Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts belongs to Squaresoft and Disney.
My stupid computer keeps shutting down my word processor program. Stupid machines and their anti-human attitudes. This chapter might seem a bit hasty and badly written, but it should be better than the original version.
~~~~~
Cloud jolted up from the tattered old couch, straining his senses in the brightening warehouse. He was sure he had heard something. Leaping to his feet he started for the door. Something didn't feel right.
"Kairi?" he called as he dashed into the snowstorm outside. "Kairi!" sprinting into the street, he searched for any sign of the red-haired girl.
The raging snow had already covered up her tracks, and panic started to rise up within him as he leapt through the snow. He skidded to a halt, noticing dark patches that marked a recent struggle, quickly being covered up by the falling snow.
He ran after the tracks, darting around corners and leaping over debris as he dashed through the network of alleyways. The scuffle marks stopped outside a heavy steel door, hidden in the side of a long forgotten factory.
Cloud focused on the door, sensing movement inside the building as well as on the roof behind him. Slowly turning and pretending as though he were simply glancing down the alley, he looked up to the roof from the corner of his eye. A shadow quickly darted out of his line of vision.
Turning back to the door, he tried it, finding it locked tightly. He stepped back, shrugging and slowly walking back down the alley, making his way back to his warehouse.
~
When he was sure no one was following him, he doubled back, taking a long way around so as to stay undetected.
He leapt onto a large dumpster behind the factory, looking in a low window to try to catch a glimpse of whatever what going on inside. The window was filthy, impossible to see through in the morning light. He cursed quietly to himself, looking around for another window.
There was a broken windowpane several stories up. He spread his wing, scaling the wall and gripping the window as he threw himself inside, landing silently on the floor. No one had noticed his intrusion. Sneaking down the hall, he heard voices coming from inside a room to his left.
Three men were speaking, only one sounding familiar. Cloud's eyes widened in realization. It isn't possible.. He stepped back as his fears were confirmed, someone inside the room had referred to the man as 'Lord Ansem'.
~
"Riku!" Cloud shook the silver-haired boy awake, pulling him out from under the covers and dropping him on the floor.
"Whoa!" Riku rubbed his head, looking up at the one-winged blonde in dismay. "Cloud? What are you doing here? Hey, where's Kairi?" he asked, standing up and searching for his shirt.
"Kairi has been kidnapped, by Ansem." he said simply, looking seriously into the younger male's eyes.
"Ansem?" Riku asked, startled, but trusting Cloud. "But, how? How do you know?" he asked, voice betraying his nearly calm face.
"She came to me for some advice, and I neglected to make sure she returned home safely. I'm sorry, I should have known better than to let her go alone." Cloud looked away from him, "Hurry." He turned and stepped into the hall, making his way downstairs.
"Advice? What advice?" Riku asked suspiciously, stumbling out of the bathroom a moment later.
Cloud looked at him, "I'm sure she would rather explain it to you herself." He said, pushing the front door open and crossing the street. "Go to Yuffie's house and get Squall, tell him we're meeting up at my place, and go with him. I'll be there shortly." he said.
Riku nodded, dashing across Wakka's lawn and jumping the fence, headed toward Yuffie's street.
~
"Squall!! Open up!! It's me, Riku!" he shouted, pounding on the now locked door.
"Riku? What are you doing here? What's wrong?" A half-dressed Squall groaned, opening the door and letting him shove his way inside.
"Ansem took Kairi! Cloud said he'd meet us at his place. Now!" he cried, staring up into the brunette's face.
"Ansem? I though he was destroyed." Yuffie said, walking out of the kitchen in her pajamas and holding an open cereal box. She munched on the cereal, almost uninterested in the fact that Ansem had returned.
Squall pulled on the rest of his clothing, motioning for Yuffie to go back into her room. "Go get dressed! This is kind of important!" He said, slinging the gunblade over his shoulder as the two boys waited for her.
~
"Kyoukou, get your hands off of her." Kutsuu snapped, kicking his brother away as he tried to touch Kairi's limp body.
He glared at the older boy, but obeyed him. "What was the point of that? Now how are we going to get the keyblade master to come to us when he doesn't even know we have her?" He drawled, staring into the fireplace.
