The next morning...

"Mia, our friend is dead." Tidus said sadly in front of the small grave.
It was the next day. They were now holding a small funeral for Mia. They had buried her in a small sandy grave. A small cross was at the head of it.
"Mia was like a sister to all of us. I know I'll miss her very much." Sora said sadly.

Riku sank to his knees in front of the grave. He clenched a handful of sand tightly in his fist. He couldn't believe it. The love of his life was gone. Stolen from him by some worthless piece of scum.

"Riku..." Sora asked after the funeral. "I know this was hard on you, but did you see the one who did this?"
"I know that when I catch him he'll be dead five times before he hits the ground." Riku said angrily.
"I mean what did he look like?"
Riku sighed. "He had short blue hair. He had golden cat-like eyes and wore dark blue armor with a cape and a Heartless insignia on his chest."
"Sounds like a real nutcase." Rikku said choking back tears.
"I KNOW!" Tidus yelled out of the blue. "LETS CHECK TRAVERSE TOWN!!"
"Why Traverse town?" Sora asked.
"DUH! WE'RE LOOKING FOR A PSYCHO! WE MET KATIE THERE!!"
"Do you still have a grudge against her?"
"I still haven't forgiven her for the belching incident. Plus I still haven't got any money thanks to her..."

Meanwhile in Traverse town...

Leon shuddered. "Evil is coming."
"What makes you say that?" Yuffie asked.
Suddenly a flash of lightning boomed and Katie and Carolyn stood at the door.
"Hello." Katie said waving.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Everyone screamed.
"What?" Katie asked.
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!" Cloud said making a cross with his fingers.
"GO BACK TO HELL WHERE YOU CAME FROM!!!" Aerith screamed.
"Don't worry Carolyn where not talking to you." Yuffie said nodding.
"SCREW YOU!!" Katie bellowed.

Suddenly Sora, Riku, Kairi, and all the others burst in.
"HI GUYS!! DIDJA MISS ME?!" Katie said happily.
"NO!!" Everyone screamed.
Katie made a rude gesture with her middle finger that made Rikku faint.
"Where's Mia?" Carolyn asked.
"Dead..." Riku said sadly.
"REALLY?!" Katie said happily. "I mean really...?"
Riku narrowed his eyes and drew his sword.
"I'm gonna die now aren't I?" Katie whimpered.
"Yes you are!" Riku snapped.
"Hold on..." Katie put a blindfold over her eyes. "Ok I'm ready."

Sora put his hand on Riku's arm. "No, no Riku, enough blood has been spilled."
Riku put his blade back. "Watch your back..." He snapped at Katie.
"Okay..." She whimpered.

"Did you guys miss ME?" Carolyn asked.
"YES!" Everyone yelled.
"It's a gift." She said smiling.
"Is it true?" Yuffie whispered. "Is Mia really dead?"
"It's true." Riku said sadly.
"How?" Aerith whispered.
"She was murdered." Riku explained. "I was hoping one of you guys could tell me about the guy who I saw do it."
Riku described the unknown killer to them. When he was finished Cloud's eyes widened.
"I KNOW HIM!" He cried. "I fought him in the coliseum!"

Riku grabbed Cloud by the front of the shirt and glared at him.
"Listen Cloud, that scum robbed me of the girl I loved. Now tell me everything you know about him!"
"They called him Cedric. This guy was tough! I couldn't lay a finger on him! He was almost invincible!"
"Thanks." Riku said releasing him.
"Well we know his name and what he looks like but we still need to figure out where he lives." Sora said frowning.
"He looked like he was my age." Riku said thinking hard. "Maybe he lives at home with his parents."
"I doubt a PRINCE would live that way." Cloud said rolling his eyes.
"PRINCE??"
"They didn't call him 'Prince Cedric' for their health now did they?"
"What was he prince of?" Wakka grumbled. "The group of rotten murderers?!"
"No, he was prince of Hollow Bastion!" Cloud yelled.
"HOLY SHIT!" Katie shrieked.
"Quit swearing!" Carolyn yelled smacking her. She turned to face Sora and the others.
"Listen, we're bored out of our minds. Plus that Mia kid was really nice. We'll go along with you and offer our services anyway we can."
"Thanks." Riku said smiling.
"You sure you guys can handle it?" Wakka asked.
"CAN WE HANDLE IT?!" Katie cried. "Buddy, I'm a full-time idiot, part-time guardian!"
"MY guardian to be exact." Caroyn said nodding.
"I pity you." Tidus sighed.
Carolyn smiled and got into her famous victory pose where she put one hand on her hip and gave a salute.
"No worries! Just leave it to us professionals! We beat up dozens of monsters daily!"
"Alright then," Riku said stepping outside. "I swear upon my life that I will track down Mia's killer and avenge her death!"
"Good luck you guys." Aerith said. "And Riku? I'm sorry about Mia. It was obvious that she really loved you."
"Thanks Aerith." Riku said sadly.

