant decided to go against their company and kingdom in the first place.

Eno did them a favor to a degree, though, Morgan didn't quite trust him. This meeting would be a test of his competence as a leader, seeing as strife still racked the world. Her ship approached over the horizon and had been fashionably late to arrive, something she always had a knack for doing when invited to gatherings. A snow-white ship with black and red secondary colors made up the color scheme of the ship. It was sleek just like the Sleipnir but showed heavy modifications to it, likely done by Morgan herself. When it came overhead to land with the rest of the vehicles, the engines were completely silent and the weapons were compact yet had the ability to punch holes through most defenses. Morgan's personal warship.

Joining Queen Darkson on this outing was none other than Deji, her champion and, the First Wing of the Seraphim. Felicity being the second-in-command had every right to take over in her stead, considering she was a very logical being and approached each situation with her own tact. Morgan felt her capable of handling a whole regime for several hours. Thus, after landing, her mind was at ease and she greeted Deji with a smile.

"Let us go, Deji. It appears everyone else has arrived." She said after applying her lipstick, ruby red. After which the woman arose from her seat and activated the door, leading out of the ship with her guard right behind her. Looking around, she saw people most familiar to her, especially her uncle and aunt, Gwain (who probably boiled in that armor) and Tsumiko. Another body that stood out and dressed elegantly, but not for the weather had to have been Queen Faye of the Enchanted Dominion. When Morgan was but a princess she met the half-fairy queen on several occasions, seeing as she and Marigold were close friends from long ago.

"Uncle Gwain, Aunt Tsumiko!" She called out to the two and waved towards them, she flashed her confident smile and it seemed to brighten those crimson eyes of hers. Dressed in the coat handed down from mother to daughter, black with white fur along the edges of the coat. She wore a white button up with all but the uppermost button done, a pair of black slacks and to finish the outfit, the queen donned a pair of open toed high heels, which gave her a few more inches on the height scale. One would imagine how she wasn't boiling in that ensemble but that was a secret she wasn't going to tell. All-in-all she appeared nearly identical to her mother with the exception of certain features.

Walking over to them and by extension, Lady Faye, she was able to greet everyone. How convenient. "And Queen Faye, it's been a while since we've last seen each other. You haven't lost a single bit of beauty over the years, how attractive." She complimented also with the intent to tease her a bit.

[Faye]

As the great ships of the Darksons came into view, Xander had to put his men at ease as they spotted the two beautiful but alien vessels. Technology. Though it had been Darkson technology that had aided the Enchanted Dominion in its redemption, it was still something so new and strange to the people that it never truly caught on. Magic was familiar. Magic was everything. What they could do with machines they could do just as easily with the arcane, and so the appeal only ever reached out to a small number of the citizens--usually those who had little patience in her opinion. After all, magic is not an easy craft to master. It requires diligence, repetition, and focus. So Faye could understand why some would choose the path. Tech has its uses, but magic was obviously more superior and elegant.

"Greetings! I hope you all had a pleasant journey?" with Xander at her side, Faye approached the Darksons, two of which she had never met before. The third was the daughter of her dear friend Marigold, and current queen of The World That Never Was. "Ahh, you are too kind, Queen Morgan." she said, hiding a smile behind her fan, truly flattered by the compliment. "And I must say you have matured into quite the lovely young woman. Your mother must be very proud." she turned to the others, bowing her head in respect. The tales of Tsumiko's beauty did not do the woman justice. Even in her world, the songstress' voice had captured the hearts of many. Faye herself was a secret fan. "And you must be King Gwain and Queen Tsumiko. 'Tis an honor to finally meet you." she turned her attention to the silver-blue haired woman. "I must say, your singing has brought much joy to my people, myself included. Truly, yours is a voice from heaven, my lady"  

Xander eyed Deji from under his helm, taking note of the odd reptilian like qualities. Though he had seen many races, this girl was something different. Also, she looked like she could crack someone's spine with a poke. And here he was, lithe and armored. He didn't seem nearly as imposing. It kind of hurt his ego.

