(Aww Emerald and Emerald…What happened guys??? Where'd you two go to? Anyways I hope you guys will be back soon!!! Thank you to Lolita my little anonymous reviewer! Thank you so much for reviewing chapter 2!! I have a new angle for this now…I hope you all enjoy it. Song fic chapter expect one of my fave songs and a special song. I only hope I can find the lyrics I need: P Read review and flame please! Thanks guys!!PS I love Halloween Town and nightmare b4 Christmas soooo much! Expect this part to be long…sorry to those who don't like it:P)

Long lost words whisper slowly to me
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
(I know you're still there)

Kairi sat in front of the gummi ship's large window. She watched as everything melted together into a kaleidoscope of colours. Her mind was still fixed on Sora and the promise he had made to her that fateful day three years ago. She sighed as his face entered her mind once more. Did he still love her? Did he even remember what she looked like? Or had he forgotten her totally?

Sakura lay on her central bed, facing the window where Kairi sat. Her friend was deep in thought, about Sora no less. As Sakura turned herself to look over at Paine, she was met with a back to her. Paine was still ignoring the two. This saddened Sakura a bit, she still felt like Paine's mood was her doing. Sakura began to wish more and more that Rikku had joined this little expedition. She would know what to do. Sakura cuddled her friend's yellow and orange scarf closer to her body.

Pained tried her best to block out the world around her. It had never failed to ease her before. She thought back to Wonderland and how… Worried she had been. Not even about her own well being, but about the well being of her two younger companions. These feelings frightened her. They meant, to her, weakness. She shifted slightly on her bed, trying to concentrate on anything, anything but them.

Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you loving you
I won't let you pull me down

As Sora began to stir from his alcohol induced slumber, Donald and Goofy were already planning which world would be next. After all they needed to get back on track of world saving before the 100 years Donald predicted grew to another 100. Sora grunted and turned over, only to fall flat on his face off the couch he had been lying on.

"Glad to see you didn't die of Alcohol poisoning Sora. While you were passed out, we already plotted our new move against the growing darkness, thanks to a reliable source." Donald said angrily. Goofy, being a bit more sympathetic, went over to help Sora to his feet.

"Don't mind Donald, he's just grouchy we have to leave Traverse Town so soon." Goofy said once Sora had regained his balance. The spiky haired teen nodded. He did not particularly want to leave Traverse Town either. He wanted to return home to Destiny Islands, return to Kairi.

"I guess I can deal with that. So Donald, where are we off to now?" Sora asked as he tossed his shirt on.

"Glad to see you aren't too hung over to start right away. We're heading to Halloween Town. My source reports that there is a great darkness hanging there. Well at least darker then usual. Also, that Jack Skellington, the pumpkin king, has gone missing. We should arrive there in less then 5 hours if we step on it. Think you can handle that Sora?" Donald said as he walked out, not bothering to wait for an answer. Goofy followed suit soon, leaving Sora alone.

"Kairi, if you're still waiting for me, I will return to you. I'll just be a little later then I thought…." He said as he slung his Keyblade onto his shoulders and headed to the ship. Never did he notice the figure standing out side the open window, listening to every word he spoke.

Yuffie stood by the window sill. Her heart ached for Sora and Kairi. Two people who were obviously FATED to be together, yet that same fate was what kept them apart. She decided then and there she had to do something to help. She dashed back to Squall to ask his advice on the matter.

Hunting you I can smell you - alive
Your heart pounding in my head

Paine docked the ship and they all exited. Each preoccupied with their own emotions and thoughts. As they approached the World gates, Sakura felt a cold shiver run down her spine. It felt like this was a bad idea, like something bad would happen. However, she shook it off. A girl stood at the World gate, waiting for them it seemed. As they approached she stood up a smile on her stitched face.

"Have you come to help locate Jack?" She asked kindly. Before Paine could shake her head, Kairi nodded. "Fantastic! He said more from other worlds would come. Please step over here. We'll need to make you guys blend in. No one else in the city knows about Jack's disappearance, strangers like you might alert them that something isn't right." She said as she passed each girl an orb which glowed with a darkened light nearly black in colour.