That night on the gummi ship Riku couldn't sleep. Whenever he closed his eyes he could see Mia getting stabbed by Cedric. He opened his eyes. He could hear people talking upstairs. He walked up the metal steps and listen outside the door.

"I feel so bad for Riku." He heard Kairi's voice say. "It wasn't fair."
"Life's not fair, that's just the way it is." Lulu sighed.
"Why did this have to happen?" Rikku said sadly, "What good does hurting people do? It just causes more pain! It doesn't change anything!"
"All I know is," Wakka said angrily, "When we catch up to that Cedric punk I'm gonna wring his puny little neck!"
"Count me in!" Tidus said raising his hand.
"Me too!" Katie added.
"NO!"
"I doubt they'll be any of him left to wring when Riku is finished with him." Carolyn sighed.
"Shh!" Yuna whispered. "You'll wake him up!"

Riku walked back down the metal stairs and plopped back down in his chair. He gazed out the large cockpit window.
"This place brings back memories..." He thought gazing out the window at inner space.

*Flashback*

*"I for one am excited!" Mia said eagerly gazing out the window, "I've always wanted to travel to other worlds!"
Riku's eyes widened. "You have?"
"Oh yes! Ever since I was very young I've wanted to go exploring on an adventure like this! Now I'm living my dream!"
Riku smiled. She wanted to see other worlds too. That was just like him.*

Tears filled Riku's eyes.
"Mia, why did you have to die?" He thought to himself. "Why did Cedric take you away from me? It doesn't make any sense. I never did anything to him! Does he just like to kill?!"
Riku stood up and clenched his fist. Tears of anger and grief streaked his face.
"Well he picked the wrong girl to murder! He'll die in my hand!"

"This is playing out even better than I imagined." Cedric sneered.
He was in his throne room watching Riku's scene of grief in a hologram.
"Play back the part when he saw her die! That's my favorite part!" He ordered one of the Heartless.

After he watched the scene again he got up from his throne. A young girl lay unconscious on the floor in the center of the room. She had long orange-red hair tied back in a braid with white ribbons. She wore a yellow shirt, a necklace with a pink heart-shaped pendant, blue jeans, and white sneakers.

He smiled and touched her cheek.
"So beautiful. Riku never deserved her. A traitor to darkness could never be worth anything."

He looked at the hologram. "Well it appears that those fools have already reached Deep Jungle. They'll reach here by tomorrow. I must prepare for them."
He turned and started out of the room.
"Lock her in the back room!" He yelled to the Heartless. "If that boy shows up then keep him away from her!"

They landed in Deep Jungle near the tree house. An army of heartless immediately confronted them.

"This may take awhile." Tidus moaned.
"Says you!" Carolyn laughed. She waved her hand. Half the heartless flew into the air and slammed into trees and fell to the ground dead.
"This may sting a little." She said with a huge smile. A huge ray of light flew from her right hand and wiped out the last of the heartless.
"What the hell was that?" Wakka cried.
"Oh nothing really, just the power of light and justice flying from my hands and blowing them to bits." Carolyn said grinning.
"You ARE good at fighting!" Rikku said stunned.
"Obviously. She's famous in our world!" Katie said beaming.

They reached the tree house. Riku slept outside while the other stayed inside. He lay in the boat elevator that hung to the left of the tree house. It swung back and forth in the wind.
He remembered this place all right. He looked down into the jungle at the lagoon. It was in that lagoon where he and Mia had shared their first kiss. It seemed like yesterday.

*Flashback*

* Mia looked up at Riku and smiled. Happiness reflected off her face. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He couldn't help blushing. He looked back at her and smiled.
Both of them leaned towards each other and kissed on the lips*

That memory made him even angrier with Cedric. He wanted to cut that murderer's throat. He wanted to torture him with a slow agonizing death like Cedric had done to Mia.
Riku shook his head. He couldn't keep thinking like that. He didn't want to sink to Cedric's level. But he couldn't help seeing Mia lying there on the ground covered in her own blood as she whispered her final words.

The next day back on the gummi ship Carolyn was telling them about their world.

"It has a city in the clouds called Faerieland. Every Friday there's a tournament that I compete in on my own. It's kind of annoying being a celebrity."
"Let's not hear any sob stories about how you're so upset about being famous! Meanwhile I'm the one on the sidelines waving pom-poms!" Katie snapped.
"You want a piece of me?!" Carolyn yelled.
They dove at each other punching and kicking. Tidus and Wakka had to pull them apart.
"Save it for Cedric." Sora said calmly.
"Speak of the devil." Lulu said pointing out the cockpit window.

The ominous shadowy figure of Hollow Bastion loomed in the distance.

"That scum is hiding in there somewhere." Riku muttered. "And I'm gonna find him!"