All right, here's Chapter 8. Enjoy!

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SORA

I awoke some time later, and it took me a short moment to remember where I was and what had happened. I grimaced as the memory of Riku throwing me onto the bed resurfaced. How could he have done this? He knew how important rescuing Naminé was to me.

A small part of my mind wondered if he still bore a grudge against me for keeping him in the dark about the whole Kairi-Sephiroth incident. I had hoped that having him on this trip might help that to blow over, but it was possible that there was still some resentment.

I shook my head. No matter what Riku's feelings were, we still had to save my sister. I jumped up, shaking off my post-nap grogginess, and saw Riku and Esmeralda conversing in the corner. "What's going on?" I asked.

They both turned to me. "Sleep well?" asked Riku.

Esmeralda's dog, Djali, came running over to me, but I was too distracted to pay him much attention. "Why are you so concerned with me?" I demanded.

"Because if we're going to have the best chance of getting to Naminé, you need to be at your peak performance level. And you weren't six hours ago."

I stared at him. Six hours? "You let me sleep for six hours?"

Riku shook his head. "Don't sound so concerned, Sora. Six hours shouldn't make a difference."

"What are you talking about?"

He hesitated. Esmeralda stepped in. "You said you wanted answers, Sora. I'm sorry to have kept them from you for this long. But now I will give them to you."

She sat down in an armchair and gestured for me to do the same. There were three in the corner: the one Esmeralda sat in, one that Riku was standing over, and one left for me. I made my way over (Djali following) and sat. Riku followed suit a second later. "This is where I have contacted the spirits recently," she said. "It was here that I first learned of your sister's situation, and your plan to search for her."

"Apparently," said Riku, "she was drawn here by those forces, and, after her contact with the spirits, she called you up."

Esmeralda nodded. "Your sister has been living with these creatures for over a decade. But now is the time to act. Now, the choice must be made, and her fate will be decided." She paused. "One way or another."

I got a sinking feeling in my gut when she said that. I had a sense what one of those ways might be. "But…she's been living with them for over ten years?" I said. "Why would they want to harm her now?"

She shook her head. "They don't want to harm her."

I frowned in confusion. "They don't?"

"No."

"What do they want, then?"

"I will tell you. But first, I must show you where I got this information, so that you won't be hindered by doubt."

She motioned to Djali, who walked over to a corner of the room and sat. And then, she began to chant. It was in a language I didn't understand, and couldn't even recognize. It might have even been a combination of several different ones.

A few seconds into her chanting, the room grew dim, and the atmosphere changed. The temperature remained relatively constant, but you could sense…something was different.

Something was coming.

Esmeralda reached out her hands, one to me and one to Riku. He reached out for it and indicated that I should do the same. Only slightly hesitantly, I took it.

A wave of sensation swept over me, and I couldn't help but flinch. It was…extremely difficult to describe. Almost like an out-of-body experience.

And I could feel the spirits. They were faint, but there. As soon as they felt me, they began to pour…something into me. It wasn't exactly information, more like…feelings. Vague ideas. Concepts. I couldn't make out anything specific—which I later learned was because I was feeling them through Esmeralda, and not directly—but I did understand some things.

Deep in the forest were the adlets. A large number of them. And Naminé was with them. They had been waiting for…something for all these years. And that something…was going to take place this Friday, just like Esmeralda said.

There was no hint of deceit in these spirits. They…it was almost like they couldn't lie. To do so would have no purpose for them. They were relating the truth, and the truth only.

I'm not sure how much time passed, but, after some while, Esmeralda said something and released our hands. My contact with the spirits was broken, and I sat back in my chair. "Do you see now?" she asked me.

I nodded. "Yeah, but I couldn't understand what they were saying." I leaned forward. "But you did, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I know what the Adlet are planning."

"Then tell me. I've waited long enough."

"Yes, you have." She paused. "Like I mentioned before, these Adlet don't want to harm her."

"But they do want to do something to her."

"Yes." She paused again. "Do you know the origin of the Adlet?"

I frowned and shook my head. "What does this have to do with Naminé?"

