The pre action story. The next story will have all my girls being the main characters so I hope you can be patient.

The farther Don and I walk, the darker the sky becomes, it is as if the sky is bleeding murky blood. Nature no longer exists, there is no wind, no rain, no thunder or lightening, and no sun. Nothing I feel can change the darkness in the sky. The army has stepped up its presence on the street, occasionally stopping us to force us to go indoors. "Over my dead body!" Don would protest as he would knock the surprised soldier into the nearest solid object. Then we would press on. He was not like this before, I wonder what has changed him from the last time I saw him. All he wants to do is fight with everyone and get annoyed like a riled up child, in fact more than once he has asked me if I wanted to settle things with him. "Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"Why did you kidnap Mia?"

"My boss told me to," he scratches the back of his head and puts his hands in his pockets. Somehow he turned into a child from the last time I saw him. His impatient and childish behavior is easy to read. But what has changed him so much about? Could it be something to do with Mia? I am paying too much attention to the trivial details, Westopolis and other places here are going to get eradicated if we keep going at this pace. "Do you do everything your boss tells you to do?"

"She holds no power over me if that's what you're implying. Aren't you supposed to kill me so why are you helping me?" the urge to bring forth my Keyblade and plunge it inside him is awakened after tucking it away in the back of my mind. One day you will, calm down. One day, it will happen. My hand stops twitching and I breathe a sharp sigh of relief.

"You are not branded with a curse which means you can do whatever you please," I observe enviously. "I know you did not want to kidnap Mia."

"How the hell would you know?" asks Don rudely with a scoff.

"I am very observant."

"So say I didn't want to kidnap her. What am I supposed to tell my boss when I can't carry out my duty?"

"Why are you asking me?" I gaze at the frightened onlookers crowding indoors. It is strange to see the sidewalk empty and the streets car-free at this time. It should be summer soon, I would like to see and feel the warmth of the sun and the see the beautiful trees blooming green. The skies are too depressing, I am surprised people have not started killing themselves by now. "You have the option of saying no. I do not. You should appreciate it," I add quietly.

"Are we there yet?" grumbles Don immaturely.

"We are almost-" I notice something green shining at a construction site to our left. Something about it is drawing me to it. This familiar green glistens in this gloomy world. Jumping over holes and ducking under bars left dangling in the air by cranes, I reach for the giant chunk in a shallow ditch. "A piece of the Master Emerald," I whisper to myself as Don hurries along behind me. Knuckles should not be so far from this, he is probably on his way now. The guilt resonating in the back of my mind resurfaces, making the last words I said to him echo through my mind, "I want to go home, staying on this island was not part of my plan. Thank you for the shelter and I wish you the best of luck." How does he continue to put up with me, how does he forgive me after every wrong I do to him? He cannot forgive this one I am sure. I might as well as said, "I was using you and this island for shelter until I found a way to return home", but what was wrong with that? That is exactly what I was doing, but why do I feel like I am betraying him? Because I spent all of my time here with him? I should not feel guilty, he did not want me there and I did not want to be there so that ends that. Right?

"Are you going to stand there until winter comes or are we going," barks Don impatiently. I throw the shard far away from here, knowing Knuckles will follow it there. I am not ready to face him just yet. "We should be less than five minutes away now, but the army is swarming all over the place," I face him with folded arms, hoping he does not bring up what I just did. "I doubt you are going to walk inside and attack them all, they will gun you down before you make a move."

"Take me to the back then," orders Don in a less gruff manner. We leave the construction site and before I know it, the police station is within our sight. As I predicted, there are grey-uniformed soldiers covering the front of the police station, armed with guns that I am not familiar with. My world is not too familiar with guns for the most part, only rifles. Right before our world was devoured, there were other villages that were experimenting with these weapons. But that is not important now-if I can find a way to the back of the station without getting caught with Don, who sticks out as much as I do, everything should be fine. We crouch below the steps, skulking along the side of the building. "You probably could have gotten in if you went through the sewers," I point out in a low voice. He disregards my comment, eyes gleaming with burning fortitude as he mimics my every move. We quickly make our way over the wired fence and land lightly on our feet. "Perfect," he mutters when he sees a tubular duct. "That's my way in there."

"But to get from here to below the station and where Mia is, it is going to take-"

"Where is she? The quicker I know, the quicker I can get this over with."

"I left before the army took her from you. I am actually surprised they recovered her in less than three hours."

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying you dropped a tip?" his feigned politeness dissolves, leaving only a hurt tone.

"Not me, someone else," I respond, keeping Mizuki a secret from him. If they were ever to meet, I believe Don's impatience and solemnity and Mizuki's impulsive and brash natures would clash. He eyes me suspiciously. "Tell me the truth."

"I already am. We can argue about this now or you can do what you are here to do." Still visibly upset, although I am not sure why, he looks at the duct confidently. He steps back to get a running start. "I will tell you this Don. If you are bringing Mia back to your prison-"

"I'm not. I've done enough," he says blatantly as he leaps into the duct.

"I will not be waiting for you," I whisper into the duct. Now it is time for me to plan out my next move before it is too late for this world.

J.G.P.