Kairi ran blindly down the darkened road, wanting only to get away from Yuyami. 

He isn't as strong as he believes, she thought.  He may have a lot of strength, but his heart is weak. 

She slowed to a walk and looked back.  She only saw the darkness staring back at her and it was then that she realized how utterly alone she was.  She was on her own.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

She's on her own, Yuyami thought looking at the road Kairi had run down.  He debated with himself whether he should go get her or continue his path.

She's all alone.  She could be overwhelmed by the heartless at any moment. 

I should continue my mission.  My mission is the only important thing I have.

What about Kairi?

……

You're just going to let the first friend you've ever had to leave and possibly get hurt?

Friends don't leave you when you need them.

Looks like you're about to do the same.

I…

You can't just leave her all alone.  She could get hurt, or worse.

So what?  It was her choice to leave in the first place.  I don't need anyone…

Shrugging off all doubts and concerns, Yuyami began to walk down the road to Midgar.  He had a mission to accomplish, and he couldn't worry about a girl with too many emotions to deal with.  …even if she is his first friend…

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I have to find Sora, Kairi thought to herself as she walked down the lonely road.  She closed her eyes and tried to feel for Sora's heart with her own, but to no avail. 

"Sora, where are you?  What could keep our hearts apart?"

…Kairi…

"Sora!?"

…Kairi, help m…

"Sora!!  Where are you!?"

…….

"Sora!!!!"

No one answered, but she had heard it.  Sora was still there, somewhere.  She summoned the Promise Keeper and looked at it.  The moonlight caressed it, making the silver blade gleam. 

"This will help me to find Sora.  With this I'll be able to save him and bring him back with me.  Where he belongs."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yuyami had seen a truck driving down the road, a rare occurrence because of the heartless, and hitched a ride.  He was now sitting in the passenger seat, trying to drown out the elderly driver's babble with his own thoughts. 

"Yea, back in mah day, we din have no airships and cars.  We had ta ride chocobos to wherever we had ta go.  Can't do dat no mo.  Only a few chocobos is left after dem poachers and skinnahs got ahold a' dem.  They almost eggstink now."

"Extinct,"  Yuyami murmured instinctively. 

"Eggstink, extinct, extant, they all da same boy.  Don't smart-mouth me.  I remembah back when ah was yo age, I din give no lip ta nobody.  But if anybody gave me lip, I'd whup they ass from here ta Atlantis!!"

Yuyami sighed and looked at him.  "How long before we get to Midgar, old man?"

"In about a hour," was the reply.  "So anyway, like ah was sayin, I was fightin dis big ol' dragon about da size a' dis here mass a' rocks ova here and…"

Yuyami looked back out of the window, ignoring his driver.  When I get there, he thought, I'm going to have to explain myself to Vincent and Barret or beat them down hard.  I have to rescue that keyblade master.  It's the only way to continue my mission.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kairi slowly walking down the empty road with her head down.  She still had her keyblade out and she was dragging it on the ground behind her. 

She lifted her head and saw what looked like a small town a few miles up.  She ran the last couple of miles excited to find companionship and maybe a soft bed for the night.  She read the sign at the town's entrance, 'Salom'.  Must be the name of this place, Kairi thought.  She dismissed her keyblade before walking in.

A hooded figure in a dark blue cloak walked past her mumbling.  She looked at the figure for a few seconds before continuing her exploration of the town.  Not a minute had passed before she saw more hooded figures huddled up talking.  Every few seconds, one would glance at her.  Weird, she thought.

Kairi's clear, blue eyes finally found what she was looking for.  A sign saying 'Seraph Inn' marked the place where she would spend the night.  She entered the building and stepped to the counter where another robed figure turned to attend her. 

"Um, how much to stay for the night?'

The figure said nothing, just looked at her.

"Excuse me, do you know how much it costs to sleep here?"

The figure spoke with a voice as clear and as cold as ice, "You wield one of the keyblades."

