Two of their attackers exploded into dark smoke as his Keyblade made solid contact and he forced it through, but the third managed to escape, melting back into the cobblestones to evade him. He recovered his stance and spared a glance at the rest of the battle, surprised to see two other combatants had joined in, all of them, including the girl in red from before, sporting Keyblades. There wasn't time to think about it, but how could he not? What did it mean?! He heard Minako's warning and immediately modified his grip to counter the advance as the Soldier class Minako had landed on as it focused its luminous yellow eyes on the girl behind him - he wouldn't let it pass. He didn't know what any of this meant, but he knew enough to recognize a Significant Event when it happened: his awakening in the alley, his meeting Motoki and the others, Minako's appearance, and now this - was this the key to saving Traverse Town and the other worlds?

The rattle of the Heartless's charge was nearly covered by a loud battle cry; it was a voice he hadn't heard before, but being decidedly human he tried his best to ignore it, focusing solely on the small armored Heartless charging them, and wound up a swing to strike when the moment was just right, intending to knock it back and then chase it forward to bash through its defenses before it could recover, and hop back into place before any of the other heartless could move in on the girl.

OOC:

Ami was doubled over from the first attack but she was smart and was thinking ahead at what the creature might try next. Out of the corner of her eye she saw it rise up again and she turned falling to a knee first to block the claws with her keyblade which she was now starting to get used to. After the block she pushed back against it then stood up..took a step back and swung forward right for its face hoping to get rid of it.

She hissed at the creature in annoyance as it parried. Minako's blue eyes glared at it, intending to run forward even before it charged at her. She did not hesitate to move on the offensive. The blonde relied on her agility and speed when fighting Heartless, and she planned to do the same in this battle. In her peripheral vision she could see that her warning had alerted Mamoru; she took this moment to fake out the charging Soldier, intending to front-flip over it and stab it from a more advantageous position behind the monster.

Minako’s warnings, whether it was to alert Mamoru and Usagi of the charging Soldier or if it was meant to bring their attention to the Shadow that had slipped around them, were for naught. It seemed that neither of them noticed the creeping Shadow, for their eyes were wholly focused on the Soldier charging them. Usagi’s hand fell away from the young man as his arm flourished, positioning to take a different stance on the advancing Soldier.

It was then she caught something out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t think that it was that Shadow that had disappeared against the stone, but it was! She stood terrified as she watched it weave over the stones, advancing towards her. Her breath caught in her throat in a panic. Even with all the noise of the battle going around her, it all melted away. All she could see was the Shadow slithering over the stones and all she could hear was her heartbeat escalating with fear.

Finally, she found her voice again as the creature’s arm reformed off the cobblestone, slashing at her. She shrieked and jumped away. The Shadow acted fast, its bright eyes flashing as it drove her further away from her protector, the girl dodging its claws clumsily. Usagi didn’t have time to realize what the creature was doing until she literally had her back pressed against the cold stone wall behind her. The creature’s eyes seemed to sparkle with triumphant glee as it rose its claw with dark, foreboding intent. She had nothing to defend herself with. Usagi’s eyes frantically searched for something, anything around her, but there was nothing! She looked back at the Shadow—and then beyond it. No one was able to save her. They were all fighting other Heartless. She was going to die!

Usagi cringed, her eyes shut tight, her hands going out in front of her in a defensive gesture to keep the creature from clawing her face. The instant the creature’s claw came down, however, Usagi didn’t feel it make contact with her skin. Instead she felt something warm and heavy in her hands. An eye peeked open to see the Shadow stumbling back, blinded by the radiating light of the Keyblade in the blonde girl’s hand. Usagi stood gawking, looking at the wondrous weapon she now held. It was dazzling! … And heavy! So heavy! Usagi gasped a bit as she struggled to keep the weapon up just the one hand she held it with. She quickly added her second hand to its hilt and felt the weapon steady—a little.

She was shaking.

But she had to fight.

She stood ready as the Shadow finally recovered, likely still seeing a shadow of of light in front of its eyes. It blinked a few times before melting into the ground and advancing on the new Keyblade Wielder. Usagi shrieked again and smacked at the compressed Shadow like one would with the game Whack-a-Mole, her blade making a harsh clang! against the stones.

Her enemy disappeared in a puff of smoke, and Makoto couldn't help but cheer for her success. Perhaps weapons weren't so bad, after all. Her fists definitely hurt a lot less than usual after a battle.

