Alright, so this is 2 out of the 4 chapters that will be posted consecutively. Hopefully I can do this without tiring myself out, since it's been a while—although short—since I've had to write. By the way, I'm sick. Annnd, I've noticed that when I'm sick I do a lot of mistakes In terms of spelling and grammar. I struggle so baaad. DX ugggh.

Warning:

The beginning of this chapter is quite dark. But definitely shows Sora's concern. :3

Chapter Ten
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Nightmares are scary

She was standing in a field of flowers, and wearing a cream coloured dress. She spun around, and giggled along as she did. He smiled at her, and sat on a bench nearby as she acted like an innocent child.

Then, all of a sudden, the scenery changed. The sky that was once blue and calm, turned grey and frightening. The field of flowers turned into a barren land. And the girl that was dancing stopped, and looked out into the distance.

He got up from his bench, and quickly walked towards her. He was pushed back by a force though, and the girl looked at him with frightened eyes.

"Marie..."

As she walked towards him, he felt like she was getting farther and farther. He got up, and started running to her. She stopped, and as he felt like he was getting closer, someone appeared behind her. He shouted, but his voice was not heard.

"Sora...What's wrong?" he heard her ask. As the person got closer to her, Sora was able to see that the guy had a knife. He gasped heavily and tried shouting, even pointing behind her. But as she turned out, it was already too late.

She had been stabbed.

He shouted, yelled, anything to be heard. She bent down, and grabbed her stomach—the place she had been stabbed—and fluttered her eyes closed. Marie looked at Sora, and looked as if she wanted to say something. But the words were not delivered, and she fell to the floor. The man who had been standing behind her, was a man in a black coat who was wearing a hood over his head. Sora could not see his face, but the man looked at Marie's lifeless body before disappearing. The only thing Sora could hear were the words that seemed to haunt him.

"Why didn't you die when the chance was given?"

Sora woke up gasping for air. He started breathing heavily, and noticed that he had been sweating quite profusely. He looked around, and noticed that it was already morning. At least according to his clock.

Before heading out into their next world, which they discovered as the Land of Dragons, Marie had suggested for them to sleep before going. Sora agreed, seeing as how there was going to be a lot of fighting ahead. Even if there wasn't it didn't hurt to take the chance to sleep.

Sora sat up on his bed, and placed his hands on his knees. This was the first time ever having a dream about Marie, and it was definitely not a pleasant one. Of course, this was due to what the man in the black coat said.

"Why didn't you die when the chance was given?"

Although the man never pointed out to who he was talking about, Donald, Goofy and Sora concluded that he was not talking about any of them. Their only answer was Marie. Sora shook his head. Even if Marie had not expressed any opinions or concerns about what the man said, Sora knew that it was bugging her. Heck, it was even bugging him. The world "death" or "die" did not sit well with Sora, especially when it involved the girl he loved. What did this guy know? Was he someone that knew Marie personally? Of so, Sora was going to find out. He couldn't sit or focus well knowing that someone, or something wanted Marie dead.

He sighed, and got up from his bed. He wanted to see Marie, and wanted to make sure she was alright. He walked out of his room, and didn't bother to change out of his oversized red shirt with his black shorts. As he tip-toed across the hall-way, he was thankful that he had socks on, since it made less noise. Once he reached Marie's door he opened it as quietly as he could, and when it squeaked he would stop for a while, and then open it up some more.

Once the door was open enough for him to slide through—which wasn't a lot, considering the boy was pretty slim—he walked in quietly.

The soft pink and beige colours around her room were expected, even for him. He chuckled lightly at how predictable Marie could be. Speaking of which, he looked around the room, and spotted the blonde sleeping in her bed. He walked over to her bed, and when he got close enough he bent down a bit to her level.

She was sleeping soundly, but not happily. He could tell that she looked stressed, and wondered what was going on in her mind. She's so strong, he thought. Anything that bothered her never came out of her. She kept everything in, which disappointed him. He wanted to know how she was feeling at this time, or at that minute, but she never did. She was very quiet about her problems, which concerned him.

