Second Chance: Chapter 6

Night fell sooner than expected, but it was welcomed nonetheless. What with an exhausting day of traveling and training, who wouldn't welcome a night of rest? However, relaxation wouldn't be an option for long as a figure loomed closer to the warm camp fire; closer to it's first victim. It was subtle, just a flash of moon light reflecting off the tiny object as it whizzed silently through the air. Kaz gasped at the small prick in his neck as his fingers grazed over the small needle before his body collapsed in a heap on top of Seth's legs.

"Kaz?" Seth moaned as he kicked the male off, "What the hell are—" Seth froze after spotting the oddly placed needles protruding from Kaz's neck before panicking, "Ri—"

Seth was silenced by the three small pricks in his upper arm before his body went limp and he collapsed on the ground. Luckily, Riku was a light sleeper and managed to catch the distress in Seth's voice. But, unlike Seth, Riku remained still, hopping that if he acted as if he didn't hear his fallen companion then the attacker would come out into the open, but he had no such luck. Quickly, Riku summoned his weapon and easily blocked the oncoming needles.

"Show yourself!" Riku ordered as he instantly crawled to Jetta's side and began to shake the girl while praying that she would actually wake up.

"Riku, what's g-" Jetta gasped as she was yanked from the ground and into Riku's chest as two more needles pierced the ground where her body once lay.

Quickly, Riku took note of the direction the weapons had come from and hurled his Soul Eater into the shadows of the treetops. Seconds later a body fell from the branches a few feet away and hit the ground with a solid thump. Had he really taken their attacker out so easily? Riku was skeptical as he rose from the ground and headed to where the body had fallen with extreme caution. He's aqua eyes examined the motionless figure before rolling it over. It was a trap! There, written boldly across the dummy's forehead, were the letters S.U.C.K.E.R. 'Sucker?!' Riku's mind gasped before a cold, steel blade pressed against the skin of his neck.

"Pretty nifty trick …" The attacker muttered after the tip of Riku's Soul Eater pressed into his gut the very second his blade touched his neck.

"I could say the same for you," Riku hissed, "Must be fun carrying around that life size doll with you where ever you go."

"Not really, but it's good for weeding out the weak."

"Like you little needle trick?"

"It worked, didn't it?" The male chuckled as the tip of Jetta's sword pressed against his back.

"Let him go!" Jetta growled.

"As you wish," the male hummed.

In literally less than a second, the male drew a small dagger from his belt and spun wildly; deflecting both Riku and Jetta's swords before leaping high into the tree branches above. His movements were swift and silent, leaving the two teens in a state of bewilderment.

"He's fast …" Jetta muttered – stating the obvious – as her eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area before spotting the figure looming over her friend's bodies.

Jetta immediately sprang into action as she dashed back to the campsite and slashed wildly at the male, forcing him away from her fallen comrades. A small smile graced the male's lips as he causally backed away from the sword as if she were swinging something as harmless as a flower before leaning himself against the trunk of a tree.

"What did you do to them?!" Jetta hissed.

"Nothing that could kill them," the male spoke, "I simply slipped them a little concoction of my own. It instantly paralyzes the body when it enters the blood stream. Nifty, huh? Sadly, it'll wear off in a few hours … but that gives us more than enough time to play."

In the light of the fire, it was easy to distinguish the male's handsome features. He was tall and slim, almost borderline scrawny; yet, it was clear that, no matter his size, this male should not be taken lightly. He looked young – probably Kaz's age – with wild orange locks that turned pitch black at the tips, but his eyes were what really startled the two. His eyes held a psychotic gleam within them that seemed to be magnified by their bloodshot appearance, and the dark bags underneath them made it seem as though he hadn't slept in weeks. Yet, it was frightening that, despite his exhausted expression, his reflexes were sharp, and he moved as though he had just been revitalized.

