Sora made his way toward one of the districts the Mayor had mentioned. The boy soon found the door marked by a peeling sign that read District 2, however the door

was shut off to both entry and exit by the thick boards that were nailed across its length.

"What are you doing?" Sora asked a heavy man who had finished nailing one of the boards into the heavy frame of the entryway.

"Why I am following the orders of Leon, and seeing to it that none of those foul demons make off with the hearts of the people who live here in the first district of Traverse" the

big man explained to the boy as he began to pack up his equipment.

"Wait, the Mayor --" Sora began, but the large man shook his round cherry red face furiously.

"I am sorry, but I don't have time for this nonsense. I know you are just another one of those kids who have been nagging for me and the other men to admit ya into

the other side of town, just because you feel you are brave enough and strong enough to take on a Heartless. Well, my answer is no, and don't you try to lie to me

boy and try saying that the Mayor has given you special permission" the fat man said with his thick arms crossed over his round chest, a frown marring his pudgy features.

"Its safe to admit the boy through, Jonas" a deep voice broke into the conversation, Sora then moved aside to admit forward a large blond haired giant dressed in a black waist coat that

sweeped the cobblestone at his feet. Sora felt the man's cold eyes stare at him as he passed the boy.

"But the Heartless --" the large man began to protest, but he quailed beneath the cold stare of the other.

"I said, it is safe to admit the boy through, Jonas" challenged the blue eyed giant, immediatly the large man Jonas began to stutter out apologies, all the time his face became

slicker with the sweat that seemed to erupt from his flesh like raging waters.

The giant then eyed Jonas he waddled away as fast as his short legs could take the rotund body he possessed.

"Good luck finding your friends, and be wary of the Heartless" the giant man said to the boy, before he himself turned to leave for the twisting streets of Traverse.

"Um...thanks?" Sora said, wondering what had just happened. Why had that man Jonas seemed so frightened of the giant? And why was this Leon cutting off entry into the other

surrounding districts, wasn't the Mayor supposed to make such decisions?

"Good questions, but for right now it is only important that I find Riku and Kairi" the boy whispered to himself as he prepared to pass through the second district of Traverse Town.

Wait didn't the door have boards just a moment ago? Sora realized as the door shut behind him with an ominous slam.

Sora then got his first glimpse of Traverse Town's second district and he found himself staring at a row of tiny shops that sported clothes, hats, shoes, most anything the boy could think

of.

"Hmm, looks peaceful to me" Sora whispered under his breath as he descended into a tiny square that held an extravagent fountain.

"I thought I heard Jonas say --" the boy began when he heard a scream from one of the balconies above. Then before he realized what he was doing, he found himself rushing to

the aid of the person in distress.

Sora was greeted with a gruesome sight, the person turned out to be a young woman whose fallen form was surrounded by the dreaded shadow creatures, Sora knew all too well.

"The creatures from the Island!" Sora shouted, but the creatures ignored the boy completely and were instead focused upon the glowing golden heart that arose from the woman's

heaving chest. The golden heart then took on a dark aura and soon transformed into a vile clanking creature that wore armor upon its jittering limbs.

The Heartless seemed to be in ectasy as another joined their growing ranks, meanwhile Sora found himself frightened beyond compare.

Is this what happens when the Heartless take over worlds, they steal hearts and turn people into creatures like themself?! Sora thoughts screamed in his head, then to his horror the

Heartless focused their attention onto him and the Keyblade which had suddenly appeared in his hands.

"Stay back!" Sora warned, swinging the massive key at one of the Heartless who came within striking distance, upon closer inspection that the boy noticed the heart shaped symbol upon

its chest.

What is wrong with me?, I could defeat them before with no problem! Sora paniced in his head, one of the Heartless then slithered up behind him unexpectidly. Sora did not have

enough time to turn and face the creature, but he was saved by a strange ally just in the nick of time.

The person responsible for eliminating the Heartless before it could strike him wore a dark coat that was dissimilare to that worn by the blond haired giant from earlier, instead this

jacket appeared as a piece of darkness that had managed to detach itself to cling onto the limber figure before him.

Sora noticed that he or she wielded a large blade that was almost like the Keyblade he gripped in his hands, only this weapon seemed deadlier somehow held by the mysterious figure,

whom hid their true identity behind a dark hood.

"Fight, Keyblade warrior!" ordered the figure, their voice slightly muffled beneath the hood and cloak they wore. Sora the felt the power of the Keyblade fill him as he sprang into action

and cut down the Heartless one by one.

Sora risked a quick glance over and saw the figure cutting through the Heartless at an even faster pace than he. Suddenly more of the creatures sprang up, many of them donning the

strange armor as the Heartless the woman's heart had transformed into.

"There are too many, they just keep springing up!" Sora cried out to the figure as he deflected a quick jab by one of the armor trendy Heartless.

"You are right, go back to the first district" the figure ordered yet again, cutting through another three Heartless with their blade.

"But my friends, they might --" Sora began to protest to the figure, but they only turned their hidden face his way and shouted for him to leave yet again.

A swarm of mini Heartless dressed in red and blue robes then appeared and began to unleash elemental magics onto the boy and his ally (or at least he or she appeared to be his

ally).

"Did you here me?, go!" the figure shouted, deflecting a fireball back at one of the Heartless. Sora then took the advice of the figure and with a final glance back he rushed back into the

calmness and sad tranquility of the first district.

However what Sora found instead frightened him, for the entire scene lay in destruction with benches and street lamps smashed upon the street. Sora noted a large dark heart

boldened by red and containing a thorn laden x in its center, the horrible symbol had appeared upon a broken shop that had its windows shattered and its door caved inward by the

battery of none other than Heartless.

"What happened, how did the Heartless get in here?" