I'm sorry it took me so long to post this, guys! And I'm sorry it's a short chapter too...I'll try to be better on updates from now on.

I don't own any of the characters except for Xandra.

"What the hell are you doing?" Xion shouted.

"Improvising!" Xandra called back over her shoulder. She raced up the hill, kicking up chunks of grass as she sped towards the trio at the top. Xion dashed after her, knowing it was futile, even as she saw the three figures turn, almost in slow motion.

"Look out, Sora!" Donald screeched.

Xandra's sword flashed as it curved through the air between them, but suddenly that dim reflection was overcome by a burst of light from Sora's hands. There was a clang, and the light faded to reveal Sora's keyblade blocking the sword just inches above his head.

Sora braced his free hand on the edge of his keyblade and pushed Xandra off, causing her to skid a few feet away. The boy instantly dropped into a defensive stance, his two friends rushing to either side of him.

"Who are you?" he yelled. "What are you attacking me f-"

Xandra lunged towards him again, sweeping Donald and Goofy back easily before she curved her blade towards Sora, who only just blocked it again. The crossed weapons strained with the force of both people: Sora's face grim, Xandra's face strangely evil-looking. After another second, she abruptly danced backwards, pointing her sword directly at Sora.

"I have a message for you," she said. "Don't continue in this direction. Go east instead."

"What?" Sora exclaimed, his keyblade dropping slightly in confusion. "Why would you care where I go?"

"Just trust me!" Xandra cried out. "If you want to find your friend, go east!"

"Riku? You know about Riku?" Something in Sora's eyes tightened, and he gripped the keyblade with both hands, leveling it at Xandra.

"Yup!" Xion cut in. They both turned to stare at her. "Um...he's over...in the east..," she finished lamely.

"Gawrsh, well maybe we should go east," Goofy began.

"Don't trust them!" Donald interrupted. "They attacked us! That's evidence enough for me that they're lying!"

Xion's heart sank.

"That's right!" Sora glared at Xandra. "How do you know about Riku? Do you have him captive or something?"

"I...no. He's in the east! Not in the castle that is this way. He's that way!"

Xion covered her face with her hand, sighing. Xandra hadn't struck her as being unintelligent when they had first met, (what, half an hour ago?) but she was really running for awards in stupidity with this one.

"That's it!" Sora roared. "If you've got my friends in some castle, I don't care how much I have to beat you, I'm going to save them!"

Xandra's shoulders slumped and her sword tip pointed down at the ground. She glanced back at Xion, shrugging.

"Well, that didn't work. It was worth a try," she said calmly, oblivious to the death glares she was still receiving from the three in front of her.

With a casual flick of her wrist, she opened up a dark corridor, causing Sora and his friends to stumble back in surprise, their eyes fixed in shock on the swirling darkness.

"Let's go, Xion," Xandra said, walking into the portal. Xion ran after her, but suddenly Sora lunged forward, swinging his keyblade towards her.

"Hey! What about Riku?" he yelled, obviously furious.

Xion's heart stopped in panic. Sora couldn't come inside the portal! He'd be transported back into the past, and that could not happen! She pitched herself backwards into the dark corridor, and as Sora flew forward, she reacted without thinking. Her fist slammed into his face and he reeled backwards, holding his cheek. The last thing Xion saw before the portal closed around her was his shocked eyes staring into hers.

The two girls were thrown out onto hard ground, Xion scraping her palms as she tumbled to a halt. She pushed herself up, rounding on Xandra instantly.

"I just punched Sora in the face!" she exclaimed in horror. "I just punched the Keyblade master in the face."

"Well, you can gloat later," Xandra said, not noticing when Xion's mouth dropped open even further in astonishment. "Right now, we have to try to end this thing."

Xion followed her gaze and turned around. In front of her was an enormous castle, spiky towers soaring upwards to stab at the sky. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt a cold shiver of foreboding as she stared at the expanse of the huge door waiting for them.

"Changing Sora's direction didn't work," Xandra said, striding forward. "No matter what we do, he's going to come here in four days. What we've got to do is make sure that when he gets here, there won't be anyone to steal his memories. We're going in."

"Oh, really?"

Xion and Xandra whirled around to see a hooded figure step out of a dark corridor behind them, moving slowly towards them. He reached up and swept the hood off, his turquoise eyes smirking at them from underneath his spiky red hair.

"I'm not certain you're allowed to do that," he said calmly, halting a few metres from them.

Xion opened her mouth, shock coursing through her, but Xandra stepped forward, breathing just one half-whispered word.

"Axel?"