Note to Disclaimer: I don't and never will own Kingdom Hearts (except Cyra who is fully mine) so please don't sue me cause I have nothing to give any of you people.

Author's Note: Ok people, some new information. In the chapter after this, I will be explaining where Cyra comes from, who she is exactly, and why she is here, precisely. Other than that, there's not much more to say except that this fic IS A/U so please don't say this isn't from the game unless it actually was and I made a mistake. You'd be wasting energy in doing that! Anyway, I hope everyone continues to read my fic and review it. And I'm still really sorry about the Yuffie/Leon and Leon/Rinoa thing!

Thoughts of Zephyr (Chapter 5)

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~(Kairi, 1st Person POV)

I tilt my head to the side, observing the pairs of people running along in the soft white sand. I feel as though I should be doing it as well, but I know that at the present, I cannot. I think back to the past few hours, the thought of Sora springing immediately to my mind causing me to cringe, visibly. I feel my eyes tear at the recollection but I do not allow them to fall, refusing to give into anything that resembles weakness of the heart. Suddenly I hear pounding footsteps run past my room; I feel strangely compelled to check whom it is. I fling the door open in time to catch a glance of familiar black hair and yellow attire. I dart after her, shouting as I struggle to keep up. "YUFFIE!"

As I round the corner, I smack into a figure not much taller than my own, but I know that it is a woman. I rub my head and stare at her. Her face is tear-stained and eyes are puffy from crying. "Kairi?" Her voice is meek but relieved. I embrace her, glad that someone else is here other than Sora and Riku. She sniffles slightly before wiping at her eyes. "Hey there Kairi. What have you been up to lately?"

"First off," I begin with a small giggle, "when did you get here? I thought the walls were in place, right?" Yuffie frowns for a moment. She nods hastily. "Um...perhaps we should talk about this at dinner? I have some reservations at the diner tonight, for two people. Should we discuss it there?"

"For two?" Yuffie smiles slyly. "Would that be for you and Sora?" I scowl and look away. Yuffie gets the gist and waves it off airily, hoping to divert my attention from the mentioning of Sora. "Well, I think that'd be great. Um...when should I get there? I don't want to run into anyone else."

"I believe 6:30 is a good time. Is that ok?" I ask as I rummage through my purse for the reservation card, cutting my hand on the scissors in my purse. I don't even know why I carry scissors in my purse. Just incase, I guess. "Well, I have to go." I show her my cut hand. "I'll see you later! I have to go clean this up before I drench the carpet! Bye Yuffie!"

"Bye Kairi!" Yuffie's voice doesn't sound as perky as it used to. I shake my head.

Everything has changed.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^(Third person POV)

Yuffie wandered aimlessly down the hall, extremely relieved to see Kairi on the island as well. All seemed well until Kairi had asked the question about the walls, which were NOT intact, as they had been after Sora and Mickey had sealed Kingdom Hearts. She didn't know the entire story, but she wasn't willing to go ask Leon and Cloud for the in-depth version with thousands of details. But instead of sulking in her misery, Yuffie decided her entertainment lay near the arcade area where many kids were gathered in a circle around someone. Curious as to what was so fascinating, Yuffie walked over intent on finding out the cause. In the circle she saw a young woman, about 19 years old, playing a game she'd never seen before. Still, the girl appeared to be awfully skilled at it for a crowd to have gathered. Yuffie hadn't noticed she was alone behind the girl until the girl bumped right into her. Both women stumbled-Yuffie on the floor and the woman on the game-and landed squarely five feet away from each other.

The young woman scratched her back steadily, releasing a small chuckle as she helped Yuffie off the ground. Yuffie looked slightly surprised as the woman offered her hand in greeting. "Hi there. I'm sorry to have startled you, but you startled me, quite frankly! I'm Cyra, new to this island."

"Oh, well, forgive me for staring but you play well!" Yuffie shook her hand briskly, enthusiastic to see another woman somewhat her age other than Kairi. "By the way, my name is Yuffie."

"Well, I have to go take care of some thing, but if I see you around, maybe we can talk?" Cyra said cheerily, her ruby eyes sparkling brightly.

"Sure, Cyra, but I have to go meet my friend Kairi!" Yuffie giggled and ran off. "See you later!"