How was he suppose to help if she wouldn't tell him anything? He really wanted to change this, and he was going to change it. He sighed softly, and noticed that Marie shifted a bit. A strand of hair was covering her face, and Sora noticed. He smiled warmly at her, and gently removed the strand of hair from her face.

He hadn't noticed before, but her skin was very smooth as well as pale. He never took the time to analyze her appearance, since he was so drawn to her personality. Looks never mattered, and they didn't now. He couldn't help but blush at the realization that Marie was actually cute.

She groaned in her sleep, and Sora took that as a sign to get out. He wasn't going to wait and sit around for her to wake up, since he knew she would beat him and call him a pervert. He got up quietly, and exited the room with ease. He noticed Donald and Goofy were still asleep, and he decided to go back to bed—even if it was for a while.

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Marie

Beep. Beep.

I groaned. I don't want to get up. Five more minutes. Or better—ten more minutes. The beeping got louder and louder, and I knew I was going to have to get up. I groaned in annoyance, and lazily slipped out of my bed. I was feeling so sluggish today, probably because it had been my first day of going back into fighting. Yesterday was the day after my birthday, and even then I didn't get any sleep. Everyone was so eager to move on, but I wanted to sleep. I needed the sleep.

Beep. Beep.

I sighed, and turned off the alarm. I can't believe I'm fifteen. It seems like yesterday I started this whole adventure while being thirteen. Boy, those were the old days. Back then, I didn't know anything about my past. I still don't, but I do know that I originally come from Destiny Islands. Then... I used to live in Hollow Bastion.

As I yawned walking to my closet, I noticed a hat on the floor. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, and picked it up. As I took a closer look at it, I noticed it looked like one of Seifer's hats. What the heck? What's his hat doing here? I shook my head, I'm not even gonna bother question it.

As I opened my closet, I noticed an entirely different outfit placed in it. It was pretty baggy, and it looked like a boy's outfit. The first person I thought of was Sora, but he wouldn't dare enter my room.

Once again, I wasn't going to question it. Ignorance is bliss, after all. I changed into my casual outfit, and went to the bathroom to freshen up. As I brushed my teeth I looked in the mirror, I looked so different from when I was in Twilight Town. I always had my hair kept nicely, and I didn't look I just came back from running a mile. I had to wonder...was this how my life would be all the time? Will there actually be a chance for me to live a normal, teenaged life? I didn't mind fighting bad guys, or helping people out. But, I just had to wonder.

As I finished freshening up, I left my room. I heard people talking, and a duck quaking, and I l knew the rest of the guys were already awake. I walked into the room, and I noticed Sora was groaning. I wonder what happened?

"Aw, c'mon. Can't I take another nap for an hour or so?" begged Sora. I guess he was feeling tired too, and I couldn't blame him. I wanted to go back to sleep, too.

"Aww phooey," replied Donald, who smacked Sora's head lightly. "Let's just go already!"

as I walked towards my chair, Goofy looked over to me. He gave me a smile, and I smiled back. "How ya doin', Marie?"

By this time, both Sora and Donald stopped talking to each other, and looked over to me. I smiled at them all. "Well, I'm really glad we got to sleep before going to the next world. I feel refreshed."

Big fat lie. I didn't feel refreshed. I still felt tired, and I wanted to sleep all day and night. But I know we have important stuff to do, so I had to keep it inside. Donald gave the go for Sora to drive us towards the next world, and I sat down patiently while waiting to arrive. I really wonder what this world is like, and I hope we don't come into contact with Organization XIII.

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Aura

"Why did you give her those clothes and your hat?" asked Riku. He was finding it weird that she was putting male clothing in her closet, but he hoped that she had a good reason behind it. Aura looked into the town, and watched as Hayner, Pence and Olette walked around. She wondered how they were doing now that their quartet turned back into a trio. She lowered her eyes as the cool breeze touched her hair. She felt weird without her hat.

"I checked out the world they were visiting, and there's a girl in guy clothes trying to join the army there," she replied, scratching her arm. "If my guess is right, Sora'll most likely want to join."

"Oh, I get it." Riku nodded in understanding, since he knew that Marie would have to join as well. "So I'm guessing this girl has to dress up like a guy to join the army."