"But first …" the male pulled a small slip of paper from his pocket, "I just want you to know that I do, in fact, have a note from the Master and that if you manage to kill me it'll be right here." He quickly stuffed it back into his pocket.

"You're actually willing to die for that man?" Jetta gasped.

"Well, I find the chances of him killing me greater than the chances of dying by the blades of those against him," he spoke, "Because, if you hadn't noticed, there aren't many fools trying to hunt him down. In fact, the Master gains at least one new follower every day. So, I'd rather fight for the side with the greater chance of survival."

"But why not just give us the note and run off. If you never show your face to him again he'll just think you're dead, right?" Jetta questioned, "Then no one has to get hurt ..."

"You really are naïve, aren't you?" The male chuckled, "You don't even realize what you're getting yourself into."

"Well …" Riku spoke up, jumping into the conversation, "before we have to kill you, can we at least know the name of our attacker?"

"Call me … Kaiji."

"Well then, Kaiji, shall we begin?" Riku questioned as he positioned himself in his fighting stance.

The male now known as Kaiji took no time getting started as he leapt forward with both of his dagger's blades extended – ready to draw blood. He literally flew past the two at a speed neither had ever witnessed before while ripping open a small gash in each of their sides. Both teens hissed in pain as Kaiji dug his dagger into the side of a tree and looped himself around it – keeping most of his momentum – before charging at the two yet again. This time was different, as he pulled a few needles from his side pockets and jabbed one into their arms as he passed before vanishing into the shadows of the treetops.

"What the hell!?" Riku gasped as his entire right arm went numb. He struggled to hold onto his sword, but it dropped to the ground seconds later when his arm went completely limp.

It was the same for Jetta, but luckily her left arm had been hit and she was still capable of fighting. But for how long? Riku growled as he scanned the area with both his eyes and ears as his anger began to swell within. The man was toying with them now. Had he been serious he would have used the same poison that he used on Seth and Kaz. 'Arrogant bastard!' Riku's mind roared. The snap of a tree branch brought him back to his senses when he realized that Jetta was his next target.

Darkness spewed forth from the ground and clung to Riku's body, forming his suit before he summoned the Soul Eater in to his left hand and leapt into action. He had to protect Jetta! Kaiji flew down from the branches above just as Riku jumped in his line of attack, bracing himself for what could be a near death hit. However, something miraculous happened instead. Just before Kaiji was able to strike a small barrier of glowing blue hexagons appeared out of nowhere and stopped the follower instantly. His blades, as well as his body, slammed into the strange wall of dark energy before falling to the ground in a heap of limbs.

Jetta took this chance for an attack as she ran out from the safety of Riku's barrier and rammed her sword into the dirt … where Kaiji's body once lay only a second ago. Before she even realized it, Kaiji swung down from a tree limb above and sent a powerful kick into her chest that easily knocked her back well over five feet. She skidded through the grass and dirt, coughing and hacking as she tried desperately catch her breath. After the attack, Riku jumped in to try and give Jetta some time to recover, but the male effortlessly batted him away as he approached his young victim.

Unfortunately for Jetta, she had dropped her sword in the attack and was left completely unarmed and defenseless. Or was she? At the moment, Kaiji was unaware that he had kicked the girl back into the direction of the camp … right where she was once resting peacefully moments ago. And there, lying just a few inches away were two needles gleaming in the moonlight.

A smirk curled over the young male's lips as he towered over his helpless victim before he reached down and pulled the girl to her feet by the front of her shirt. However, his confident smile quickly disappeared after feeling two small pricks upon his abdomen. He had lost … and by his own poison, no doubt.

Kaiji's body began to go numb as he lost his grip on both his dagger and Jetta's shirt. Slowly, he backed away from the girl, his eyes wide in disbelief. He didn't want to believe that it was over so soon. A few seconds later his legs gave out and he dropped to the ground, unable to escape his fate. The final blow was dealt strait to the heart moments later; giving Kaiji a quick and painless death.

