This chapter follows Chelsea as she meets a new friend.

Chapter 28

Heartless Attack

Chelsea ran farther into the Second District. "Where are you?" she called.

"Help! I'm near the alleyway!" the voice screamed. It seemed to belong to a woman.

"Hang on!" Chelsea called back. She dashed toward the alleyway behind the hotel. From her vantage point, she couldn't see anyone. "Where are you?"

"Down by the grate!" the voice yelled. It sounded muffled.

Chelsea sprinted down the alleyway until she reached the grates. Just before it, she stopped dead in her tracks. Climbing over and around a young woman were huge black things. They had piercing yellow orbs for eyes and stood on their two hind legs. They had scrawny arms and long feelers on the top of their head that dragged on the ground. Also in that mass were tiny blue and silver creatures. They looked like they had armor on. They stood on two feet and had arms. They had yellow orbs for eyes too. They moved in a jerky manor.

"What are these things?" Chelsea thought to herself. She remembered YenSid's words, 'If you think about it long enough, and want it enough, it will happen.' Chelsea thought, "What are these things called? I really want to know what these things are called." Just like that, the name Heartless popped into her head. "Oh so these are the Heartless."

As Chelsea stood there contemplating this, the Heartless began moving closer to her. She concentrated and her Starkeeper appeared in her right hand. She began the swinging rhythm she had learned. The larger of the two creatures took more hits until it disintegrated. The smaller took only a few hits. As they disappeared, a small red and pink heart floated into the air and vanished.

After each of the Heartless was defeated, it seemed like another would appear in its place. Chelsea ran through the swarm of Heartless over to the young woman lying on the ground. She had long sandy brown hair that she had pulled up and held with a red bow. Her hair fell to her mid-back. She had a long pale pink dress on and a pair of weathered brown boots. Her lilac eyes looked up at Chelsea filled with worry. Her dainty figure had scratches over her arms and legs.

"Are you okay?" Chelsea asked.

"I think so, look out!" the girl screamed, pointing behind Chelsea.

"Stay behind me," Chelsea instructed as she spun to ward off the latest attack by the Heartless.

Chelsea began fighting back the Heartless as they relentlessly attacked her. She realized that she couldn't do this all by herself. She began to despair of ever winning. That was when she heard it; her help had come.

"Hey there, looks like you could use some help. Look out 'cause The Great Ninja Yuffie is on the scene," Yuffie declared as she jumped from the balcony above.

"Hey, Yuffie just in time!" Chelsea called swinging at another Heartless.

Yuffie began flinging her ninja stars at the Heartless. Each time one made contact, the Heartless disintegrated in a poof. They each took to fighting the latest wave nearest to them.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, they vanquished the final Heartless. "Pfew…that was hard," Chelsea said slumping down next to the girl.

"Here, this should help…Curaga," the girl murmured. A small yellow flower opened over Chelsea's head. She immediately felt better.

"Thanks, my name is Chelsea."

"No problem, my name is Aerith."

"Aerith, long time, no see," Yuffie said holding out her hand to help her up.

"Hi Yuffie, I've been busy," Aerith said taking Yuffie's hand and pulling herself up.

"You two know each other?" Chelsea asked standing up. The Starkeeper had gone back to keychain form. She began brushing the dust off her clothes.

"Yeah, we grew up together. We used to do everything together," Yuffie explained.

"Uh-huh, there was nothing we didn't share," Aerith added.

"That's cool, I only ever had one friend like that," Chelsea offered.

"So what made the Heartless attack you, Aerith?" Yuffie asked.

"I have no idea. I was heading to the Fairy godmothers house and they swarmed me," Aerith explained.

"What makes the Heartless attack?" Chelsea asked.

"A heart, they attack weak-hearts or hearts that have turned to Darkness. They extract your heart and feed upon it. Then, in turn, you are turned into a Heartless," Yuffie explained solemnly.

"That's horrible!" Chelsea gasped.

"Yeah, I'm lucky you heard me and came to help," Aerith acknowledged.

"Should we head back to my room to catch up?" Yuffie asked turning around. "Oh, hi Leon."

Leon was heading toward the group of conversing girls. He had a meaningful look on his face. He walked in huge strides. "Hi, Chelsea…I see you are back. Come with me, I have more to teach you."

"All right, you go. Aerith and I will be in my room," Yuffie said.

Chelsea had to sprint to keep up with Leon who had kept walking. "Where is he taking me? What else do I need to learn?"

Written by Chelsea