Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. But I do own Johnny's bracelet. ;D

A/N: Hey, ya'll! Um, well, I just have to say that I apologize for not updating as quick as I wanted to. D: PLEASE forgive me! xD Anyway, this chapter is pretty long... when I typed it out it was about ten pages, and my chapters are usually about seven pages... so I hope you peoples enjoy, even though some rather crazy stuff happens in this chapter. (: Oh, and I'm VERYVERY sorry but I can't do review replies today. o.o; PLEASE forgive me... again! xD Don't worry, though... if I ever fail to do review replies, I'll at least give a special thanks for those who reviewed... Okay? Okay. :D

xoxo Bianca.

Intertwined Destinies

Chapter Fifteen.

"Ahhhh!" Sora leaped from the branch he was sitting on and barely landed upright on the cobblestone. In the darkness, his eyes scanned the area, looking for a particular direction in which to go towards.

There. Running as fast as he possibly could, Sora entered the next district, looked around some more, then ran diagonally into an alleyway, which he hoped was the correct one. He bent over, out of breath, and breathed in the frigid night air profoundly. As he cast up his gaze, he saw no other than Toshi and Alexandra sitting on the ground.

Sora pointed an accusing finger at Alexandra. "Y-you," he sputtered. "Get out of Traverse Town! Now!"

Toshi looked bewildered as Alexandra tweaked her head to the side. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! You've come to hurt everyone and destroy Traverse Town. I'm not going to let that happen. So leave, Alexandra, if that's even your real name. Or tell me, are Heartless allowed to have names? And why do you look like a girl when you're a Heartless, hmm? Where's your Heartless symbol, huh? You think you're so slick, sauntering into Traverse Town and acting... almost normal... thinking that you would fool everyone into thinking that you're just some innocent young lady that happened to stumble upon this world. But look, you didn't fool me."

Toshi's jaw dropped. What the heck?

Alexandra stood up so that she was in eye level with Sora. She smiled seriously, if that was possible. Okay, so maybe it was a smirk.

"Why don't you say anything?" shouted Sora, his hands clenching into fists. "You're a Heartless, aren't you? Show me your powers! Where are your powers, hmm? Elemental? Mental? Physical? CAN YOU THROW ME AGAINST THE WALL WITH HERCULEAN STRENGTH?"

"Maybe just to shut you up," Alexandra rolled her eyes, picked Sora up almost easily, and tossed him over her shoulder towards the wall.

"OOOMPHA!" Soras slammed against the hard, stone wall and landed on the cobblestone ground with a loud THUD.

Toshi stood up and cursed under his breath. "Alexandra, have you gone mad?"

"No," breathed Alexandra, turning around and looking down at Sora, who was writhing in pain. "He's the one who's gone mad."

"Am not!" argued Sora, clutching on to his aching shoulder. He felt something wet on his shirt, maybe blood. "Why, if I had my Keyblade right now... I'd... I'd..."

Alexandra stepped towards Sora and kneeled down, leaning towards him, her face only an inch away from his. She smiled mysteriously. "Oh, you'd what?"

"I'D, LIKE, TOTALLY DESTORY SLASH DEMOLISH SLASH CLOBBER YOU!"

Alexandra let out a careless laugh. "I'd love that, really. But does little Sora have his 'Keyblade' now?" she smirked again and patted Sora's gravity-defiant hair. "I don't think so."

Sora smacked Alexandra's cold hand away and glared daggers at her. "You're so..."

"Evil?" finished Alexandra, looking at her manicure. "Sorry, I don't think that's the right word..."

Toshi inhaled deeply. "Alexandra, what are you doing?"

Alexandra straightened her posture and shrugged. "What do you think I'm doing, Toshi? You're a psychic, aren't you? Tell me... what exactly do I have in store for all of you people?"

Toshi growled. "I can't just summon up my effin' psychic powers!"

Alexandra crossed her arms over her chest. "Mmm hmm. So now you admit that you have psychic powers."

Toshi looked off to the side, as if in disbelief of what he had just said. "I... I mean... I can't... I don't... er..."

"The world is full of idiots," Alexandra said softly, almost... kindly? No, practically sympathetically.

Sora, from his place on the ground, looked from Toshi to Alexandra and back to Toshi then back to Alexandra.

So Alexandra was a Heartless.

And Toshi was psychic.

He shuddered. Yeah, and I'm an oompa loompa.

Suddenly, he felt a rather serious emotion wash over him. He struggled to stand, trying to maintain his balance by leaning against the wall, which he had been thrown upon.

No.

Sora got a determined look in his sapphire blue eyes.

I'm the Keyblade Master.

"Kairi, what happened to—OH, MY GOD! IT'S RIKU!"

"Trinity, no, wait—"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, KAIRI DEAR!"

"Heh, hey, Trinity. Long time no see."