"Well, that wasn't so hard …" Riku spoke, breaking the silence, as he pulled the note – their prize – from Kaiji's pocket before his eyes fell on the trembling girl, "Are you okay, Jetta?" Riku slowly approached the girl, scanning over her body before stopping at her hazy eyes. Physically, Jetta had survived the battle with just a few scrapes, but mentally she was destroyed.

"I … I killed him …" Jetta softly spoke as she leaned into Riku's chest for comfort, "I'm no better than him …" Riku sighed softly as he draped his good arm around the frail young girl.

"Jetta, that's not tru—"

"But it is, Riku! It is true! Kaiji wasn't the one running around killing the innocent. He was only following orders to save himself … And I killed him …" Jetta sobbed as she buried her face into Riku's chest, "I can't do this anymore … I can't do it …"

"Jetta … Get a hold of yourself!" Riku sighed as he pried the girl from his chest and forced her to face Kaiji's lifeless body, "Would you rather that be you laying there? Or maybe Seth or Kaz?" Silence came from the female before Riku gave her body a rough shake, "Well? Would you?"

"N-no …"

"Whether you'd like to believe it or not, this man is a killer – just like his master – and had you not taken care of him then he would be the one in your place … staring down at the dead bodies of you and your friends," Riku growled, "But instead of crying he'd be pleased to see us dead. And do you know why?"

"Because … he's a follower …"

"And, being a follower, his only mission is to please his master …" Riku spoke as he gently pulled the girl back into his chest, "So don't cry for him. Don't waste your tears on his stained soul … He doesn't deserve your kindness …" Riku let his chin rest upon the top of Jetta's head as he tightened his embrace upon the girl.

"I know, but … I don't want to become a killer …"

"Well, you're eventually going to have to kill the Silent Killer …" Riku stated.

"Yeah … but that bastard disserves it."

"And Kaiji doesn't?" Riku questioned, "He was trying to kill you and your friends, Jetta. Think about it. He had a poison that he made himself designed specifically to make his job easier. You actually think Kaiji didn't disserve this?"

"I … suppose you're right," Jetta sighed.

"Of course I am," Riku spoke with confidence before pulling away from the girl and heading back towards the camp.

"Wait! What are we going to do with his body?"

"We'll deal with that in the morning …" Riku sighed as he tugged at Jetta's hand, "C'mon, it's not safe to leave our incapacitated friends alone."

"Right …" Jetta spoke as she followed after Riku to the glowing campfire.

However, as they began to walk away they were unaware of the puddle of darkness oozing its way out of the ground beneath Kaiji's lifeless body. It slowly grew and consumed the male before evaporating into an eerie black mist. But, before it completely vanished, it left behind a small slip of paper sighed personally by the Silent Killer himself.

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"Where'd his body go?!" Jetta shrieked the next morning, "We killed him right? I mean I stabbed him through the chest and everything …" – Jetta wobbled a bit – "I feel ill …"

Riku gave the cross dresser a comforting pat atop her head before speaking, "No one could have survived that attack …" Riku paused to ponder on the situation a moment longer before continuing, "Maybe, someone is assigned to clean up after the followers and assure of the death of the victim or – in this case – the follower."

"It's possible …" Seth mused before lowering himself to the ground, "… Then again … I think it's definite. Take a look."

"'Job well done.'" Jetta spoke as she read off the small card that Seth had discovered in the thick grass, "'Keep up the excellent work.'? It makes Kaiji's life sound so … worthless …"

"In his eyes … he probably was …" Riku sighed.

"Is that the note Zilla was talking about?" Seth questioned, eyeing the small slip of paper.

"Oh … no …" Riku spoke before digging around in his pocket for a minute before pulling out the real note, "This is …"

"Have you read it yet?" Seth asked as he took the note from Riku's hand and began to open it.

"No, we were waiting on the poison to lose its effect so we could discus it together."