Kairi stepped back.  "How do you…"

"We are the ones that forged the keyblades.  Only ones who wield the keyblades can enter this enchanted town."

"And why should I trust you.  How do I know you're not lying?"  Kairi was still wary.  "Give me some kind of proof."

"Very well."  The figure raised its hand and in a flash of light the keyblade appeared on the counter.  "Only the ones who forged the keyblade can summon it, but we can't control it.  Only its master can."

Kairi summoned the Promise Keeper to her hand.  "Okay so you all forged the keyblades, now what?" 

"For now you need to get some rest, free of charge of course.  The room is upstairs, third door to your left.  Sleep well."

Kairi went up to the room, grateful for a moment to rest her weary body.  She climbed into bed but couldn't fall asleep.  Tossing and turning, she finally began to think about Sora and the memories they had on Destiny Islands.  Content, she fell into a peaceful sleep.

.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"But I did the right thing right?"  Yuyami looked at the old man, waiting for an answer.  "I mean, she didn't have to leave and it wouldn't have been right to force her to stay.  No matter how important my mission is, I wouldn't force anyone to stay with me."

The old man watched the road for a minute, softly rubbing his gums together.  His eyes were distant and he stayed silent.

This must be his thinking face, Yuyami thought.  "Well, what do you think?"

"How old are ya, son?"  The old man continued to look at the road.

"Uh."  Yuyami thought for a moment.  He hadn't really given thought to his age before.  He mentally calculated it, "I'm seventeen, but what does that have to do with…anything?"

The old man chuckled.  "The way you act, people prob'ly think you twenty-somethin'."

Yuyami began to get annoyed.  "Okay, good observation, but what do you think I should have done?"

"You should a' asked her ta stay."

Yuyami stared at him for a few seconds.  Now that someone else had said it, especially this senile old coot, he realized how simple it was.  He should have just asked her to stay.

"Crap, I really messed it up this time."  Yuyami looked at the floor.

"Ha, ha, ha!!!  Don't worry, son.  If ya really like dis heifer, she'll come back ta ya in due time and ya'll gon' be together again."

"Hey, she's not a heifer!!!  And I don't like her, you crazy old bat!!!"  Yuyami looked at him furiously.

"Right, right don't get ya panties in a bunch."

Yuyami growled softly.  His patience was starting to wear thin.  Luckily, he had saw the Midgar city limits a few seconds ago.  They were coming upon Midgar, one of the most technologically advanced cities around.

The old man stopped.  "OK, I stop right here, sonny.  I don't live in dat sterile, hellhole.  I'd rather live here in da country-fresh air."

"Alright, thanks for the ride."  Yuyami climbed out of the truck. 

"Remember these words sonny, an remember  em' good."  The old man had a serious look on his weather-beaten face.

Yuyami stayed where he was and listened.  I at least owe him this, Yuyami thought.  To listen to his crazy rantings.

"Weapons, magic, and all these other powahs is all well an good.  I bet you can prob'ly destroy about a million of dem heartless critters and not break a sweat.  But it takes a strong-ass heart to not let dat darkness take ovah you.  If you got a puny heart, den you can kill as many as dem critters as you want, but nothin can stop da evil from destroyin ya heart."  The old man tipped an imaginary hat.  "You take care now."  He drove away into the darkness.

Yuyami waved and began walking toward the Midgar gate.  I guess he wasn't as senile as I thought, Yuyami mused.  I do need to strengthen my heart if I'm to face the ultimate dark force.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Kairi awoke and looked at the sky.  It was morning but all she could see was darkness and the moon.  It made her a little sad to know that the sun wouldn't rise.  She cleaned herself up and walked downstairs.  Her hostess, the hooded figure, was already waiting for her.

"You should see our leader, another keyblade master.  I'll take you."  The figure stepped from behind the counter and walked out the door.  "Please, follow me."

Kairi stood there for a second, not really sure what to do.  I guess I have no choice, she thought. 