Cyra blinked a couple of times before shrugging off the eerie feeling that crept over her at the name of Yuffie's friend, Kairi. She shook her head as she made her way out of the arcade.

Not far, Aerith was exiting her hotel room having just finished checking in. She let out a small yawn as she made her way to the hotel lobby to see who else was on the island besides her group. She had just walked out when she ran straight into Leon. He mumbled a quick sorry and dashed past her in search of someone, though she didn't know who. Rolling her eyes, Aerith continued her leisure walk towards the patio of the hotel. Once she was outside, she scanned the area for Cloud; he wasn't visible anywhere. She smiled to herself before cautiously making her way to the town center of the island where shoppers were bustling quickly throughout the streets. She had been walking for mere minutes when she spotted a booth where a young man was standing, an ivory-gloved hand in his chestnut hair. Aerith immediately recognized him from the chocolate colored hair to the tanned skin and outrageously flamboyant outfit of simple red shorts, a bright yellow shirt and red shoes. Without a second thought, she tapped his shoulder gently, her eyes lighting up when he turned to her. "Hello Sora."

"AERITH?" Sora's sapphire eyes widened in shock as he dropped the glass piece he'd been holding. He opened his mouth once then shut it as he tried forming coherent sentences. "What are you doing here? Are the others here? How did you get here? Aren't the walls still intact?"

"One question at a time, Sora." Aerith said calmly with a small grin. She beckoned for him to follow her; the broken piece of glass forgotten behind them as an angry merchant discovered his shattered good. She led Sora to the docks where Cloud was sitting comfortably, his sword gone from his back. "Well, Sora, I suppose I should answer your first question. I am here because Cloud, Leon and Yuffie are here as well. And how we arrived, well...that needs to be explained when everyone else is here."

At the sound of her voice, Cloud's ears perked and his head craned in their direction. In a minute he was up, already standing next to Aerith who shook her head in amusement. He seemed completely oblivious to Sora's presence as he wrapped his arms protectively about her waist. "Where did you go?"

"To fetch Sora." She said simply as she freed herself of his death grip. He gave a look of utter protest but nodded. "Where are Leon and Yuffie?"

"No idea," Cloud stated, "but Leon didn't look too happy and Yuffie just took off like a bullet."

"They're at it again." Aerith said with a sigh of exasperation that did not reach her amused mien. She waved it away as she took a seat next to Cloud who had sat down once again. "Come Sora, there's much to tell."

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

A small wave crashed atop her bare feet, moistening them from their dry state similar to a rescue. Selphie stretched amply as she yawned loudly, her yellow shorts filled with wet sand. She had gone swimming earlier and had immersed herself thoroughly in the water, especially since it usually washed away any woes she had. That thought on its own led her to another breaking point and she lashed out at the sand, angry with Tidus and his act of fleeing from her in the room. She hadn't done anything wrong, she thought, except check out what he had and basically praise him for it. No one usually praised him. What was wrong with appreciating a person's assets, even more so when they were great like his? Selphie didn't understand why he'd be so embarrassed. Was it because he didn't like her back, perhaps? She winced at the sudden pessimistic thought but would not elaborate on it further as she stood ready for another dip in the warm ocean water. She was almost in when she spotted Riku farther out, soaking wet from head to toe with what appeared to be various fish on many hooks. He was oblivious to Selphie and she was rather glad because of this. If he had seen her, he probably would have rolled his eyes then scolded her and Selphie was not in the mood for a scolding, not from Riku-not from anyone. She was, more or less, fed up with everyone pushing her around like an annoying child who didn't know her manners, which Selphie knew perfectly well.

She huffed once before wading out into the water, her golden shorts forgotten on the sandy shore as she dived into the water. Her brown hair created a curtain around her head, as it became a thick mat of silk, clinging to her skin as well as her head. Her green eyes twinkled as she saw Riku exit by the docks, which left her alone in the water with no one to stare at her or bother her. She continued to splash about like a child, doing all sorts of tricks in the water for she was alone and couldn't look stupid or childish to anyone, though she knew she was acting childish. After only a few tricks she had tired, eventually sinking under the water to calm her aching muscles and rapidly pulsing nerves. She opened her eyes mere inches as she gazed at the blazing sun above her in the sapphire sky, which for some reason made her feel somewhat melancholy. Feeling defeated, Selphie left the water's comfort, grabbed her shorts and headed for the hotel where she was intent on taking a shower. 'Too much sand.' She thought.

