Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the OCs.

A/N: Credit also goes to artist "the-ever-eternal" as my beta reader

"Slightly Damned" – talking

"Rebirth" – thinking

Attack! – Special attack in use

-break-

(Opening theme 1, "Harukaze" by Scandal)

Chapter 6: A Moments Rest: The Angel's Friendship and The Rider's Entrance

Church District, Trampoli

Sakido couldn't help but pace restlessly as she waited. After the fight, Umi had taken them to the local church (thankfully this one didn't have any holy protection to repel demons or anything) which doubled as a clinic. When they got there, Shun had been rushed to the special room where they treated the more severely injured patients, with Umi soon following the nurse, whom had introduced herself as Lara (and surprisingly, she hadn't been all that surprised at seeing Sakido who had still been in demon form at the time, though she had chalked it up to being friends with a Rebirth), after quickly healing Sakido's injuries from the fight (it turned out that Umi was actually very good at using a special type of healing that came as a side-effect of her 'Perfect Affinity". Plus she had to admit, it was the most pleasant healing she had ever undergone, considering how the process made her feel warm on the inside), they told her to wait in the main clinic. Currently, it had only been about half an hour, yet she still wondered how he was.

As if in response to her thoughts, the door opened, as Umi and Lara wheeled out Shun's hospital cot.

"How is he?" Sakido asked, just as she got a better look. Shun was covered in bandages all over his torso, while his right arm was in a cast, showing that he had broken it in the fight. In short, she had gotten her answer.

Umi just smiled at her question. "Sempai's gonna be just fine! Especially since I was able to get all of the poison out before it spread too far!" Umi chirped. "He's in stable condition now, so all he needs is some rest," she said in her usual cheerful tone, which was honestly quite uplifting to hear.

Hearing this, Sakido couldn't help but sigh in relief. "That's good," she said, before Shun was wheeled to the infirmary room.

"Sempai's gone past the worst f it, but until he wakes up, all we can do is wait," Umi explained, before adding. "While we're waiting for Sempai to wake up, how about we grab a bite to eat. I know a few good places," Umi offered.

Sakido just stared at her for a moment, before finally nodding. "Alright," she said, since like it or not, she knew next to nothing about this world, while Umi did. At the small growl her stomach let out, she also mentally added, "I suppose something to eat would be good about now."

"O-kay! Lara-chan, want to come with us too? My treat," Umi offered.

"That's quite alright, Umi. Sister Stella and I already ate not long before you three arrived," Lara smiled as she politely declined.

"Alright then. We'll be sure to get Shun-Sempai something for when he wakes up," Umi grinned, before grabbing Sakido's arm. "Follow me, Sakido-san! I'll show you around Trampoli!" she said, before yanking the surprised wind demon along, showing a surprising amount of strength, though considering how ALL Rebirths (Sakido included) had enhanced basic abilities…it really shouldn't have been such a surprise. Thankfully, Sakido still had time to grab the disguise card that had been left lying around, so by the time they were out the door, she was a human once again. Too bad that still left her to be dragged around by her borderline hyperactive companion…

-break-

(Insert BGM for 'peaceful town': "Traverse Town" OST Kingdom Hearts)

"Snowstyle?" Sakido read the sign on top of the place Umi had brought them to.

"Yup! This here is the Snowstyle Tavern. Best place to grab a bite to eat in town, and best part: there having a special this week on Japanese style food! Everything is 25% off," Umi said with a big grin.

"My, you seem excited," Sakido deadpanned, not really understanding Umi's enthusiasm.

"Well of course. Japanese-style food is my favorite, mostly since I grew up on it. The fact that it's cheaper than usual just sweetens the deal!" Umi grinned as they walked into the Tavern. Inside the tavern was lively as usual, as many of the townsfolk were sitting down and enjoying their meals.

"Hey, Umi. It's been a while," the owner of the tavern, Rita, greeted from the counter when Umi walked up to it.

"It sure has been a while. Even though I'm usually at the church, I tend to be out of town a lot," Umi said with a smile.

"Must be tough having to leave town often," Rita nodded, just as Sakido came up behind Umi. "Oh? Who's your friend? I don't believe I've seen her before."

