A/N: I'm continuing this to prove I can write good if I try. (and now that I wrote that I probably jinxed myself) So knock on wood for me, kay?

Oh yeah, and would it kill ya to Review? (for hugs and cookies maybe :3 )



Emergency

2. Friends Stick Together

When the castle's top blew off, Ansem knew something was wrong. He hurried after Maleficent, who was acting like a puppet on strings. And when he saw Riku running from the scene, he was instantly aware of who was at fault.

"Get him," Ansem hissed quickly, glancing down at his accomplice as millions of shadows appeared to carry out his order. Dark portals blacked out all light in the area. He kicked the witch, wondering if she was really dead. No response. Damn.

---

Kairi watched with excited eyes as Ansem left the castle. Finally. This was her chance. That psychopath had locked her up, using her as bait so the key bearers would come to this hell hole to 'save' her. They were the ones who needed saving, they were the targets. If she could just get away, Riku and Sora would be so much safer. Ansem wouldn't have her to bargain with.

A few moments after the bastard left, his heartless minions followed, all portalling in unison. She gulped, diving into the darkness after them.

Kairi came out in a dark street, ice cold water drenching her almost immediately. It was even darker outside than in the castle.

When her eyes adjusted she realized all the darkness around her were actually heartless, and the mismatched specks of light their eyes. But almost as soon as she could see them, they began disappearing. As the landscape became cleared she noticed the old-fashioned buildings, half-torn and thoroughly lifeless sitting alongside the streets. And just ahead of her, beyond the heartless patches that hadn't disappeared yet stood Ansem, his expression cold and eyes venomous.

Escapes are never easy, huh? She mused to herself, diving after a few shadows as they sunk into the realm of darkness.

---

The next hour was a haze, defined by the random shocks of bright light followed by overwhelming darkness and a sick feeling in her chest as she followed the shadows through their portals, away from Hollow Bastion and the monster that controlled it.

The traveling ended abruptly however, when the shadows realized they were being followed. They turned on Kairi like starving dogs to a turkey. She shot out of the darkness, into a forest, and started running harder than she ever had. Kairi could've easily beaten Riku and Sora in a race if she'd ever cared to work this hard on the islands.

The redhead ran until she couldn't hear any hisses, couldn't see any black, and felt the bright hot sun shining down on her through the lightening forage.

Up ahead the sunlight was even more vivid, she was almost in the clear. Kairi wobbled forward with the last of her strength, collapsing once she reached open sky.

---

Matt looked up from his PSP, looking for the flash of red and pink that just crossed his peripheral. He pulled his goggles up onto his forehead, scanning the area. Nothing.

Hmm. Maybe I'm just seeing things again. "Hey Mello! Did you see something moving over there?" The redhead pointed to the empty field bordering the evergreen forest behind Wammy's house.

The blonde looked up from his textbook, sighing. Why did he make Matt his friend? Out of all the geniuses in Wammy's, he just had to find the crazy one. "No, you've been staring at that screen too long…"

Matt looked out to the field, unconvinced. But for Mello's sake, he'd drop it.

At least for a few minutes.

"I'm gonna go check it out."

Mello looked up, annoyed. Then, deciding it was okay as long as he didn't have to go, just returned to his book, nodding.

The gamer jumped up, stuffing the PSP into already an already full pocket, running off toward the trees. He stopped midway, tripping over something large before crashing into fallen pine needles.

Matt looked over his shoulder, ready to kick whatever had made him fall. His plans were canceled however, when his eyes landed on a cute girl with crimson hair. He stood up, mentally cursing himself for having considered kicking her.

Cautiously he approached, tilting his head when he realized she was sleeping. Or knocked out…

His fanboy mind immediately fabricated a possible scenario and he rushed back to tell Mello.

"Mel! Mello! A princess is passed out in the field! Hurry up, we gotta help her!" he grabbed the blonde's arm and yanked him up, pulling him vehemently towards the field. "I wonder if we're gonna be given a quest like Link or something…" he mumbled to himself as his friend struggled to escape.

"Matt! Stop!" Mello yanked himself out of Matt's death grip, glaring so intensely Matt actually shut up for a second. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"There is a princess unconscious in the field." He said slowly, as if talking to a toddler.

Mello glared. Nothing was stupider than talking to Mello as if he was. The blonde almost strangled Matt, but it might be a hate-crime to kill someone this dumb. "Matt…" he said in the same slow manner, "How do you know she's a princess? Did she have a crown?"

Matt paused, his excitement finally started to fade. "Well, no…"

Mello nodded consolingly, knowing Matt's just-made-up-dreams were now crushed. "She's probably just a runaway…"

The red head refused to agree. He had been so hoping a princess had fallen from the sky, and that he was going to be the hero in a great adventure. Couldn't Mello have pretended I was right, just for a second? But no, he had to go and ruin it with his deductive skillz…

The gamers' mental battle of wills was one-sided, and eventually he spoke. "C'mon, we should still make sure she's okay. Try and wake her up, y'know?"

Mello allowed himself to be led along this time, staring when there actually was a girl.

"What, you didn't believe me?"

Mello was silent.

"Bastard…"

"Don't insult me Matt, you're crazy, it's insane to take you seriously." The blonde looked down at the sleeping girl. She had a pink leather dress with a zipper down every direction. "Maybe she ran away from her pimp. "

Matt tilted his head. "She's too pretty for that…"

"Pretty people can be dirty Matt."

Matt thought she looked pure… though with a dress like that, it was probably a feat to stay pure…

He grabbed her around the waist, trying to pull her up. His friend just watched him. " Mello, help me carry her inside."