"You're smarter than you look," she replied, not bothering to turn towards him. She was finding it weird that she was able to talk to Riku about these things; her plans. But she didn't really have anyone to trust, and Riku was no exception. But somehow, he was allowed to know some information that she provided. If he asked too much, she would ignore him for the rest of the day, or leave. He knew this, so he didn't ask more than he needed to, and had to guess the rest.

"Hmph. If I didn't know any better, I would say that was a compliment," he smirked, and Aura scoffed. Oh yeah, he successfully annoyed her. She got up from her sitting spot, and walked towards the stairs leading down to the train station. Riku chuckled, and got up as well. When Aura noticed this, she stopped and turned around.

"Why do you...stay with me?" she asked, not really knowing how to word it. But she was a Nobody, something that DiZ really hated. She was just a waste of space, and she didn't—couldn't understand why a guy with a heart and feelings like Riku was always hanging around with her.

"I guess I like you," he said, plain and simple. He didn't know what he meant by that yet, but there was something pulling him to her. He wondered if this was the same thing for Roxas.

"You guess?" she scoffed. There was a long silence between the two teens, and Aura sighed. She didn't know what to think at this point. Axel was now the enemy, and Roxas was far-far away. Marie had no knowledge of her existence, and Naminé was kept under tight security. Well, whatever type of security DiZ was.

So really, the only person she had...was Riku. She dropped her shoulders, and looked at him. She couldn't see his face, since it was hidden behind the black coat that she once wore. But even then, his face now...it only resembled Xemnas.

"...I guess I can see how Marie likes you," stated Aura. She had her hands on her hips, and smirked at Riku. "Come on, help me take one of Seifer's hats."

Riku chuckled, and was quite surprised at how becoming Aura was being. She was showing more emotion, and he felt really proud of himself knowing that he was the one changing that about her.

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Marie

Aw man, fighting off space Heartless definitely is worse than fighting them mano-a-mano. The ship kept rocking back and forth, and we got hit several times. Though thankfully, Goofy was excellent with his section. Donald was also great with his firing, and Sora did pretty darn good with his manoeuvring.

As soon as the battle was over, Sora stopped the ship. I made sure everything was still intact, and when I did I told Sora it was okay. He gave me a thumbs up, and began to descend towards the next world. I couldn't stay seated in my chair, since going to new worlds always excited me.

As Sora descended lower and lower, he lightly bumped the ship on the ground. He still needed work on landing, but at least we were on the planet. I took off my seat belt, and quickly got up to run towards the exit. I heard Sora laugh, and when the door opened I was welcomed with fresh and outdoor air! I heard footsteps behind me, and Donald, Goofy and Sora were following close behind.

I walked down the stairs, and my feet met with the hard, uneven floor. It was a mud path, but the mud was dried up. I waited for the other guys to walk down, and when they did the ship closed it's door. We all looked ahead, and started walking.

"What do you think this world is like?" I asked as we walked further and further away from the ship. Sora placed his hand behind his head as he began to think, and both Donald and Goofy placed a finger on their chin.

But as soon as any of them could say anything, Goofy stopped as he saw something. I stopped as well, and when I looked at what he was looking, a girl was standing in front of a ferocious looking monster. She looked terrified.

"A Heartless?" asked Donald as we all huddled up. Sora suggested that we should take the initiative, but I was a little sceptic. Goofy agreed saying we should observe first before heading in, and I also voiced this.

"Goofy's right! We should observe—"

But before my words were heard, Sora and Donald ran towards the young woman. I sighed, and Goofy and I followed close behind. As Sora and Donald ran further towards them, a little red dragon ran into the woman's hands and she covered it. I raised my eyebrow, that dragon looked awfully familiar.

"Isn't that Mushu?" right! Mushu! That's who that little dragon was. He helped us a lot last year, and even though he was tiny, he was very useful. Mushu jumped out from the woman's grasp, and he started getting defensive. He probably thought we were enemies or something.

"Hey, Mushu! We missed you!" shouted Sora, smiling at the little dragon. Mushu started yelling at us, getting defensive again. He looked at us, though, and he started talking slower.