As she began her journey towards her room, she bumped into someone who was walking towards the lobby area. Selphie gasped when she saw whom it was. She stared up at his tall, lean, leather clad figure. There was no mistake-the cobalt eyes, sienna hair, pale skin-it was Leon. "Well, what is this about? What are you doing here?"

"Do we know each other?" He seemed unsure of who she was. Selphie sighed as he helped her up.

"I'm Selphie. You're Leon, right?" She asked. He nodded. "Sora told us all about you when he returned from his journeys. But...I thought...I thought the walls were in place. Aren't they?"

"Well Selphie, that's what we're here to discuss with Sora and Riku. Have you seen them?" Leon's query seemed normal enough to her but Selphie only knew of Riku's whereabouts-she told Leon. He nodded slowly as he beckoned for her to follow him to the rendezvous point. Once they'd arrived, he greeted Cloud, Aerith and Sora. Selphie sat down quickly, her bathing suit having dried long ago.

"Sora," She began as the brunette shifted to face her, "who else is missing?"

"Well, from the looks of it, Tidus, Kairi, Wakka, Riku and Yuffie." Sora glanced around quickly. "Have you seen ANY of them?"

"Last I saw Tidus was earlier this morning. But I haven't seen anyone else." Selphie answered truthfully as she pulled her sweater tighter about her and began putting her shorts back on. "Shall I go look? Who is Yuffie, just so I know?"

"I'm on it." Leon said with an elongated sigh, his eyebrows arching at the mention of Yuffie's name.

"Friendly chap isn't he?" Selphie quirked a brow as Leon departed.

"Don't even get me started." Aerith yawned heavily as she stared after him.

"A real pain sometimes." Cloud offered hastily.

"What?" Sora asked clueless. Aerith giggled and Cloud just whistled as all three of them turned their backs to him. They just shook their heads, leaving a bewildered Sora looking after them. "Hey!"

Selphie stifled a large giggling fit as she went off to search for Tidus and Wakka. Sora took one look at her then back at Cloud and Aerith who were containing laughter, but not very well. "WHAT IS EVERYONE LAUGHING?" He was never answered, of course.

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

Cyra rubbed her eyes as she followed the silver haired man in front of her. He was-or so it seemed-completely oblivious to her presence behind him, but she didn't care to make her presence known either. She observed everything about him as they walked, in unison it appeared, with synchronized steps along the hotel's scarlet carpeted hallway. She absorbed all his features from his pale skin to his stunning platinum locks that seemed ethereal, but that she knew were quite authentic. She watched in awe at his graceful yet powerful and confident strides, for out of everything, he permeated more confidence than anything else. When she had glanced into his eyes earlier in the day, she found herself blushing at how his emerald orbs seemed to penetrate her ruby ones with the ability to learn of her past, or more like her purpose of arriving on the island. She was not clueless to her mission as well as the requirements of her job, but she'd be a liar to say she wasn't somewhat scared as to what could happen lest she be exposed. Though in a strange sense, she found that she was extremely curious about this Riku whom she had met the first day. He seemed kind enough, if not rather polite for a stranger.

She found that she was more interested in Riku than the actual Keyblade master, whom she was supposed to be searching for on the island. Nevertheless, Cyra felt herself oddly attracted to Riku and his disturbed aura that revealed his past, a past that she was surprisingly part of in more ways than one. Sure, she'd never actually met him, but something in her mind told her-when she'd shaken his hand-that they were connected in some lifetime before, possibly. And this Kairi girl that Yuffie had mentioned, her name rung a bell, one that made her shiver with anticipation. Could it be that they had met before? Cyra found herself irked at that particular thought, having recently been reawakened by some stronger force, which was still unknown to her, even though this force had sent her upon this mission. Later on, she discovered that her apprehension of meeting Riku at the diner was more excitement than uncertainty. She flexed her arms as Riku rounded a corner, his blue silk shirt fluttering in the soft breeze as they exited the hotel lobby.