"He'll know soon enough. Now shut up." He snapped back, lifting Kairi onto the stained old mattress that rested on the floor.
The younger boy stared lustfully at her, thoughts interrupted when a voice reprimanded him.
"Don't even think about it, Kyoukou. If you so much as touch her, I shall cast you into the deepest pit in Hell." Ansem stepped out of the shadows, looking distastefully around the room.
"Lord Ansem!" Kutsuu said, standing up and bowing.
"Good job, you managed to capture her without causing too much damage." Ansem said, "Now, Kyoukou, be a good little boy and wait outside until our visitors arrive." He smiled at the angry teen, watching as he stomped into the hall and slammed the door.
"Now, where were we?" Ansem grinned, turning expectantly back to Kutsuu.
~
"Riku! Hey, where are you guys goin'?" Wakka asked, catching up to the older boy and resting his blitzball behind his head.
"Wakka! Tidus! Come with us, we may need your help." Squall said, motioning for the two teens to hurry up.
They looked at each other, "Uh, okay. What's up?" Tidus asked, stepping forward and walking beside Squall.
They were about to answer when a flash of yellow appeared out of nowhere and attached itself to Wakka (a/n: Since it is the alternate version, I figured it was about time Wakka got some lovin' too).
"Hi, Selphie!!" Yuffie giggled, waving at her friend as she tried to get Wakka to stop struggling.
Riku looked questioningly at her, "I thought you and Tidus were.." He trailed off, looking at the blonde.
Tidus blushed slightly, "What? Why- Oh, right.. The mall.." He stopped himself, looking down at Selphie as Wakka stumbled and fell on the sidewalk. "Heh, maybe I'll explain it some other time.." he said quietly to Riku, grinning as Selphie stole the blitzball and hid behind Squall.
"Hey!" Wakka tried to grab her, but she dodged away. She giggled and smiled sweetly at him.
"Wow, Wakka just can't leave me alone anymore." She laughed, dancing around Yuffie as she clutched the blitzball tightly.
~~~~
My stupid computer keeps shutting down my word processor program. Stupid machines and their anti-human attitudes. This chapter might seem a bit hasty and badly written, but it should be better than the original version.
~~~~~
Cloud jolted up from the tattered old couch, straining his senses in the brightening warehouse. He was sure he had heard something. Leaping to his feet he started for the door. Something didn't feel right.
"Kairi?" he called as he dashed into the snowstorm outside. "Kairi!" sprinting into the street, he searched for any sign of the red-haired girl.
The raging snow had already covered up her tracks, and panic started to rise up within him as he leapt through the snow. He skidded to a halt, noticing dark patches that marked a recent struggle, quickly being covered up by the falling snow.
He ran after the tracks, darting around corners and leaping over debris as he dashed through the network of alleyways. The scuffle marks stopped outside a heavy steel door, hidden in the side of a long forgotten factory.
Cloud focused on the door, sensing movement inside the building as well as on the roof behind him. Slowly turning and pretending as though he were simply glancing down the alley, he looked up to the roof from the corner of his eye. A shadow quickly darted out of his line of vision.
Turning back to the door, he tried it, finding it locked tightly. He stepped back, shrugging and slowly walking back down the alley, making his way back to his warehouse.
~
When he was sure no one was following him, he doubled back, taking a long way around so as to stay undetected.
He leapt onto a large dumpster behind the factory, looking in a low window to try to catch a glimpse of whatever what going on inside. The window was filthy, impossible to see through in the morning light. He cursed quietly to himself, looking around for another window.
There was a broken windowpane several stories up. He spread his wing, scaling the wall and gripping the window as he threw himself inside, landing silently on the floor. No one had noticed his intrusion. Sneaking down the hall, he heard voices coming from inside a room to his left.
Three men were speaking, only one sounding familiar. Cloud's eyes widened in realization. It isn't possible.. He stepped back as his fears were confirmed, someone inside the room had referred to the man as 'Lord Ansem'.
~
"Riku!" Cloud shook the silver-haired boy awake, pulling him out from under the covers and dropping him on the floor.