"This is Sakido. She's…a new colleague of mine," Umi said, since Rita was not one of the people who knew of her status as a Rebirth, so she quickly made up a cover story.

"You mean like that Shun guy?" Rita asked.

"That's right. Sakido here just joined our…guild recently. In fact, this is her first week, so I figured I'd treat her for the good work she's been doing," Umi nodded.

"I see. Well then, welcome to Trampoli. Hope you enjoy your stay here, however long it is. So, what'll it be?" Rita said, as she handed them the menu.

Sakido looked over the menu, silently thanking whatever deities created the universe that Lingo, or English, as Shun had referred to it, was a very common language throughout the worlds, meaning that communication (or in this case, reading the menu) wouldn't be that much of a problem. Too bad the names weren't all that helpful.

Noticing Sakido's curious look, Umi couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "I recommend the sushi bento. You can't get anymore basic than sushi, and the best part is that the bento has an assortment of them, so you get to try different types. Besides, if you want anything else, we can always order it after we're done," Umi suggested, to which Sakido simply nodded, before following her suggestion.

-break-

With their orders placed, the two of them were now seated on a table near a corner of the tavern, which conveniently, was located in such a way that they could talk without anyone listening. Not that Umi noticed or cared about this little detail, as she was looking at her newest comrade curiously. "So, Sakido-san. You're from another world too, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Sakido simply nodded, not seeing any reason not to answer her question, though she was secretly glad that Umi had started talking, since the curious look was starting to bug her.

"So…where are you from? I don't think I've seen something quite like your true form, but then again…" Umi started, before adding, "Come to think about it, what are you actually?"

Sakido looked at her for a moment, before sighing slightly, figuring that she the question would come out sooner or later. "I came from a world known as Medius, though Medius is actually the mortal world. As for me, I came from one of the three afterlives. In my case, I came from Hell."

"Hell? But you don't seem like a bad person, so why were you in Hell?" Umi asked, tilting her head to the side curiously, a sight that most people would have considered downright cute.

"It's because I was born in Hell. You asked what I am; well here is your answer. I'm a Demon," Sakido said, her voice lowering at the last part, before she looked back at Umi, expecting some kind of negative reaction from her. What she got...was not what she expected.

Umi just continued to look at her curiously, honestly quite surprised at her answer, since of all the things she expected Sakido to be, a demon was not one of them. Of course, being Umi, she got over her surprise quickly enough, and simply said, "Well then, you're certainly the nicest demon I've ever met."

"What…?" Sakido blinked in surprise, since she was expecting a different reaction than this.

Umi just smiled at that, and simply said, "It's not what you are, but who you are. You may be a demon, Sakido-san, but you're certainly not a bad person."

How can you be so sure?" Sakido asked suspiciously.

"Easy. First of all, if you WERE a bad person, you wouldn't have helped us earlier against the Heartless, you'd have started attacking the town, and you most certainly wouldn't be simply sitting here having this conversation. Besides, if you were a bad person, then you wouldn't even be a Rebirth," Umi replied with a grin. "So…what's it like being a demon? Do all demons look like you? How have you been liking the other worlds so far?" she suddenly said in a rapid-fire fashion.

"Huh?" Sakido blinked in surprise, though once she got over her surprise, she couldn't help but smile slightly. It seemed that Umi had a similar feel to Shun, in that both seemed to make her feel comfortable around them. Of course, she wasn't about to let her guard down, especially not to a ditzy female version of Buwaro. Now, putting that aside, she decided to answer the questions. "Well, for the first question, I can't really say, since that'd be like asking you what it's like being a human. As for your second question, no. Every demon looks different from one another, so much so that I don't think I've ever seen any demons that look alike. As for the worlds…they're very beautiful, though I guess that's not saying much since Hell was nothing but rocks," she said, just as the food arrived.

"Ah! Foods here!" Umi smiled as she pulled her plate closer. "Itadakimasu!" she said as she started to dig in.

Sakido looked at her food with a cautious eye, even poking it, as though expecting the little pieces of food called 'sushi' to start moving.

"You really should just try it. Trust me, it's not alive. Raw, but certainly not alive," Umi commented as she was enjoying her order of grilled mackerel with miso soup.

