Chapter 9

--

Nikko woke up to the same sky as always, wondering if it was technically "day time" or night time. Lu was sleeping soundly at his side and even though he itched to walk around a bit he didn't want to wake her up. He had only half slept for about two hours, his mind not letting him be at rest. Nikko hated the fact that Lucrecia always thought that he, like everyone else, slept normally, though he didn't. He got up slowly, and carefully as to not wake Lu, set her arm down where he was laying. He stretched and decided to surprise her with a nice cup of coffee for when she woke up. He hopped off the roof, landed in the alley, and made his way into the First District towards the Cafe.

Lola was just waking up and didn't notice it was Nikko who had come in. "A minute, Cafe hasn't opened yet," She said in a sleepy voice. Nikko laughed and she turned, her face relieved. "Oh, it's only you. Well, whatcha here for?" She asked.

"Coffee. I'll make some quick, then I'll leave you alone," Nikko replied jumping over the counter.

"Why can't you just go around like everyone else?" Lola asked.

"All this time I've been living here Lola and yet you forget too much that I'm not like everyone else," Nikko replied coming back up and smirking at her.

"Yeah, yeah," She replied wiping a table. Nikko finished and while saying goodbye to Lola, he did his best to hurry with the coffee without spilling. When he came to the roof he wondered how he'd get the coffee up and grimaced. He carefully stepped onto a crate and set the coffee mugs on the roof before getting up himself and trying not to tip it over.

He dusted himself off and while picking up the mugs said, "Coffee at service," jokingly to announce his presence, but when he turned around the mugs fell from his hands with a crash that seemed to fall in slow motion. Nikko paid no attention to it whatsoever and his brain seemed to stop.

"W-Wh-What the hell is going on here?!" He finally managed to gasp out and charged at two Heartless that seemed to be bigger than they were supposed to be, their limbs deformed. They were standing, talking as well where Lucrecia was just laying down and turned instantly at the sound of crashing mugs.

"Halt! Don't come near us, rookie," One cried out but Nikko didn't even listen. He took out his blade swiftly and slashed at them but they formed a force-field over themselves and were immune to his attacks.

"What did you do to her?" Nikko hissed angrily. The Heartless snickered, and Nikko practically felt his eyes pulsing then. He tried to hit them as hard as he could but it was no use, and then one blast him on the shoulder with a power of his own. Nikko let out a grunt and felt his knees go to the floor, but all the same he gave the Heartless a murderous look.

"There's been a change of plans. We took the girl and there's nothing you can do about it. If you wish to negotiate with the Boss on if you can have her back...you can take this and try to find our headquarters!" A Heartless wheezed.

Nikko wasn't even listening, his head was swimming heavily with what had just happened. The Heartless snickered at their victory and disappeared in black mist. Nikko dropped on all fours and tried to calm down and take steady breaths. His vision came more or less back to normal after awhile, and he noticed the demons had left a piece of paper. He picked it up and opened it. It revealed a sort of map, and it was definitely a Heartless invaded world. The trails and lines were dark purple and the shape of the world's perimeter was straggly and vaguely formed their emblem. Nikko shoved it in his jacket pocket as hard as he could, and sat there gazing out to the sky.

After hours and hours...maybe even one whole day or two, of just sitting there, Nikko got up to tell Lola what happened. He got angry at himself for waiting so long and wasting time sitting there when they could be doing all sorts of things to Lucrecia.

Lola was in conversation with Leon and Aeris at a table when Nikko came into view. Lola looked up and cried out his name. She didn't get up to see him though, she sensed something was wrong and sat still in her seat.

"Lola, what is it?" Aeris asked, feeling her sense too.

"Something...isn't right. I know it," Lola replied back softly. Nikko came to them and sat down with them. He didn't really feel or know what he was doing, his mind was far from what his mouth was doing.

"Lucrecia's gone. Heartless took her," He uttered finally, in an almost inaudible voice that seemed not his own. It was dark and hoarse, just as how Nikko felt himself.