"I'll get there in a moment. Legends exist about their creation, how they resulted from the union of a woman and a dog." She gave a wry smile. "Stranger things have happened, but this was not the case. Adlet are simply transformed humans. Through some sort of magic, a human and a dog or wolf are merged into a single creature, with the mind of a human but the instincts of a canine. Adlet are more aggressive than humans as a result."

"What are you getting at?"

"You can't figure it out?" Riku asked. "If these Adlet have kept Naminé around for so long, they must have taken a liking to her. But she's still clearly an outsider."

I blinked. "Wait…"

"Riku's right," said Esmeralda. "The Adlet do not want to cast out Naminé or hurt her. On the contrary, they want to make her a part of their tribe. But…they can't do that with a human."

A cold sensation gripped my stomach. "Then…you're saying that they…" I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Yes," said Esmeralda. "Somehow, they have discovered the spell, and can use it. They have to wait for the full moon to do it, but once it arrives, they will carry out their plan. On Friday night, they will turn your sister into an Adlet."


Okay, so it wasn't as terrible as I may have thought. But still, I knew the adlets' plan was something I had to stop. To know that my sister was a monster, living under their influence, and that I could never see her again?

A portion of my rational mind threw in its two cents. Monster? it said. She could be an adlet and still be a good person. Look at Kairi. She was a vampire, and you still fell in love with her.

That's different, I tried to argue.

Is it?

I shook my head. I won't let her be forced into becoming one of them.

Esmeralda began to speak, and I forced myself away from my internal argument and to pay attention to her. "If you wish to stop this," she said, "then I will lead you to them, and help you work something out."

I raised an eyebrow. "Work something out?"

She nodded. "Do you think you can charge into their encampment and get your sister back by force?" She nodded to Riku. "He told me you both brought your weapons, but two handguns will hardly be helpful against a whole tribe of Adlet."

"Then what can we do?"

"Like I said, I will take you there. I happen to know the leader of their tribe. He is reasonable enough, and your best bet is to try to work something out with him." Her eyes darkened. "Though I doubt he will be so willing as to give up a woman he has been planning to adopt into his tribe for several years. You will most likely have to prove yourself somehow."

"Prove myself? How?"

"Combat is what I would guess. Adlet place a high value on proficiency in battle. You may have to fight one or more of them to show that you are worthy to reclaim your sister."

I frowned. "How do you know so much about these adlets? What's your connection to them?"

A hint of a smile came to her face. "Are you getting suspicious of me?"

I hesitated. "Wary."

"Yes, of course. I'm a traveler. I've been to many places around the world and spent time there. I have been in this area twice for extended periods of time, and both times I spent getting to know the tribe of Adlet that we are referring to. I have a reasonable grasp of their language, and am confident that I will be able to translate for you."

I couldn't quite ignore the warning bells in my head. "Seems particularly convenient."

Esmeralda smiled. "Life sometimes gives us exactly what we need, Sora. Perhaps the hand of fate has even had a role in this."

I could tell by Riku's expression that he wasn't convinced. But, even though it seemed too good to be true, I got the feeling that what Esmeralda said might just be the case. Maybe life was returning to being good to me, and was going to give me the chance to save my sister.

Well, only one way to find out. "So, you think you can locate them before Friday?"

She nodded. "They have a usual range nearby, and a few spots in particular that might serve ideal for what they have in mind. It shouldn't take more than two, or three at the most, days to find them."

"It shouldn't or it won't?" I couldn't forget that we were on a tight schedule.

"I don't see why it wouldn't. The spirits have given me a rough idea of their location, and I have tracked them down in only a couple of days before."

I nodded. "So, when can we leave?"

"Tomorrow."

I frowned. "Tomorrow? What's wrong with today?"

"I would like to see you better prepared—that is, more well-rested, and with a better idea of what you'll be up against." Seeing that I was still frowning, she added, "Waiting until tomorrow won't make much of a difference. Either I find them in two or three days or I don't find them at all. Why not take the time to get ourselves ready?"

Riku nodded. "I'm with her on this one, Sora."

No surprise there. My eyes narrowed, but I nodded. "Fine. But we leave first thing tomorrow."

Esmeralda nodded. "I think that will be agreeable."

I made to rise, but she held up a finger. "One more thing."

I sat back down. "What?"

