Carolyn's Comments:

Mood: Lazy

Rant: I liked how this chapter came out, so I uploaded it earlier than I planned. Got a problem with that? Good. Oh, and Kaite comes back in this chapter.

Carolyn stood up shakily and stared at him in wonder. "Riku? What are you doing here?"

Riku sprang to his feet. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I live here! What are YOU doing here??"

"Good question." Carolyn said looking around, "But I'm sure there's an answer to it somewhere." She looked at him. "Damn! You got taller!"

Carolyn had changed in appearance as well. Her pale blue eyes, which had previously been covered by glasses, were now on their own. He guessed she must've gotten contacts. And her brassy blond hair was no longer chin-length. She had grown it out so that it hung halfway down her back. She was wearing a light-blue sweater with baggy sleeves that covered half of her hands. Her pants were baggy blue jeans and her feet were covered with two white sneakers. She had also gotten taller and more mature-looking.

"Now where'd those morons go?" Carolyn murmured to herself, "They were all with me when I fell through that portal..."

"Who?" Riku asked. "Oh dear God, don't tell me you brought KATIE with you??"

"Of course I did! She's my best friend! She's always by my side! Well she really just followed me home once and I decided to let her hang out with me. In fact, our meeting was actually quiet interesting, so let's got to a lightening-fast flashback!"

(Flashback)

"GREAT!" A 9-year-old Katie whined as she trudged down the street, "I got kicked out of 'Moronic-Sidekicks Camp'! Well I guess its time to embrace my true calling in life...short-order-cook!"

WHAM!

She bumped into a 9-year-old Carolyn.

"Watch where you're going, fart-face!" Carolyn snapped. (Ain't she sweet!)

"Sorry." Katie sighed, "I'm kinda in a funk about having my life's dream as a moronic sidekick to a serious, smart, hero-type, person, shattered 'cause I couldn't answer some weirdo philosophy question."

Carolyn's eyes widened. "You too?! I just got kicked out of 'Serious, Smart, Hero-Type, Person's Camp' for the same reason! I guess this just goes to show that in philosophy, it's NEVER the most obvious choice."

Katie's eyes widened and she grinned. "WE'RE BEST FRIENDS NOW!"

"We're what on the what now?!" Carolyn asked. She looked extremely confused.

"We'll be bosom buddies!" Katie rambled on, "Two chums, trying to make it in this dog-eat-dog world! We'll face all kinds of challenges like boys and homework! We'll have our ups and downs, but in the end, we'll always be there for each other! It'll be great!"

"Sounds fun!"  Carolyn said sarcastically, "Say, turn around for me, will ya?"

"Sure thing, best buddy!" Katie said naively turning around. With that, Carolyn yanked her heavy math book out of her book-bag and struck Katie in the head with it. (She was very violent for a 9-year-old). But instead of a brain-cracking thud, there was a hollow echoing sound from her head.

Katie turned around and continued to ramble; unaware that someone had just tried to render her unconscious. "We'll form a group of friends and go on all sorts of adventures! We'll tear evil a new one, and find true love with the hot boys in the group!"

Carolyn struck her on the head again. Once again she heard a hollow note.

"What part of being knocked out, don't you understand?!" Carolyn demanded. She stuffed the book back into her bag and slung it over her shoulders. "Listen here!" She snapped angrily, "Right now, I'm the quiet nerd with only one friend, her name is Caitlin, and I'd like to keep the status quo!" (I was friends with Caitlin before I knew Katie).

"PWEEESE BE MY FRIEND!" Katie wailed.

"No! Now go on home!" She snapped bitterly, "I don't need anyone!"

"But you said you got kicked out of 'Serious, Smart, Hero-Type, Person's Camp'!" Katie protested, "You'll need a bumbling moronic sidekick! And that's me!"

"Yeah, but we both flunked out!"

"That's an even better reason! We flunkouts have to look after each other! Or else, who will??"

"...Good point." Carolyn sighed. She turned and smiled weakly at her. "My name's Carolyn."

"I'm Katie!"

"Well Katie, I think this is the beginning of a wonderful, yet strange, friendship!"

(End Flashback)

"...And then later, I discovered me and Katie had TONS of stuff in common and we've been buds ever since!" Carolyn finished.

