DISCLAIMER: If it was in a book, game, anime, cartoon, movie, or anything else (Besides this fanfiction) I don't own it.

Yep, there's more! ^_^ I already wrote this chapter, but the computer it was saved on died before I could upload it, so I'm hopeing to re-write it without too many changes, except for the better. However, this computer doesn't have spell-check. Bleg. *Makes a face* I'll do my best...

Takes place about six years after the previous chapter. Which means Neko's thirteen, Takeo's fourteen, Oni would be fifteen, and Anzu would be a mere twelve.

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Experimental

Kurayami: Part One

Only Me, Alone

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~~ Outside Leon's rooms

Takeo knocks on the oak door. Shifting restlessly and his eyes dark with worry, he runs his free hand through his hair. The other hand holds a plain bit of folded paper, thith the name 'Aerith' written across the outside.

After a long moment, Leon cracks the door open and and looks out at the teen. "What's up?"

Takeo lifts up the note. "Neko's gone."

"What do you mean, gone?" Leon opens the door all the way.

"Gone, as in absent from the castle. Dissapeared. Away from her home." Takeo runs his hand through his hair again. "Thought I should let you know before takeing this down to Aerith."

Shaking his head, Leon grabs his short jacket from the chair it was draped over, pulling it on as he closes the door to his room. "Let's go."

*******

~~ Worlds Away...

"Damn."

The figure swears dispasionately to his knees, head buried in his arms as he crouches in the corner of the small, bare room. His mostly silver hair gleams dully in the little light leaking into the room, and as he lifts his head, his glowingly yellow eyes catch that light.

He stands, leaning against one cold stone wall, his heavy grey coat drapeing over his thin figure. "Of course. I hate this." His hands shake slightly as he pushes away from the wall. "I really... I hate this."

Picking up a black strip of cloth from the ground next to the door, he binds it over his brilliant, emotionless eyes, and runs his hands through his hair, an expression of concentration comeing across his face as it ripples into a plain chestnut brown.

"I hate..."

He pushes open the door and walks through it.

*******

~~ Aerith's rooms

Takeo looks worridly at Aerith. "What does it say?"

Aerith passes the note to him, her normaly cheerful face solom. "Read it yourself."

~ Dear Aerith,

I'm sorry about leaving you, and Lani, and Takeo, but I had to. You know that Destiny-voice thing that we can hear? Well, he told me what I have to do, sort of, and, well... I sort of have to go find my parents, and the Door, and I can't do it from the Bastion. Sorry. I know I'm awful with writing this stuff, but I need to tell you not to worry about me. And tell Takeo too, he worries too much as it is.

Neko ~

He leans back against the door, tosses the note to Leon, and rubs his hands over his face. :: She's going after our parents? But... I never told her! She has no idea who our parents are! Only I know!:: He glances guiltily at Aerith. :: I should have told her, at least. She wouldn't hold it against us.:: He runs one hand through his hair. :: And Neko didn't even mention this! She didn't even ask for help... And I hear the voice too, don't I? Why didn't he say anything to ME? ::

:: I do hear him...::

*******

~~ Worlds away...

"I hate rain." Neko pulls up the hood of her oversized grey coat against the drizzle. "I really, REALLY hate rain."

She looks around at the totally unfamiliar landscape she appeared in- more specifially, at muddy, grassy hills and a faint dirt path. Sighing, Neko starts towards the path.

"But then, of couse it's raining. What epic quest doesn't at some point have the haunted hero walking alone in the rain?" She pulls the coat closer around her and the hood farther forward, and sighs again. "Well, there was that one, but the hero wasn't really haunted by his past- he was haunted by thick-headedness. But then, he was a boy."

Pausing for a moment and glanceing up, she mutters "Naze tomatte kurenai ka?" in the most annoyed voice you ever heard.

She sighs once more and walks along the muddy, ill-kept path, talking softly to herself for next half-hour or so. She probably would have kept walking longer, except the rain stopped and the cloud cover broke apart.

"Well, finally. I hate rain." She pulls off her coat and shakes it out for a moment, then spreads it on a flat rock next to the road to dry a bit. Then, summoning her darker keyblade, she begins to practice.

After a bit of normal-speed swinging in random directions and a few practice blocks against nothing, Neko speeds up to full pace- the sort of speed that her assorted teachers had trouble blocking, for all that they had all participated in the saveing of various worlds. After a bit, she slows down again, summoning what she generally thinks of as Anzu's keyblade and working on her skills with both of them at once.

After a bit of pattern-swinging, thrusting, and blocking, she sighs, dismisses the keyblades, and picks up her coat again.

"I really need a live opponent to practice. I with Cloud was here. Or Takeo-niisan. Or even Yuna- she's fairly good at blocking, if not attacking." She rubs her lavender-leather choker. "Why the heck did I set off on a quest to save the universe from the forces of evil without bringing Takeo along?"

She suddenly stops, looks about three feet in front of her, and tells no one, "Don't awnser that."

Naturally, she jumps when an unfamilliar and amused voice comments "I wasn't going to."

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Naze tomatte kurenai ka?: Why won't it stop?

Yes, an unfamiliar and amused voice! Comments out of nowhere! Oh, the suspence! *Laughs maniacaly*

Readers: *Edge away*

*Pokes 'readers' and blinks* I have readers? I wouldn't think I have them, they never reveiw... *Hinthint* Well, feel free to ask any question