She looked at me. "As a traveler, I've come to recognize the value of one's freedom. I strongly believe that one must have the ability to decide for oneself what to do. With some exceptions, of course."

I nodded. "Right. That's why you're helping us."

She raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that?"

"You don't want Naminé to be forced into becoming an adlet, either."

"But that is exactly what I am getting at." Her gaze became more serious. "Your sister has been living with the Adlet for years. Over that time, she may have grown accustomed to thinking of herself as one of them. Like that's where she belongs."

"But she's—"

"Let me finish. It's entirely possible that your sister will not want you to rescue her. That she will want to become an Adlet. I know that may be harsh, but it's a possibility we have to consider."

She was right; I didn't want to think about that.

"If that is the case," Esmeralda continued, "then I will respect her freedom, and let her go. I cannot tell you what to do, but I can tell you what I will do. And, if Naminé decides to spend her life with the Adlet, then I will not help you take her from them."


After her brutal (but admittedly honest) admission, we agreed to get ready. However, first, Riku reminded me of something. "I think you're forgetting something, Sora."

I frowned. "What?"

"Calling the others back home, of course. I've already told them that we've landed safely, but I'm sure they'd like to hear from you."

I felt like an idiot. Had I just forgotten all the others back home after we'd landed? "Damn!" I said, getting out my phone. I knew who I was going to call first. Riku did too, apparently, and motioned to Esmeralda that the two of them should leave the room for a moment.

I held the phone up to my ear, and the door of the hotel room had just closed when she picked up. "Sora!"

"Kairi." It was nice to hear her voice, after several hours away from her.

"Good to hear from you. Riku told me you got there safely and met your correspondent."

"Yeah. She does seem like she'll help us out."

"That's good."

I hesitated. "Although…"

"What?"

I sighed and told her what Esmeralda had told us: that the adlets were planning to turn Naminé into one of them, and, even more anxiety-inducing, she might want them to do so. "I'm not sure what to think, Kairi," I said. "I want my sister back. It's been foremost on my mind ever since I learned she was alive. But…but what if she doesn't want to come back? I'm…I'm not sure what I'll do."

Kairi was silent for a moment. Then, she said, "Does Esmeralda know that, when Aeleus saw her the other day, the only thing you said was her name? I can't imagine that she would have done that if she didn't remember you, and wanted to see you again."

"And if she doesn't?"

"Then you'll have a group of people who love you very much that you can come home to and find solace in. If that does happen, Sora, then we'll make it through. We'll have to be happy that your sister has found a life that she enjoys, and we'll continue to enjoy our own lives."

"I suppose…" It was true, though a part of me didn't like to acknowledge it. "Won't be easy, though."

"Some things aren't. We know that, Sora. We just have to get through them."

"All right." I smiled. "Thanks, Kairi."

We kept up a conversation for another couple of minutes before I told her I needed to call the others and, after that, get ready to face the adlets. We bade each other goodbye and I love you, and I hung up, a little depressed that I couldn't talk to Kairi for longer. But I did have business to attend to.

I called my office next, and spoke to Donald and Goofy, who put me on speakerphone so they could both talk to me. After the greetings and how-are-you-doings, I brought them up to speed with the situation, meeting Esmeralda and her telling us what the adlets planned to do to Naminé.

"Gosh, that's terrible," said Goofy. "So you have until Friday to stop it?"

"Yeah," I said, not mentioning the dreaded possibility that weighed on my mind. I didn't want to make them worry about how I was doing even more.

"You'll do it, Sora," said Donald confidently. "You've done stuff like this before, and you've always managed to make it. Besides, Riku's always there to help you."

"And that Esmeralda woman, too," said Goofy.

"You guys will kick the adlets' butts!" Donald asserted.

I couldn't help but smile; their confidence was infectious. "Yeah, you're right!"

"Damn right we're right," said Donald.

In the background, I heard a phone ring. "Busy today?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Goofy. "With both you and Riku out, we're the ones left to do the work. Hang on, I'll answer this."

"Going well?" I asked.

"Well enough," said Donald. "But I should probably get back to it."

"Okay, I'll leave you to it."

"Right. Call us again when you get the chance."

"Gotcha."