Looking around, Makoto realized that the battle was far from over. One girl was stuck in a battle against two of the black monsters, so Makoto ran over to help her out. "Two against one is hardly fair, don't you think?" Makoto remarked, holding her Keyblade awkwardly in front of her. She still wasn't quite used to using weapons.

"Let's get rid of the smaller one, then focus on the big one, alright?" Makoto suggested to the radiant, raven-haired woman. Without hesitation, Makoto swung her Keyblade like a baseball bat at the smaller Heartless.

This time her strike connected. The Soldier no longer a threat, Minako rebounded from the pavement. Her keen blue eyes flickered up, and she pivoted to find the blonde from before. She could still hear the girl screaming—why couldn't Mamoru take care of her? He had thrown himself into the fight as a protector, hadn't he? In the heat of battle, she didn't have time to consider how reasonable her thoughts or expectations might be.

She gritted her teeth and readied her blade, propelling herself forward, aiming for the Shadow that threatened Usagi. She was not willing to risk harm to this girl so soon. Minako didn't even have time to think about the fact that Usagi now wielded a Keyblade as well. Her only focus was distracting the Shadow so that it could have a more experienced opponent.

He engaged, striking it and knocking it back as planned, but just as he lunged to hit it before it could recover, the girl behind him screamed again. He flinched but powered through, frowning as he struck it on the backswing and jammed his heel into the ground to bounce back as intended, blue eyes angled backward to check on the frightened girl, brows furrowed in agitation at how often she screamed despite his having things under control---

But they weren't under control. 

The blonde was backing herself into the corner, edged forward by the shadow he had chased back twice, one that had obviously waited until he was occupied before striking. He turned, adjusting his grip yet again, and shifted his weight to intercept the attack she cowered from, needing to be careful so she wasn't caught on Enigmatic Rose's blade --

Just as he sprung, a brilliant light flashed from the girl - it had to be a girl, Heartless were made of shadow, incapable of creating such a thing - and he staggered rather than continue and risk accidentally striking her. His eyes dazzled, he couldn't make out anything even after he thought the light had faded - he rubbed at his eyes beneath his faux glasses and blinked frantically. The shapes and colors were just returning to his sight when she screamed again and a metallic clang resounded against the cobblestones - a keyblade? Minako, maybe? But the stars cleared and suddenly there were six keyblade wielders in the fight. 

Minako rushed in to distract the shadow heartless engaged against his had-been civilian, the crescent-moon end of the girl's Keyblade on the ground and her expression terrified. "Slash it!" he called out, wanting her to be able to defend herself should Minako not be able to take the Heartless's attention - they were too close to the corner for him to go in and help.

Rei gripped the pommel of her keyblade tighter, staring down the approaching enemy as the other seemed to melt into the cobblestones.

She gritted her teeth, trying to find the right time to strike. Fire bubbled within her, fueling her desire to fight against these things. Her skill wasn't as flawless as she would have liked, but that didn't matter. Rei wouldn't stop until these things were gone.

A shriek of terror rang through the air again, but Rei didn't have the chance to do anything about it. She had problems of her own to deal with.

As the creature charged closer, a stranger ran to her side, a keyblade of petals and spikes held at the ready. Impressed, Rei side-eyed her for just a second, before putting her attention back on their enemies.

Who was she to refuse help in a time like this? Phobos and Deimos truly were still looking out for her, even so far away from home.

The brunette's strategy was sound, and instead of bothering to say anything, Rei followed suit with the other's actions. Holding the pommel of her weapon with two hands, Rei swung at the smaller creature, timing it just right so that she wouldn't get tangled up with her teammate.

The Heartless’s numbers began to diminish quickly, one after the other, as they were cut down by the Keyblade wielders. Only three remained now, as Makoto and Rei brought down the small Shadow. The Soldier stood dumbfoundedly as its comrade suddenly vanished.

As Mamoru charged his opponent, his opponent charged him, unafraid, undeterred. It had to keep him from helping the twin-tailed blonde. She was the weakest of them all and if they were able to get snatch her, then that would be one more of the Royals required by their master.



The Shadow that was scrambling against the stones seemed undeterred by the sudden appearance of Minako. Her arriving to aid the other girl was to its disadvantage and would make it harder to attack.

Usagi, bless her, had registered the other blonde coming to her aid, but with the Shadow melted against the ground, what were they to do? Her strikes didn’t seem to do anything to it. It only made her more frustrated.