Sakido just looked at her with a cold gaze (though it was certainly much less intimidating in her current human form), before deciding to listen to her as she picked up a piece of sushi and ate it in one bite. At first her face scrunched up a little at the taste of the vinegar, but as she chewed and swallowed, her expression changed as she savored the taste. "It's good. It's really good!" she said as she continued to chow down on her meal.

Umi smiled as she said in a 'I told you so' type of tone, "And that is the most basic of basic Japanese food." After she said that, she took another sip from her miso soup, only to sigh happily as she enjoyed the delectable food. To Umi, the restaurant served great food, and she enjoyed the decorations and aroma that was to be offered inside. When she looked over and saw Sakido was already halfway done with her meal, she giggled lightly and said, "It tastes better if you dip it into soy sauce… it is that black stuff to the side of your plate."

Sakido glanced up and at Umi, and after a few seconds, nodded before looking down at the sauce while her fingers wrapped around a piece of sushi. "She hasn't given me wrong advice so far, so I guess its alright…" Sakido thought as the piece of sushi hovered over the black liquid. She glanced over towards Umi one more time, but upon seeing the innocent smile along with the gaze that Umi had, she decided that she could trust her for at least one more thing. She looked back forward, and as she dipped the sushi in the small bowl, she couldn't help but question why the food looked so… different.

When Sakido pulled the sushi from the soy sauce, she watched as the black liquid dripped from it, before she hesitantly began to bring it to her mouth. Upon placing the sushi laden with soy sauce into her mouth, she once more scrunched up from the vinegar taste, but as before, she was rewarded with a delectable sensation from the overall flavor of the sushi. The tang that accompanied the soy sauce wasn't overly unpleasant, but with so many new flavors, it only surprised Sakido even further that humans could come up with so many things to eat. If it wasn't for Umi acting so random at times, or taking things lightly so many times, then Sakido would've reconsidered her previous assessments of her.

The two Rebirths had an enjoyable meal as they continued to converse in small talk. As they got to know each other a little better, Sakido started to see that despite her easygoing personality, Umi wasn't quite the clueless moron she had pegged her to be, and despite being a bit ditzy, she certainly did care about others, though Umi's overly optimistic personality would take some getting used to, especially since it clashed a lot with her own more pessimistic nature, but despite that, little by little a bond was starting to form, even if it was still small and weak.

However, one topic that came up during their conversation that still made her wonder, was what happened the Heartless. Not only did it look like something had been hitting it repeatedly, and not to mention what had caused it to suddenly catch fire. Umi had no idea what had happened, and she certainly didn't have anything to do with it. Shun was also out of the question on the count of him being unconscious at the time. In the end, they decided to drop the topic, since neither of them had anything to go on.

As Sakido finished the last of her sushi, Umi finished her soup and mackerel, and sighed happily ("gochisōsama," she said when she was done eating). With a full belly, the danger averted, and everything finally calm; she was ready for a well-deserved rest. She let out a tired heave of breathe before lazily looking over and waved towards Rita, who taking notice of their empty plates, began to walk over. When she arrived at the table, she gathered the plates and bowl as she asked, "Will that be all for you two?"

"Yeah, that'll be all, Rita-san," Umi nodded, before paying for the meal. With that done, she and Sakido left the tavern.

"…Thank you for the meal," Sakido suddenly said.

Umi just smiled at that. "No problem. After all, we're 'Nakama'," she said with a grin.

"Nakama?" Sakido asked, as once again Umi had said something in her native language.

"Roughly translated, 'Nakama' means 'friends', 'comrades', and 'allies', all at the same time," Umi explained.

Hearing this, Sakido couldn't hide the surprise on her face. "You…consider me a friend?"

"Yeah," Umi nodded. "After all, we're both Rebirths, so we're all in this together. Besides, I can tell you're a good person, Sakido-san. That's why I want to be your Nakama…if you'll allow me of course."

At that, Sakido frowned. "I'm…sorry Umi, but…I don't think I can call you 'Nakama'…at least not yet," she said, smiling slightly at the last part, as just for a moment, an image of her brother appeared in Umi's place, and she was once again reminded of the similarities Umi seemed to have with Buwaro. "Maybe…maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to have someone like her for a friend…" Sakido thought as the two of them walked back to the church.

