Disclaimer: None is mine! wants Riku!

A/N: Riku is not wearing a shirt... Oh, sorry! I am a Riku fangirl. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!

-Remi

Chapter 2Awakenings

"Mmm?" Alice opened her eyes slowly, confused of where she was. She was pressed against something warm... And fleshy. Riku's bare chest.

Alice jumped up, waking Riku, who was wearing a pair of black pants, and no top. Alice was still wearing her dress, although she found it very uncomfortable.

Riku tilted his head to the side, "You okay?"

"I- I'm fine," Alice said, "I just, um... Um..." She was blushing, and she knew it. Riku looked down at his bare chest, "Oh, sorry... I usually sleep with a shirt off. If it makes you feel better, I'll put one on."

Alice shrugged, trying to remain calm "No. It's fine, do whatever you want."

Riku went and put on a shirt that was tight enough for his muscles to bluge through a little. He looked at Alice, "Oh, yeah, um... We're in Traverse Town. It's a, um... Another world."

Alice nodded, "I've heard about the other worlds. Thank you for rescuing me, Riku."

Riku smiled, "Hey, no problem. Um, listen, I bought you somehting to wear, that might be a little more comfortable than the dress you're wearing now. They didn't have a very wide selection at the shop for girls-just dresses-but I thought it was less elaborate tan your dress, and was very comfotable for walking around in. And I got you a pair of shoes."

Alice nodded. She understood now where they were. They were in a room, at some place-perhaps an inn- in this Traverse Town. She entered the bathroom with the new dress, black-and-blue knee socks, and boots.

---

This time, when I left the island, Kairi came with me. I'm glad, too. I love her to death, and I didn't want to leave her. It had taken too long to see her again. Yeah, I'm a Heartless-hunter. But I also promised Kairi that I would take her somewhere special. Other worlds are as special as it gets, right? She's a tough chick, and she helps me out a lot with killing heartless. We're 17 now...

Kairi yawned, "Hey Sora, up and at 'em! I swear, you're just as lazy as you've always been. Seriously though, you're worse than Princess Aurora."

Sora smiled slightly, and mumbled, "I work by the same principles too..."

Kairi bent down, and kissed him lightly on the lips, "That better?"

"Much," Sora answered, pulling himself out of bed. His muscles rippled, as he stretched, and he pulled a white T-shirt on over his tan chest. Sora remembered how scrawny he's been when he was 15. Not anymore, he wasn't.

Sora was wearing what he usually did, black pants with protecton chains, and a white (or sometimes black, even occasionally red) T-shirt. Kairi, had more color in her outfit. She was wearing a beautiful knee-length, flowy skirt, that was pink and orange, and rippled in the breeze. She was wearing a white shirt, with the picture of an orange palm tree on it. Her hair was auburn, and hung down to her waist.

Sora's own hair, was as unruly as it had always been, except that now he had dreadlocks, and Kairi ran her hands through it. The light reflected in it's coffee-like color. She smiled, "Ready for another day?"

Sora kissed her, "Always."

---

"Okay, what do you think?" Alice asked.

Riku turned, and had to sit to keep from fainting. Alice looked breathtaking in the smooth black dress he had bought her. It clung to her, defining her curves, but was still long enough so that it wouldn't be considered too... slutty. It was black, and has some lace trim, but was nothing fancy really. Still, complete with the boots, and black-and-blue checkered knee socks, she looked ready to kill.

"Well?" Alice asked, turning around.

Riku stammered, "W- Wow... You, um... You look... great. Amazing. Fantastic."

Alice smiled, a sweet smile, "Thank you."

Riku blushed a little, and Alice looked at him strangely. Riku asked, "Huh? What?"

Alice giggled a little, "Riku... Your nose is bleeding."

"Ah!" Riku wiped away the blood, "S- Sorry." When his nose stopped bleeding, Riku stood, "So... we should get going."

"Hm?" Alice asked, "To where?" Riku shook his head, "Um, listen, I can understand if you'd like to leave after I tell you this... I hunt heartless, and kill them. And, if you're traveling with me, you have two choices. You either guard camp, wherever we are, or you help me hunt and kill them."

Alice smiled mischeviously, "Nope, sorry, you aren't going to lose me that easily!" She was already warming up to Riku, and had flalen into aless ormal way of speech, "I'll hunt with you."

"You know this is goiung to be really dangerous?"

"Yep. But... What have I got to lose?"

---

"Who's your friend, kid?" Cid asked Riku, as he and Alice walked into his shop. riku growled, "I told you not to call me kid. I'm 19."

Yuffie bounded over, "You'll alwayts be a kid to us, Riku!" She turned to Alice, "And who mgiht yopu be?"

"I'm Alice," Alice answered. Yuffie laughed, "Nice to meetcha!"

"She's decided to hunt with me, I rescued her from another world. And she'll need a weapon."