[Gwain Darkson]

"The journey wasn't bad at all, my lady." The king responded in kind and had bowed in respect. Whether or not Faye knew it, Gwain was a man who back in his youth wouldn't have been so respectful and proper. Colloquial was a mild word used to describe him. "How did it fare for you?" The man asked out of proper kindness.

Morgan didn't take much longer to arrive, greeting them with familiarity and kindness. Gwain smiled, waving to her and giving her a proper bow of respect when she arrived. "Great to see you again, Morgan! You've grown quite a bit since I've last seen you in person. Doing well enough, given the circumstances that is?" He asked curiously. His first notion was to let the two women converse among themselves while he and Morgan caught up for a little bit. Out of the corner of his eye did he notice Deji, another woman who he hadn't seen in quite some time, considering how eccentric she was. Their little sparring dates had stopped and likely due to her having to assist his niece in her queendom.

Both he and the snake-kin shared a nod of their heads as proper warriors, before his attention fully returned to his sister's daughter.

[Tsumiko]

As Gwain bowed when he addressed Faye, Tsumiko would do likewise and curtsey. “It was an uneventful journey, Your Grace.” The songstress answered with a bit of a coy smirk. More went on in the flight than she let on, for sure. That smirk turned to a soft smile when the last of the gathering world leaders finally arrived. Hearing her name being called out, she turned to see the young woman as she approached them. My, how she mimicked her mother far too much when it came to appearances..

“Queen Morgan,” Tsumiko greeted her and curtsied once more. Though when Gwain had addressed her in a far less formal manner, she felt a bit stiff. The songstress ended up feeling better when Morgan caused Faye to grow red in the cheeks. It was an adorable act that had her giggling behind a hand. The similarities between mother and daughter was bewildering, to say the least.


When it was Faye who next spoke her name, Tsumiko turned to face her and smiled brightly. “Likewise, Queen Faye.” This time it was her turn to blush. She didn’t attempt to hide her rosy cheeks, however, and wore them proudly. A compliment was a sign of a job well done, and nothing could make the songstress any happier - when it came to her line of work, that is. “Your words are far too kind, Your Highness. If it pleases you, I can come perform for you and your people one day. Since the… recent world events, my schedule has been uncommonly empty.” She said, in reference to the raids that happened not long ago. It was troubling, and would more than likely be a subject in which they discussed at the meeting that day.


Not to leave one feeling left out, Tsumiko had also greeted Deji. Without disturbing her conversation, she turned to the snake-kin and smiled, bowing her head before returning her full attention back to Queen Faye.

[Morgan Darkson]

Being complimented so by Queen Faye had Morgan giggle softly, she smiled and gave a light shrug of her shoulders. "Father says she is but my mother isn't normally the type to voice such things. I do hope I'm doing well in her eyes." She added before turning her attention over to Xander.

There was a smile showing she acknowledged him, then turned that expression over to her partner in crime, Deji. "Don't be too shy now, dear. We're all equals in this endeavor. Go on and let loose a little." Though she told her to "let loose" she really meant for her to socialize appropriately.

"Really!? Deji gets to... Oh, that's what Morgan meant." The snake-kin sounded a little disappointed but otherwise shook it off, came from the queen's shadow and greeted everybody individually and with her usual, loud-mouthed self. Deji was respectable about it, however, the woman's enthusiasm levels knew no bounds. Xander would find himself being asked many questions concerning his role at Faye's side, his training and other such things.

While they conversed, the Darkson Queen turned her attention over to her uncle. "Things have been steadily recovering and if it wasn't thanks to our still absent Sultan, many of a my soldiers would be in critical condition. Things are shaping up but I'm concerned about the state of the other worlds." Her last sentence was specifically louder in order for the topic to grasp everyone's ears. "All contact with Wonderland and the Land of Dragons have ceased, a very unsettling turn of events since the heartless reared their ugly heads into the mix."

[Faye]

Faye continued to fan herself, little wisps of ice breaking off and hovering above her head as she enhanced the frost spell. Now there was a nice constant breeze over her body. The queen believed she had recovered enough to keep up this simple spell. Maybe the sultan would be out soon to greet them and escort them into what she hoped was a cooler palace. Oh, well. Her preferred level of elegance was always a high price to pay.