"I see …" Seth muttered before reading the note aloud.

Nightfall will come sooner than you think.

Everyone hide from my darkness while you can for a

Revolution is just beyond the dawn.

Oblivion or Salvation? You decide.

"What does it mean?" Kaz questioned as he peeked over Seth's shoulder to read it for himself.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and assume it's an Acrostic poem," Seth spoke, unsure of himself as he scanned over it a second time, "If I'm right, then the first letter of each line would spell out the word Nero. I can only assume that it's our killer's name."

"Would he actually give us his real name?" Jetta questioned.

"He doesn't care. After all, he plans to kill us anyway," Seth stated.

"Good point …" Kaz muttered, "But he's not killing us right away. We could go to the press with it and they could try and find him in the records."

"Record?" Riku questioned.

"Yeah. Everyone who was ever born in the lands has their own record about their family history, medical conditions … everything," Kaz explained.

Riku didn't reply, but the look of hope within his aqua eyes said it all. He wanted to search the records. He wanted to find his history. Maybe then, everything would come back to him. But he couldn't just ask to go to them. Heading to a big city was out of the question. There was no telling how many followers would be waiting on them to arrive to stock up on supplies.

"Where are the records kept?" Jetta questioned, knowing it was what Riku wanted to ask.

"Why?" Seth quickly asked.

"I just thought we could go find them … for Riku," Jetta replied shyly, "That way, he could possibly find out a little more about his past."

"We can't … Going to a city would put us out in the open," Seth stated, "Besides, we don't have time to search through—"

"We have a year!"

"A year for training and surviving!"

"But—"

"It's okay … I'll figure out my past on my own …" Riku interrupted, stopping the verbal fight before it could continue any longer.

"But Riku …" Jetta sighed as she reached out and gently clasped Riku's hand within her own.

Her brilliant eyes begged Riku to see things her way. After all, she wanted nothing more than to replay Riku for his kindness, but Riku simply shook his head and walked off. He didn't want to endanger the group over a silly little cause. It wasn't important anyway …

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"Riku?" Jetta's voice broke through Riku's silent thoughts as she approached the teen.

Riku said nothing, nor acknowledged the girl's presence as she took a seat at the river's bank next to him. The two remained silent as Jetta slipped her feet from her boots and dipped her toes into the chilly water. Jetta was in no hurry to start a conversation because she knew that just being in his presence relaxed him. His muscles would slowly un-tense and his eyes would soften in a way that made her feel important. It meant the world to her to know that she was needed. Insignificant or not … it was something … and that's all that mattered.

"I'm sorry that Seth is so stubborn," Jetta sighed as she kicked her feet, rippling the clam water, "I tried my best to change his mind after you left … but he wouldn't listen to me. I'm really sorry, Riku …"

"It's alright, Jetta. There's no need for you to apologize," Riku finally spoke.

"I know … but … I wanted to do something for you for a change," Jetta muttered, a blush slowly gracing her cheeks as she stared down at the water, "I wanted to help you …"

Jetta nibbled on her lip as she stared down at Riku's reflection in the water. She watched the look of shock play across his face before her words finally began to sink in and a hue of pink glowed brightly upon his cheeks. A small smile graced her lips as Riku fiddled with the hem of his shirt, opening his mouth every so often as if to say something before closing it once again. It wasn't until a minute or so later when Riku finally sucked up his courage and leaned in close to the girl, planting a tender kiss upon her burning cheeks; his own silent, 'Thank you.'

"Do you really want to do something special for me?" Riku asked, whispering into the girl's ear.

"Y-yes …" Jetta stuttered shyly.

"Then kiss me."

"W-what?!" Jetta gasped before quickly concealing her shock with a nervous giggle and a playfully punch to Riku's arm, "Don't joke around like that …"

"What makes you think I'm joking?" 'He was really serious?!' Jetta inwardly gasped as her cheeks burned/

"I-I don't know … I guess I was just a little stunned that you would demand something like that of me so bluntly …" Jetta mumbled, her eyes glancing at everything but Riku.

