Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Kingdom Hearts.


Chapter 6


With her right hand she grasped at an invisible something. With shining sparks, her blade appeared out of thin air. Bella ignored the three gasps from behind her, along with the gasps that had come from Merlin, Aerith and Yuffie.

She pointed her weapon at Leon calmly, who eyed the blade in her hand in disbelief. And infuriated anger.

"Say that again, asshole, and then we'll see who exactly gets cut the fuck down."

There was no way Bella was going to let this man hurt her family. No matter what.

~*~

Merlin walked to stand between them all, his hands in the air as if to stop the chaos that was about to happen. He looked hesitantly at Leon and Bella's swords before he cleared his throat.

"Come now," said Merlin with exasperation. "We are all on the same side, yes? There is no need for us to resort to violence over this."

Leon barred his teeth in an angry shout. "Get out of the way, old man!"

His face turning an ugly shade of red, Merlin glared suddenly and uncharacteristically. His lips thinned and turned white with silent fury as he stared Leon down.

"I said to stand down!" Merlin yelled to Leon, while Yuffie and Aerith flinched. "This is ridiculous! We are all on the same side! We are all united in our front to regain our worlds and destroy the Heartless!"

The wise, old wizard look frustrated as he ran a hand through his long, knee length beard before looking at them all with an unbelieving gaze. Bella did not miss the look he gave to her weirdly shaped weapon.

"How can we ever eradicate the Heartless from our worlds when we harbor what the Heartless feed on to exist?" he asked them all.

Merlin's voice had come down to a whisper. But it was loud enough in the silence of the safe house for them all to hear his words loud and clear.

"Hate," Merlin said loudly, coming back from his whisper. "The Heartless were all created by the hate in our hearts and souls… Yes, before any of you object, I can most certainly guarantee that vampires do in fact have hearts and souls."

There was once again silence. Everyone was still as they listened and let the wizard's words wash over them. The three vampires in the room perked up at Merlin's last sentence noticeably. Bella's newly acquired weapon was suddenly forgotten.

Rosalie rose from her defensive position and looked hopeful.

"How do you know?" she asked softly, her face neutral.

Opening his mouth slowly to answer Rosalie's question, Merlin was abruptly interrupted by an angry exclamation from Leon. He glared at the wizard and shook his head.

A dainty hand rested on Leon's shoulder from behind. Aerith stepped forward and stood beside Leon. She gave him a teary, slight smile. The scarred man looked down at the healer, who still had her hand on his shoulder. Slowly, Leon lowered his sword before he pushed Aerith away and rushed out the door.

They were silent once again as they all stared at the open door of the safe house. Yuffie stepped forward with a sad frown and she closed the door gently. But it was opened and closed again when Aerith rushed out the door to follow after Leon.

Charlie had sheathed his gun as soon as Leon was out of sight. Jasper had discontinued his defensive stance in front of Esme, while Esme sighed in relief and sank back into the couch. Bella lowered her arm that held her sword. She looked down at it briefly, before it disappeared in a flash of soft light and sparks.

Jasper looked sideways at Bella, shaking his head in disbelief. Rosalie ignored them all and still had her attention on Merlin

"How do you know?" Rosalie asked once more with a little bit more force.

Merlin shook his head. He walked slowly to the door, picked up a large medicine bag and then stuffed the pointed wizard's hat onto his head.

"Bye, Merlin," Yuffie said softly, still with a sad frown on her face. "See ya later. Kay?"

The old wizard looked upon the young woman and found it in himself to smile at her softly. He patted her head and nodded, before he too walked out the door. Yuffie locked it and then turned to face the three Cullens and the two Swans. She sat down on a chair and sighed.

Jasper took a seat on one side of Esme and Charlie took the other.

"Well," Yuffie breathed out with a forced chuckle, her frown still in place. "That was certainly interesting."

Rosalie was suddenly in front of Yuffie in a flash, startling the young woman.

"You, girl," said Rosalie to Yuffie harshly. "How does the wizard think that vamp- we have souls?"

"T-they do," Yuffie stammered, taken aback by Rosalie's up front personality and unnatural vampiric beauty in that instant. "I-I saw myself..!"