"Why did you bother telling me all that?" Riku asked in disgust.

"I thought I should explain why I hang out with the comedy relief." Carolyn said calmly, "Now where is she?"

"DOWN HERE!" A familiar voice rang out. Carolyn knelt down on the pier and looked down in the water. Katie was swimming on the surface. Also with her, were Caitlin, Cronos, Sam, and one boy that Riku didn't recognize.

"Just our luck!" Caitlin shouted as she and the others pulled themselves onto the pier. "We land in freezing cold water, and you land on a hot guy!"

Katie looked the same as before. She wore black-rimmed glasses over her brown eyes. The only major difference was some black highlights that had been dyed into her reddish-brown hair. She was wearing black fishnets that crept up and down both her arms, and she wore a black T-shirt that said in red letters 'I'm with stupid'. Her jeans were black, and she wore black combat boots. Her skin was pale white from a SERIOUS lack of sun. She was also a good deal taller.

Caitlin's long bushy brown hair was tied back in a ponytail. Her gray eyes burned with anger. Being the oldest, her height hadn't increased much, but her face looked more adult. She wore a red T-shirt with a fire pattern on the front, and blue jeans. She also wore sneakers.

Cronos was dressed in the same attire Riku had last seen him in. He was taller and his red and black hair had grown a little but there was minimal difference. His right ear was pierced and there was an earring with a black stone there. He still looked like something was bugging him and to vent some of his anger, he punched Katie in the back of the head.

Sam also looked the same, except he had gotten taller as well. His short brown hair was spiked up in front. He pulled his sopping-wet jean-jacket tightly over himself. Underneath the jacket, he wore a black T-shirt. His jeans were blue and baggy and his sneakers were gray.

The unfamiliar boy had blond hair tied back in a small ponytail and piercing green eyes. His skin was pale. He wore a dark green sweatshirt, along with a pair of blue jeans, and white sneakers.

"CAROLYN!" Katie squealed. She jumped up, grabbed her friend's arm, and spun her around in a sort of 'doe-see-doe' dance, "CAROLYN! IT'S BEEN YEARS!"

"YOU JUST SAW ME FIVE SECONDS AGO YOU MORON!" Carolyn yelled, slapping Katie for her stupidity.

"Sorry." Katie said grinning. "But I always find time to dance!"

"Well, she hasn't changed at all." A voice said calmly. Riku turned around. Mia was standing there smiling.

"MIA!" Katie laughed. She ran up and grabbed both her friend's hands. "GOOD TA SEE YA!"

The unfamiliar blond boy grinned broadly at Mia. He pushed Katie aside and stuck out his hand. "So you're Mia? Well my name's Alexander, and I'm single!"

"Number one!" Caitlin shouted punching the boy on the back of the head, "You are NOT single, Alex, you are MY boyfriend and you know it! And Number Two: she's Riku's girlfriend!"

Alex grinned. "I fail to see what problems those facts will cause."

"Ugh." Cronos said rolling his eyes, "Just ignore Sir Pervo. He thinks he can have any girl he wants! Well see this?!" He spun around and kissed Carolyn on the mouth. Then he turned and glared triumphantly at Alex, "THERE! That move of affection symbolizes that she's my property, and I own her!"

"Who owns who?!" Carolyn snarled.

"Yeah I can see" Alex grumbled, "You did that five times today just to mock me!"

"Wow!" Riku laughed pointing at Carolyn and Cronos, "I didn't know you two were together."

"I had an inkling." Mia said smiling.

"We just started dating a little while after we last saw you guys." Carolyn said elbowing Cronos in the ribs. "Unfortunately, Cronos loves to rub it in Alex's face. He gets it! We're going out!"

Cronos smiled at her. "I'm just trying to savor the flavor!"

Everyone else laughed, but Carolyn poked him in the ribs and said, "Stop, saying that."

"Aw, I never get to have any fun!"

"See? That's why I was saying we should get another dog!" Carolyn yelled.

"We're not having the dog conversation again."

"I hate you." Carolyn snapped folding her arms and going into 'pout mode'.

"How did you guys get here?" Mia asked.