(BGM end)

While the two of them walked away, they didn't notice someone watching them. Standing atop a nearby building was a young man with spiky red hair, and deep purple eyes. He was dressed in what looked like a modified motocross outfit colored red and silver, with a black biker jacket, and strapped on his head was a pair of silver, square shaped riding goggles. "Looks like we've got another new member. I'm looking forward to meeting her too," he said with a grin, before turning his attention to Umi. "Take care, Umi. Last time was just luck that I was in the area. Next time I might not be there when things get hairy," he said with a gentle smile, and a small blush on his face.

-break-

By the next morning, Shun was already on his feet, a good number of his wounds already healed thanks to the accelerated healing abilities a Rebirth possessed (though he was nowhere near his full strength at the moment), leaving mostly only minor burns and a few cuts and bruises here and there, as well as his broken arm which was still in a cast, which should heal up in about a couple of days had they left it to heal normally, but with Umi around, the process would probably only take a few hours with Umi's healing.

"Are you sure you should be out of bed so soon? You were so badly injured just last night," Lara asked worriedly as Shun, Sakido, and Umi were leaving the church, intent on getting back to the Trailblazer.

"It's fine. Rebirths heal faster than normal people for a reason, especially since we really can't afford to be down for too long," Shun said.

"Besides, they've got me with them now," Umi grinned, before she added, "I AM the team medic for a reason."

"Well…I suppose it's alright then," Lara conceded.

"Either way, thanks for letting us stay the night," Shun nodded.

"Of course. Don't be strangers now," Lara nodded.

"We'll come by for a visit when we get a chance! Bye!" Umi said with a big grin as the three of them walked away from the church.

"I believe we've been on this world for long enough. We have to get back to Radiant Garden ASAP," Shun said as he pulled out his UniT, and signaled for the Trailblazer to pick them up.

"That's right. We'd better hurry," Sakido nodded as the three of them were covered in a pillar of light and transported up to the Trailblazer.

-break-

"Alright, now that we're all here, given the situation, I think we'd best take a warp path (A/N: the rail-shooter levels needed to unlock any new worlds from KH II) to get back to Radiant Garden," Shun said as he operated the Gummi Ship with his left hand.

"Are you sure, Sempai? I mean, you're the best pilot we've got right now, and you're down to one arm," Umi asked.

"Warp path?" Sakido asked curiously, as they had not used anything of that name when they came to Runeria.

"Warp paths are shortcuts that allow us to travel farther distances in less time. The problem is, that the paths are usually infested with Heartless and various dangers, meaning that it's a lot riskier," Shun explained. "However, given the situation, we really can't afford to be wasting time, so this is our best option since the warp gummi was fried when we left Radiant Garden," and with that, he quickly set the Trailblazer on course for the nearest warp path.

It wasn't long before they reached the warp path, which looked like a swirling vortex, eerily reminiscent of a black hole. "Well…here we go. Umi, I need you to drive," Shun said.

"Alright," Umi nodded as she manned the controls, while Shun moved to another console nearby.

"What are you doing?" Sakido asked curiously as a holo-screen appeared in front of Shun.

"Battle Station. While Umi's piloting the ship, I'll shoot down any enemies we run into," Shun explained, just as they entered the warp path.

-break-

However, while they entered the warp path, none of the ships sensors detected the small object that was approaching them. "That was the Trailblazer," the rider of the object, which surprisingly looked like an armored motorbike with a streamline frame and sleek armor which was a little bulkier at the back, albeit one with the wheels split open and thrusters in place of the exhaust pipes (making it look like a hover bike of some kind), noticed. "Wonder where he's headed. Damn…things must be serious if Shun's taking a warp path," he mused, before following them into the warp path.

-break-

Sakido's eyes were wide open as she marveled at the beautiful sight within the colorful tunnel. She was honestly having a hard time picturing this place as the dangerous place that Shun and Umi had described.

"Enjoying the view?" Umi asked, her usual sunny smile on her face, despite knowing what was coming next.