“I’m trying!” Usagi retorted sharply at the dark-haired boy.

In her own panic, she wasn’t so clever to register that when the Shadow melted against the stones, it was immune to her attempted strikes. The Shadow just slithered over the stones, unaffected by the Keyblade as she continued to bring it down against its image on the stone. It almost seemed amused by her efforts, like the battle had suddenly become a game to it. But it kept scurrying faster and faster over the ground, trying to get behind her or find an opening where it could materialize and striked.

Usagi’s blue eyes were fixed in hard concentration as she continued to whack at the Heartless’s shadow. Finally, the creature swivelled just quickly enough to find its opening, its eyes alight with glee. It reformed and charged at the blonde, claw-like hands ready.

She would have sighed, or maybe laughed, if the stakes weren't so dire. The new Keyblade-holder smacked uselessly at the ground, completely oblivious to the Shadow's temporary impermeability. Unfortunately the awful thing hadn't taken her bait—it stayed focused on Usagi, circling and taunting. Minako had fought enough of these to understand that she couldn't take physical action until it revealed itself again. Her blue eyes did their best to track it as it danced around the frightened blonde.

And then it rose up again.

"No, you don't!" she thought, her body in motion as quick as a blur.

"It's there!" she called to the other girl, the poor target, the one she needed to protect so desperately. The one she had been waiting for.

She hoped that her blade would strike true at the wicked creature. Or, at the very least, that Usagi would dodge the Shadow's claw-swipe in time.

Ami... now standing back up looked around her as she saw and heard the one girl pounding the ground with a keyblade. Ami wanted to ask her not to do that and focus but it seemed like the other girl that it seemed like was a protector of sorts went up to attack the creature. She watched them carefully so that if they both missed or something else happened Ami would help out...she just didn't want to get in the way.

As the smaller creature perished under their combined attack, Rei turned instantly to focus on the next. It was larger than the previous one, and had armor to protective itself.

Rei turned purple eyes towards her comrade in this battle, before taking the initiative to move forward. She wasn't one to ask for help, though she hoped that the other girl would continue to fight these creatures alongside her. Together, it seemed they were much more effective.

She didn't pay much attention to anything else going on around her. For now, there was only these creatures to destroy, to get some small sense of payback against the monsters that destroyed her home.

Rei lashed out with her keyblade, aiming for the unprotected areas.

Makoto eyed her enemy, examining its armor and weapons. She formed a battle strategy in her head, one that she hoped would work despite her enemy's defenses. 

While the raven-haired girl started attacking from the front, Makoto snuck around to the rear, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When she felt like the opportunity was perfect, Makoto lunged forward and attacked her opponent with a horizontal slice of her Keyblade, hoping she hit a chink in the armor.

"I'm trying!" she shot back at him, but he was unable to give her his full attention as he spun to meet the advance of the Heartless he had thought destroyed but was instead rushing towards him. He swung his keyblade, intending for this strike to be the lsat.

Usagi’s head turned just as Minako called out to her. Usagi swung her Keyblade and rather clumsily, too. She looked like a child up to bat for the first time, terrified of the ball hitting her in the face. Her eyes were shut tight, her head was turned, her face scrunched with fear and concentration. And somehow the blade managed to make contact and the Shadow Heartless vanished into smoke. Usagi stood, holding her pose, eyes still shut, head still turned away from where the Heartless had been. Warily, she opened one, peeking to see if the Heartless was still there. When she saw that it wasn’t, the tip of the blade fell with another loud clang against the hard stone floor. Tears started rolling down her face as the adrenaline continued to pump through her veins, reality catching up with her.

What was she doing here anyway? What was this thing she held in her hand? She wasn’t a fighter. She wasn’t a warrior. What was she to do?

The other Heartless proceeded to fall. The Soldier that charged Mamoru vanished when it collided with Enigmatic Rose. The Soldier that was being two-teamed by Rei and Makoto also disappeared into nothingness as their swords clashed together against it.

The six Keyblade wielders were alone, the Heartless defeated. Usagi stood, her head hanging as she cried silently. She wished she could just go home to Silver Millennium…

OOC:

The come-down from that rush of adrenaline hit Minako like a brick wall, but she soldiered through it. She'd been through this before. Her body seemed to know that the fight was over almost before she did. Blue eyes surveyed the area, sharp and bright, confirming that, yes—somehow—they had won. She had been through this enough times before not to jump to celebrate, but instead she heard the sound of... crying?

