Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I dont own it.

The events from the previous night seemed to mingle with each other into a blur in Riku's memory. His head ached. He clenched his eyes to dull the pain.

Wondering whether or not he was facing the consequences of a night of chugging too much chocolate syrup with Sora, Tidus, and Wakka last night, or something else, he sat up.

Holding his head, he opened his eyes. He looked around to see he wasn't in his familiar, comforting room, but somewhere else. There wasn't much to see. A breeze raised red dust from the cold, dry earth. Small plants sprouted from the ground, but a red sun beat down on any life that sprang from the earth.

Fighting the pangs of hunger in his stomach that weakened him, he rose in this wasteland. What good was an empty world? He stumbled forward and made his staggering way towards nothing.

Where were his friends? Kairi? Sora?

A small village existed only a few miles away. The people there were proud, and respectable. They all followed a strict code, and had high expectations of eachother. All fulfilled their expectations, except one.

Ziya was almost fifteen years old. Her eyes were a dark green, except for the golden ring around her pupils, much unlike the rest of the village's caramel-brown eyes.

Opposed to the blonde hair of her family and friends, she had ebony hair. Her skin was a light olive color, instead of the dark tan skin of everyone else.

Not only did her looks set her apart. She possessed more spirit than her village combined. She made mistakes, and her imperfection showed. Instead of following the rules, and life set before her, she wrote her own story.

Alone, different, the misfit plotted in secret her departure from her world. She knew her dad had a gummi, though why was a mystery to her. It was hidden miles from the town. The only way to make it was to skip school, and walk to it on foot.

Now, the day had past, and Ziya was growing weary. She entertained the thought of turning back, but knew it was too late.

The night was darker than she'd ever seen it. She stopped, because she could hardly see her hand in front of her face.

Riku, exhausted from he yet beginning, felt hunger and fatigue consume him. He couldn't walk any further. He tripped on a rock, and collided painfully with the ground.

Looking up, he saw a pair of yellow eyes walking toward a barely visible figure.

The next theing he witnessed was a struggle between the figure and the eyes, at the end of which the figure lost. He can't explain it even now, but something caused him to pull himself out of his place of forsaken strength and defend the fallen character.

The dark creature was immune to Riku's powerful blows, but fled just the same.

As Riku turned to investigate the unconscious person, he was caught off guard by lights. Flashlights headed towards him. He could hear voices. Then he collapsed.