The blonde's face said 'do I have to?'

A puppy dog pout was his response.

"Fine."

They set her on the beaten red sofa in the playroom, abandoned because of its usual resident: Near. The albino was not shocked when they walked in carrying the young woman; he'd watched the entire escapade through the windows.

Needless to say Mello was paranoid when Near came up and asked them (as if it were his business) "What's her name?" in his usual monotone.

"Were you spying on us?" Mello questioned. As if it was a crime.

"No. I was watching you."

Mello gaped, as if watching was any different.

Matt ignored the odd words of his peers. "We don't know yet. She's asleep."

Near curled his hair. "So how should we wake her up?"

"Not your business Near, go play," Mello nearly growled.

The redhead shrugged. "Do you think she'd wake up if we kiss her…" he mumbled to himself. By we, he meant him.

The other two just stared. Leave it to Matt to go into fairytale mode all over again.

---

All the way back in Hollow Bastion, heart of all darkness in the universe, stood Sora. He was alone for once, no Donald or Goofy to help. They were with Mickey, defending their own castle for once. Ansem just had to come back. Riku would really have to figure out how to get rid of him permanently…

Something was off when the brunette arrived. It was dark, evil looking, and void of humans like last lime Ansem took control. But there was one big difference: no heartless.

Sora walked down the deserted streets, hood up as the rain pelted him, keyblade summoned, poised to attack. But after a few minutes of nothing, not even a snarl from a distance, he lowered the key with wonder.

"Where is everybody?"

His pace changed to running as he headed away from the castle, toward any sound, anything to let him know he wasn't alone.

He rushed down an alley, jumped over a fence, tripped on a stick, then finally Sora heard something. Pacing.

He quietly (as a klutz can) stood up, peeking around a building corner. Ansem had his back to the keybearer, walking forward anxiously. When he turned to walk the other way Sora dodged behind the broken wall.

He stayed hidden like that for ages, unwilling to attack just in case it was actually Riku.

Then a heartless showed up, a big dark dog looking thing with red flames around it. "Did you find him?" Ansem was irritated.

"We could not." He paused only long enough to let Ansem take it in, but spoke before his master could destroy him. "But we managed to figure out the World and City Riku's in though."

At this Ansem smiled. A sharp, blood curdling smile. "Go on."

"Earth. In Tokyo, Japan."

The heartless disappeared, no longer needed. Ansem snapped his fingers, summoning the rest of the searchers.

Sora yelped and hid in a nearby crate when so many appeared.

"Riku has been found. Resume what you were doing before this incident." His servants looked at him curiously. "I'm fetching him myself." The smile got much worse, and the world seemed to darken at those words.

"Riku…" Sora prayed that his friend wouldn't be found. Not when Ansem's smile suggested a punishment the modern era wouldn't dare consider.

The shadows disappeared, leaving Ansem standing alone as the rain stopped. He created a doorway into the darkness ahead of him, entering leisurely, smile glued to his face, deadly intent in his eyes.

Sora threw open the crate, running after Ansem without a second thought.

He was willing to do anything to keep Riku safe.

---

They came out into a bright, crowded street. The light hit Ansem like a million knives, and he ran just as people noticed the dark cloud he'd come from. Sora received shocked stares as he tumbled out of the dark mist after him, barreling into a crowd of people's feet. "Hello!" He said enthusiastically, trying to look over them for Ansem.

Every which way he looked were people, none of which had white hair… then he saw one. He ran forward, keyblade drawn, ready to strike. They turned, white hair resting atop an old lady who looked horrified and at the same time entertained by the sight of him.

He froze.

The old woman giggled, now that she knew he wasn't going to attack. "My, my… didn't anyone ever tell you not to point keys at your elders."

He shifted the keyblade behind him. "Hehe… sorry." His face red as he ran off.

Sora's keyblade dematerialized as he ran through Tokyo. The longer he ran, the farther he felt from anything he knew. No Ansem, no heartless, and he couldn't find Riku either. Slowing to a walk, he trudged down the road, passing less and less people.

"I am not giving you apples," Light hissed in a whisper. "We're in the middle of a crisis, remember?"

"You're not the only one," Sora mumbled as he walked past.

Light paused for a moment, looking at the brunette through the corner of his eyes. He was dressed like a video game character. Just ignore him.

Sora noticed the pause though, and took that as an invitation to walk back toward Light just as he started moving again.

The keybearer rushed after him, running to catch up. "Hey, what's the rush?"

Light glared, "I'm late for work," he lied.

Sora looked down sadly. "Oh."

Kira began walking again.

"Wait!" Sora caught up again. "Have you seen Ansem? He's a white haired heartless that's killed tons of people! ....But I bet you already knew that…" the brunette rambled.

Light looked at him curiously. "Uh… no. Why?"

"He's after my friend Riku!"

Light just raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

Sora glared. "Of course I am! Why would I lie about something as big as killing?"

Ryuk glanced at Light. "Kuku… yeah, he's not you."

Light sighed. "Do you need me to help you?" I'll take him to a mental hospital, then he'll be safe and out of my hair. I wonder what Ryuzaki will think if I tell him about this…

Sora smiled with his whole face. "You'll help? Thank you so much!" He hugged Light as if he were a teddy. "Thank you!"

Ryuk just laughed. Then added casually, "Y'know, I can't tell when he's supposed to die…"

Light froze, looking down at the boy who'd just fallen into his life. Fate worked in odd ways sometimes.