(Aww a big big thank you to Lolita my on going reviewer, you rock girl! Another big thank you to Kawaii-chan, whom doesn't usually review, which makes me, feel special inside  thanks a million guys! I also got my very first flamer! And to them, no hard feelings but again if you HAD read the entire posting instead of solely the first chapter you would have seen my plans for Riku, he's not an all out bad, guy, so don't go making improper assumptions! Hehe but anyway still looking out for Emerald and Emerald, they might make a return one-day lol. Enjoy guys and keep on letting those reviews and flames coming! ENJOY! O and expect a few little surprises to pop up…)

find me here
and speak to me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you
you are the light
that's leading me
to the place
where I find peace again

He strode towards the Inn; his foot falls slow, but steady. He felt ready and compelled to finally face this, his past. He had only just begun to think clearly as this thought appeared before him. Why had he felt so vengeful towards Sora? Was it because Kairi had chosen Sora over him? Yes that had to have been it. Then why had he wanted to kill Sora so badly over something as small as that? The Inn door came into sight and Riku seemed to hesitate as he reached out to push it open. Would all be forgiven if he were to go through with this? Would they accept him again?

He fought this inward battle head on. He couldn't do this; he HAD to do this! He had to set this all right. He had to apologize; he had to make peace. As he thought about it his hands had already pushed the door open and he entered the lobby. There they were Donald, Goofy, Paine, Sora, Kairi and Sakura. All of them were talking happily over drinks. He looked back at the door. Still not too late to turn back… No, this peace had to be made.

"Consider this my resignation." He thought as he took in a deep breath and prepared to take the plunge. Something in him knew perfectly well that this was the right thing to do.

you are the strength
that keeps me walking
you are the hope
that keeps me trusting
you are the life
to my soul
you are my purpose
you're everything

"I can't believe we found one another. I mean what were the chances of us meeting up here, of all places?" Sora said as he took another sip of his alcoholic mixture Sally had recommended. His eyes always remained glued to Kairis'.

Sakura smirked. "Perhaps less of a coincidence then you think." She said softly. As she looked about her surroundings she too it all in. Paine speaking with Donald and Goofy talking animatedly about the best kinds of weapons. Kairi and Sora still in awe of one another. Sally speaking with the Mayor of Halloween Town, and Riku. He had just appeared at the door where he seemed to be having an inward battle with himself. He looked over at her and she smiled shyly. She nodded him over. He hesitated slightly but soon he headed over.

What happened next can only be described as awkward. Sora shot up from his chair summoning his Keyblade and taking a defensive stance in front of Kairi. Paine, Donald and Goofy dashed over taking out their weapons as well. Sakura jumped out of her chair too.

"Stay behind me guys, Riku's nothing but bad news. Get the fuck out of here Riku; I really don't want to fight you!" Sora said as he loosened his grip on his blade. Sakura ran and stood in front of both parties. Trying to stop either one from doing something they may regret later.

"Both of you stop everything NOW! Sora chill, Riku's here to make peace…I think. And Riku explain why you're here so I don't need to stand in the middle!" Sakura said harshly. Everyone put their weapons away and took their seats. Sora kept his Keyblade handy, just incase.

"I'm here for myself. Not Ansem, not ANYBODY but myself. As of now, I work for no one. I really don't know what came over me before. Everything just makes sense now. I was wrong, I was tricked, I don't know what I was. I wanted to apologize and make things between us, all of us right again." Riku said his hands behind his head.

"You mean that?" Sora said cautiously.

"Ya, I do. And if you're willing, I'd like to be friends with you guys again, like before. I've had far too much time to dwell on my past. Now is time I took some action to recover the friendships I tossed away unwittingly all those years ago. That is if you'll have me." Riku stated.

