Disclaimer: i do not own kingdom hearts. i own lynn, and her family, and the trees. I OWN THE TREES!! you'll see why shortly.

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Chapter 2

Lynn glanced up. The only movement she could see in her house was the breeze in her curtains. There was no indication at all that she had been seen. Her parents would forget her until morning. I'll be long gone by then, Lynn promised herself. Without a backward glance, she turned away from her building and strode out of the alley.

Lynn stopped for a moment a few steps after exiting the alley to take in everything around her. There were still people milling about in the square- chatting, laughing, walking to one of the shops. The patio of the restaurant to her left was full of boisterous people. Lynn took a deep breath, filling her nose with the scent of fries, people, and clean night air. Beyond the lights of the square were the lights of the sky. The girl gazed at the stars fondly, with a new feeling of freedom.

She wandered, not really going anywhere, just soaking up the town. She stood under a tree in the square and craned her neck, looking up at the string of lights twinkling amongst the leaves. Climbing the stairs in front of the accessory shop and turning right led Lynn to a small cottage with a green door. Intrigued, the girl peeked inside the window.

She saw one room with shelves on the left wall, sprinkled with books, various carvings, and clocks. An easel was pushed against the right wall, on which hung more clocks ticking the same rhythm. An old, bearded, bespeckled man sat at a table in the center of the room, sketching something on a big piece of paper. A wooden puppet in the shape of a little boy sat on the floor before the table, his back to the window. Though Lynn could see neither strings or puppeteer, the puppet was gesturing wildly, obviously talking enthusiastically with words that couldn't penetrate the glass. The man nodded and smiled as he drew, not really listening, as if he had heard the monologue many times before. The puppet-boy paused for a moment, his shoulders rising and falling as if to sigh, and said something else almost like he was dejected. The man looked up from his drawing. He looked at the puppet fondly and spoke with a gentle, fatherly expression. The puppet jumped up from the floor and leaped into the man's lap, and they embraced. Lynn, who had never been treated by her father in this manner, was forced to turn away from the tender scene with a lump in her throat.

Seeing nothing interesting behind the accessory shop, Lynn turned and went back the way she had come. She stopped inside the store to look at the display. The rings and chains sparkled innocently under their lighting. She smiled with longing at them and glanced at her reflection in the glass.

Lynn's hair was pulled back in a ponytail, but that didn't stop it from cascading unchecked to the middle of her back. A pair of diamond earrings glittered in her ears, a gift from her deceased grandmother. She wore a tight-fitting sweater, light pink in color, over a white tank top, though the only evidence of the tank was lace peeking out from the V-neck of the sweater. Her legs were covered with a pair of khaki jeans, her tiny feet with a pair of pink flats. Indeed, most everything about the 15-year old was small- chin, nose, fingers- except her eyes. Lynn's grey eyes were big, always open and watching, intuitive.

"I still don't see why we had to buy so many hi-potions!" A whiny voice made Lynn turn to her left. Three people were exiting the item shop at the same time she was leaving the accessory shop.

One of them- the shortest- was a duck. He wore a blue shirt with gold accenting. His hat was blue as well, shading a pair of very large eyes. He carried a mage's staff and went without shoes on his webbed feet. His white feathers were ruffled, as if he had met an angry wind.

There was also a very tall wolf. He was dressed in a pair of yellow pants held up by a black belt and a black vest over a green sweater. He had very floppy ears, and atop his head sat a tall yellow hat. A pair of brown shoes covered his large feet. He seemed to be a bit clumsy- he'd bumped into the door frame on the way out- but had a general aura of calm and open friendliness about him. He held a round shield in his hand.

The boy who had spoken appeared to be Lynn's age, and around the same height. He wore a pair of red shorts, a black, white, and blue zip-up hoodie, and big yellow shoes. His hair was brown and spiky. Lynn couldn't tell much more about him, as his back was turned to her so he could talk with his comrades. He brought his arms up and laced his fingers behind his head, leaning back slightly. Lynn noticed a pair of white, finger-less gloves on his hands. For someone who was just complaining, he was acting very laid-back and casual.

The duck spoke, "Come on, Sora. We're going to Hollow Bastion. We have to be ready for anything." Lynn suddenly realized that no wind was making the duck's feathers bristle; it was his frustration at the boy.

"Donald's right," the wolf said reasonably, "We don't know what's out there."

"Yeah, well, I wish being prepared wasn't so heavy," the boy said bitterly. Underneath his irritated tone, Lynn could sense the joking and affection for his friends in his voice.

Hollow Bastion, Lynn thought. She had never heard of such a place. She liked the sound of it. She wondered why they were going there, and more importantly, where it was. A plan sprang into her mind, catching her by surprise with the boldness of it. It could work, if...