"How?" Rosalie demanded with a stomp of a designer booted foot. "Tell me now, girl."

Yuffie's lower lip trembled. Jasper's eyebrows rose as he felt the sense of sorrow radiate off of the younger girl.

Jasper sighed. "Rose, leave the poor girl alone. This is a touchy subject."

Rosalie ignored her brother and smiled with satisfaction when the short haired girl nodded her head in in assurance at Jasper. Yuffie sucked in a breath to calm herself. Jasper couldn't help but send his own little push of calmness to her. Yuffie sniffed and looked up at Rosalie.

"Well," the girl began. "When the Heartless began to attack our world with a vengeance, we had a friend named Vincent Valentine. He was the closests thing to a vampire that we had on our world, but really he wasn't very dissimilar to yourselves…

"We were on our way to the Gummi ships to get off of our world," Yuffie said sniffed loudly and wiped at her eyes with the back of her hands. "The Heartless were attacking us left and right and everyone from our planet were dropping like flies… And he-he…"

She dropped her head down until her chin met her chest.

"He sacrificed himself so that all of you could get away, didn't he?" Esme asked softly, from the couch.

Yuffie nodded, sniffing for the third time. "We were unable to do anything, but watch as those little monsters sucked the soul out of him… H-have any of you ever seen how a Heartless kills a person?"

They all shook their heads. Yuffie picked her head up and nodded firmly.

"Pray you don't," she said softly. "It's the most horrible thing to watch. They feed on your soul, you know… The heart of you. And once they take it from you, you're gone for good. Your physical body disappears and in it's place is another Heartless hungry for more."

Jasper could feel the horror and fright that was coming from Yuffie and he clenched his teeth to keep it from overcoming him. And not just the girl's either, but Charlie's, Rosalie's, Esme's, Bella's and even his own.

Esme stood with difficulty and hobbled over to Yuffie. She wrapped an arm over Yuffie's shoulder and hugged her close.

"Oh, sweetie," Esme said softly, her motherly nature coming through, though her voice wobbled just slightly. "Why don't you show me where the kitchen is and I'll make you some tea."

The rest of the night consisted of Esme making Bella, Charlie and Yuffie dinner. Aerith had not returned and neither had Leon. Not that any of them cared about Leon. Well, Yuffie did care, but she was still saddened about what had just happened.

After dinner, Yuffie had showed them to some rooms. Charlie and Jasper would be sharing, while the three other girls would be sharing an even bigger room with three full beds.

None of them, not even Rosalie, had the heart to tell the young woman that the three Cullens had no need for sleep. After Yuffie herself had retired to the room she shared with Aerith, they all assembled in the living room of the safe house.

"This place is full of freaks," Rosalie grumbled as she stared out a window and into the night. "I say we get the hell out of here and start looking for Emmett, Alice, Father and Edward."

Bella winced at the mention of his name. Having felt the small discomfort and sadness, Jasper turned to Bella with a concerned frown.

"What did Edward say to you Bella?" Jasper asked suddenly, startling her. "What did he say to you to make you feel this much… Despair and hopelessness?"

Charlie was utterly confused. Jasper almost felt sorry for the poor man. Of course, Charlie still did not know that three of the Cullens had powers.

Everyone had looked at Bella and her cheeks pinked prettily. Esme's expression was of concern, while Charlie's was turning serious. Jasper could feel the extreme curiosity coming off of everyone, other than Bella. He could even feel the small discomfort that Charlie was beginning to feel. He had a feeling that Charlie was not at all comfortable talking about his daughter's romantic relationships.

And it seemed that once again Rosalie was full of surprises.

"Bella."

The girl in question looked toward Rosalie with surprise evident in her eyes. She wasn't the only one either. Jasper and Esme blinked at Rosalie in astonishment. Charlie on the other, he looked at Rosalie calmly.

He really did not know her as well as he knew Alice or Edward, but he liked her already. Charlie thought she was one 'tough cookie' who would most certainly never take shit from anyone. He liked the thought that his Bella had one such person as Rosalie in her friends circle.

Of course, little did Charlie know that Rosalie being Bella's friend was far from the truth.