"Ya we will. Been waitin a long time to hear that man. Good to have you back, Riku." Sora said as he put his Keyblade back and embraced his long ago friend. As Riku came to Kairi, she shot him a tiny smile and he returned it with one of his own. Sally ordered another round of drinks as all present enjoyed themselves, all blissfully unawares that far away another was watching their celebration, and plotting their downfall.

and how can I
stand here with you
and not be moved by you
would you tell me
how could it be
any better than this yeah

"Squall we don't just have to help them find one another…. We NEED to help them! Come on please! Can't we just pick up Kairi from Destiny Islands and drop her off at Halloween Town?" Yuffie begged. She had been at it for a little over 2 days now.

"FINE! If it will you shut you the hell up FINE!" Squall shouted harshly. There was only so much annoyance one man could take after all. She looked at him, a mixture of great happiness and anger. Had he yelled at HER?

"Awesome. Now apologize for yelling at me and we can head out." Yuffie said happily. Squall stood his ground and refused to apologize for merely shutting her up. She grimaced and her face distorted with rage. "No APOLOGY? THEN I'LL KILL YOU!" she screamed picking up a baseball bat. She began to chase him around the room.

"I'm sorry Yuffie. Please put the bat down!" he said. She stopped and dropped the bat smiling happily.

"Nice. I win again" she said victoriously. He picked her up into a big bar hug and then they headed off towards their shit to go and 'pick up' Kairi from Destiny Islands.

you calm the storms
and you give me rest
you hold me in your hands
you won't let me fall
you still my heart
and you take my breath away
would you take me in
take me deeper now

"Axel, I don't think I want him dead, not just yet." Ansem said harshly as he spoke with his mignon.

"Then what would you have me do with him?" Axel asked with a slight hint of displeasure of not being allowed to kill the man he truly despised.

"I want you to return him to me. He has a great deal of power I'd like to harness before we lay waste to him. I want you to ruin it all for him. Let him come crawling back to us. Alone and cold and the darkness in him at an all time high. Do what you need to but have it done. That is all." Ansem said.

Axel smiled violently as he walked towards the bathroom of his inn room. He was directly across from the three girls' room. He had definite means of ruining Riku's life. He just had to figure out how to trigger a kind of domino affect. And he knew it had to start with the small blonde girl, the little cunt he liked so much.

cause you're all I want
you're all I need
you're everything
everything

"I'm so glad to see everything worked out alright for you Riku." Sakura said as everyone left to prepare for the debriefing that was to occur in only half an hour. The two of them sat on a sofa made of black leather with legs like that of a giant lizard. Riku put his arm casually over Sakura's shoulders and looked into her mismatched eyes. He let a smile trickle to his lips.

"Something you did earlier, I don't know what, but something seemed to snap me back to reality. It was like these past 3three years had been a long nightmare I just woke up from. I owe you some thanks." He said honestly. Sakura blushed slightly. It was the first blush he had ever seen rise to her cheeks.

"You don't owe me a thing. I woe you, for this necklace, and for our little deal." She said very softly, still blushing a lovely shade of cherry. He smiled again.

"The choker was just a little present. It looked too good on you for me not to get you it. As for our deal. I'm still thinking." He said teasingly. She giggled slightly as a mischievous smile curl to her lips.

"And what does 'it looked too good on you to not buy it for you' mean exactly Riku?" she said in a purr. He was now subject to a blush. She laughed watching his reaction to her advances on him.

"Umm well you see, it's, umm….well you know…." He began to slip and slide through all of his words. She laughed a bit more and placed her head onto his chest. And all was silent, they sat alone in the lobby looking at one another, silent understanding between. Finally the silence was broken.

"How long have you felt that way about me?" she asked tilting her face upwards to look into his turquoise orbs. He smiled as he once more recalled the moment he had given her his ring.

"When you denied my offer to let you go if you gave me Kairi. That was the point of no turning back for me. When did you start to feel that way about me?" he asked his eyes now full of a new curiosity. She smiled.

