"So why is there nobody here?" I wonder as I maunder the empty streets, only filled with stray newspapers and occasionally a wandering cat. I eased up a little after coming to the conclusion that I'm safe back at home, away from this nonsense but how far into the future did I go? Spotting a newspaper in a toppled trash can, I grab it. A dark rat darts from the pile of trash, causing me to shriek like a five year-old; after taking in a few deep breaths, I scan the front for the date: October 3, 2012. "That's next year, this is how far I went?"

The roads are cracked in half all the way to the bottom of the earth, cars are flipped over and everything is so lifeless. I read the front page: We're Not So Alone…This isn't a sci-fi movie production, this is a real life Prometheus. Astronomers have discovered a meteorite three days ago, containing traces of alien life form along with plasma that sustains them. One of the first astronomers to track this meteorite, Agnus Luker, was willing to explain what this means for Westopolis. "This is going to be in the history books…this newly discovered alien species can do wonders for us and if we find some way to communicate with it, even better." The notorious Eggwoman, who has plagued the city along with her partner-in-crime and half-brother Eggman, but is now serving time in Graham Correctional Facility, expressed some excitement about the new discovery.

"A new alien species?" she repeated when informed. She replied that it would "spell out wondrous things for all of us, not all good and not all bad", but said some ominous words about what it would mean for us, "but now that they landed here, you think they're just gonna let you examine them without putting us under the microscope?"

The rest is unimportant dribble and of no real use to me. So what happened after October 3 'cause today is not the third anymore. Far away from this street, closer to Winner's Lane, a loud explosion erupts followed by heavy gunpowder. Blaring street sirens turn on all around me, coming from Winner's Lane, which is a good ten blocks away, I wonder what's going on over there. An immense shadow envelops me with a loud, gearing noise. I face the giant tank, paralyzed as it approaches me without any hints of stopping. I raise my hands to my face when the large cannon stops inches away at my face; the lid on top opens up and a man's head pops out. "Ma'am, you've got to step out of the road and stay inside!" he shouts urgently, his voice being wimpier than I expected.

"Why what's going on?" I ask him, tossing the newspaper back in the rat-filled trash. A girl behind him pokes her head out. "Oh Mizuki!" the girl recognizes me and turns to the soldier. "I know her, let me talk to her for five seconds."

"Huh?" I utter confusingly.

"Okay but we have to hurry, the central city is nearly demolished." The dark-haired girl in the deep maroon and grey outfit pulls herself out with a strained grunt and skips out the tank and hurries over to me. "Mizuki, what did you find out?"

"What?"

"Why do you look younger? Is it because you came from that alien world?"

"Uh, sure."

"What did you find out about World 14?"

"World 14-?" another round of gunfire surges deep in the middle of the city, interrupting this awkward conversation. As I make out the plain details of her olive face, those green eyes hit me with familiarity so hard I jump back and gasp. "Mia! It's you!"

"Yes I've managed to survive so far but I need to talk you-" she dismisses my utter surprise. The wimpy soldier in the tank pokes his head out again. "We really have to go!"

"Mizuki, Don's not in good shape. He's-I'm scared I'm about to lose him forever," she says with a shaky voice and puts her hands on my shoulders. "That's why I need you to get to him and bring his memory back. He's going to destroy everything in a fit of rage."

"You're bleeding," I notice crimson-soaked bandages tied around her upper arm and thigh, which means the wounds must have been recent. "Leather Jacket Guy is destroying this place?"

"He snapped after this happened," she lifts her bleeding arm. "Anyway Mizuki, I got to go but you have to find Don-no, the Chaos Emeralds. That can get to him-"

"Mia-!" the wimpy soldier cries out.

"S-see ya," I utter, going with the flow. "I'll get to him and, yeah."

"Thank you," she says with a relieved sigh and hops back into the tank. "Be careful!" As the tank pulls away, followed by ten other ones, I sink to the pavement, still in utter shock. Mia's still here I see but she's so different from before, so mature for a fourteen year old. Her dark blue hair's longer and when I looked into her eyes, no matter how gay it sounds, I saw some true strength in that and not the fear and anxiety I usually see when I look at her. And Don-he's here to and-wait, what did Mia say about him? I'm scared I'm about to lose him forever-does that mean that they-?

Before I can continue, I'm surrounded by more 6-pack abs Heartless, taller than the usual ones too. Shit I turned the Byakugan off, I can't fight these guys, they're going to cream me, and if they do, does that mean that my future self in Tokyo will die too? I think that's how it works. "See the results of your ambition?" a man appears in front of me, his long sandy blonde hair draping past his shoulders. "It is your ambition that is bringing this world to its end."

"I refuse to believe that," I retort angrily, knowing that it's Don that's about to end this world apparently. "And why do I get the feeling we've met before?"

"This world will be eaten by the forces of Darkness or it won't be, it's your choice, your ambition."

"Did you change into-a man?"

"Time has no definite appearance Mizuki."

"Tell me what's going on! Tell me why I'm here and why everything's different."

"I'm not going to give you that answer but I can assure you if you can seek out Space he will be more than willing to give you the information you seek." I'm tired of the indirect answers and riddles and such-I just want to know why I'm here and when can I get back. "Or maybe my son can help you. He mostly certainly likes you."

"Who's-Dori?!"

"He's been watching you carefully," Time says apathetically as her masculine form fades away like a ghost.

"Hey, come back, I'm not done with you lady, I mean-man. Oh whatever," I mutter while holding my hands up to fight the swarm of strong Heartless. As I close my eyes and reopen them, I watch the Heartless carefully with my grey eyes, scanning their surging reddish violet energy systems. Now shoved against the pavement, I frantically send my hands shooting in all directions, trying to fend all of them off me but they're too strong. Did the Heartless evolve in the future like mutant cockroaches? Their Darkness reeks and overpowers my strength. Is it just me or is the load start to lighten? My body is starting to feel freer than before, is it because death is so close to me? Sorry Future Me but I think I ruined our future. The Heartless on top of me instantly disappear and I can vaguely see the dark sky and a blurry face.

"Not you again," the seventeen year old voice lingers as I lie down in a daze.

J.G.P.

Just showing you guys things to come if I get some reviews/messages! This is pretty much a tease for things to come.