Or was it, anymore?

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want to," said Rosalie softly, her gaze stuck to the wall to Bella's right. "We already know what an insensitive jackass he is."

Charlie stifled a chuckle. Jasper couldn't help but allow the feeling of hilarity wash over him like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. He giggled outright, but discontinued it when Esme frowned at him.

"Sorry, Mom," he shrugged. "But he is. A jackass, I mean."

"I know, Son."

Bella sighed, her eyes searching Rosalie's flawless face before she turned away. Charlie sighed also. He had a feeling what Bella was going to say, was not going to be good. If she wanted to talk, that was.

And then he wondered if Edward would be able to take bullet wounds…? Yes, Charlie had just found out that the boy who was dating his daughter was a vampire, but were these vampires the same as the ones he had learned about in the movies? Or were they different somehow? Charlie filed those question away for later. He'd ask Jasper another time.

Get it off your chest, Isabella… Be brave, sweet girl…

"No," Bella whispered, trying to sound confident. "It's um… It's…"

Bella took a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the stinging of new tears at bay. "Ed-Ed… He came over to my house and he asked me if I would go for a walk him."

The three vampires looked at her sadly, while Charlie's expression had turned serious. Whatever Edward had said to her, it had hurt her badly. So badly that she seemed unable to say his name.

"I said okay," said Bella as she continued on quietly. "He was acting kind of strange… Kind of subdued and definitely withdrawn. He lead me to the trails just behind the house and we walked for just a minute before he stopped me…"

Charlie waited on baited breath. He gulped. Jasper, Rosalie and Esme stood as still as statue's, but they listened intently. Jasper could feel a tiny trickle of anger being formed. It was so small that it was difficult for him to pin point where exactly it was coming from.

Bella was being difficult to read all of a sudden. To Jasper, it was alarming. Her emotions were disappearing at an extremely fast pace. Bella was numbed to the core. Her emotions were completely cut off from him. Jasper stared at her in sadness, but Bella's gaze had dropped to a spot just above her shoes.

"He said that you were leaving somewhere," Bella's face and expression was blank and she tried to keep her voice from wobbling. "I misunderstood something and he… He corrected me. He said that that I was not going with you all. I asked him why and he said to me that he… that h-he…"

A tear fell. It made a dark spot on the knee of her jeans. It might as well have been a tidal wave, because Bella could not hold the emotions inside her any longer. Jasper clenched his teeth at the anger and helplessness that was leaking out of every pore of Bella's body. He held in a sob as overwhelming sadness and heartbreak came next.

The trickle of anger that he felt was steadily becoming stronger. It was as if someone was turning a faucet on and slowly letting the flow of the water build up.

"H-he told me that he --," Bella was stuttering now and her head fell forward so that her chin met her chest. "-- that all of you were leaving F-forks and that you w-weren't coming back."

Esme placed one hand over her forever still heart and the other over her mouth. Her eyes filled with venomous tears that would never fall. And then Jasper knew. He knew where the faucet of never ending anger was. Rosalie.

Rosalie fisted her hands, her body shaking.

It seemed that Rosalie was not the only person in the living room whom felt the anger. Charlie's face was steadily turning a shade of red. He was furious. Furious with the boy who had broken his little girl's heart.

"Bella," Rosalie said sadly and angrily. "I-..I'm…"

Jasper and Esme turned to look at the blond vampire. Rosalie hesitantly took a few steps forward until she was feet to feet with Bella. She knelt down and placed her trembling hands on the human girl's knees. Bella looked into Rosalie's butterscotch eyes.

Bella watched as Rosalie's mouth and features twisted in difficulty out of the usual blank and uncaring expression that she always set upon her face. She was trying to get out words that she never thought that she would be saying to anyone other than Emmett or her family.

"I-um," Rosalie said, trying to force the words out of her mouth. "I'm s-sorry, Bella… I'm sorry we all left you."

Fat tears streaked down Bella's face and her lower lip trembled. She fell forward, her body feeling exhausted with pain grief. She fell forward into Rosalie's arms. Rosalie held her firmly and allowed Bella to settle her face into the crook of her neck. Bella wrapped her arms around Rosalie and refused to let go.