"Whoa!" Riku rubbed his head, looking up at the one-winged blonde in dismay. "Cloud? What are you doing here? Hey, where's Kairi?" he asked, standing up and searching for his shirt.
"Kairi has been kidnapped, by Ansem." he said simply, looking seriously into the younger male's eyes.
"Ansem?" Riku asked, startled, but trusting Cloud. "But, how? How do you know?" he asked, voice betraying his nearly calm face.
"She came to me for some advice, and I neglected to make sure she returned home safely. I'm sorry, I should have known better than to let her go alone." Cloud looked away from him, "Hurry." He turned and stepped into the hall, making his way downstairs.
"Advice? What advice?" Riku asked suspiciously, stumbling out of the bathroom a moment later.
Cloud looked at him, "I'm sure she would rather explain it to you herself." He said, pushing the front door open and crossing the street. "Go to Yuffie's house and get Squall, tell him we're meeting up at my place, and go with him. I'll be there shortly." he said.
Riku nodded, dashing across Wakka's lawn and jumping the fence, headed toward Yuffie's street.
~
"Squall!! Open up!! It's me, Riku!" he shouted, pounding on the now locked door.
"Riku? What are you doing here? What's wrong?" A half-dressed Squall groaned, opening the door and letting him shove his way inside.
"Ansem took Kairi! Cloud said he'd meet us at his place. Now!" he cried, staring up into the brunette's face.
"Ansem? I though he was destroyed." Yuffie said, walking out of the kitchen in her pajamas and holding an open cereal box. She munched on the cereal, almost uninterested in the fact that Ansem had returned.
Squall pulled on the rest of his clothing, motioning for Yuffie to go back into her room. "Go get dressed! This is kind of important!" He said, slinging the gunblade over his shoulder as the two boys waited for her.
~
"Kyoukou, get your hands off of her." Kutsuu snapped, kicking his brother away as he tried to touch Kairi's limp body.
He glared at the older boy, but obeyed him. "What was the point of that? Now how are we going to get the keyblade master to come to us when he doesn't even know we have her?" He drawled, staring into the fireplace.
"He'll know soon enough. Now shut up." He snapped back, lifting Kairi onto the stained old mattress that rested on the floor.
The younger boy stared lustfully at her, thoughts interrupted when a voice reprimanded him.
"Don't even think about it, Kyoukou. If you so much as touch her, I shall cast you into the deepest pit in Hell." Ansem stepped out of the shadows, looking distastefully around the room.
"Lord Ansem!" Kutsuu said, standing up and bowing.
"Good job, you managed to capture her without causing too much damage." Ansem said, "Now, Kyoukou, be a good little boy and wait outside until our visitors arrive." He smiled at the angry teen, watching as he stomped into the hall and slammed the door.
"Now, where were we?" Ansem grinned, turning expectantly back to Kutsuu.
~
"Riku! Hey, where are you guys goin'?" Wakka asked, catching up to the older boy and resting his blitzball behind his head.
"Wakka! Tidus! Come with us, we may need your help." Squall said, motioning for the two teens to hurry up.
They looked at each other, "Uh, okay. What's up?" Tidus asked, stepping forward and walking beside Squall.
They were about to answer when a flash of yellow appeared out of nowhere and attached itself to Wakka (a/n: Since it is the alternate version, I figured it was about time Wakka got some lovin' too).
"Hi, Selphie!!" Yuffie giggled, waving at her friend as she tried to get Wakka to stop struggling.
Riku looked questioningly at her, "I thought you and Tidus were.." He trailed off, looking at the blonde.
Tidus blushed slightly, "What? Why- Oh, right.. The mall.." He stopped himself, looking down at Selphie as Wakka stumbled and fell on the sidewalk. "Heh, maybe I'll explain it some other time.." he said quietly to Riku, grinning as Selphie stole the blitzball and hid behind Squall.
"Hey!" Wakka tried to grab her, but she dodged away. She giggled and smiled sweetly at him.
"Wow, Wakka just can't leave me alone anymore." She laughed, dancing around Yuffie as she clutched the blitzball tightly.
~~~~