"Well, enjoy it while it lasts, cause we're getting to dangerous part right now," Shun stated as the multi-colored tunnel ended, and they entered a rather dark area. Suddenly, several strange creatures appeared out of thin air, all of them resembling some kind of misshapen vessels.

"Incoming Heartless ships!" Umi quickly said as she maneuvered the Trailblazer out of the way.

"Leave them to me!" Shun said as he got to work on the battle station, shooting down several of the Heartless, despite only having one arm to use. "Hey Sakido! My advice, hang on to something, cause this is gonna be a BUMPY ride!"

Sakido didn't need any more prompting, as she quickly strapped herself into one of the seats, just as Umi did a barrel roll to avoid a laser shot from one of the Heartless. The rest of the trip mostly consisted of Umi avoiding the enemy ships, while Shun blasted them to pieces. However, the hardest part was about to come as they neared the exit.

"There's the exit!" Umi cheered as she steered the ship towards the exit. However, just as they were about to reach it, something snared the ship, pulling it back.

"What?!" Shun said in surprise as he turned towards the holo-screen to see the problem, revealing that the ship's hull was caught in some kind of giant tentacles, with the source of the tentacles seemingly invisible, but it was certainly there, if the fact that they were being pulled back was any indication. Quickly working on the blasters, he tried to shoot at whatever might have been the source of the tentacles, yet there seemed to be no visible effect, before the blasters suddenly stopped working. "T-this is…" he gasped, as he shifted the holo-screen, revealing that aside from the tentacles wrapped around the hull, the blasters were now covered in strange jellyfish shaped Heartless. Shifting the image again in hopes of finding the source of the tentacles, Shun's normally dark colored skin suddenly went white as a sheet when the target revealed itself.

"…now I'm afraid to ask, but what's wrong?" Sakido gulped. She had seen Shun with many expressions, but this clear expression of stark terror was something she had NOT expected to see on Shun's face…ever.

Instead of saying anything, Shun moved aside, giving Umi and Sakido a clear view, and they soon paled greatly at what they saw (something extremely incredible in Sakido's case, considering her fur is well…WHITE). The source of the tentacles which were drawing them in despite the ship's thrusters going at full blast was a gigantic Heartless that resembled a massive octopus of some kind, but where octopuses usually have a beak, this one had a massive mouth that were covered in rows and rows of gleaming, sharp, and serrated teeth…oh, and let's not forget the saliva that was melting the random asteroids floating around, which when put together with the above mentioned teeth, promised a PAINFUL AND EXCRUCIATING DEMISE.

"So…any ideas, Sempai?" Umi asked fearfully at the sight that promised a painful end.

"Well…unless someone just HAPPENS to be passing through and decides to help us…pray that this thing doesn't bother chewing?" Shun offered feebly, since considering the fact they couldn't just walk out and actually fight the thing, they were effectively trapped.

"No…! It can't end this way! I've been given this chance to make things right, so it just can't…!" Sakido thought desperately as she started randomly pressing buttons on the console, despite Shun's protests. Thankfully however, their prayers of someone helping them were answered.

"Wheelie Blazer!" a voice suddenly rang out, before what looked like a blazing streak charged at the tentacles, cutting them off.

"That attack…!" Umi gasped, recognizing who that attack belonged to.

"Heh…that guy…how is it he's always there when we need him most?" Shun said with a grin.

"Who is it?" Sakido asked in surprise, though she certainly wasn't complaining since they had just narrowly avoided a painful and excruciating death. As though to answer her question, the blazing aura covering their rescuer dissipated, revealing the motor bike from earlier, with a person wearing what looks like a modified motocross outfit colored red and silver, with a black biker jacket, and a white helmet and riding goggles riding it. The same person that had been watching them last night.

"Max!" Shun and Umi shouted happily at seeing their friend and teammate.

"Hey, Shun! Been a while, though I sure wish it were under better circumstances! Leave the overgrown piece of seafood to me, buddy!" Max said with a grin.

Quickly going over to the ship's communicator, Shun quickly replied. "It's great to see you too, Max. You really saved us just now."

"Us? Who else is with you?" Max asked whilst dodging the attacks from the smaller jellyfish-like Heartless, before the back of the Galatine, his bike, unfolded, revealing a missile launcher, which fired at the Heartless, destroying them, as well as hitting the Heartless that had covered the ship's blasters, dispersing the Heartless.