The next thing she knew, she was being carried. To where, Bella really didn't care. She let the endless tears fall and allowed her emotions to take over.

Rosalie laid Bella on one of the full twin beds in the room that Yuffie had allowed them to stay in. Bella refused to let go of her so she settled in beside her, holding her like a mother would hold her child.

The blonde vampire petted Bella's hair as her sobs grew louder.

"He-- He…" Bella sobbed to Rosalie, unable to speak.

"Calm down, Bella," Rosalie whispered, trying to shush her softly. "You need to calm down and regain your breath. You don't have to talk about Ed - Him, anymore."

Bella looked into Rosalie's face with such broken sorrow that Rosalie had to involuntarily suck in an unneeded breath.

"He s-said he didn't… He didn't love me!…. He doesn't love me anymore…!"

Clenching her teeth, Rosalie kissed Bella's brow. Bella's sobs slowed and quieted until her breathing turned steady. It was too soon until she had fallen asleep in the safety and comfort of Rosalie's motherly and protective embrace.

It was in that moment that something had formed. An unspoken bond. And a promise.

Rosalie laid her blond head atop Bella's and sighed. Even with a frown on her face, she was still a beauty. She held Bella in her arms still. If it weren't for the gentle rhythm of her beating heart than Rosalie would have thought that Bella had given up completely.

"I will be your tutelary, Isabella Swan," Rosalie whispered softly into the quiet room, her voice breaking emotionally. "And above all else… I will be your… friend."

~*~

The next day…

"… I will be your… friend."

Alice sucked in a sob and managed to muffle it into her palm the moment her vision had evaporated from her mind. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever think that she would see a vision of Rosalie and Bella comforting each other in a familial way. Carlisle having heard her muffled sob with his superb hearing, looked at her with concern and he slowly wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"Are you alright, Alice, dear?" he asked her softly.

She nodded demurely, before turned to gaze down into the coliseum ring. Since befriending Cloud they had all been able to gain access into the actual coliseum. Carlisle and Alice sat in the middle of the cheering crowds as they watched a red haired man named Hercules pummel a rather nasty looking beast of some sort with strengths that matched that of a vampire.

Edward decided not to attend. He had decided that the overwhelming emotions and many thoughts of the crowd would have been too much for him. So it was easily decided that he would go hunt. Edward had also decided that he had wanted some company. Alice and Carlisle had declined quickly and adamantly.

Emmett was much too slow on the uptake this time and so he became the one that Edward had dragged out and down into the human Greek world.

And Emmett had not gone quietly either. He had wanted to see the fighting in the coliseum so much that he had been on the verge of tears when Edward had began to drag him out to the human world where they would go to hunt.

And Alice was certainly happy about it now. There was no telling what Edward would have been like if he had glimpsed the vision at the same time as she. Alice sighed. Now she was going to have to think of ways to keep Edward from reading her mind and finding that particular vision.

She suddenly froze and then relaxed an instant later.

"We will be leaving tomorrow evening," Alice said at once.

Carlisle blinked at her. "Is it definite?"

Tilting her head to one side, Alice allowed her eyes to glaze over. Her butterscotch gaze was glassy as she was allowed a glimpse into the ever changing future.

She shook her head once her vision was over and wrinkled her nose. "No, it's not definite. It seems that the future of our departure is going to be decided by a spiky haired teen boy with a key sword…? Weird."

Carlisle nodded with a sideways glance at Alice.

Keyblade… It's called a Keyblade, little miss all-seeing Alice….

Alice rolled her eyes. "That's what I said, Carlisle. It's all the same really. Blade and sword…. Whatever, Dad."

Carlisle gave her another sideways glance. This one was more confused.

"I didn't say anything, Alice," he said calmly.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes again, Alice frowned prettily. She looked around the cheering crowd suspiciously. She knew she was most certainly not hearing things. Alice knew the difference! She had been in a mental institution, after all!

"Then who was that?" she mumbled to herself.

Carlisle shrugged and patted her shoulder.

Hello, Alice…

Alice squeaked in surprise. She stood up quickly and began to sidestep out of the coliseum seats. Carlisle watched her, looking even more confused.