"'Twas but a short ride." she said to Gwain. "My people feel uneasy in this strange world and so I have remained here with them. My loyal soldiers and artisans are working quickly to rebuild the destruction left behind by the Heartless. In time we will go home, but until then we are very thankful for the sultan's generosity." Faye then turned to address Tsumi. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, your Highness. 'Twould raise their spirits in these dark times, and we need hope more than ever."

Her brows furrowed as Morgan spoke up, a sting piercing her heart. Yes, she had seen refugees from those world. Most were too traumatized to even explain what happened, shaking their heads or breaking down in tears. That was never a good sign. "Hmm... I fear the worst." she slowly shook her head, a troubled expression on her face. "If we do not hear something soon, we may have to accept they have fallen to darkness." she sighed. "If this invasion has proved anything, it is that we cannot stand alone against this threat. There is too much at risk. We cannot afford to make the same mistakes."

[Gwain Darkson]

Hearing that repairs on worlds afflicted with the Heartless blight relieved the king at most, but that relief had been shot down when Morgan made her observation. Gwain figured that a lot of the worlds possessed the means to defend themselves from a Heartless invasion, yet the reality hit him that not all worlds accepted technology or even magic into their communities. Worst case scenario meant that the worlds called into question, Wonderland and the Land of Dragons, were destroyed. Best case scenario is that they still stand but in very precarious positions. Gwain swallowed hard, his brow furrowed and his breathing seemed tense.

"Lady Faye is right. We thought of the Heartless numbers rising as nothing more than them just being a nuisance, but after this, it's clear there's more than meets the eye to this situation." The king had placed a hand to his chin, providing a thoughtful visage to his being. "Queen Morgan predicted something like this to happen and yet we thought ourselves capable of holding them back. Marigold relinquished the worlds to their own governments in hopes they'd learn autonomy and have an example of how to lead, but we need to stand united again. This meeting is important considering you have some of the most influential and powerful world leaders coming together. Something like this hasn't happened since my older sister was in charge of just a few worlds..." He mumbled to himself, wondering if Marigold's presence was necessary for this.

After becoming king he leaned on her guidance as a crutch and cursed himself for it. The woman knew what to do and how to do it, especially when it mattered the most. Gwain's self-doubt had brought him the harvest of many problems left idle and unlike those, this Heartless threat wasn't one he could just leave on the back burner. "Wherever the Sultan is, I hope he hurries. Until then, why don't we discuss the situation among ourselves? We can't waste any time sitting silent like this."

[Tsumiko]

The Faerie Queen was right in many regards. Least hope be relinquished to the dark, the people needed something to raise their spirits, and to help give them cause to persevere. True, a concert wouldn’t solve all their problems, but it would be something for the people to look forward to and to distract themselves with. Also, the fact of the missing worlds was another matter of concern. Many worlds were taking in refugees, and some were full to the brim with them. The default world being Traverse Town meant that it took the brunt of the burden, but many others were feeling the weight of so many additional persons that it was straining resources. Some even fled the attacked worlds that they called home in firm belief that the heartless would soon return to finish the job and swallow those worlds as well. Thankfully, those that lost their homes to the darkness were getting by in physical terms, though psychological was another matter altogether.

“Let’s not squander this opportunity, then.” Tsumiko stated as she linked her arm with her troubled husband’s. Casting him a reassuring smile, she began to lead him inside. “But before that, let us find a shaded place inside before us fair maidens melt in the heat. I’m sure the Sultan wouldn’t mind us finding a place to begin our discussion while he takes of of his own affairs.” A selfish suggestion, as the Songstress wasn’t enjoying the sweltering heat of the Agrabahn sun; a selfless suggestion, upon seeing the elegant dress that Faye wore. It couldn’t have been a comfortable choice of attire for a world such as this one. While they were there, it would likely be a good idea to mention her findings after her conversation with the La Vaeas Lenneth, and the Queen of Heartless, Ophelia. It would give them at least somewhere to begin.

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