"A new recruit, and let's not forget, Umi," Shun said his tone becoming a little playful when he mentioned Umi, just as he fired several laser blasts to destroy some of the many Heartless flying around.

"U-Umi…?" Max asked, his voice suddenly becoming a little nervous and shy sounding, before he quickly shook it off as he narrowly dodged a tentacle strike from the giant Heartless. "First things first! Gotta take care of this oversized seafood!" he said as the back armor of the Galatine unfolded again and ejected a large metal blade, which greatly resembled a Buster Sword, albeit made with special materials that made it much lighter, allowing for easy one-handed use. Catching the blade, Max sped towards the Heartless, and proceeded to hack away at the tentacles that lashed out at him while he proceeded towards the main body.

Roaring in anger, the Heartless fired several balls of dark energy, only for them to be shot down by the lasers on the Trailblazer. "Leave the projectiles to me! You just focus on the Heartless!" Shun said through the communication channel.

"Gotcha!" Max nodded, giving a thumbs up, before speeding towards the Heartless' main body, cleaving through several of its remaining tentacles.

"What the-?! Is he mad?! If he keeps going that way, he'll-!" Sakido gasped, as true enough, the Heartless opened its mouth in anticipation for the Rebirth that continued to speed up towards it, seemingly heedless of the fact that he'd be speeding to his own death.

"Daijoubu. It's alright," Umi reassured, earning a surprised look from Sakido.

"She's right. Ever heard the saying 'so crazy that it works'?" Shun said, to which Sakido nodded, albeit a little reluctantly, since while she HAD heard the term, she believed it about as much as she could physically throw her older brother when he had his Pendant on; Not in the slightest.

As though reading her expression, Shun just grinned, before saying, "Well, Max is pretty much the embodiment of that saying. That crazy bastard's got the devil's luck when it comes to doing reckless things like this!"

Right as Shun finished saying that, Max was already upon the mouth, as the Galatine ejected another blade, which he caught with his left hand. Quickly hitting the brakes, he sent himself and his bike into a spinning motion as he held out the blades, giving him the image of a bladed top, right before he was enveloped in the same blazing aura as earlier. "Reckless Tornado: Bike Version!" Max called out, as he drove right into the mouth of the Heartless, which promptly closed.

The Heartless seemed to let out a relieved belch at seemingly getting a meal. However, it soon realized that something was wrong, as it started to convulse, its back seemingly expanding, before it burst to reveal Max completely unharmed as he slowly stopped spinning, while the Heartless broke apart. "Calamari, anyone?" Max joked, earning a chuckle from Shun and Umi who heard the joke over the communication channel, before he quickly rode the Galatine towards the Trailblazer.

-break-

Shun and Umi waited patiently as the ship headed towards the exit of the warp path, after confirming that Max had boarded the Trailblazer, so now they were looking forward to seeing their old friend and quickly set the Trailblazer to Auto-Pilot.

"So…what's your friend like?" Sakido idly asked, since she figured she might as well know about this…Max, considering he was a friend to both Shun and Umi.

"Well…Max is the type of person you need to get used to first before you can start to REALLY call him a friend, especially since that personality of his can be a handful," Shun started. "I'll be frank. Max is energetic, teetering VERY closely on hyperactive. The guy is RARELY serious, and he's even more easy going than I am when I'm not fighting. As you saw from the fight earlier, he's quite reckless, and let's just say thinking things through and focusing on certain things…aren't really his strong points," Shun sighed, at which Sakido blinked almost owlishly, since Max was starting to sound like someone she'd rather avoid. However, before she could say anything, a smile appeared on Shun's lips as he continued. "Of course, it's BECAUSE he's so easy going that most people find it easy to make friends with him, and while he IS reckless, he's not stupid, since he'd never take any unnecessary or stupid risks, especially when they could endanger his friends and allies. He's also the most loyal person I know of, since he'd NEVER even think of betraying anyone he considers a friend. In short, despite his shortcomings, Max is the type of person who sticks with his friends through thick and thin, and I can honestly say that I've never met anyone I would be more willing to trust my life with than Max, cause trust me when I say this, that he'd sooner cut his own head off before he'd willingly betray his friends," Shun finished.