"Where are you going?" he yelled after her over the roar of the crowd.

"Powder room!" Alice yelled back to her father.

She ran out of the coliseum as fast as her Jimmy Choo's could take her. Which was pretty damn fast since she was a vampire. Thank goodness there was no one around to witness it. As soon as she was in the coliseum courtyard, Alice pressed her back into the closed doors and panted unnecessarily.

Oh my. You're a dramatic one… Aren't you?….

Alice hissed. "Whoever the hell you are, you will regret ever invading the mind of Mary Alice Brandon Cullen!"

Definitely dramatic, sweetheart….

She growled. "Who are you? And what the hell do you think you're doing in my mind? Do you have a pedicure appointment with death?"

Calm yourself, Alice… I mean you no harm… I just thought I would visit the best friend of Isabella Marie Swan…

Alice gasped and clenched her teeth. "What do you know about her? I swear to God that if you harm one hair on her he--"

I would never harm her, Alice… She is my only hope-- Our only hope at continued existence… As I continue to know and observe Isabella, I find that she is cementing herself in my heart…

Sucking in a breath, Alice pouted. "Y-you mean that you love her?"

Care, all-seeing Alice. I care for Isabella like she is my sister. I found it hard not to resist…

"My family could not resist the love that we felt for Bella," the pixie haired vampire found herself saying wryly, and with love. "I certainly doubt that anyone could resist her. My sister Rosalie couldn't. And she's a bee-otch."

The voice chuckled to itself.

Feeling a little bit reassured, Alice tilted her head to the side in curiosity. She nibbled gently on her bottom lip. And then she gasped and tensed. A vision came to her unexpectedly.

Her vision became blurry and then she saw darkness. Darkness where everywhere around her. A spark shone. It grew brighter and larger until it was the size of a basketball and still steadily growing. Alice's vision was still slightly blurry. It wasn't until the light was right about 25 feet away from her until it occurred to her that the light was not in fact a light.

It was a person.

She could make out the silhouette of the person. A woman. Human? Vampire? Alice didn't know. The figure was blurred. She could make out the person's long and dark colored hair. This person was certainly taller than Alice, and willowy.

Just as the vision suddenly came, it was gone. It dissipated from her eyes as if it was fog burning away in the sun.

"Was that you?" Alice asked, feeling startled.

Yes… I believe it was… How intriguing!

Growling in irritation and disbelief, Alice stomped her foot. "I have no idea why, but I couldn't see you properly! That shouldn't have happened…"

It is only to be expected, Alice…

"What do you mean?" Alice asked quickly.

Well, Alice, you see the future and sometimes you see the past… It seems that you saw my future, which really isn't far off from the truth…

Alice found herself repeating her previous question.

I am not as I should be, Alice… As you have seen, I am now nothing more than a blurred image of my real self… That is what we all are now… That is what she has done to us…

"She?" Alice asked, once again biting on her lip. "Who is she?"

She, Alice, is a magnificent yet malevolent being… Fittingly, she is called Maleficent… She is an evil witch filled with greed, jealousy and above all, hatred…

Alice moved away from the coliseum doors and sat on a marble bench in the coliseum square. "This… Maleficent woman did that to you…? She made you into that blurry thingy?""

Yes… She is using our pure hearts to her advantage to gain what she so desperately wants… she did this to me and to many others…

Twiddling with the hem of her designer shirt, Alice was deep in thought. Why? Why did this Maleficent woman do this? How did she do it to -- ? And most importantly, why?

My time with you is about to be cut short, I'm afraid… It was lovely meeting you, Alice…

"Wait!" Alice suddenly said loudly. "What's your name?

My name?… I must admit, all-seeing Alice, that I hardly remember anymore… But… I believe that my people once called me… Nia…

Alice nodded to herself and then sighed.

Goodbye, Alice…

"Goodbye, Nia."

~*~

Bella hissed at the ray of light that flashed into her line of vision. She tugged the covers over her head before laying back down. She grumbled to herself.

Her face felt swollen and her eyes felt puffy and irritated. Of course they would, she had cried all over Rosalie for a while last night. In a flash she back into her sitting position, embarrassment flooding her every pore.

