Chapter Eleven

Aqua POV

It was a hot, muggy night on the islands, the cluster of dark clouds cresting the horizon told her that there was a storm coming, if not tonight then tomorrow, and it looked like it was going to be a big one. The static in the air made her short blue hair fluff up in the back like a duck tail, and her efforts to smooth it back only made things worse. She gave up and set off towards home, making a checklist in her head. She planned to stop by the corner store on the way home to pick up a coloring book or something to keep Kairi entertained while she was housebound. She was just rounding the corner when her cellphone began to ring, she answered it, expected Terra or maybe Sora calling to check up on Kairi, instead she got emergency services.

"What's going on?" She demanded after the operator confirmed her address and current location.

"Your security system has been going off, are you alright ma'am?"

Aqua's heart plummeted into her stomach, "Oh no, Kairi..." she whispered to herself.

"Ma'am?" The operator sounded concerned.

"No, it's an emergency," she said, "I need to go." She hung up the phone and ran, her boots pounding on the sidewalk. Overhead the rain began to pour.

XxX

"Damn it!" Aqua swore, her fists were clenched so hard at her sides that her nails were biting into her skin. The alarm was still screaming, and the apartment door was wide open, down stairs, a few neighbors were mulling about, looking annoyed, 'where were you people when Kairi was taken?' Aqua thought. She didn't bother to check the apartment, she knew Kairi wouldn't be there and doing so would only waste valuable time. She called Sora, it wasn't likely that he'd know anything, but he would help. He picked up on the fourth ring,

"Aqua?" He sounded surprised, "what's up?"

"Is Kairi there?"

"What? No she's not here, isn't she at home?"

"No, the alarm has been going off for a while now," said Aqua, on the other end of the line Sora went entirely silent, she couldn't even hear him breathe.

"Where are you?" He asked finally, his voice was hard and brittle.

"I'm on the way to Midnight Blue, do you know where she could be?"

"No, but I think I might know someone who does, can you do me a favor?"

"Is now really the time?"

"Please call Riku for me, we need to cover as much ground as possible, and 3 is better than 2."

"Got it,"

Sora hung up before she was done speaking.

XxX

Sora POV

Sora rushed out of the shop, not even bothering to take off his apron, or tell Cid where he was going. He headed next door first, he had a feeling, a bad feeling, that Lea knew something, he had becoming increasingly paranoid lately Lea wasn't at work, and he wasn't picking up the phone either. 'Well then' Sora thought, annoyed 'I guess I'm looking for two people now'. His heart was racing, he refused to focus on anything but the search, the minute he let himself think he knew his anxiety would set in.

By the time he got to Lea's complex on the other side of the island, he was breathing so heavily he was getting light headed. The light was on in his apartment window, Sora knocked on the door. There was silence for a long time, but Sora knew he was there, and he wasn't leaving until he opened up. At last, the door opened and Lea stepped out, looking tired and disheveled with dark, bruise like circles under his eyes.

"She was taken," he said, it wasn't a question.

"Where is she?"

"She's gone, she's not on the islands."

Sora lost it, he grabbed Lea by the collar of his shirt and slammed him hard against the wall.

"Quit playing games, where is she?"

"She's at sea," He didn't bother pushing Sora off of him, he looked miserable.

"At sea?" He released Lea and the man slumped to the ground, putting his head in his hands.

"Yeah, they have a boat, The Silver Jamboree, I'm sure you've seen the poster, I put it there after all."

"Why? Why is a circus after her, of all things?" Sora asked. Lea stayed silent for a long time, Sora was about to ask him again when he finally spoke.

"You know she isn't human, right?"

"Stop playing games," Sora's voice was deadly serious, "this is your last warning."

"I'm not joking, you know I'm not."

"I don't know what your talking about, always

I know is that you're wasting my time!"

"You've known for a while, or at least you've suspected," Lea said with a bitter smile. Sora felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

"Tell me," he said, "tell me everything."