Carolyn shrugged. "No idea. We were sitting at my house, sipping soda, munching potato chips, and flipping off the TV like we always do, when BOOM!" She yelled the last word making everyone jump, "We were all sucked into this blue vortex and fell out of the sky. Then I landed on your head, and then we went to a flashback… oh yeah you already know that."

For a few moments, everyone was silent. Finally, Katie opened her big yap.

"Hey, I wonder how much weight this pier can support."

Suddenly, the pier collapsed underneath them, plunging the group of friends, into the water.

"Well Katie congratulations!" Carolyn said sarcastically as she and everyone else pulled themselves onto the beach, "You managed to alter reality with your words AGAIN!"

"You mean like last weekend?"

('Nother Flashback purely for your amusement)

Carolyn and Katie sat in Carolyn's living room, playing video games on the PS2. Both of them were completely absorbed in 'Tony Hawk Underground', until Katie broke the silence.

"I wonder if Cronos tried those 'Final Fantasy' games you lent him?"

Suddenly the door flew open and Cronos burst in. His eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, his hair was messy, and he stank as if he hadn't showered in a week.

"Cronos?" Carolyn asked in shock, "What happened to yo-"

"HIT POINTS!" He bellowed, "MANA! I NEED EXPERIENCE POINTS AND I NEED THEM NOW! I MUST LEVEL UP MY CHARACTERS SO I CAN KILL SEPHIROTH!"

He sat on the floor, hugged his knees to his chest, and started rocking back and forth, laughing hysterically.

"…I think that means 'yes'." Katie said flatly.

(End Flashback)

"Yes! Just like that!" Carolyn snapped, "Except this time, Cronos doesn't smell bad! Thank god…"

"What's all the screaming about?" A voice called. Riku turned around. Sora and Kairi were hurrying towards them, but they stopped dead in their tracks once they saw Carolyn.

"Is that…" Sora asked in shock as he pointed at Carolyn.

"Yeah, them." Riku said nodding. He gestured towards them, "It's Carolyn and Co," He pointed at Alex, "And that guy's a perv." Alex struck him on the back of the head. "I mean, he's Alex, and he's a friend of hers and he's Caitlin's boyfriend."

"I'm also one of Carolyn's guardians." Alex added smugly.

"Join the club, moron." Cronos said rolling his eyes.

"Shut up, Cronos." Alex snarled.

"No I mean it, " Cronos said seriously, "Join the club. We meet every Wednesday. We play D&D and talk about anime. We're trying to save money for a field trip to Tokyo."

"How amusing, that's their second argument in five minutes." A voice chuckled. Everyone looked up. Cedric was sitting on top of a palm tree looking very amused. He jumped down, then everyone noticed something strange. Cedric was wearing the clothing he had worn when he had been prince of the Heartless. The shirt was gray and had a Heatless insignia on the front. It had a long blue cape attached to the back. His pants were also blue with black armored knee covers.  His boots were grayish-blue in color.

"He's even dressed as a villain!" Katie cried. She ran up and started poking him, "And lookin' good too!"

"Cedric, two questions," Riku stated, "Number one: How long were you listening to us talk, and Number Two: Why are you wearing your villains costume?"

"I've been listening since Carolyn fell on your head," Cedric said smiling, "And number two, I really don't have a reason for wearing this costume, I just wanted to see if it still fit."

"You anti-heroes are so strange." Caitlin said rolling her eyes.

"But how did Carolyn and the others get here?" Kairi said frowning, "What's happening with the worlds?"

"I wish I could say," Cedric sighed, "I really do."

"Maybe the Heartless have returned." Sam suggested.

"Doubtful," Cedric said shaking his head, "When we departed Hollow Bastion, all the Heartless that I had gathered into that storm of power faded along with the world."

"Then what-" Carolyn began to say. But she was interrupted as the patch of earth underneath them began to glow a deep blue color. The ground underneath them seemed to vanish and they all plunged into the earth. Everyone tried to scream, but it felt like their very voices had been drawn from their bodies. Riku squeezed his eyes shut as he fell. It felt like the very air had been sucked from his lungs. He couldn't breathe; rather he was AFRAID to breathe.

Suddenly he felt his body slam down onto something hard. For some reason, he was exhausted. He hardly had the strength to open his eyes.

Right before he passed out, he heard a voice say: "It worked. Well done, Tira."