The light of the candle in Kiva's room died out. She made no move to relight it, nor replace it with other light. She simply sat in the dark, calmly, as if the darkness was no different from the light. Her eyes closed slowly as she sighed deeply, like a wind passing through the night.

Meanwhile,

Yumi sat in her room. Doing nothing. She stared at the wall as if she were going to shoot lasers at it. The wall didn't move. She pointed at the wall. It was oblivious. She replied by throwing a pillow at it. It hit the wall with a soft thump, but didn't move.

"So bored." she mumbled. She sighed loudly, like a dramatic little kid, and flung her arms out. She fell backwards onto her pillows and they made a poof noise as she hit them. "So bored. Bored bored boring bored." She heard a noise outside her window, and opened it quickly. She gasped in shock.

Kiva and Odd,

Kiva sat back against her headboard. She seemed tired all of a sudden. Her eyes slowly shut again. As Odd was about to ask, she stated that she didn't want to continue the story tomorrow. Then she took a deep breath and continued.

"Kiva Andrielle Minimorph. I have been waiting for you."

Kiva shook with fear, and it suddenly became a lot colder in here. Which was strange, it being outside.

"W-w-who are y-you?"

"I- I am not important right now."

"L-leave me alone!"

"I'm sorry child. This is so new to you, isn't it?"

Kiva looked into the eyes of this strange woman. Then she started shouting in a different language of some sort.

"Latria! Hitre las fahr meh yacht!" (1)

"Don't try to confuse me with some made up language."

"Thala-Thala greee!" Kiva stuttered, oblivious. "Huyo atara zeh latra! En comiye su juto!"

"Well, I must admit, you have confused me now. But, no matter." She paused, her dark eyes glowing. "Do you accept the powers you have been offered? Do you promise to use them for good only, or risk losing them forever? You must promise me!"

"I- I want nothing to do with any of this. I don't believe in magic."

"Oh, child, this is not magic. This is- an ability. And I know you want to know what it is."

"You have a point there."

"I won't tell you anything until you say you are willing to take the power and use it wisely."

"Fine! I'll take it. What have I got to lose. It'll get you off my back, at least. And yes, I promise to use the power for good." She held up a hand, with fake seriousness. "Promise."

"Step foward." Kiva did so. "Kneel."

"In the dirt? I don't think so."

"Do you want the power or not?"

"Fine fine I'll kneel already."

"Kiva Andrielle Minimorph," the fortune teller began, holding a staff, "I predict great trouble in your future. Friends in need, more dangerous than you might think. I give you the power of dreams. May you use it wisely, and spare the world someday."

The staff touched Kiva's shoulder, and light flooded onto her skin from it. The light faded out, and Kiva slowly looked up. The woman was gone.

She walked home quickly, believing, now, of magic.

"How is it that I'm not responsible for this? Isn't it obvious? I'm the reason we're here! XANA wants to get rid of me! I've realized now that I've become a threat. I change dreams, I mess up plans. I join you, I become interesting. Aelita's memory is at risk, but not her life. Not yet, anyway. XANA knows how to deal with you. He can't-couldn't- hurt me. Trust me, this is all my fault."

"Ki-"

"Stop it."

"Kiva- It's not your fault! Do you realize how much XANA can hurt all of us with this? He hasn't tried to hurt you yet. Only one time, at the pool. And that could have been anyone."

"I know I sound rediculous. But I can't help it! I can't get us out. I just can't! I've tried and tried, but I can't even skip one level!" She was crying now. She pounded her fist into the wall in anger.

"Kiva! Please don't cry..." The words seemed to have no effect whatsoever, except to make her sob louder. "Ki...I'm sorry! I've already asked too much from you. I can't expect you to just be able to end this whole experience." Noticing this was working, he continued. "We can beat this. We have to. It's not just us anymore. It's... Everyone. The world... The whole world."

Kiva muffled a sob and tried to calm down. It seemed she felt she was messing everything up by making a dramatic scene.

"No, don't do that. You deserve to cry. This was your first mission- well, not counting the fake mission- and that adds a lot of stress."

As Kiva was about to speak, a scream was heard.

"YUMI!" They yelled simultaniously.

And there you have it. R&R.

(1): Don't even try to make sense of this. It means, roughly translated, Gah! Get away from me mind! And it is not able to be translated by anyone but me, the writer, who came up with it.

(2): Leave- Leave here! You better back off! I know karate!"