"Oh God!" she whispered to herself exasperatedly. "I cried all over Rosalie! Rosalie!"

Get yourself together, Isabella… It's time to leave this world behind for another…

Bella nodded to herself. She trusted the voice that whispered in her head, Yes, that may have sounded insane, but it was true. She trusted it. There was something about the voice, a woman's voice, that made her feel as if everything was going to be alright.

After a quick shower, Bella was back in her old clothes. They smelled fine, but she still couldn't shake off the feeling of wearing something dirty. But it really couldn't be helped. They were her only set of clothes, really. She slipped on her shoes before she stepped into the hallway.

Everyone is in the other room conversing together… The room where your father and the vampire named Jasper are situated in… They know you are awake…

Bella glanced at the just a few steps away from her. Sure enough she could hear their murmuring voices. She could have sworn she heard her name a few times.

The other girl, called Yuffie is in the kitchen… Go to the kitchen…

Bella took soft steps to the kitchen and pushed open the swinging door. She let it close with a quiet swoosh behind her. Yuffie was sitting at a long kitchen table with a bowl of cornflakes and a cup of orange juice.

"Oh," said Yuffie as she looked up from her late breakfast. "Hi, Bella. Guess what? Mrs. Cullen went food shopping really early in the morning."

Bella was surprised. She stood there waiting for instruction and looked confused.

"But wouldn't that have been dangerous?" Bella asked incredulously.

Yuffie grinned. "Not really. In the morning hours when the sun is getting ready to peak up and the crowds of merchants are together, it's actually pretty safe. Almost all the merchants know how to protect themselves and their goods so… Yup."

"Oh," Bella whispered, nodding. "That's good then."

See the door?…

Bella set her eyes on a large, windowless door to her left. It was painted a peeling dark brown and the lock was not engaged. The door must have been used recently.

That door leads to a back alleyway… Go back to the hallway…

She backed into the hallway and turned around to face it.

Go to Yuffie and Aerith's room… Aerith is sleeping, but don't worry, she will not awaken. Use soft quick steps…

Bella followed directions to the door a few steps away from her. She opened and closed the door. Aerith was laying on her stomach with her head facing away from her. Her even breathing sounded thunderous in the small quiet room.

Go to the closet…

Bella used the same quick and soft steps to the closet. She opened it and peered in at the hanging clothes. They were mostly of long coats and cloaks.

Choose a dark, long sleeved coat with a hood, Isabella…

She took out a long, midnight blue cloak and closed the closet softly. Bella looked toward Aerith, but she had not made a sound in the whole while she had been in the room. She slowly, but surely put the cloak on and zipped it to her neck. It was comfortable and warm.

Are you ready, Isabella? Just nod or shake your head…

Bella nodded, yes.

Do you trust me, Isabella?…

She nodded again. And she clenched her hands with a deep breath. She thought about her dad, Rosalie, Esme and Jasper. What would they think of her leaving like this? What would they think of her leaving them behind?

She sighed. It couldn't be helped. She had to do this.

Don't worry, sweetheart… All will be revealed in time… I will not steer you into danger… It's time…

Bella pulled her hood over her head.

Yuffie is in the restroom… Go to the kitchen quickly…

Bella, forgetting to close the door behind her used her quick soft steps to the kitchen. She let the door swing madly behind her before she lunged for the door.

Hurry… The Cullens are curious… Close the door as softly as you can behind you…

Bella stepped out of the kitchen and into the setting sunlight. She shielded her eyes before slamming the door behind her on accident. She cursed before sprinting as fast as she could down the alleyway.

Slow down… They won't come after you… The sun is at your advantage… They would not want to reveal themselves to the locals…

"BELLA!!"

She turned to look over her shoulder and saw both Rosalie and Jasper leaning out of the kitchen door. The sunlight was hitting them directly in the face and sparkles that resembled diamonds shone off of them brightly.

Jasper looked upset and confused, while Rosalie was seething.

Before you reach the Inn, take a sharp left… Go through the door…

"BELLA!"

It was her father's voice this time and she could hear pounding footfalls behind her. He was following her and a feeling of urgency hit her as she took a sharp left and flung open a door.