The blonde—the one she had to protect—stood there, crying, her Keyblade at her feet. She didn't frown or say anything just yet, but she acted immediately.

Minako walked over swiftly, kneeling down to grab the weapon to hand it back.

"Hey there," she said, voice gentle but with an undercurrent of cheer. "I think you dropped this."

She tried to make it sound like a joke. This person... all of these people... They didn't deserve this. She didn't have to get creative to understand how this would be hard. Minako hadn't started fighting Heartless because she wanted to be a hero; she did it to save her own life. Someday she hoped she'd save her home. That wasn't a burden most people took up willingly or without incident. Minako didn't force the Keyblade back into Usagi's hands, but she held in where it would be easy to take back. Even if this wasn't something the other blonde wanted, it wasn't something to throw away.

"Maybe we should celebrate with some snacks?" she offered, a playful grin on her face. "How's that?"

Surely that was something Mamoru knew the right people for. She didn't usually stick around, but something about Artemis' warnings made her unwilling to run off into the night just yet. Not after this fight. Not with this girl.

Ami looked around seeing the creatures disappear and were no longer around them. She then stood catching her breath when she heard crying. She turned to see the one girl they were protecting crying and another of them walking to her and helping her. Ami went over to join them and said, "hey... it's okay...the creatures are gone and it's just us here now. I'm Ami...from Mariner's Landing...what are your names?"

With all of the enemies gone, Makoto was finally able to breathe. The tension in her muscles lessened, and she was actually able to take in her surroundings. This town she found herself in seemed dark and empty - like there was something missing. It was unsettling in a way that made Makoto long for the comforting trees back home. 

Makoto spotted the blonde girl who seemed to be the most knowledgeable of their group of misfits and marched up to her, crossing her arms over her chest in a not-so-friendly way. "Can someone please explain what's going on here? Sorry, but I'm not really in the snacking mood after being taken from my home."

Hard blue eyes met those of green.

"Standing in the street is no place for an explanation," Minako replied, trying to bite her tongue and avoid responding to the brunette's aggression with more of her own. "We can do both somewhere safer."

She resisted the urge to add in any quips or jabs. She glanced back to the pigtailed girl, hoping this wouldn't simply intensify her tears. Usagi didn't seem to be much for conflict, if her performance and reaction to the attack served as an indication.

Their strikes landed true and the monster disappeared like a dream, the only remnant of its existence being the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Rei held still for a second, gaging the situation around her, but everything seemed calmer now. She glanced to the brunette who had become her impromptu ally, sizing her up for what seemed like the first time. The girl was certainly tall. Rarely anyone back home would reach such heights.

The sound of crying caught her attention but before she could locate it, the blonde who fell from the sky was already there, offering comfort in a playful way. Rei frowned, uncertain playfulness was the right course of action directly after a battle, and it seemed she wasn't the only one. The brunette spoke up with very similar opinions but the one thing that stuck out was the mention of "taken from my home."

That was far too specific to be a coincidence.

The blonde with the bow in her hair spoke up again, her reply not at all satisfactory. Rei turned piercing eyes her way, uncertain what to make of her. What did this girl know? Would she tell them the whole truth or only a portion of it? Playfulness and non-answers were not something Rei dealt with in her normal daily life.

Truthfully, Rei didn't want anything to do with any of these people. They'd come together to fight those creatures, but anything more than that seemed unnecessary.

But she'd asked Phobos and Deimos for guidance, and they led her here. And with the brunette's admission of being stolen from her home, Rei couldn't believe this to be an accidental meeting.

"What constitutes as "safe" in this place?" Rei asked, glancing around at the cold stones of this town. Nothing felt comfortable here and with creatures that rose from shadows, could anything truly be safe? She thought of home and its own sense of security. But this cold grey place lacked them all. "Where are your shrines? Your sacred fire?"

Because how could anyone be safe without such things to guide and protect them?

The Heartless disappeared as his keyblade sliced through it and Mamoru pivoted to make sure that the one that had been after the presumed target-turned-Keyblade-wielder had be defeated; it had, and he calmed down, though he felt bad that the girl was crying. He wasn't the one to go to for that; all he could offer was a sympathetic ear - comforting people had never been his strong suit. It was more Naru's... his brow furrowed and he looked back up the street. Where was Naru anyway? And Motoki? On their way, he guessed; it wasn't long between a scream and their arrival, and the girl had definitely done her fair share of screaming. Umino would get a kick out of this, too - six Keyblade wielders now. Six. He and Minako among them. 