Yuffie nodded, and said to Alice, "Okay... Let's see... You're the stealth and magic type, so you should use knives, quick and easy. And I'll teach you some elemental magic, remember these--"

--Yuffie touched her middle and index finger to Alice's forehead--

"--Darkness, Water, Fire, Air, Earth, Light, Lightning, Thunder. When you say their names, their elemental spell can be cast. I'm guesisng that your strongest powers will be Water and Darkness. Now, here are your knives..." She handed Alice two silver knives, "Go find Riku. He'll probably be waiting outside."

---

"I'm ready."

Riku stood up, "Good, let's get moving, then."

"Hey, Riku?"

"Yeah?"

"How did Yuffie know what elements were my sterngths? She said... darness and water."

Riku smiled, "Probably because you look so good in black and blue. Heh, just kidding, she just can. Yuffie was trained to be able to do that."

Alice laughed, "Why thank you. So, where to?"

"I borrowed gummi ship from Cid, it should be waiting outside. We also have some potions and stuff. We should be ready, we just have to go outside."

HE held out his arm, "Shall we?"

Alice placed her arm in his, "LEt's."

---

Kairi sighed exhaustedly, and leaned against a tree, "That it?"

Sora nodded, "I think so…" His keyblade was in his hand. He had added the Oblivion Charm, as it was a very powerful keyblade.

Kairi slid down the trunk of the tree until she was sitting at the base. Sora sat down next to her, "You okay? Need anything?"

Kairi shook her head, "Fine… Let's just rest for a little bit."

"So," She asked, " Have you heard anything from Riku?"

"No," Sora answered, "But I heard he's a Heartless-hunter now. Cid told me."

Kairi smiled, "Then there's a good chance we'll see him again."

"Yeah," Sora smiled back, "That would be cool."

"Deep Jungle is the worst place to hunt," Kairi commented.

"And why is that?" Sora asked.

"Well, for one thing, you can't see the things coming at you. And second, the Heartless are monkey who jump around. Not to mention the panthers, and leopard around here…"

"Okay, okay, point taken," Sora laughed, "Let's go back to the gummy ship."

"So, whioch world are we going to?" Alice asked.

"Yours, actually," Riku answered.

"Mine? How come?"

"I figured that you'd be able to train easier in your own environment," Riku explained.

"Oh," Alice said.

Riku got into the cockpit of the large gummi ship, "There's food and other necessary item behing the cockpit, but you can come up front with me. In a gummi ship, it takes about 2 days to get to Wonderland. Large gummi ships don't usually have the warp drive…"

Alice took Riku's hand, and he helped her into the cockpit. They took off, and soon, all Aice could see were stars. Riku pressed a button, that read "invisibility drive"..

Alice climbed to the back part of the ship. She looked out the window at the night sky. "So peaceful…"

"Isn't it?" Riku sat down next to Alice, and stared out the window.

"Who's manning the ship?"

"Auto-pilot," Riku explained.

"Oh…" Riku put his arm around Alice, and she leaned her head against Riku's shoulder.

Bump

The gummi ship hit what seemed to be space's equivalent of a speed bump. It was jarred badly, and Alice fell forward.

She fell into Riku, who fell back, and her lips met his.

It took Alicea moment to realize that she was on top of Riku, and that her lips had just made contact with his. She lifted her head up so that she could see his eyes, blushing. He looked stunned.

"I, ah, um…" Alice stammered, "Sorry."

"N- No big deal," Riku answered, "But… uh… You might wanna get off me."

Alice nodded, sitting up. Riku too sat up. He looked over at her, a grin on his face.

"Hey Alice?"

Alice met his eyes, "Y- Yeah?"

"You're cute when you blush."

And there's something about Riku's smile… It makes me feel all warm inside. A feeling I haven't had since I was with my family.

"Donald! Goofy!"

"Sora?" Donald quacked, he and Goofy turning at the sound of his voice.

Kairi grinned, "Hey guys."

"Kairi!" Goofy exclaimed, "Gawrsh it good to see you two again!"

"How long has it been?" Sora asked.

"Two years," Donald answered.

"We should keep in touch," Kairi commented,

"You got a lot of muscle, Sora," Goofy observed.

"Yup, I'm a heartless hunter now."

"Really?" Donald asked, "That must be tough."

"Not really. Kairi's a big help."

Kairi laughed, " You flatter me. I'm only okay. It's Yuffie's weapons too."

"Well, why don't you come see Pluto. He misses you, hyuck," Goofy told Sora and Kairi.

"There it is."

Alice looked out the window, and sure enough, there was her world—Wonderland. She sighed nerovusly, and leaned agaisnt Riku. He smiled, "It'll be okay."

Alice nodded, "I hope so."

A/N: Chapter 2 done! I might not be writing for a while, I'm moving, so that gerts in the way of things. Review, please!

-Remi