"AH! Oh my gosh, Riku—"

"What the heck?"

"TRINITY!"

"Trinity, you look like you're going to—"

"Oh, Riku..."

"She's going to—"

"Grab her!"

"She's going to faint?"

"Well, she thinks you're a sexy beast!"

"That's true."

"HURRY UP, RIKU!"

"Eh?"

"SHE'LL FALL ON THE STINKIN' GLASS!"

"Oh, Riku..."

"GET HER ALREADY!"

"Fine, fine."

"Goodness gracious, Riku."

"Kairi. It's no big deal. You're very welcome."

"I didn't even say—ugh! Never mind."

"Hmm. Whoa, she's blacked out."

"Riku, hold her correctly!"

"Fine, fine."

"Is she breathing?"

"No, she's dead."

"WHAT!"

"What do you think? Of course she's breathing."

"Jeez, Riku, don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"And it's your fault for making her faint, anyway!"

"But is it my fault that I'm so irresistibly sexy?"

"Well, no. More like your parents' fault!"

"God, Kairi! Are you calling my parents sexy?"

"WHAT? No!"

"Yes, you did! I didn't know you were like that. Man, that's just sick and wrong..."

"Riku! Shut up and put Trinity on the couch. She's more important than—"

"My sexiness? WHAT? I am offended."

"Hurry up!"

"Fine."

Toshi stared at Alexandra. It wasn't too long ago that she had been some innocent, clueless girl. Now... she had just thrown Sora against the wall. He didn't even have the slightest idea what a Heartless was, but he concluded by Sora's ravings that being a Heartless was not good. What did Alexandra have in store for everyone? Was Sora right when he said that Alexandra would destroy this world? And what did he mean by 'world'? When he and Kairi fell from the stained glass place, they arrived to a different world? So this world was not the same as Destiny Islands?

Toshi huffed. Well, duh, you idiot!

Traverse Town was not like an island at all!

So what was up with Alexandra? Had she truly been hiding her real personality? Or... perhaps she just had a mood swing?

Yeah, right. Toshi snorted. Some mood swing.

Where were the psychic visions when you needed them? Seriously, he hadn't had one since he saw the door hidden behind a mess of tangled vines. When he had a vision, it was like time would stop, his eyes would automatically close, his breathing would slow, and then he'd see a sort of blurry movie clip in his mind. His mind would feel muddled afterwards and he'd have disoriented emotions swimming around in his stomach.

Toshi felt pity for Sora. Sora may not have noticed but his shoulder was bleeding slightly. It looked like a very painful wound, although Sora was hanging on to consciousness.

Toshi snorted again. Barely.

"You really need to stop making those noises," Alexandra said coldly.

Toshi crossed his arms stubbornly. No way was he backing down from some girl with no shoes.

"Oh, just shut up already!" Toshi said irritably.

Alexandra's eyes narrowed. "Do I need to bite you again?"

"At least that wouldn't be as bad as being thrown against a wall," Sora grumbled as he leaned against the wall weakly.

"But she bites hard," Toshi winced as he remembered. "Like she has fangs or something."

Sora's eyes grew wide and Alexandra laughed in bitter amusement.

Sora really, really wished he had his Keyblade right now. Then he would be able to get rid of Alexandra. She was nothing but trouble, even Merlin said so. He also wished Donald and Goofy were here as well. At least they had their weapons, supposedly. He sighed. Where had his two companions gone?

Sora also worried for the few that were currently inhabiting Traverse Town: Kairi, Trinity... and even Toshi. Sora snorted.

Oh, right. And himself.

He wanted to live a lengthy life!

Alexandra sniffed in annoyance. "Eh, don't tell me you snort, too."

Sora glared at Alexandra. "So what's it to you?"

Alexandra ignored him. "I wonder if there are any others in Traverse Town..."

Sora and Toshi froze. Why was she wondering that?

Toshi lifted up his chin in a defiant manner. "Why don't you call up your dumb resources and ask them?"

"I really do not want to bite you again. You taste bad."

Kairi and Riku loomed over an unconscious Trinity, who was laying on a maroon couch in the Inn's sitting room.

"I didn't know people could really faint just by the sight of some hot person."

"Oh, it's very possible, Kairi. Just like when you see your favorite rock star."

"You're not a rock star."

"Excuse me?"

"You're not a rock star."

"Ah, you're right. I'm far superior to a rock star."

Kairi coughed into her hand. "Someone has egoistic problems..."

"I heard that, you know," Riku looked offended.

"Riku..." Kairi laughed.

"What?"

Kairi hugged him. "It's nice to see you again."

"Yeah, yeah. Same here. Stop with the mushy stuff. You can let go now."

A minute passed.

"Kairi—you can let go now."

"Oh, fine!" Kairi shoved Riku away. "You are so insensitive."