"Unless you're..." he stopped as he got a closer look at us. "...Sora! Donald! Goofy! Marie!"

Sora yet again placed his hands behind the back of his head, and Donald tapped his foot proudly while Goofy scratched the back of his head. I clasped my hands together as I smiled at Mushu. The woman asked him if he knew us, and Mushu went on saying that we all used to kick bad guy butts. Sora laughed, and looked at the woman.

"And.. you are?" he asked.

The woman got up slowly, and she began to talk. "I'm Mulan."

"Um, no, I-I mean..." her voice suddenly got deeper, and I raised my eyes to it. Mushu interrupted, and he called her "Ping".

"Mulan Ping?" asked Donald, sounding a but sceptic.

"Just Ping. I am son of Fa Zhou." son? But this was a woman, I know it. I lowered my head, and started thinking about why she would refer to herself as a "son". Sora asked the woman—er, man—how he knew Mushu, and he told us that Mushu was one of his family guardians. Goofy apologized about borrowing someone as important as Mushu, and immediately, the little dragon popped his head to us.

"Yeah, that's right!" he said, walking back to Ping. "And that puts you four up to your eyeballs in debt to Ping here."

"Oh, sure. We don't mind helping," I said, hoping the others wouldn't mind. As I looked at them though, they didn't seem to mind, which was good. Mushu told us that Ping was about to join the imperial army, and they were about to go find the other recruits at the training camp.

"Would you join us?" asked Ping. "It'll be easier if I fit in with guys, like you three."

Sora asked Ping what he meant by fit in, and Mushu told us it wasn't important. But it was plain to see that this Ping, or rather, Mulan, was dressing up as a guy. And the only person to word it was Goofy. "You're pretendin' to be a boy, aren't you?"

there was a slight silence, and then suddenly both Sora and Donald gasped with the realization. Sora pointed at Mulan, and spoke. "You're a...girl?"

As I looked at Mulan, she clasped her hands together, and had the cutest expression on her face. She gave a closed smile, and twirled abit. I couldn't help but scrunch my hands together at how cute it even was. She asked us if we could notice, and both Donald and Sora couldn't.

"I think it's working," Mulan told Mushu. He crossed his arms, and looked at Sora and Donald, saying that anything would fool those two. That was true, but I wasn't the one who said it. I laughed along with the comment, though, but then I gasped.

"Wait...if you're dressing up as a boy, than you can't enter the army as a girl, right?" I asked, placing a finger in my chin. Mulan lowered her head, which only answered my question as positive. I thought for a moment, and then I sighed. "Well, how am I going to get in?"

"I'm sorry, I only have one outfit," replied Mulan. She lowered her head, and I waved my hands telling her it wasn't her fault. Goofy and Donald also thought about it, and Sora scratched the back of his head.

"Well, why'd you have to be a girl?"

"Mushu!" Mulan and I scolded in unison. He held his hands in the air, admitting defeat. I grunted, and started getting annoyed.

But then it hit me! The outfit in my room! There was a guy's outfit placed in my closet. That would help me! I squealed out of pure joy, and the boys all looked at me. I raised my hand in the air, and I smiled at them all. "Don't worry about me! You guys go on ahead, and I'll meet up with you."

Without taking a chance to hear any of them speak, I quickly ran to Sora and took the keys from his pocket. Don't ask me how I knew where they were, but as I took them I started running towards the ship.

"Marie!" I heard Sora call out my name, and I didn't turn back. As I ran towards the ship, the only thing that I could think about was: what name should I use as a boy?

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Sora

Sora sighed and dropped his shoulders in defeat. Donald and Goofy were really confused, as well as Mushu. The only person who had an inkling about what she was going to do was Mulan. Heck, girls knew what other girls were thinking most of the time. Well, that, and because it was pretty obvious.

"Well, we should go," suggested Mulan, or Ping, as she referred to herself. Sora asked about Marie, and Ping stopped to look at him. "She'll come meet us, but I don't think she'll be "Marie" anymore."

Sora was beyond confused now.

Yay, another chapter! Marie is about to turn into a boy—appearance wise, of course. I'll post up the picture in the next chapter, so be sure to look at it before reading the chapter!