Okay, okay, I know this took forever to get out! But life was tremendously busy at the end of the school year… no excuse I know, so get over me and enjoy this writing...

Zeno

I smiled as Cid finally shut up being the fact he was unconscious. It was a pleasure also to see the young woman finally all together. Who knew that I had found Cloud's love? He would be pleased when he finally decided to return. I hoped he was safe.

I watched as Yuffie interrogated the local Quack until King Mickey returned for me. He entered in his proud attire and he smiled like he always did at me. His high pitched voiced squeaked my summon and I left my party, for a more private conversation. Yuffie yelled out at me as I left the room curious as to how I'd met his Royal Highness.

Meeting the mouse happened a while earlier actually. We'd been on the ship soon after the planet had seemed to implode and as the final shock wave swept over us. The damned thing just happened to possess the wonderful capability of shutting down all electronic equipment – our old crappy ship.

With nothing really do to with out a nice jump-start, I checked on the crew. Yuffie was sitting by a window very confused in her own thoughts. I left her to that, and it seemed the mysterious girl had found some peace in her dreams. Cid had passed me to check on the engines to see if he could at least try. As for myself I returned to the cockpit and waited.

Cid soon returned with his efforts in vain. He sat next to me and told me that we only had about six hours of air left. We had no choice, so we put out a distress signal and waited, waited and waited some more. It seemed like an eternity and our sign of hope was diminishing. Towards the end of the six hours we were slunk back in our chairs only focusing on breathing. I noticed that Yuffie had already passed out and Cid was close to follow.

I heard a beeping noise all of a sudden. I tried to rise to check for the source, but I could not. I turned to Cid who had finally fallen: he would be no help. I felt my eyelids growing heavy as a small gust rushed up behind me. It was cool and fresh.

Air.

A strange figure came up to my side and put a small mask to my face, "Breath." So I did. In a matter of minutes I was feeling better, I was exhausted but better. My party was loaded on to floating stretchers and we were carted off into the mysterious ship. I was separated from my party through the trip; I arrived in a new room alone.

The same figure entered the room as I'd seen before. He wore a smile and had large ears with a crown in the middle he came up to my side, "I'm glad we arrived when we did, you would have been dead, how are you fairing? I am King Mickey of Traverse."

I took a deep breath and sighed, "I am Squall Leon. Please call me Leon. I am curious as to the conditions of my friends?"

"They are being cared for as we speak, nothing more than a lack of air from what I understand."

"Good, good. Where are we?"

"Where Hallow Boston should have been, I believe you to the be survivors of the missing planet?"

"You would be correct to presume that. The world grew dark when we escaped and then from what I could tell of Yuffie's constant, incessant screaming and chattering the world imploded."

The large mouse nodded, "Thank you I needed to know that, you should rest. I will have you returned to you friends and we will converse more later. Rest now."

I now found us doing that conversing he'd promised now.

"How are you feeling Leon?"

"Much better." I stretched my arms above my head, "The nap did a lot of good."

"Good I'm glad to hear that. Now I have a few questions for you."

"All right."

"However first I would like for us to move to a more private area, the observation deck?"

"This is your ship Highness, your opinion would be best." He nodded and we were off the to the deck, once we arrived the conversation began.

"The planet really is missing." I looked in curiosity amazed at the sight.

Mickey nodded, "Yes it is, your planet is not the only one."

"How many?" My voice drifted off in surprise.

"At least 20."

"It's not safe anywhere anymore is it?"

"Not at all, I'm trying to stop this menace; however I need your help. I need to know what was happening on that planet, more or less about a man named Ansem. Did you know him?"

"I knew of him. He was a greatly known scientist."

"Yes that is the man I'm talking about." King Mickey leaned against the railing looking out into the stars, "He was studying a type of creatures called, Heartless."

"Heartless?" I asked curiously. The moment I spoke alarms went off all over the ship, red lights descended from the ceiling.

King Mickey smiled, "I suppose you shall learn what one is now. There must be one on the ship. Let us go to the nearest armory, you can retrieve your sword."

I nodded and we ran out and down the halls until we reached a wall. Mickey placed his hand on a panel and the wall slid open revealing my gun blade and his staff. I checked the barrel, full. Mickey called the bridge where a scratchy voice relayed that the enemy was in the engine room and that Chip and Dale were in need of help. The King's face turned grim.

He turned immediately to the elevator shaft and we rode on down to the lowest decks. After exiting, the halls were dark; lights had imploded through out the halls. I turned behind myself for a full look there was a small animal sucking on a wire. My eyes narrowed staring intently as I moved closer.

The thing stopped its energy drain and faced me. Mickey came up behind me, "That is weakest of the Heartless breed. Be careful though, just because it looks small it may not be."

The cricket looking thing seemed to grin as it glowed transforming into a rather huge bug. I looked in horror as it grew. "My god, it's feeding off the power!"

I pulled my blade out and charged the now rather larger bug. Fangs began protruding from its mouth as saliva dripped from its teeth. A foul putrid stench started to crawl its way across the room burning both our nostrils as it smiled evil scratching its dark green sides.

I continued my charge springing into the air prepared to thrust downward into the beast. The creature lashed out with one of its stringy arms and slashed at scraping my side. I smirked at the pain as my blade dug deep into its flesh sending out a scream from the creature.

Next thing I knew I was plunging my sword into the ground. The thing had vanished. I looked around and finally up to where I saw a small heart fade away into darkness. I turned back to Mickey as I gripped my side feeling where the blood was starting to stain my clothing.

Mickey nodded, "That I admit was bizarre, I've never seen one actually change size like that. We must keep moving. Engineering, I fear must be far worse."

I stood, the injury wasn't that bad. The king didn't seem to notice. We ran down the hall towards the core of the ship.