Riku raised his eyebrows. "Is that so bad?"

Kairi's eyes lowered at half-mast.

"Okay, whatever. Kairi, you look... different."

Kairi got a suspicious glint in her periwinkle eyes. "How so?"

"You're definitely taller. Longer hair. New outfit. And you're more mature. Oh, wait. I take that last part back."

"ARE YOU CALLING ME IMMATURE?"

"Shh! You'll wake up Trinity."

"TRINITY'S NOT ASLEEP, YOU DOLT! SHE'S UNCONSCIOUS!"

"Temper, temper."

"You really are insensitive!"

"Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention. You're curvier."

"WHAT?"

"I said you're—"

"I HEARD YOU! BUT YOU WOULDN'T NOTICE THAT UNLESS YOU WERE CHECKING ME OUT OR SOMETHING!"

"Who said I wasn't?"

"RIKU!"

"Kairi."

"RIKU! YOU'RE WEIRD!"

Riku smirked. "I bet you wouldn't complain if dear Sora said that."

Kairi turned beet red.

"I thought so. Heh."

Then, by the mentioning of Sora's name, Kairi remembered. "Oh, right."

"'Oh, right'... what?"

"Dear Sora's in Traverse Town."

"Shut up."

Kairi set her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Oh, what a lovely reaction."

"Are you serious?" Riku looked like he was going to lose his cool for a moment. The trio, all together, in Traverse Town... was it really possible?

Kairi nodded. "Why would I lie about this type of thing?"

Riku smirked. "You're right. Well, what did he say when you two met up with each other?"

The redhead fell silent.

"You... did see him again, didn't you?" Riku took a long look at Kairi and instantly knew the answer. "Ah, that sucks. Well, we'll have to change that. Let's go out. We're going to find Sora and reunite you two lovebirds."

Kairi turned a very bright shade of crimson. "Shut up."

"Oh, what a lovely reaction."

"Alexandra, what has happened to you?"

Alexandra swerved from her current position and was suddenly right in Toshi's face. "What are you implying?"

Toshi felt his guard weaken. No, don't back down. "An hour ago... you weren't like this. You were... different, okay? Before Sora came and started rambling like a buffoon—"

"Hey!" Sora cried indignantly.

"No offense."

"None taken," Sora replied, rather sarcastically. "I get called a buffoon, like, all the time."

Toshi then gave Sora look before averting his gaze back to Alexandra. "Before Sora came and started rambling, you weren't acting so despicable."

Alexandra narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Are you calling me despicable...?"

"You heard me."

Slowly, ever so slowly, a smile found its way to Alexandra's lips.

Oh, God. Toshi's heartbeat increased. She's getting that weird, twisted look.

"There are just some things in this world people like you will never understand," the look vanished and Alexandra's gaze was cast to the side. She looked almost innocent again.

"Try me," Toshi said, his voice low and apprehensive.

There was a heated silence before Alexandra whipped her head up, her straight hair falling back and away from her cheeks. Her eyes, both the green one and yellow one, were glinting strongly in the dark. Suddenly...

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" screamed Alexandra, clutching on to her head and stomping her feet on the ground wildly.

Sora and Toshi, now side by side, stepped back from the crazed Alexandra.

"Alexandra!" shouted Sora, looking both nervous and nerve wracked as he tried approaching her.

"I SAID GET AWAY!" Alexandra cried, stumbling back as her back collided with the wall behind her. She sank to her knees, still holding to her head and grasping on to her blonde tresses. "GET BACK!"

Toshi and Sora stared in bewilderment at the girl who looked like she was on the summit of insanity... or had already jumped off. Alexandra lowered her head and her face was lost in the darkness. As Alexandra bent over, Sora saw in the dim moonlight, a rather visible tattoo-like symbol. No... not a tattoo. Sora squinted slightly, and then instantly recognized the now blazing, red symbol imprinted on Alexandra's left shoulder blade that Toshi had already seen but was not able to identify.

The Heartless sign.

"It's true," breathed Sora, staring at the whimpering girl. "She's a Heartless."

"Alexandra..." Toshi reached out a finger to poke the girl, but she only batted him away with a single hand.

"GO AWAY!" Alexandra lifted her head, her facial features held an extremely pained look. "I don't want to... hurt..."

Kairi and Riku stepped out into the cold night. The air was filled with a strange aura. Something was going to happen. They could just feel it vibrating in the night. Yes, something was definitely going to happen.

Or maybe...

It had already happened.

"I better not regret this," Kairi said disdainfully, closing the Inn door behind her.

"Why? What's there to regret?"

"One," Kairi replied icily, "I've already nearly encountered Sora countless times, but I never met up with him because neither me or Sora would stay in the same place. Leaving the Inn might risk the chance of seeing him again."

Riku nodded, understanding.