Soon the dark light engulphed all three girls. They felt odd sensations as the light began to leave their bodies. Looking around Kairi nearly screamed as she looked to Paine and saw her friend covered head to toe in light fur with a long tail attached to her back. Paine looked with shock at Sakura who now wore the remains of a once lovely black bodice dress, whose hems had all been cut or torn. her nose almost double its normal length. Sakura looked at Kairi whose canines were now twice their average size and whose clothes had also become black as night.

"My name is Sally." The stitched woman said. Finally registering that this was no dream, Kairi looked up at the woman.

"My name is Kairi, this is Sakura and that's Paine." Kairi managed to say, lisping as she spoke due to her elongated canines.

"You all look wonderful. If you're ready now, please follow me." Sally said. She headed towards the city, telling the town mayor to stay and greet anyone else from outside worlds who may come to help. "Welcome, to Halloween town." She said as the girls all looked out in wonder at the dark and spooky city before them.

They sighted ghosts, ghouls and goblins, witches mummies and vampires, as well as just about everything else that went bump in the night. Vampires tipped their hats to the girls as did witches and skeletons too. For monsters and demons, they sure were nice.

"This was the last place Jack was seen. That was three days ago. Once all the others arrive, by midnight tonight, we shall have a meeting in the town hall to debrief you all. Please come with me to the Inn. Most of the others are staying there too." She said. Paine turned to look at Sally.

"Others…how many others?" she asked. Sally shook her head.

"With you three were up to five, but word was another set of three were to come from Traverse town, they should be here within the hour." Sally said as they entered the Inn. She bid them farewell and headed back to the docs.

As they settled their things into their room, a certain tension seemed to lift. Paine had begun talking to them once more and for this, Sakura and Kairi were glad. However this may have side tracked, but after all wasn't this whole mission about saving something? What if Sora was here, or on his way? They never knew perhaps they had found him after all!

"Do you mind if Sakura and I go out and have a look around Town Paine? We will only be gone a few hours." Kairi asked sweetly. Paine nodded as she began to clean off her broad sword. Both girls dashed excitedly out of the Dark Lagoon Inn and headed towards the town.

"Have you noticed the air lately? So cold and the sky, it seems…almost blacker then usual." Said a vampire to an old witch. The old witch looked up to the sky with her one ugly bloodshot grey eye.

"Perhaps it is part of this year Halloween Celebration. After all it is only 3 days away! You know Old Jack; he's always trying to out do himself year after year. This is perhaps a new trick he has learned." The old one eyed witch said gruffly as they exited the girls' vision.

Soft singing came to their ears and Kairi discovered the source as a trio of ghosts mimicking an organ grinder. She dashed over. "Sakura you coming?" she asked her friend. Sakura moaned her displeasure at the idea. "How about we meet back here in two hours. Sound good?" Kairi said. Sakura nodded.

"I'll get you a shrunken head to remind you of today." She laughed. The other girl sneered her disgust as Sakura made her way into the city. As she wandered she took in her surroundings. Merchants selling heads, sugar skulls, everything one found in their nightmares. She smiled and tried on a silver choker with a spider in the center, covered in black diamonds. Never had she ever seen anything so beautiful in her life!

"AH a lovely choice young witchling. Very fine silver. And the black diamonds, very rare. For you darling... 300." The hag running the stall said. Sakura grimaced. She only had 100 on her. What was she going to do? With a sighed she took off the choker.

"I'm sorry, I only have 100 and that's all I have. Sorry about that." Sakura said as she put the choker back down. She felt a warm hand clutch her shoulder and she let out a scream.

"Shh, it's only me." She heard a very familiar voice say. As she turned around she was met with turquoise eyes. Eyes she liked to drown in. Although the rest of his appearance had changed drastically. His teeth were all sharp and his canines protruded. His body was now the colour of a deep blue ocean, dark and clear.

"And what Riku, are you doing here?" Sakura asked. He picked up the choker and ran his fingers across the spider pendant. It glowed faintly, unnoticed by the Hag and Sakura. He placed it back onto Sakura's neck.

"I'm here on my own free will for once. I'm not here to screw with you guys either. There's a personal reason why I'm here. Someone I hate played me for a fool, and now he's trying to take what's not his. I'm here to teach him a lesson he won't soon forget. Here you are Hag, have a nice day." Riku said as he placed the 300 asked by the old hag onto the table. She smiled her toothless grin as the two walked away.

