The glow of early morning light filled Sora's room. He opened his eyes to the morning. He squirmed, stretching his arms above his head. Every muscle in his body hurt like hell, but he was used to it. Battling the powers of darkness always took its toll on his body. He sat up in bed, the covers dropping down to his waist. His chest was exposed, perfectly toned. He looked down at himself. He was a model man, save for the riddling of scars. He looked out the window, the sun already warming his skin. He decided breakfast at the pub was just what he needed. Climbing out of bed, Sora heard movement on his balcony. He suddenly remembered Phoenix, and hurried out the door.

Phoenix watched as life began on the streets of Traverse Town. Sora was right. The streets did glow in the early morning light. Everything looked so peaceful, as if nothing ever happened once night fell. She looked on as a group of young children played games together. A baker strolled down the street, a platter of fresh bread in his hand. An old woman carefully chose tomatoes from a produce stand. A young couple held hands as they walked. They were so carefree, so unaware. 'If only I could be like that' she thought.

She sensed someone watching her from behind. She whirled, ready for combat. Sora stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but a baggy pair of pants. She couldn't help but stare. His naked chest was covered in scars, all shapes and sizes. His arms were long and muscular. His face, still soft from sleep, was cut and rugged. His aqua eyes held the look of a man who has seen much. He looked worried, as if something had roused him from a deep sleep.
"What's wrong?" she asked. Sora shook his head.
"Nothing. I just. I just thought someone was out here. Someone besides you". She watched as his expression changed from one of concern to one of guarded casualty. He suddenly realized he was practically naked, and folded his arms across his chest.
"How did you sleep?" he asked.
"A little rough. Crazy dreams," she replied. Sora nodded.
"Yeah. Me too. Last night was pretty rough. I don't think I've ever come up against a Heartless that large".
"You haven't. It was the first of its kind. It's called a SoulStealer. They are very hard to destroy. You have to know the exact place to hit them, otherwise you're toast," Phoenix explained. Sora looked puzzled, but said nothing. "Do you have any food around here"?
"Nothing you could call edible. I was gonna head down to the pub for something," Sora replied with a humorous lilt to his voice. Phoenix smiled.
"I'll get dressed". Once she was back inside, Sora plopped into one of the ancient chairs that sat near the balcony rail. He was still tired, and his ribs hurt like hell.
"Some salmon ought to fix that," he said to himself. He stood and returned inside.

Breakfast time at the pub was always busy. They had the best breakfast menu in town. Sora looked across the table at Phoenix, still wondering just who she was. She had changed from her black jumpsuit into a short white skirt with a T-shirt to match. She also wore a white cardigan with a jet-black emblem on the back. Sora decided to ask her about it.
"What's with the emblem?" he asked casually. Phoenix looked up from her glass of juice.
"It's a symbol. In ancient times, this symbol meant 'cursed'," she explained. Sora was once again stumped.
"Then. why do you wear it"? Phoenix avoided his eyes.
"No reason," she mumbled. Sora decided to leave it alone.
"Hey, look. I enjoy sitting on pins and needles as much as the next guy, but it's getting old. How about telling me what exactly is going on". Phoenix looked at him, and his heart skipped a beat again.
"I suppose you deserve an explanation. It's an awfully long story," she replied.
"We've got time," Sora said plainly. Phoenix nodded.
"Then, I guess the best place to start is the air soldier attack last night". Sora blinked.
"How did you know about that"?
"I was there. Watching you. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that they weren't after you," Phoenix replied. Sora sat back in his chair.
"So who were they after"? Phoenix let her gaze drop to her juice.
"Me". Sora remained silent. This was getting weird.
"Why were they after you?" he asked.
"I. have something. something they want. I came to Traverse Town to get away from them. And to find you". She took a sip of her juice.
"When I was fighting them, I thought I could feel a deep evil seeping from them. Something I've never felt in a Heartless before. They seemed. preoccupied when I intercepted them," Sora said.
"So, you believe me?" Phoenix asked mildly.
"Yeah. Yeah I believe you. Tell me more". He crossed his arms, waiting to hear the whole story.