Minako was attempting to calm the new girl and he left her to it, instead taking the moment to take in the other four - the girl in blue that approached to help Minako calm the other, the girl in green seemingly just as perplexed as he had been when he first arrived - Minako quickly responded, and he was slightly taken aback at her veiled suggestion. Did she finally mean to go to their hideout? He had thought she'd be the last person he'd ever convince to go there, considering how little she seemed to care for the offer in the past. 

The girl in red - were they all color-coded on purpose or was it just a coincidence? - provided a set up that was easy enough to slip an offer after, and he released Enigmatic Rose and it disappeared into the aether before he replied. "I don't know about shrines or fires, but we - my group and I - have a headquarters set up that's not too far away. It's safe enough - we can talk there, c'mon." He motioned towards the main road with a nod of his head and started walking, glancing back to the girl with the pigtails once as they started to move. That she had been a keyblade wielder all along... had the Heartless somehow sensed that? Was that why she was targeted?

He started walking towards the Hotel.

Another one of the newcomers spoke, and for the first time Minako truly looked at her. She had observed them during the battle, all of them, but that was simply part of situational awareness. It didn't mean much now that the Heartless no longer threatened the group; her brain discarded most of it, dumping the short-term information to free up more space. But now, in this brief conversation, she saw the other girl.

The violet eyes seemed almost to reflect flames when the young woman spoke of sacred fires and shrines. It was hard for Minako to really imagine such things, and she was glad Mamoru stepped in to invite the others back to the hideout.

She hesitated, wondering if she should follow. She didn't want to get involved, after all.

But Artemis had warned her about this girl, the chosen one. Minako couldn't leave just yet. She had to make sure those blue eyes no longer overflowed with tears. She had to get Usagi somewhere safe, where she could rest for a moment. Maybe the surly brunette would benefit from the same small bit of peace, even if she might have argued against it in the moment.

She'd come along. Just for a moment. She'd do it because she had to. Not because she wanted to.

Ami stood there waiting for someone to say something to her but then the others spoke up. Some calm and some angry then the only male of their group spoke up about some type of base or headquarters of something and wanted them all to join him. Ami looked watching the two more upset people speak and started feeling the same way inside... the one in green was right...they were away from their homes and she had no clue what to say to the one in red asking about shrines and fire. So she decided to walk over to the man with them and told him, "I will go with you...I can't say anything about the others though." As she finished, her keyblade had vanished 'hmm...I guess it goes away when there is no fighting to do? I'm not sure but we will see I guess' she thought as she waited.

Makoto couldn't help but smirk at her previous partner-in-combat, glad she wasn't the only one unsettled by all of this. She didn't like Blondie, that was for certain, but these people were her only chance of getting answers. For now, she would stick with the group, but as soon as she got her answers and found out how to get home, Makoto was leaving. Her people needed her, and this place seemed to hold nothing by menacing encounters and confusion. 

With her long strides, it didn't take long for Makoto to catch up with the tuxedo-clad man. Looking at him now, he seemed...extremely attractive. It almost reminded her of someone she knew back home. "So, you seem to know your way around here pretty well. My name is Makoto. And you are...?"

Slowly the tears on the girl's face dried. The wave of emotion that crashed over Usagi had abated. She may have always been quick to cry, but the gentle encouragement of the people around her was enough to lessen that sense of shock and fear. She still didn't know what she was doing. She still yearned for her home—that safe, idyllic place she cherished in her heart. But at least... at least she wasn't alone. The young women and the young man standing around her had helped her in the fight—that scary, terrifying fight. She didn't want to do that ever again.

As much as she might not have wanted to admit it, the mention of snacks did catch her attention. The blonde knew she hadn't been here long, but it felt like ages in the wake after the rush of adrenaline from the battle against those horrible shadow creatures. Now that she knew the street wasn't safe, but the young man mentioned some place that was, that sounded like an excellent place to be.

Usagi rubbed her red eyes and reluctantly took the weapon she had let fall from the girl who offered it, ready to follow the young man.

"T-thanks," she sniffled as she stepped in line behind the others. "I'm Usagi. What's your name?"

