This things was being stupid to me again (pouts) it won't upload RTF's for some reason so I had to take who knows HOW long in order to find another program that I have that would upload it and keep in all of the periods and all. Oh well, if it's for the readers then I'll do it! (jumps with a V for victory) here is chapter 10 of "Kokoro"! (we're already on chapter 10? Whoa... we have a loooooooong way to go. O.o)

Kokoro fall into darkness, her hand outstretched to no one. "Aki... Aki!" Soon she hit the ground and her entire world went black.

She opened her eyes, looking up at the only light that was in the vast darkness. A pair of wings, the feathers falling gently down. Kokoro started to focus in on the bearer of the wings, looking in amazement and joy. "How come I knew?" Kokoro sat up, ready to call the boy's name. She took in the breath but the shadow figure shattered into light orbs, just like Toboe, and the feathers fell as dust. She looked, bewildered, at what was left of the figure. Kokoro then stood up, only to come face to face with another girl. She was a little shorter then Kokoro. She wore black spandex with blue shorts over that. Going a little over her shorts was a white sleeveless shirt covered by a black jacket that was rolled up her arms to her elbows. Her hair was short and black, while her eyes pierced anyone who looked at them with a deep green. "Hotaru..."

The girl looked at Kokoro's face, then at her chest. She pointed in silence, making Kokoro look down. The darkness was spreading over her chest, over to her arms. Kokoro again looked at Hotaru, but got no response. The scream, the same scream that invaded her head in her home world, came back and again started to eat at her heart and mind. "What... what the hell is wrong with me!" Kokoro yelled out. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, trying to stop the pain. Someone came up to her and placed their hand over her heart. Kokoro looked up at the person, shocked. "Not... you too..."

Kokoro shot up from her bed, looking around in her dark surroundings. The gang had landed on the new world and have stayed there for three days now. They were at East Headquarters, awaiting a meeting with the State Alchemists Edward Elric and Roy Mustang. Because of the recent events Sora arranged for a meeting with the two. Somehow Mustang agreed and even got the youngest State Alchemist in history to come along. She now stayed in one of the guest rooms, all alone. Everyone had their own rooms in the building. The bed, with red lining and bronze frame, was against the middle wall to the back of the room. The only other things were the green and red carpet, the bed stand to her left holding simple lamp, phone, and notebook with a pen, and the dark brown dresser with a mirror to the right of her. Kokoro had a room with a window, which was always lit up with the city lights. She looked out that very window, her room dark but illuminated with the lights created by civilization. Kokoro then thought about the crystal that went through her and what might happen now that she knows what she is doing. Thinking about this made her chest ache a bit, the scar never seemed to heal. Kokoro placed her hand over the scar, thinking of the nightmare she just had. No later did she yawn and try to fall asleep again. The noises outside were common, but it was the voices in her head that she couldn't get used to. Kokoro covered her head with her blanket, hiding under the covers like a child. "What's wrong with me? I want to know..." She curled up into a ball, thinking of the answer. "This is all happening... way too fast..."
Momo knocked on the door when morning had finally arrived. It was almost the afternoon, and almost time for the meeting with the Alchemists. "Kokoro? Are you awake?" She knocked on the door again, but there was no answer. "Kokoro, I'm coming in." She opened the door to find the bed made and a note on the pillow. Momo walked up to the bed and read the note, no later yelling for Sora and Aki out in the hallway. When the two came Momo waved around the note. "Kokoro ran away!"

"What!" Both said in shock at the same time.

Momo cleared her throat and started to read the letter. "Sure this isn't like me, but things have been changing sense our normal school days. I need answers and my friends know how determined I am to do that. I went out to look for the Royalty here myself. Heck, maybe I'll find an element too. I've been having this odd feeling, these past three days, that makes me think an element is somewhere around here. I know it's not water or fire, those just don't feel right. I think it's earth. I think the earth elemental relic is here and that crater in the last world was caused by it. The element's acting on it's own ya know? Who knows, I might be looking too far into this, that was always my weak point in english. Anyway, I went looking for the earth relic. Don't worry about following me, I can handle myself. Aki knows how I am when I get really pissed. Talk later! PS, I won't use my element to pass out and if things get too tough I'll come right back okay? Signed Kokoro." She passed the letter on to Aki, who skimmed it quickly. She in turn passed it to Sora, who also skimmed it. Both wanted to make sure that Momo wasn't making it all up. "Now what!"

"We go to the meeting." Sora said, passing it back. "Aki and I will go, you look for Kokoro."

Momo folded up the letter and put it in her pocket. "Leave it to me!" She then ran down the hallway, got her sword and Reiki, and started to search throughout town.

"Shall we go?" Aki started the opposite side of the hallway, going to the conference room. Sora looked back to where Momo ran, then followed Aki to the meeting with the Alchemists.

Sora and Aki walked into the conference room, a long wooden table sat in the middle of the important room. It was surrounded with chairs and had nothing on top of it. The windows were all closed and the dark green drapes pulled over them, leaving the room dark. The only light came from the ceiling chandeliers which were lit to their fullest, giving the warmth of the full flush to the room. Sora and Aki walked to the far end of the table, sitting next to a man with black hair; the alchemist Mustang. Standing behind and to the right of Mustang was Edward Elric, who didn't look like he was too interested in meeting these people. "Sorry, we had some problems." Sora said as they sat down. Aki looked up at Edward, making him look away. "We came to talk about-"

"The recent disappearances and assault cases." Mustang opened the large file on his desk and started to skim over it. "There have been many more attacks recently, not to count the recent spike in earthly activities. You said you had an explanation for all of this?"