She would just have to ask. Now or never, she said to herself, trying to steel her resolve. She took a deep breath. She walked up behind the boy, who was now laughing with his companions, and tapped him on the shoulder, "Excuse me."

He spun around, lowering his arms. Lynn saw now that what she had mistaken for a pair of shorts was really a unitard-type thing under his hoodie. A navy blue belt circled his waist. Around his neck was a necklace with a crown charm. His blue eyes changed from amused to surprised to curious in the instant it took for him to face her.

"I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but I heard you talking about a place called 'Hollow Bastion.' I've never heard of it before; where is it?" She watched with puzzlement as his eyes now unveiled horror.

"Well... it's kinda far away...," he seemed very uncomfortable with Lynn's simple question.

"Yup. It's a whole 'nother world!" The wolf spoke up, earning himself a scorching look from the duck.

"We're not supposed to meddle!" The duck exclaimed angrily.

"Oh, right..." the wolf put his hand to his mouth, as if he had spoken too much.

As they squabbled, Lynn's mind was racing. Another world? She had heard whispers amongst the townspeople of refugees fleeing from their homes and the Heartless to come to Traverse Town, but Lynn had never stopped to think about where they might be coming from. The very idea blew her away.

"Well, anyway," the boy turned back to Lynn, "Why are you asking?"

"I was wondering if, umm... this is going to sound really awkward, but I was wondering if you could take me with you." Lynn grimaced inwardly at her social ineptitude, but firmly stood her ground. This might be her only chance to get away.

An awkward silence ensued. Lynn stood undeterred by their unbelieving stares.

"Absolutely not!" the duck exploded.

"Hold on, I think we should think about this," the wolf said.

"But why?" the boy asked incredulously.

"I'm running away."

"To Hollow Bastion? That place is crawling with Heartless!"

"I'm not afraid of any Heartless," Lynn declared. Time and time again she had heard the refugees relate the horrors of the fate of their homes and loved ones taken by the Heartless. Though depressed by the tales, Lynn was never frightened. She had more important things to worry about- like what her father was doing to her mother while Lynn was out.

"What could be so bad here that you're running away to a place overrun by Heartless for?" the boy demanded.

Lynn turned her head away, biting her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. Maybe she was making a mistake. An image of a memory flashed before her eyes...

A 14-year old Lynn sat on the couch in the darkened living room with her sobbing mother, holding an arm around her shoulders and a package of frozen corn to her blackened eye. The danger had passed for now; her father was out cold on the bedroom floor...

Lynn took care of her mother, nursing her ravaged body and providing a shoulder to cry on. Lynn was both the solace in and the product of a marriage cracked down the middle. Because of this, she both loved and hated her mother. Loved her because she had always found time to comfort Lynn as much as her daughter comforted her, and protected her child from her father's rages. Hated her for not defending herself against her husband.

Mom needs me, Lynn thought. She closed her eyes and two tears leaked out unnoticed from under her eyelids. What would her mother do if Lynn left her? Lynn tried to imagine the heartbreak, the confusion, the fear. What was she putting her mother through with this act of resentment and rebellion?

The only thing I can do, Lynn thought, is hope she follows me. Where Lynn took the initiative, her mother followed her daughter's lead. Surely her mother would follow Lynn's example.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so-," Lynn was jerked back to earth by the boy's voice.

"No, no, it wasn't you," Lynn said, hiding her wet face in her hands, "I just..." a sob escaped her throat, "my mother..." her voice was fading, the tears choking her, "what will she do without me?" she finished in a helpless whisper, catching fresh tears in her palms.

As she cried, she felt an arm slip around her shoulders. She accepted the comfort gratefully, even though it was from a stranger. There it stayed until all her sorrow had been shed. She uncovered her face to find the boy standing next to her, looking at her with a mixture of pity and apology. The wolf and duck had come closer, but while the wolf looked emphatic, the duck looked mostly guilty.

"Okay," the boy said quietly. Lynn turned to him, hardly daring to believe what she just heard, "Okay. We'll take you with us."

Shock and gratitude flowed within Lynn. She closed her eyes against another sea of tears.

"Thank you," she murmured, "Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."

"My name's Sora," Lynn opened her eyes as the boy introduced himself, "And this is Donald," he pointed to the duck, "And Goofy," he gestured at the wolf.

"I'm Lynn."

"Are you ready, Lynn?" Goofy asked gently. He seemed to like the idea of another person joining their party, whereas Donald looked skeptical and somewhat annoyed.

Lynn took a deep, shuddering breath. Keep my mother safe.

"Yes," she said, letting her breath out, "I'm ready.

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FINALLY chapter 2's done, that took a while! sorry, i've been busy with schoolwork and such xP review if you want, chapter 3's alot shorter so it's coming sooner! thanks for reading!