At least this conversation could help her avoid thoughts about what she was doing. She knew Artemis was out there, nearby, probably laughing as he watched her drag herself behind Mamoru. They talked about the rebels all the time; he would know this wasn't something she did willingly... but he also knew she'd always defend the mission. Minako would have to give him grief for mocking her, but she knew he'd also be proud.

"Minako," she replied to the girl, as they followed Mamoru, glad that Usagi had stopped crying and hadn't rejected her Keyblade. "Pleased to meet you."

It felt... weird... saying that last bit, given the situation. Still, she couldn't really think of anything else, not right now.

He barely paused at the intersection, just glanced left and right before turning left towards the hotel; there was no sign of Heartless. He glanced back over his shoulder, noting the girl in blue that had been quicker to follow, and looked to the taller brunette - keeping her name in mind. "Mamoru," he replied, not quite bothering to add 'I think' to the end; that he didn't quite remember wasn't relevant to the current situation, and he liked his current identity just fine regardless. He further explained, "I'm part of the Traverse Town defenders," who... honestly should have been there by now. Where were they? A quick scan of the street towards District 2 showed it to be empty - even the rooftops. He didn't have a bad feeling about it, but usually they dropped whatever conversation they had been having with new arrivals to rush towards a scream. Maybe Umino would know. From farther behind he heard the pigtail'd girl share her name with Minako - he figured her voice was probably etched on his mind for all the screaming she had done. They approached the ramp that would take them to the second story walkway and the hotel's entrance; he glanced back to the girl in blue, awaiting her introduction, though he supposed they'd go through things more thoroughly once they were in the HQ.

Ami smiled at the man as he looked back at her wanting him to know she was a good person. "Hello, Mamoru...My name is Ami nice to meet you...Traverse Town Defenders? I would like to know more about this later, please. I wish to learn all I can about this place to help us." Ami then looked back to hearing one of the girls then another say their names. "Hello, Minako and Usagi...I hope you both are alright...we can talk more soon, ok?" she gave a smile then turned to follow Mamoru.

"Traverse Town..." Makoto said, the gears in her brain turning. "Is that what this is? I've never heard of a place like this back home. So...have you always lived here, or were you taken from your home too? I don't really understand what this is all about, but I want to help in any way I can. Not to jump the gun or anything, but if you're leading us, well...my blade - or whatever this thing is called - is at your service, Mamoru."

It was still so weird to think that she was using an actual weapon - a sword, especially. She couldn't imagine the look on the villagers' faces if they saw her. But maybe she could learn something new that she could share with her people back home, and hopefully help protect them from whatever those ugly things were back there.

He nodded to show he had heard the one in blue; they'd probably get into what the defenders were and what they were about in a few minutes, but personally he hoped that this meeting may finally convince Minako to share what she knew. He had, ever since he met her and she refused to join them, wondered if she knew where to find Traverse Town's lock so they could finally protect this world against the heartless, or knew of anything else that would be useful, but had never managed to get any information from her. Now though, with these others, he hoped there'd be more success, especially considering he was pretty sure he had never heard her as nice as she was being to Usagi. 

Makoto, Ami, Usagi... the girl in red had been quiet, but she was at least still in sight, so he figured he'd get more out of her later. Six keyblade wielders; Umino was going to have a field day, he reflected, turning back to glance over his shoulder yet again as Makoto spoke. "That's the name of this world; it's like a hub for travelers. It's got a few great Gummi ship captains and suppliers that can take you anywhere, if you've got the munni, and when worlds are destroyed, people show up here." He paused, returning his attention forward as the sign for the hotel came into view, the ramp ending beneath their feet. "I'm not from here originally, but I've been here for a while now." He listened as she spoke, sharing that she knew little about what this was about - just as he had been when he first arrived - and felt a little more like his experience - sans amnesia - was more normal than not, which was comforting. As she spoke of his supposed leadership he kept quiet; the Defenders didn't exactly have a leader, but lately he had come to realize that they tended to look to him for decision-making. It was probably his Keyblade, but, regardless of who was "in charge", they needed help with finding the door. "Thank you," he replied to her offer, turning to catch her eye, "There's something we need to figure out, and I could use your help with it." His gaze moved back to the other four, pausing on Minako, "All of you." 

He paused and opened the door to the hotel, letting everyone into the grand, if empty, lobby, while the small voice in the back of his mind hoped that Minako wouldn't make a big deal over Makoto offering to be at his service.