"Well, now that you've given it some consideration …" Riku leaned in closer to the girl, his lips just an inch away from hers, "Kiss me …"

"I … I can't."

"Why not?" Riku demanded.

"Because this isn't romantic …" Jetta sighed as she turned away from the boy, "I want my first kiss to be special. I want the moment to be perfect …"

"Why should that matter?" Riku questioned, "Every kiss should automatically be a perfect one as long as it's with the person you like."

"Love …" Jetta corrected.

Riku ignored the correction and continued, "Unless … you don't like me. Then I suppose it matters if the time is right or not."

"Riku … I—"

"It doesn't have to be on the lips," Riku sighed, "A peck on the cheek will do … I guess …"

"But, Riku—"

"Still … it won't be as good as a kiss on the lips and I'll have to ask for a few more to make up for it."

"Riku—"

"Maybe one on the other cheek too … That way it's balanced out …" Riku mused before turned to the fuming girl who had yet to get her two cense into the conversation, "Unless you take it back … which I understand. I mean, I wouldn't want to ki—"

Riku was easily silenced when Jetta's lips descended upon his own. The silver-haired male blinked. Then again. And then once more for good measure as his brain rebooted itself. At first, Riku couldn't believe what had happened and began questioning the moment. Was this really happening? Then after a second or so longer, his brain finally recovered and mentally slapped him while shouting 'kiss her back, moron!!' And that's just what Riku did. He leaned deeper into the kiss and draped his hands loosely around Jetta's hips as he fully enjoyed the feeling of Jetta's soft lips pressed firmly against his. It was just how he imagined it to be. The feeling. The taste. Everything. And he wanted more. His tongue longed for the chance to explore, but – sadly – Jetta wasn't going to allow it as she quickly pulled out of the kiss.

"Awww … Is that all I get?" Riku spoke with a pout as Jetta's cheeks burned something fierce.

"W-What?! You're kidding right?" Jetta stammered, "You should be lucky I kissed you at all."

"I know … I'm an extremely lucky guy, but I'm only human, Jetta," Riku replied, a sly smirk upon his lips as he leaned in closer to the blushing female, "I want more …"

"Greed isn't very charming, Riku," Jetta mumbled.

"I guess you're right," Riku sighed before planting a tender kiss upon Jetta's cheek, "Thank you …"

"For what?"

"Making dreams come true." Jetta stared at the male in disbelief for well over a minute. Riku thought it was just a mixture of embarrassment and joy … that is until she started laughing. Riku – on the other hand – didn't find it amusing; after all, he was trying to be serious.

"You're so corny!" Jetta laughed as she let her head rest upon the male's shoulder, "But o-so cute."

"Cute?" Riku cringed at the pride-smashing word of doom.

"Yeah … cute," Jetta smiled as she snuggled into Riku's side, fully enjoying the warmth of his skin and the comfort that swept over her.

Riku still wasn't happy that out of all the words in the human language he was called cute. Sure it was better than ugly, annoying, or stupid, but surly she could do better than cute. What about hot, sexy, or handsome?! Then Riku took into consideration that this was coming from Jetta and accepted the word without arguing … but just this once. After all, cute wasn't so bad … right?

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Several weeks later, the group had managed to steer clear of any other followers. They took time out of their traveling each day to train, and, though it was just a short amount of time, Jetta was showing some terrific improvements in her battling skills. She even came close to beating Riku just yesterday. That was a feat she was extremely proud of, and managed rubbed it in the teen's face every chance she got. Riku, however, didn't mind, letting her bask in the glory for as long as possible before he would kick her ass the next chance he got.