Little Dalmatian puppies yipped and yowled as she ran past them and deeper into what looked like a home. Bella flung herself out of the home filled with spotted puppies and fell to her knees.

Get up, Bella! Remember where the 1st district is? Go!

Bella stood up onto her shaky feet and ran passed the 2nd District fountain, her hood flying off of her head. The sun was steadily setting and she picked up her pace. Her calves and thighs were burning, begging her to stop but her beating heart was filled with panic and urgency and they fueled her to go on.

As she threw open the doors to the 1st District, Bella pulled her hood over her head again.

Jump down into the alley… You know which alley, after all it was the alley that you had woken up in…

With shaky and weak legs he hopped down onto a couple of crates before jumping down into the familiarly cobbled alley. She stood in between a jewelry store and an outdoor tavern.

A blond haired man was walking out of the jewelry store with a box under one arm. He wiped at the side of his nose before taking stomping steps toward two massive doors that were no doubt led out of Traverse Town.

Follow him… His name is Sid and he is a trader of sorts…Follow him to his Gummi ship and tell him you are looking for work… And a ride…

Bella jogged gently just as the blond haired man pushed open the doors. She sped up, just barely squeezing through before they closed behind the man. The sun was setting and the last ray of light disappeared quickly.

"What the hell--?!" the man named Sid exclaimed, startled at the way Bella had snuck up on him. "Will you watch where year fucking going, kid?!"

Change of plans, introduce yourself… the Cullens and your father are looking for you in the Town… They will not think that you have left Traverse Town immediately, but it is only a matter of time… use a false name…

"I'm--" Bella froze, unable to think of a new name.

Nia…

"I'm Nia!"

Sid froze and stared down at her in disbelief. He quickly shook it off of his face before he jutted his chin at her in question. Bella couldn't help but notice some kind of inkling of remembrance in Sid's narrowed eyes.

"Yeah?" he asked, suspiciously. "Don't tell me you want a ride, Nia?"

Bella nodded. "Yeah. I can work for the ride, though."

Sid began to walk with the box in her arms. Bella jogged to keep up with the long legged man. Immediately outside of Traverse Town was a large dock yard that was already filled with Gummi ships in different shapes and sizes.

Sid stopped in front of one particular ship. It was as large as a house and white and blue in color. On the side of the ship were the words Highwind painted in white and in cursive. With a push of a side button the rear cargo hold opened up and Sid began to climb right into it. Bella followed right after him.

"What exactly can you do?" Sid grunted rudely.

Appeal to his stomach… Sid is a lousy cook…

"I can cook," Bella said quickly. "I can cook real good!"

His bright blue eyes brightened considerably and he grinned down at her, dropping the box next to a stack of wooden crates. Sid grabbed her hand and shook it enthusiastically.

"Yer hired, kid!" he roared with laughter.

Sighing in relief, Bella rested back against the cargo crates and cracked an exasperated smile at the man. She chuckled hesitantly as he continued to laugh, rubbing his stomach in hunger. He suddenly clapped a hand on her shoulder, almost knocking her forward onto her knees.

"Why don't you take a look around the ship, kid," he suggested, popping a toothpick into his mouth from out of nowhere. "My baby here is pretty straight forward. It won't take you long to get your baring. I'll show you to your room as soon as I can get my baby in the sky. And after you make me a good meal, we'll talk about where you want to head to."

With that said, Sid picked up the box he had dropped and sauntered off into his vessel. The cargo door began to close on it's own. She leaned back again and allowed herself to slide down onto her bottom with a plop. She grunted when she hit the ground and took another much needed sigh of relief.

"Did you actually think you would get away from me?"

Bella froze. She looked up into an angry set of butterscotch eyes, surrounded by long blond hair. Rosalie stared down at her with angry eyes, a snarl and crossed arms.

Oh, dear… Not even I saw her coming…

"You've got a lot of explaining to do, Bella," Rosalie snarled. "Or should I say, Nia?"


A/N: Sorry it took so long. My internet stopped working for a couple of days, so I'm using my work computer... even though I shouldn't. Enjoy! Replies and feedback would be great! -- JMMendiola