She glanced around a bit, noticing that Riku had been traveling for quite sometime as they continued to pass shop after shop, endlessly, until they were out of the urban area do the island. Was the diner this far? Cyra closed her eyes; her steps based solely on instinct as she followed silently after Riku's brisk form. She was just about to open her eyes when she rammed into someone, and she knew who it was. She felt strong hands grasp her shoulder blades, gently steadying her from her almost clumsy fall. Her eyes fluttered open to meet Riku's aquamarine ones, staring straight back at her, questioning, with a slight smirk playing on his face. Cyra realized she'd been caught and so had her voice-in her throat.

"Well, you certainly are stealthy." Riku said, his smirk traveling higher. He released her tenderly, yawning and stretching at the same time. "When were you planning on telling me that you were following me? That's a long way too, from the hotel hall to here. Any reason?"

So he did know. Cyra cringed at her mistake but blushed lightly as she smiled. "I was just testing you. How come you didn't say anything?"

"Should I have?" Riku asked. She frowned playfully. Riku chuckled. "Come on, or we'll be late."

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~(Kairi, 1st person POV)

I try to act normal as I see Yuffie jog up to me, her now shoulder length raven hair flying all over. I begin to wonder where her hairpiece disappeared to; I think to ask her, or something. Instead, I stand here, waiting for her like some stiff body who can't seem to be friendly. When she reaches me, I smile and greet her as politely as possible considering my currently paralyzed condition, which I have also created for myself through visions of a totally naked Sora in my bed. Whoa, I don't know where THAT image came from. And I'll be damned to hell if he EVER finds out, though we're not on good terms as of the present time. Once Yuffie has caught her breath, we proceed to the shops for some all around shopping, though it's not really my thing or Yuffie's. Why we agreed on it is a mystery to me, but I suppose I felt it necessary as of yesterday, but today I feel differently as we exit the hotel. I shake my head. I haven't seen Riku lately and this young woman Yuffie told me about, I've never heard of her so I'm assuming she's new to this area. I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly as we stop in front of a glassmaker's shop, checking out the various items in the seller's window. They are beautiful pieces of art, I think to myself, as I find some interest in a particular piece that resembles a broken heart. I know I have seen it somewhere, yet before I can further investigate, Yuffie has pulled me down to another booth.

I search, frantically, for a point of fixture and my heart almost stops on where it lands. Standing resolutely in the sunlight, not far from the ends of the shops, is a figure I'd recognize anywhere. Riku...and who is that? My eyes fixate on a woman next to him, her head tilted to look up at Riku, her slender figure twisted towards him in an uncomfortable fashion as though she is ready to walk away. But what happens next stuns me more than ever. Riku's hands travel up her arms as if he is creating warmth on her skin. This stuns me for two reasons: aside from me, Riku has never touched any other female, not even Selphie, in such an affectionate way; secondly, I've never seen her before and he is already getting cozy? I continue my observation until once again Yuffie yanks my arm to walk farther away from the scene that I am engrossed in. I am about to turn around and tell her to wait when I hear her gasp. Instinctively I abruptly whip my head around to see Leon staring at Yuffie, his navy eyes holding disappointment and frustration. I hear Yuffie squeak noticeably as she shies away from Leon, concealing her face from both of us. I give him a questioning look as he gestures for us to follow him to God knows where.

We obey, me willingly and Yuffie hesitantly, but Yuffie keeps shifting her weight and making a fuss over her hair as Leon suddenly joins us--behind Yuffie. It is at this point where Yuffie makes a break for something, though I don't know what, but Leon snatched her back by her arm. Yuffie struggles incessantly, but Leon silences her by sweeping her off her feet and into his arms. Though shocked at his technique, Yuffie stubbornly crosses her arms against her chest in a bout of defiance, allowing him to carry her as long as he can hold out. She's not THAT light or so she's told me. I laugh inwardly as he leads us to the shore where I can make out six other figures, all tall, but four are male and the other two are female. Then it strikes me: if Leon and Yuffie are here, then Aerith must be too as well, but who is that other male figure? I brush that thought away as I realize that the other figures are none other than Selphie, Tidus, Wakka, and...Sora! I wince at his name, shrinking back into my sweater, hoping it will conceal me from his view. Kairi, you're more than 2/3 bigger than this damn clothe! I fume at my mind, cursing it for its precision at such a time.