Hearing this, Sakido was at a loss for words, since to her, Max sounded like the type of person who thought more of others rather than of himself, which to her was strange. "That doesn't sound right. How can he possibly be THAT loyal? Everyone has their own reasons and goals, yet Max sounds like someone who would throw his own needs away for his friends without a second thought. No one is THAT selfless…right?" she thought, before looking at the two Rebirths sitting in the room with her. "Then again…" she pondered, thinking back on her own experiences with the Rebirths she had met so far. Shun was clearly more down to earth, since he seemed more pragmatic, though she knew that he genuinely DID care about others, if how he had been looking out for her (even going so far as to treat her wounds himself) and how he always was there to help her, was any indication. Umi, on the other hand, she seemed like the type of person who would help a total stranger out of the goodness of her heart. While she had started to get used to it, she still felt that it was strange, thanks to the years she had spent forced to look out for herself and only herself, so the realization that now she had people who weren't using her for their own means, and actually did look out for her and consider her a friend (sure she had befriended Rhea shortly before her death, but that felt…different) and were willing to help her simply because she was their friend, was something she STILL had a hard time getting used to.

Any further thoughts were cut off when the door opened, and Max stepped in.

"Hey, guys! It's been a while!" he greeted with a big grin, at which Shun and Umi returned as the three friends reunited.

While this was happening, Sakido managed to get a clear look at the new Rebirth. Max had lightly tanned skin, nowhere near as dark as Shun's. His hair was colored a bright crimson color styled to look like spikes, which seemed to remind her of a roaring flame. Looking towards his face, she noticed that his eyes were colored a deep shade of purple, with a friendly and easy going look in them. His attire was odd to her, as he wore some kind of suit that covered his body from the neck down, colored a mixture of red and silver, which had several metal like components around the torso, arms, and legs, which for some reason, looked like something could be attached to them. On top of that suit, he wore a black jacket which had a few spikes protruding from the shoulders, and what looked like a picture of a flaming wheel on the back of the jacket. On his forehead, a pair of goggles was strapped to it, and under his armpit was the helmet he had been wearing earlier. Just as she finished taking a look, he noticed her.

"Hm? Who's this? Don't recall ever seeing her before," Max asked.

"Right. Allow me to introduce you. This is Sakido. She's a new recruit, and has only been active for about a week, so I've been mentoring her for the time being," Shun explained.

"Oh? Well, it's always great to know that more rookies are coming in all the time. God knows how we can't have too many Rebirths at the ready with how the Heartless have been lately," Max nodded before walking towards Sakido, and extending his hand. "I don't believe I've introduced myself. The names Ryder. Max Ryder. Just call me Max," he said with a friendly grin.

Sakido just looked at his hand for a moment, before returning the handshake, as by now she was starting to get used to people being more friendly towards her, so she didn't see the harm anymore. "My name is Sakido," she said simply.

"Not the friendliest person is she? Seems kinda angsty too, don't cha think?" Max chuckled slightly towards Shun and Umi when he THOUGHT was out of earshot (he didn't notice the glare Sakido shot him, since he forgot to take into account her well…big ears).

"Nah, Sakido-san is just…a little shy I think," Umi chuckled nervously, noticing the lightning starting to spark around Sakido's hands.

"Just give her some time. She'll warm up to you eventually…though it definitely won't be today, so…bye!" Shun also chuckled nervously, before he and Umi made a quick escape, just as Max noticed a shadow looming over him. Blinking in surprise, he turned around and was greeted with a sight he wouldn't forget for a long time. Sakido was standing over him at her full height, her eyes glowing blue and her hands covered in lightning as she looked down on him. A truly intimidating sight.

"Now, then. What was that you were saying?" Sakido asked in sickeningly sweet tone, yet one could clearly hear the malicious undertone, since she did not appreciate people talking about her behind her back, especially.

"Ehehehe…I don't suppose you'll accept a simply 'sorry'?" Max chuckled, before gulping thickly, as he realized he had REALLY put his foot in his mouth there.

BZZZTTT!