"You didn't have to do that you know? The ring sealed our deal Riku." Sakura said softly, eyeing the silver ring on her index finger. He smirked as he remembered that moment. As he remembered exactly what was going on inside his mind as he handed her the keys to the cell and that ring.

"Give up your search for Sora, and give me Kairi. Then you can be freed." Sakura shook her head violently. Riku looked at her, really LOOKED at her. She had just denied her only chance at saving herself.

"No deal. As much as I hate to say that. Anything else you want, you can have." Sakura stated with a hint of finality. He couldn't believe how self less this girl was being. Was she actually denying him just to save her friends? He was greatly reminded of how he and Sora had been before…

"Whatever Sakura. How about we say that later on I can ask for anything I want, except the two initial things I asked for. Alright with you?" He couldn't believe he had said it, he couldn't believe how she was making him say it. She was incredible, she was like Sora… She smiled and reached for the key.

"Riku you have yourself a deal" Sakura said. He passed her the key and a small ring, his seal on the deal, and watched vigilantly down the hall as she unlocked the cell door. He shook her hand. He had lost interest in his initial prize. Kairi wouldn't have done this; she wouldn't have risked freedom on a bluff. Perhaps she wasn't as thick headed, or perhaps she wasn't as brave. But this Sakura, she had caught him in her web, and he had to admit, at least to himself, he liked it.

"I know I didn't. I wanted to. Besides it looks amazing." He said trying to sound as harmless as possible. She smiled.

"Have you decided what it is you want from me yet, our deal?" she asked quietly. He had known this would be coming. Truth was, he had, many a times. But the better he got to know her, be it personally or by spying; it got harder and harder to ask. He wanted her. Plainly and simply. He wanted her, but he wanted her to come on her own free will.

"No. Really it hasn't crossed my mind. Anyways I have time to think. So what brings you girls here? Going to help search for Jack?" he asked. She felt a familiar shiver jolt down her back. That bad feeling had returned.

"You didn't have anything to do with it, did you Riku?" she asked softly. He had expected this too. Normally he would have known a great deal. However this was Axels plan, and therefore he knew nothing. He shook his head putting his arm around her shoulders casually.

"Nope, for once I was a good boy and didn't do ANYTHING evil!" he said comically. Sakura giggled a bit. Riku looked down into her miss matched irises. He felt his breath catch as he looked deep within them. She gave him a quizzical glance, snapping him back into reality. Or had it been the sharp cold that had just struck them?

"Well, well, if it isn't old softy. How ARE you Riku?" the voice said harshly. Riku turned around coming face to face with Axel. The fiery red head now a zombie, just glared into Riku's turquoise eyes. Both men seemed not to notice the tiny woman between them.

"Go to hell Axel." Riku said as he barred his teeth. Axel flashed his claws (do zombies have claws? I mean I know they tear skin so do they have claws?) As the black bodiced girl tried to escape unnoticed.

"Ah, what do we have here? Why if it isn't a pretty little Witch. Hello there sweetheart. My name is Axel. And you are?" He said extending is hand to her. She turned around, fear in her miss matched eyes. She glanced back to Riku who was still glaring menacingly at Axel.

"S… Sakura." she said as she took his hand. The second their hands touched, the chill in her back grew so intense she shuddered almost as if in pain. Riku turned to her taking his eyes off of Axel.

"Alright there?" he asked his voice filled with genuine concern. She nodded. Axel took this opportunity to whisper into Riku's ear.

"I knew you liked that little cunt. She's a fine catch Riku. Shame she might be mine before you get her. And when I say she will be mine, expect me to keep that promise. If not just to piss the fuck out of you." He said harshly. He slapped Sakura's butt as he stalked off towards the cemetery.

"What…What was that all about?" she asked, still shaking and cold. What did this mean? Who was this Axel? Was this the personal vendetta Riku had?

"You didn't need to see that or get that sort of treatment. Axel is… a co-worker of mine. He still doesn't know how to treat women yet. Come on I'll show you around town, I've been here a few hours." He said still glaring darkly at the direction Axel had taken off in.