Currently, the group had just stopped to rest from their traveling and Jetta was on her way to a nearby stream to cool off when she was stopped by voices in the near distant. It sounded like two male's bickering. Over what was another questioned, and Jetta was determined to find out. She slowly approached the area and hid herself behind a tree as she watched the two male's verbally thrash one another. Both males seemed similar with shaggy, coffee colored locks and lean body structures – even though one was at least a head taller than the other. Jetta could only assume they were brothers. After all, she had once experience sibling rivalry first hand and this was obviously a brotherly fight. So then, without a second thought, Jetta decided to offer them her assistance.

"Hey! Need any help?" Jetta questioned as she approached the two squabbling males.

"No!!"

"Yes!!" Both males turned to glare at one another before the taller of the two spoke up.

"We've lost our map," The male spoke, "If you could just point us in the direction of the closest town that would be great."

"Hang on, let me find my map …" Jetta spoke as she began to dig around in her bag.

"Thank you so much," The male spoke as he smiled down at the girl while the other scoffed, and that was when the taller male turned on his brother, "Can you not show this boy at least a little gratitude, brother?"

"We don't need help!" The shorter brother spat, "I know where we're going!"

"That's what you keep saying, but it's been three days and we have yet to find a trace of civilization!"

"Well, if you'd actually listen to me for once in your life we'd already be resting at an inn by now!"

"Uh …"

"Oh! The map. Thank you," The tallest spoke as he leaned in closer to Jetta to get a better look at her map.

"Okay, so we should be in this area so the closest town would be—"

"Jetta! There you …" Riku froze after spotting the two males. 'Shit!' Riku mentally slapped himself.

"Jetta? You're a female?"

"I uh …" Jetta shot Riku a deadly glare. He knew better than to call her by her true name when they were out wondering around and this was exactly why.

"You!" The shorter male gasped as he pointed at Riku, "Zen, that's him! Look at his hair!" Zen's blue-gray eyes fell on Riku and then back to Jetta before a sinister smile graced his lips.

"Jetta … I knew that name sounded familiar," Zen chuckled as he gripped the girl by the collar of her shirt before she had time to escape.

"Let her go!" Riku growled as he charged forward.

His dark aura pulsed in rage as the darkness itself leaked from every pore in his body and clung to his skin as it formed into his black suit. The power of the suit coursed through his veins as his speed increased, but, sadly, it wasn't enough to save Jetta from the man's grasp. From seemingly nowhere, a chain flew out and firmly wrapped itself around Riku's neck and yanked him to the ground in one swift and effortless motion.

"Good job, Nez," Zen spoke as he smiled down at Riku's pathetic form, "Keep him out of my way."

"What does it look like I'm doing?!" Nez snapped before giving the chains a swift and mighty tug that hurled Riku's body through the air and slammed him into the ground well over ten feet away.

The brother's laughed wickedly at the site of Riku being slung around like a helpless rag doll, and it was at this time when Jetta took the chance to make her escape. Knowing that any sudden hand movement towards her sword would gain the male's instant attention, Jetta did the only thing she could think of; she bit him. Zen yelped as Jetta's teeth broke though the skin of his knuckles as he released his hold on the girl's shirt only to back-hand her across the jaw. However, his reaction was one Jetta was hoping for as she reached down and unsheathed her sword. In one fluid motion, she swiped the blade across the male's chest and ripped through cloth and flesh. Unfortunately the clever attack only left a minor gash.

"You bitch," Zen hissed as he lunged forward.

Jetta's attacks were blocked effortlessly by the male's metal writs guards and before she even realized it his fingers were wrapped securely around her frail neck. Zen called out to his brother as he tossed the girl into the air – unprotected and vulnerable – for Nez to finish her off. A smile graced Nez's lips as he whipped his chain into the air and lassoed it around Jetta's waist before assisting gravity in pulling her back down to the earth at a greater speed.

"Jetta! No!" Kaz gasped as him and Seth showed up at the scene just a few seconds too late to save their friend.