Once we arrive, I am surprised to see Riku walking up with the girl I had spotted him with earlier. She looks strangely familiar, her raven hair falling about her face in sharp waves. Her ruby eyes wander spastically around the many faces including mine, which her gaze lingers on before she turns back to Riku who whispers something to her. Once all is quiet, I see a tall, broad shouldered man stand up, his spiky blonde hair bright against an odd red shrouded cloth that covers his mouth and shoulders. The one ebony wing protruding from his back is visible, barely, underneath his dark blue-black attire and that huge sword on his back. WHOA! HUGE SWORD! I smother my momentary curiosity as Riku leads the young woman next to Yuffie, who has wriggled free of Leon's grasp to greet the woman. Once everything is COMPLETELY settled-meaning everyone is seated save for this blonde haired guy and Leon-the discussion commences.

"Let's get down to business." The man says. "The reason we're here is because-"

"Excuse me," I interrupt him, which earns me a glare but I ignore it as coolly as possible, "but I believe we have some newcomers and it'd be nice to know people's names."

"I'm Cloud Strife." The blonde says, his eyes flashing to Aerith for a brief second before he turns to the girl next to Riku. "And you are?"

"Cyra." I say quickly, disbelieving my own voice.

"You've met?" Riku asks incredulously.

"No..." Cyra says and I nod, "Kairi and I have never met...before this."

"Then how do you know her name?" Sora interrogates. "You must have seen her or met her somewhere. Wait a minute, when did you meet Riku? Why are you here?"

"Sora, that's rude." Aerith scolds him as Riku glares at him. Sora apologizes. "Anyway, we have to discuss the important issue at hand--the walls have been broken."

"We're aware of that!" Leon snaps as he turns away from the group, his sienna hair swishing across his shoulders. "Get on with it."

Cloud looks as if he is ready to murder Leon for snapping at his precious Aerith, but she rubs his arm reassuringly as she continues on. Her explanation of the walls' destruction is nothing short of detailed. It is SO detailed that I find myself beginning to grip sleep, but stay in the land of wake thanks to Selphie who repeatedly hits me. Aerith takes another breath. "It is unfortunate that we have no actual clue about the enemy, though we are sure it is not Ansem. Kingdom Hearts decimated his soul and body due to the darkness that lived within him. But, this new evil is similar to the heartless, though we believe it may be stronger; and these new creatures are nothing like the old ones, this we know for sure. That having been explained, our only fear is that we don't know how to seal the doors again. We haven't had contact with King Mickey in many years, as I'm sure you're aware of, and the keyblades were lost long ago along with the Princesses of Heart, except Kairi. Now, our only real problem at the present moment is returning the Keyblade master to our world, Hollow Bastion to consult the records."

"That is the reason we're here." Yuffie chips in, her almond eyes downcast. She glances at Sora, her raven hair pulled back so she can view him. "We need you to come with us Sora, as well as Kairi, and you too, Riku. You're all important to the sealing of the walls or else...you know."

"So, what happens to the rest of us?" Tidus asks with enthusiasm.

"I know. We shouldn't be left in the dark again, ya?" Wakka puts in as he tosses his blitz ball up and down.

"Through depths of darkness, you will pass, No one can reach the Princess' hearts of glass, Unless they braver than Gods above, Fight ebony shrouds with ivory love." Cyra whispers, her eyes tearing as she speaks the words in a strange riddle. "That is what must be solved to figure out the entrance to Curpiona, my world."

Riku stares at her as her shoulders shake with heavy sobs, her olive skin moistened by her tears. Riku embraces her and I feel queerly compelled to hug her as well. And I do. I cannot smile at her nor can I frown as she lifts her head, her ruby eyes meeting my amethyst ones. And then I see it. I see the past, the future--I see everything. I take a deep breath before I lean back and fix my eyes on her face. "Cyra," I whisper hoarsely, "what has happened on Curpiona? Where are they coming from? What is this planet that is destroying everything?"

"Nebula."

^TBC...^

(Ok people, this is not an excellent chapter, I admit, but I'm trying. AP applications were due last week and all. I will improvise with my own strange plot since this is an AU fic in some ways. Please R&R, if it's not too much of a problem, but forget flames ok? They aren't considerate, though constructive criticism is welcomed. Thank you to ALL my reviewers who read and reviewed and even to those who didn't! I love you guys!)

+DarkKairi+