"I think I'd like that." Sakura said. She wasn't sure why, but something in Riku had changed. He seemed to be really trying hard to be good. She would think more on this later. Best now to sit back and enjoy the change.

Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Saving me, raping me, watching me

Sora, Donald and Goofy all exited the ship. A tall stitched together woman was standing there waiting for them. "We've been waiting" she said as she passed them the dark orbs. The dark light engulfed the platform and nothing could be seen. As the dark light cleared away Sally led them towards the inn and the Town hall for the meting, which was to start in only 1 hour.

Kairi had walked around Halloween town, never once coming across Sakura. As she headed back towards the Inn, she spotted Sally accompanying 3 companions to the Inn. She dashed to Sally to greet her once more.

"Hey Sally." She said happily. One of the 3 strangers suddenly stopped at the sight of her. It was almost as if he had slammed into a solid invisible wall. He looked directly into her eyes, piercing them with a clear sapphire gaze. Her own eyes welled with tears as she dashed up to the young vampire.

"Sora, what the hell are you doing! What would Kairi say?" Donald asked as he tried to separate the two.

"I'd say hug her till her head explodes." Kairi said, causing Donald to let out a large shriek of surprise.

"KAIRI! What are you doing here?" Donald asked. Still being embarrassed by Sora she smiled.

"I had to find him. I was tired of waiting. Sakura, and Paine, two girls who have been spending summers on Destiny Islands since the year you left took me. We went to Wonderland and fought heartless and decks upon decks of cards. And we got high off of some AMAZING chron…. It's just been absolute insanity!" Kairi said. Soon Sakura appeared wearing a beautiful spider choker.

"Hey Kairi, who are your friends?" Sakura asked. She smiled and shook all of their hands.

"Sakura it's HIM! SORA!" Kairi screamed happily as she flung herself at her friend. Sakura smiled so bright. She looked to her left to an empty side road and smiled again.

"So if you're Sora, then you two must be Goofy and Donald right?" Sakura said. The two companions nodded their heads. "Awesome. We still have an hour until the meeting, why don't we all go see Paine and then head over to the Town Hall?" Sakura said. As everyone nodded she stopped. "Shoot I forgot something. I'll meet you at the inn alright?" she said. As they nodded she ran off towards the empty side road she had looked at earlier.

"I can't believe I've found you!" Kairi said still clinging to Sora as if her life depended on it. He held her close, scared that letting go of her, even for an instant might make her vanish form his life again.

"You did it didn't you?" Sakura asked once she had found her way back to Riku. He was sitting on a small rusted park bench watching as two small ghouls pushed a tiny witch on a broken swing. He turned to her and smiled softly. It seemed everywhere he looked he saw his past, a past he could never forget, nor wanted to forget.

"Yeah. You found me out. I found out about this entire thing, and where you guys were headed and I was able to inform Sora and his crew." He said.

"Why I thought you wanted to kill him?" Sakura said. Riku simply smiled.

"I do. But it made you and Kairi happy." He said. His ever present smirk returning. She found herself speechless. Had she misjudged this man? Did he truly care about all this?

"Is that why you won't face them. Because you still want him dead, but you also want to see her happy. I'm getting the vibes of a troubled past here." Sakura said. "But I've never been one to pry where I don't belong. Thank you Riku. That's the best I can do." She said. She stood up and placed a single kiss on his cheek and headed off towards the inn.

He sat there watching the young spooks of Halloween Town, trying to deal with his troubled past. He sat and he thought until his head seemed to hurt. Why did he want Sora dead anyways? They had been such good friends. And why had he been working for Him so long? Why was he thinking so clearly now, or at least clearer now then before? Was it Sakura? Was she the source of this sensical thought he was beginning to have? He made up his mind then and there and headed off towards his destination, on a mission that he had to complete.

(Hope you enjoyed this. It might be my last update until after January, once exams are over. I keep putting off my studying to write…I shouldn't do that anymore lol. Read and review I love the feed back! The song I used was Haunted by Evanescence…such a good beat! My special song will be included in the next one. Expect gore, sex and other things…rating is going R cuz I swear WAY too much! And with R I can get descriptive too hehe.)