-break-

Shun sighed slightly as he sat back against the pilot chair, his arms folded behind his head. Earlier, after Umi had treated Max for the shock treatment he had received from Sakido (Max wasn't too upset, since he also admitted that his last remark might have been a little uncalled for, so he kinda did deserve what he got), she had got to work on healing his arm. While Umi was able to finish mending the bones, she wasn't able to avoid the weakened feeling his arm felt thanks to having been broken, so right now he wouldn't be able to use anything heavier than a hand gun for his right arm. Looking towards the screen, he noticed something that made him smile. "Everyone, come quick!" he said into the intercom, and not long after that, Umi, Sakido, and Max arrived at the cockpit. "We're here! Radiant Garden!" Shun quickly said before they got a chance to ask any questions, as true enough, Radiant Garden was already in sight. Quickly steering the ship to a halt, they were right outside the range of the barrier that covered Radiant Garden with miasma. "Alright then. Umi, do it."

"Hai, Sempai!" Umi nodded as she summoned her Keyblade. Closing her eyes, she began to focus as much of her spiritual power she could muster and focused it into her Keyblade, evident by the glow that surrounded her, before it gathered into the Keyblade. Opening her eyes, she let out a cleansing breath, before pointing her Keyblade at Radiant Garden. "Purify!" she declared, before all the energy she had gathered was fired at the barrier. The energy hit the barrier, and for a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Suddenly, a bright pinkish light began to spread from the point of impact, before it quickly spread throughout the entire barrier like a curtain of light, dispelling both the barrier, as well as the miasma, and before long, Radiant Garden seemed to return to its former beauty.

-break-

(Ending theme 1, "Itsumo" OST Transformers: Galaxy Force)

*music*

As the music starts, we see a shot of the sky, as snow falls down to the ground

Kimi no kokoro ni aru shinjitsu… Kimi no egao de yume wa kagayaku…

The scene changes to show a shot of Sakido from behind, as she is standing inside a cave as she watches the heavy rain outside.

Kimi no karada ni nemuru yuuki… Me no mae no kabe mo nante koto nai

The scene changes again to show Sakido walking through a barren wasteland as a strong wind and heavy rain pelt against her, while she walks against it, holding her side as though injured…

Bokura deatta imi mo wakaru yo. Sukoshi mimi o sumaseba…

Sakido begins to sway slightly, before the scene then shows a close up of her, as something starts glowing from within her gown and on her wrists, revealing them to be her Sun Pendant and Darius' feathers respectively, before the glow envelops the screen.

Ashita ga yondeiru Ima sugu iku yo. Ryoute o tsubasa ni kaete…

The scene changes to show Sakido's shocked expression, as she has suddenly been turned back into her childhood self, before she sees visions of her family, starting with baby Buwaro, who smiles at her while holding up his little paws, followed by an image of young Iratu who is grinning playfully at her, before finally Darius appears, whilst holding out his hand towards her with a gentle smile on his face

Dare ni mo makenai sa ikinuku koto ga

Young Sakido's face blooms with joy as she runs towards them, but just as she is about to reach them, the screen is enveloped in a bright light

Bokura o kaeteiku

The scene changes to show Sakido lying on the ground on a field of grass as her eyes open, before she looks towards the image of Darius which fades away, revealing Shun who is kneeling next to her, holding his hand out to her while he smiles gently

Koete tsuyoku nareru…

Sakido blinks in surprise, before her features soften considerably and a warm smile appears on her face as she takes Shun's hand and slowly stands up

*music*

Once Sakido is back on her feet, Shun walks towards the screen, beckoning her to follow. Sakido smiles gently, before she follows him. The scene then shifts to show Sakido from behind, walking towards Shun, Umi, and Max who are standing alongside a shadowed figures, with the Trailblazer in the background.

(theme end)

-break-

Author's note:

And here is another update. Part of the 3 part update I have to make up for my long absence.

Throughout the chapter, Umi has been peppering her speech with various Japanese words, so for those who are unfamiliar with their meaning, here is the list:

Itadakimasu = phrase said before eating. Roughly translates to 'I humbly receive'

Gochisousama = phrase said after meal. Roughly translates to 'Thank you for the food'