After hanging up, I called Lea, who had even less time to speak to me. "Sora! Heard you landed safely."

"Yeah. And we found my mysterious caller."

"So I heard. And, hey, I'd love to hear about what's happened so far, but Leon's kinda breathing down my back with this one assignment."

"Oh, okay."

"Yeah, sorry. But I'm sure you'll do well. Just make sure to come back in one piece."

"Right. See ya."

"Bye."

I hung up and let Riku and Esmeralda back in. "All set?" asked Riku.

I nodded. "Let's get down to business."


ROXAS

It was evening when my plane touched down, though the sun was still in the sky; Alaska days were mostly sunshine in the summer. I'll admit, I was a little excited, though those feelings were partially eclipsed by my worry that I had not managed to shake my nightmares yet.

I had not slept for the rest of the ride. I had been a little tired, but had resisted the urge to try to fall back asleep. I couldn't bring myself to risk another vision of the red-eyed man. Falling asleep that night would be difficult for that reason. So I had finished my book, browsed the options on my TV screen until they ceased entirely to interest me, and stared out the window to pass the time until I arrived. Well, now, I thought, time to start my vacation.

I disembarked from the plane and retrieved my luggage without any hassle. Walking towards the exit, I noticed a somewhat overweight security guard standing by the door, watching it closely with narrowed eyes, as if trying to catch someone coming in. Hoping it was nothing too serious, I went past him and stepped outside.

Now, I needed a place to stay. Fortunately, the contest that Even had won had included provision of a hotel room for the week, not too far from the airport. I just had to tell them that I was Roxas White, in Even Isaacson's party.

Of course, I needed to get there first. I was reluctant to take a taxi—my funds were rather limited at the moment, and I might want to spend a few dollars on something interesting while I was here—but I didn't see an alternative. So I hailed one of the nearby cabs and gave him the name of the hotel. "Sure thing," he said, and I got in.

The ride was short. When we arrived, I got out, paid the driver, and brought my bag into the lobby. A gray-haired man was standing behind the desk, and it was enough to make me shudder. A gray-haired man in a lobby brought back very unpleasant memories. Sure, this guy didn't have long hair or red eyes, but even so, I felt uneasy.

Nevertheless, I forced myself to approach the desk. "May I help you?" said the man.

I nodded. "My name's Roxas White. I'm with Even Isaacson."

"Isaacson?" The man looked at a computer screen. "Ah, yes. There are two bedrooms reserved for him. 406 has been taken, which leaves you with 408." He reached behind the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper and a keycard. "If you could just sign here, please…"

I signed on the line and the man gave me a card. I thanked him and turned for the stairs. Before I got there, though, something caught my eye, and I turned.

A woman was looking at me, a brown-skinned woman with vivid green eyes. I felt a little on edge. Did she want something with me? But, only a couple seconds after I caught her eye, she turned and walked away.

I shook myself. It was probably nothing. I was just on edge because of my nightmare.

I made it up to my room and went in. It was a decent room, with two beds, a TV, and a couple of tables and chairs (as well as other, more standard hotel furnishings).

I dropped my bag next to one of the beds and sat down. Well, I thought, here I am.

For a moment, I sat in silence. Then, out of almost nowhere, I rose and aimed a savage kick at the bed in front of me, earning myself a sore foot. God damn that red-eyed stranger! It was because of him that I needed a vacation in the first place, and even now that I was on it, he still wouldn't leave me alone! Damn him to hell!

And damn Sora, too, for whatever role he had in this. For badgering me after the incident. He had some role in my current condition as well.

I let out a groan and dropped back onto the bed, resting my hurt foot. Well, I could be sure of one thing during this trip. I may not be rid of the red-eyed stranger, but I definitely wouldn't see Sora for this week. Back in New York, there was a chance I might run into him, or that he would track me down again. But there was no chance here. Even Sora wouldn't fly thousands of miles just to try to convince me to believe in vampires. And the odds that he would just happen to be in Juneau at the same time as me were infinitesimal. No, I would not see him here. And, with luck, the same would apply for the red-eyed stranger soon.

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Epic foreshadowing...

I'm making some good progress on this story, so I should get in another chapter fairly soon. Let me know what you think, if there's something you particularly like or want to see.