"When we first met, you were a challenge. I love a good challenge. Plus I could tell from the moment we met and you didn't kill me on the spot that there was some good in you." She said. He smiled. It was true; from day one she had never backed down from him or acted out with anything but courage. "My question is where do we go from here?" she asked her eyes searching his for some answer.

"I really have no idea. One step at a time. I guess give the whole dating thing a try? If you want to?" he said his eyes trying to read hers.

"I think that might work well." He said her voice gaining in strength. Her shyness of the matter seemed to melt away. He took the opportunity to brush some of her blonde hair out of her face with his thumb. A slight blush again. He moved his head closer and closer to hers until their noses touched. He searched her eyes for any discomfort. Finding none he pressed his lips to hers.

At first it was slow, experimental even. They were both testing this out. Soon Sakura placed her tongue into Riku's mouth. This was getting a bit more passionate. He placed his hands onto her waist and pulled her closer to himself. Her hands were around his neck helping her hold herself up to his lips. Eventually though voices began to come closer and closer to them. Sakura broke the kiss and began to fix herself up. Her face was still a slight cherry colour making her, in Riku's opinion more beautiful.

"Well let's head to the debriefing." Donald said. All seven of them followed the great duck towards the nearby Town hall.

and how can I
stand here with you
and not be moved by you
would you tell me
how could it be
any better than this

"That's IT! I knew I would think of it. Oogie Boogie, you look after our….Guest until I return alright?"

"No problem Axel. Tell Ansem I said hey hey hip cat will ya?" the boogie man said as Axel began to dash from their 'secret' hideout. (Secret cause I myself still am not sure where to put it but shh you don't know that)

"I will Boogie. Have some fun with him while I'm out alright?" Axel said pointing to the unconscious figure by his feet. Jack Skellington sat sprawled out in the corner, barely breathing. The boogie man smiled so large some of his innards (bugs and such) dropped out of his mouth.

"It would be my pleasure." He said as he closed in on the figure. Axel headed towards the town hall.

"Now the last place Jack was seen was the cemetery where he was walking Zero, his ghost dog. No one has seen either since then. That was exactly three days ago. Now your job is to go out and find our Pumpkin king before the Halloween festival, three days from this very moment. Should you fail, Halloween Town will be sent into immense chaos and fear. YOU MUST NOT FAIL!" the mayor said as his head turned over to reveal a panicky face for the last sentence of his speech. Sally took the podium.

"Please friends, we desperately need to find Jack. Many Halloween Towners are beginning to talk. Talk is bad. If the Halloween festival doesn't occur, some people might get rowdy. Rowdy Halloween ghouls like to wreak havoc everywhere." Sally said. "We can pay you handsomely, in money, in jewels, in anything you need." She finished. Everyone nodded.

"When do we start?" Goofy asked. Sally simply smiled.

"Right now if possible." She said. They all stood up, ready to head out. Riku took Sakura's hand in his and they headed out last towards the exit. Sora winked at Riku who in turn winked back at Sora. Riku found himself relaxing now. He had been accepted back into the gang. He was no longer the outsider he had once been. He was no longer the enemy.

"So any ideas on how we should go about this?" Sakura asked as they all made it outside. The streets of Halloween Town seemed deserted now, all were home sleeping or scaring after al it was the ungodly hour of 1 am. Everyone took a moment to think.

"Well why not check out the cemetery first right? It was the last place he was spotted, it seems logical." Paine said. Kairi and Sora nodded. They all headed out towards the cemetery, hearts soaring high. If anyone could find Jack Skellington, it would be them!

and how can I
stand here with you
and not be moved by you
would you tell me
how could it be
any better than this
would you tell me
how could it be
any better than this

(I already have most of the next chapter typed out…it gets graphic from here on out…warning I guess. Expect more swearing…sorry my fault, sex, rape and all that other fun shtick. Song used is Everything By Lifehouse….expect the next chapter to be posted in a few days :P)