"Two," Kairi clasped her hands behind her back and looked disgruntled. "We're leaving Trinity alone, unconscious, in the Inn."

Riku laughed.

"Darn you, Riku! It's not funny!"

"Okay," Riku wiped at his eyes. "No, it's not."

"You're trying not to laugh," implied Kairi. "Look at them shoulders shaking."

Riku burst out into laughter again and Kairi socked him in the stomach.

"Okay, okay!" Riku stopped laughing and coughed. His lip twitched but he prevented himself from smiling as well. "No more of that. Kairi, Trinity will be fine. Trust me."

"Trust you?"

Before Riku could even scoff at Kairi, there was sort of scream coming from the next district. It rattled at their skulls and made their hearts shiver. That scream wasn't... it just wasn't human...

"Kairi," Riku sounded relatively serious. "Stay here."

"Oh, puh-lease!" Kairi pouted. "If you're going off to investigate, I'm coming, too."

"No, you're not."

"Come on, you sexist pig!" Kairi felt enraged. "Just because I'm slightly younger than you and a girl doesn't mean I have to stay here like the damsel in distress!"

Riku wasn't affected by Kairi's insult. He raised a hand as an indication for her to shut the heck up. "You're not coming. That's final. Stay here, or go back into the Inn if you want."

Kairi's eyes narrowed.

"I mean it, Kairi. We'll go Sora-hunting later."

That made Kairi kick Riku in the shins before dashing up the set of stone stairs that led to the Inn, entering, and then slamming the door shut behind her.

Alexandra stood up shakily, her eyes afire and the Heartless symbol on her back glowing its vermilion color. She let out a moan before shielding her face with her hands and starting to whisper incoherently. Alexandra leaned against the wall, still whispering quietly.

"What's she doing?" asked Toshi in a hushed tone. His only answer was a shrug from the one whom he was identical to.

Alexandra grew louder, not uncovering her face. "Ninety... eighty-nine... eighty-eight... eighty-seven... eighty-six... eight-five..."

"She's counting down," whispered a bewildered Sora.

Toshi furrowed his brow. "There's something up with this girl. There really is."

Several minutes later of counting down and getting louder and louder and faster and faster, Alexandra was past a regular-tone of voice and practically yelling.

"Fifty-three! Fifty-two! Fifty-one! Fifty! Forty-nine!"

Some more minutes passed. Toshi and Sora stared at Alexandra, wide-eyed and in silence. Her voice was a shrill as she neared the number one.

"SIXTEEN! FIFTEEN! FOURTEEN! THIRTEEN! TWELVE!"

Sora wondered what would happen once Alexandra hit one. Was she going to unleash some sort of wicked Heartless power?

Toshi wondered what would happen once Alexandra hit one. Was she going to blast off into the galaxy or something?

"EIGHT! SEVEN! SIX! FIVE! FOUR! THREE!"

Alexandra was shaking madly now. She looked either in melancholia or in anguish. Which one, neither Toshi nor Sora knew. Or maybe it was both...

"TWO!" Alexandra started to lose her balance; her voice faltered and became overcome with a tremor. She looked as if she were about to fall over at any moment.

Someone appeared in the entrance of the alleyway, swift as an ink-link panther.

Only his hair was silver.

"One," the newcomer said before Alexandra herself could say it, stepping forward and attempting to catch the languished girl as she collapsed. Barely an inch away from the ground, the silver-haired guy caught the girl safely in his arms.

Toshi stared. Sora stared more.

I will not have an ulcer, Sora told himself repeatedly. I will not have an ulcer.

In the faint moonlight, the young man looked at the blonde in his arms and pushed a strand of hair away from her cheeks. "She didn't get to number one," he said softly.

Sora couldn't find his voice. He just gawked at the sight, clinging to his throbbing shoulder.

I will not have an ulcer. I will not have an ulcer. I will not have an ulcer.

The silver-haired male cradled Alexandra in his strong arms gently. There was a hint of a smile on his face. Suddenly, Alexandra began to stir. Sora and Toshi flinched at her slight movement, and then became alarmed as her eyes opened. Alexandra's eyelids fluttered for a moment before actually looking up and focusing on the one who had caught her. Her eyes were dull, the yellow one more dull than the green. Alexandra no longer looked vengeful. She looked the way she had been much, much earlier. The menacing look had disappeared from her eyes. She let out a small breath and smiled weakly up at the young man.

"Hi, Riku..." the blonde whispered faintly, before losing consciousness once more.

Sora gulped. I will not have an ulcer...

SPECIAL THANKS TO...

Shirozora, Princess Kairi, thesrazrbladekisses, heartsoblivion, Lazy Muffin A.K.A paopu, daaku, BattleAngelKurumi, Sweet Raine, Mysterious Prophetess, Sorasgirl333, Heavenly Demon, & Pooky.