"Look who finally showed up," Zen spat, "The friends."

"I hope they're as easy to take down as the other two," Nez chuckled.

Riku slowly lifted himself from the ground just in time to watch Kaz race for the shorter brother with his sword in hand. This was the first time that Riku had actually seen Kaz on the attack and using his sword for something other than skinning animals and cutting meat. He often questioned if Kaz even knew how to fight, and, honestly, he was worried for the teen as he watched him close in on his pray. Kaz ducked and dodged over and under Nez's flying chains with ease and seconds before he reached the male he hurled his sword strait for the brunet's heart.

Nez amazingly stopped the flying sword milliseconds before it ripped through flesh and bone by simply holding the chain firmly out in front of him. The tip of the sword was stopped instantly in between one of the links with such skill and precision that would make a weapons master shed tears of joy. However, nothing could stop what came not even a second later. Kaz leapt into the air and pressed his foot against the hilt of his sword, using his body weight to break through the chains and push the sword strait through Nez's chest.

"Nez!" Zen cried as he watched his brother's lifeless body fall to the ground.

It was in that moment when Seth decided to finish off the remaining brother, ramming his own sword through the man's back while he was still in shock. Zen went down without a word or a murmur of pain, dying only seconds after his older brother. Silence consumed the battle field as both Riku and Kaz ran to Jetta's side while Seth dug around in the brother's belongings for a note from Nero.

"Are you okay, Jetta?" Riku questioned as he gently assisted the female into an upright position.

"I'll heal …" Jetta muttered, as she leaned against Riku for support. Her entire body was aching immensely from the fall, and as far as she could tell nothing was broken. Bruises on the other hand … well, Jetta was sure that she would have many of those.

"Found them …" Seth sighed as he pulled out two small slips of paper from Zen's bag.

"So they were followers …" Kaz muttered.

"Who else would they be?!" Jetta snapped, "What do the notes say, Seth?"

"Well, this one just has a triangle … and the other …" Seth paused as he opened the next note, "'My favorite color is yellow' …?"

"What?!" Kaz shouted, "You're kidding me right?!"

"I wish I was …" Seth muttered before crumpling up the useless note and tossing it to the ground.

"You said the first one was just a triangle?" Riku questioned.

"Yeah …"

"So … is that his favorite shape or something?" Kaz grumbled, "What a waist of time …"

"I don't know … Maybe it means something else …" Seth suggested as he stared down at the shape. What was Nero trying to tell them …?

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me … ((dies a little))

Claimer: The world and any other character that didn't show up in the Kingdom Hearts games belong to me. Yay?!

Hikari: ((sobs)) I'm so sorry!! I just had no motivation to write … I mean, I wanted to write – honestly I did – but I just couldn't. I'd sit down at the computer, open the file, and stare at the screen until something distracted me and suddenly it was an hour later and I made no progress what so ever. I hate myself sometimes … I really do … and I feel bad that I made everyone wait so long. Please don't hate me. T-T

As for the next chapter … I really don't know when I'll have it out because I'm going on a "vacation" – I guess you can call it that – to visit my boy friend on the fourteenth. But I'm sure I can find time to write because he has to work so I'll have to keep myself busy in his absence somehow … so yeah. I'll try because I really hate to keep everyone waiting again … I'm so horrible and I'm sorry. Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't too crapy and disappointing …

On the plus side, I do have a picture of Kaiji up on my profile page if anyone cares to take a look. ((sighs)) I know, I know. I draw a picture of guy who dies three pages into the story yet I don't have one of Seth?! Well … I found Kaiji to be a very interesting kinda guy … mainly just his hair … but I was having an off day and I just randomly did a rough sketch then added some color and I think it looks nice … ((nods)) n.n Seth will be next I promise!! I already have him sketched out!!

Anyway, thank you for reading and review if you fell like it … which I'm sure you will!! Right? Right?!