"Yeah." Sora cleared his throat, this was going to be hard to tell them. Only a few years ago he wouldn't believe himself. "It's a race of creatures known as the Heartless who are making people vanish and doing the assaults, then the earth stuff is because of the element that's around here... somewhere. It's been jumping from world to world to get away from-"

"You want us to believe that?" Edward asked, clenching his hands. "Don't make up stories now..."

Aki looked down at the table, then hid her hands under it. "You can believe it if you want, what we speak is only too true."

Mustang thought over the recent events in the room, then closed the file. "I'm sorry, but this isn't going to work unless you show us more evidence about it."

"But we don't have time for that." Sora glared down the table at him, then at Edward. "The Heartless are after someone here, and are working with someone very dangerous. You have to help us find them before they do!"

Ed looked around the room, then got the courage to ask. "Where are the other two?"

"We lost one of them, so the other went to look." Aki said, summing it up in her own unique way. Sora looked at her, then took a deep breath, knowing that it was what really was happening. There was a knocking at the door, then it was opened and Aki looked, shocked. "Hey!"

Mustang stood as the blonde boy walked in, wearing a State Alchemist military uniform. "I would like for you to meet one of the only other young alchemists in this building. The Fusing Alchemist Mark-"

"Mark!" Aki got up and gave him a hug, ruining his composure. "So you got out all right! Great!"

Mark fixed his uniform and looked at her. "Hey, I'm trying to look professional... this is my first day working here. I just passed the exam not too long ago." He stood up right again, motioning for Aki to sit back down. She did as somewhat told and looked up at him, if he made it others made it too. "Colonel Mustang, there is something suspicious downtown. It might be connected with the other cases."

"all right then. You and Fullmetal go out and check on things, this meeting is adjourned." Mustang took the file and started out of the room.

Edward slammed his left hand into the table, "Something as petty as that, with a newbie!"

"This meeting is adjourned." Mustang said one more time before opening the door and leaving. Aki looked up at Mark again, giving a thumbs up while the young boy loosened the collar of his uniform. Edward took his hand off of the table and started out.

"He didn't help any..." Sora complained, getting up as well.

Edward opened the door and looked back at them, "Hurry up Mark, we have to go down town." All of them then left to find out what kind of "suspicious activity" was happening there.

Kokoro walked past many stores and people, following her instinct. She then stopped when she heard a type of growling. It slowly got louder and she found where it was coming from. Kokoro put her hands over her stomach and looked around at the stores with food. "I should have ate something... and I have no money... great thinking Kokoro, just great... hmm?" She sniffed into the air, getting the minty smell of something delicious. She started towards it, leading Kokoro to a small bakery on the corner of an alley. Without tripping on any loose stone in the cobble stone street she opened the door, letting the bell ring, and walked into the shop. It was full of all of the best baked goods and it was making her drool. Kokoro went right up to the glass counter and looked at the cakes and breads, then on top of the counter. A small test tray of mints was there. "This look strangely familiar..." She took off the cover and grabbed a small round mint, half blue and half chocolate, and popped it in her mouth. The taste was something that she remembered very well. "These... are Laura's mints!"

"What about them?" Out of the back room came the person of the conversation. Laura walked out with another tray of the mints, a white shirt, and the checkered pants. Kokoro waved to her, happy to see another. "Kokoro!"

"Yup..." She swallowed the mint, laughing. "Yep! That's my name now! So, how are you doing? How did you make it out of our world? Are you doing okay here?" Kokoro wanted to keep talking, but Laura dropped her plate of mints. "What is it?"

Laura pointed, giving her high pitch baby like scream. "Behind you Kokoro..." She said in her 'oh my god I have to get out of here' way.

Kokoro turned around and looked at the man towering over her. She didn't know what to do but look. He turnd his attention down at her, then moved to the side. Kokoro still looked up at him, not wanting to leave a new found friend alone with someone like that. "Umm... can we help you?"

"I want... you..." The man looked at Kokoro, his eyes glowing yellow. She felt the element again, this time at it's strongest. She took a step back, going against the counter. "I need... to stop you... elementist..."

"Laura, get in the back, don't come out okay?" Kokoro said, still looking at the man's eyes. Laura was hesitant and didn't move. "When this is over I'm going to have some mints okay? Make a big blue and chocolate one okay?" She looked at the chef and gave a thumbs up. Laura took the hint and went to the back, closing the bakery door. Kokoro turned back to the pale man again, his long black hair covered his face and his black robe covering the rest of his body. "Okay then... this is my first time finding an element."

"You will not use me!" He grabbed Kokoro by the collar of her shirt and threw her out of the store, by way of the window. Momo stopped in her tracks, walking past the window and almost getting hit by Kokoro.

The man also walked out of the window, attracting the attention of the spectators in town. Momo ran over to Kokoro, who was just now standing up from the 'toss'. "Hey, you okay?"

Kokoro wiped a cut on her cheek from the glass, then formed her Keyblades. "Did Sora ever say what a relic looked like?"

"No..." Momo looked at the strange man taking heavy steps towards them.

"I think... this is a relic... but there sure as hell ain't no temple." Kokoro got in battle position, ready to start her rights as an elementist. "Get ready!"

Momo pulled the Reiki off of her back. "Ready."

"Ready steady go!" Kokoro yelled out, both headed straight towards the man who knew of the earth element.