"How can this be? There can't be any Heartless in Traverse Town! I just--I--oh," Lola was in total disbelief over what happened and now she placed her hand at her forehead and tried to sniff back tears. Nikko told them exactly what happened...he even showed them the map. Leon was shaking his head the whole entire time.

"I can't believe this. It's just physically impossible for Heartless to take her or touch her without damage or...or taking her heart and what not," Leon explained.

"They were different. They weren't normal Heartless, I've never even seen that kind before," Nikko replied quietly.

"And that map? Do they expect you to go off and try to take her back by yourself?" Leon continued.

"They never said I couldn't go by myself," Nikko replied again.

"If you go. Which you can't Nikko, you can't! You'll get hurt and you can get killed--it's a trap I tell you," Lola cried grabbing hold of his hands and looking at him with her watery eyes, trying to hold back the tears that were overpowering her to fall. Nikko couldn't look at her. He didn't look at anyone. He felt as if he was empty for he didn't feel anything, he was numb all over. He just felt like human waste sitting there and his brain was just telling all these people what he saw without even asking his permission.

"Nikko you can't go. Lola's right, it's clearly an ambush of some sort," Leon agreed. Nikko finally looked up and gave him a stone gaze.

"Then how are we going to get her back?! I don't care if it's dangerous. I have nothing to live for anyway, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters," Nikko mumbled.

"You do so matter! Why, do you think we don't care about you Nikko? Of course we do! We want to rescue Lu as bad as you do-" Lola tried explaining but Nikko cut her off.

"No you don't! If you wanted to as bad as I do then we'd be going off right now!" He snarled. The others just looked at him, for they had nothing to say.

"I'm sorry," Lola finally replied softly. Nikko slammed the table angrily with his fist and walked off.

"He better not try any ideas...," Leon muttered.

"Knowing him he probably will," Cid replied. Lola started to cry silently and Aeris put a hand on her shoulder silently as well.

"If he goes he'll get killed, then I'll lose both of them!" Lola explained through tears. Leon gritted his teeth, trying quickly to think of something. Aeris took out a handkerchief for Lola, and as well tried to think of something. They all did.

Meanwhile, Nikko walked into a random alley and leaned against the far back wall. He couldn't believe Lola wouldn't let him go find Lucrecia. Though obviously, he was going to do it anyway. He had too. He needed too. He'd never live with himself if he didn't rescue her, she was probably depending on him right now. Some cold tears of despair escaped his eyes for a moment but he wiped them away instantly and decided to focus on his plan. He'd take Leon's Gummi ship...He could drive it legally too. He'd follow the map and find Lu...and together they'd destroy those damn demons and destroy that boss guy they were talking about. For the first time in almost ever, he felt tired. And Lucrecia wasn't even here to sing him to sleep. By now he knew the song by heart, and he recited it in his head. It helped him alittle and he fell asleep for a few hours in the alley.

--

After Nikko woke up, he made sure he still had his map, and walked out to the First District. The town was silent, and all the shops were closed. It was either late at night or early in the morning, which was perfect. He was heading toward the World Exit when he tripped over something. His eyes flashed and he looked around in Night Vision while falling.

"Ow, man, watch out," A hoarse voice came. Nikko saw that it was a person, rather, a guy about his age. Nikko dusted off his pants and made sure he still had his keyblade.

"What are you doing just laying there on the ground?! I have somewhere to be, you know," Nikko growled at him. The guy got up and patted his pants as well.

"Sorry, I was kinda dazed...I just kinda, ended up here," He replied. "Sorry if I delayed you."

Nikko shook his head and apologized for snapping at him."It's fine but I really do have-," He started but stopped. He remembered finding Lu here a long time ago.

"Could you sort of...help me?" The guy asked scratching the back of his head.

"Well, I have to go somewhere-," Nikko started to reply.

"Can I come with you?" The other guy asked cutting him off. Nikko thought a long moment. "Can you fight?" Nikko asked. The guy looked around.