"Okay, let's go," she said

Kairi followed the hooded figure through the town, all the while being stared at by the other hooded figures.  I guess I'm really special to these people, seeing as I'm a keyblade master and they are the ones who made them, she thought.

"So what do you call yourselves?"  Kairi didn't really know how to address any of these people (if they were people) and didn't want to embarrass anyone, especially herself.

"We've been called many things.  The Nobody, Archmages, Angels, Demons, the list goes on."  The figure walked briskly and Kairi almost had to jog to keep up.

"Well what should I call you guys," Kairi asked. 

"You do not have to address us."  The figure stopped at what appeared to be a small palace.  "It is us who serve you, not the other way around.  Please enter here."

Kairi nodded and walked through the mahogany doors of the palace.  The doors closed behind her and the room was engulfed in darkness. 

What do I do now, she thought as she walked through the room.  She could barely make out where she was going, but it looked like a big empty hall. 

What was that?  To her right?  Kairi thought she had saw something move with a smooth speed.  She looked around her and summoned her keyblade.  She got into a stance and waited. 

Suddenly, she was attacked from the left.  An ebon keyblade slashed out of the darkness with frightening speed.  Kairi brought the Promise Keeper up to block the attack and the two keyblades clashed together. 

Whoever was wielding the keyblade was strong, but it was so dark that she couldn't see her attacker.

This must be another test, Kairi thought as the attacker swung the keyblade low.  Kairi jumped into the air and swiped her keyblade at the person's face.  The attacker pulled back just in time and thrusted the keyblade right at Kairi's stomach, but she was already in motion swinging her keyblade back toward her body to deflect the attack.

The sheer force of Kairi's parry sent her attacker spinning, but instead of losing control, the mystery keyblade master turned it into a spinning roundhouse kick.  Kairi saw it coming, even though the change was split second, and dropped to the floor to deliver a sweeping kick.  She connected and her attacker fell to the floor, but then hopped back up like it never happened.

By now, both of them were breathing hard and waiting for each other's move.  The person raised the keyblade and swung it high with one hand.  While Kairi brought the Promise Keeper up to deflect the attack, the keyblade master's other hand crackled with electricity.

Oh no, Kairi thought, magic.  It was too late to do anything about the incoming thunder spell and she took it full-force to the stomach.  Her hair raised and her tongue stood out as volts of electricity raced through her body.  She was thrown back and slid on the floor until she crashed into a wall.  She tried to get up when she saw her attacker walking toward her, but everything began to blur and went black.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yuyami walked to the gate where he saw to armed men standing guard.  SOLDIER was emblazoned on their chests and they held their guns ready.  He walked up to them and said, "I'm coming in."

They looked at each other and laughed. 

"Biggs, he wants to get in, he says."

"Does he even know where he is, Wedge?"

"I guess not, to be demanding dumb things without showing his city pass." 

Yuyami never did like the idea of a city pass.  It was supposed to protect the people of Midgar, but all it did was confine them.  It was given only to Midgar citizens and their relatives who would want to visit.  Yuyami used to have one, but that was a long time ago.

"I don't need a city pass."

Biggs looked at Wedge and smirked.

"And why don't you need one, mister hood man?"

Yuyami summoned his keyblades and stabbed both of them in the stomach.  "I don't need one because you two are dead."

Biggs died instantly but Wedge reached into his pocket and fished out a remote.  He pressed the button and sirens began to go off.  Yuyami watched as the whole city went into lockdown.  People evacuated the streets and closed their doors.

Wedge chuckled, "That'll learn ya to mess with us…"  He died with his eyes still open and his mouth upturned in a smile.

Yuyami walked through the gate only to be confronted by hundreds of soldiers, all equipped with only swords.  Yuyami smiled.

"This isn't fair, you know!!  Hundreds against one?  That's cruel!!" 

One of the soldiers replied, "We know you're a keyblade master, and the last one we were up against was…", he quieted, realizing he was maybe giving their enemy too much information.

Well, Yuyami thought as he brought his keyblades into position, at least they know wheat they're up against…