"If I had a weapon...," He muttered in embarrasment. Nikko unlocked the accessory shop and let him borrow one. They walked back out and headed towards the World Exit. "My name's Natoe by the way," Natoe introduced himself, extending a hand.

"Nikko," Nikko replied, shaking it in a hurry. They moved steadily and when they came to the Gummi ship Natoe gasped.

"Whoa, this is cool!" He cried. Nikko nodded. They got inside and as they flew up and through space, Natoe would just look out the window in amazement. "So, your parents know that you're doing this?" Natoe asked turning to Nikko.

"Uh, well, not really...let's keep it at that ok?" Nikko replied. He had propped the map on the dashboard and was trying to follow the complicated route.

"Oh, so we're running away? Cool, I'm fine with that. Not to be pushy again but, where are we going anyway?" Natoe asked again.

"It's kinda complicated. We're going to another world to...take care of some business," Nikko replied carefully.

"Ah, I see. And your parents have no idea? That's pretty awesome. Any particular reason we're running away?" Natoe asked. Nikko grimaced.

"Look. It's complicated and dangerous, and the only reason I asked you to come along was because one, I needed backup, this could get pretty dangerous, two, you were pretty helpless and I didn't feel like explaining anything about Traverse Town or even sending you over to my 'mom' so she could explain, and three, because...your name sounds familiar," Nikko finished.

"Hmm...strange. I'm pretty sure I've never met you...and well, since I'm confused and have no idea where I landed and have nothing to do, I guess the best thing to do is just help you for now," Natoe replied.

"Yeah, you will kinda 'have' to help me...I didn't give you that weapon for no reason you know," Nikko grumbled.

"Well I'm pretty tired...mind if I take a nap?" Natoe asked, stretching.

"As long as you don't snore," Nikko muttered.

"Don't worry, I won't," Natoe replied and turned on his seat to sleep. Nikko sighed and put the ship at auto flight for awhile. He tried to forget about Lola and the others back at Traverse Town. He had to steal the Gummi ship and run away. They just didn't understand.

He studied the map for a bit longer. He took out a faded piece of paper from a pocket and opened it up, revealing another map. After comparing them, they didn't look that much alike. He put the old one back, and the new one back on the dashboard. He took out a piece of wood and carved silently. He wasn't really mad or angered by anything, he was just trying to keep his mind at ease. Too many things have been happening too fast. He sort of dazed out for a little bit, then heard some clanging and woke up. Nikko turned around and found Natoe searching through some cup boards.

"What are you doing?" Nikko asked and Natoe jumped.

"Oh! Um...dinner?" He wondered.

"I didn't bring food...I don't really need it," Nikko replied.

"What? Bogus, dude. Now there's gotta be something...," Natoe said and practically stuffed himself in the cupboard looking for something. "Eureka!" He cried and pulled out a bag of chips. He munched happily and sat again on the co-pilot seat. "How far 'till we get there?" He asked with his mouth full. Nikko shrugged.

"I don't know how far it is...I think we're almost there...," Nikko replied studying the view outside. After hours of roaming around, a smallish island that was isolated came into view.

"Is that it?!" Natoe cried jumping to the window.

"Most likely," Nikko replied more calmly. They came closer and Nikko felt a bit of a spirit lift when he noticed the shape of the island looked like the one on the map.

"It is that one, huh? Yeah, I can see it on your face," Natoe declared proudly. Nikko grunted and dove a little faster than intended at the island. Once they landed, Natoe jumped out and looked around.

"Ew...this place is creepy," Natoe announced.

Nikko came out moments later and looked around too. The place obviously had been consumed by Heartless, marks and signs of them being here were everywhere. The sky was dark and faded at the same time...the trees were all purple and gnarled.

"Let's hurry with that mission. I'm getting the heebie-jeebies," Natoe said and started to walk. Nikko walked ahead of him and they steadily continued to head north. Nikko would occasionally glance at the map, but the whole time they just needed to head one direction. After Natoe got so called "tired" they stopped at a cave to rest.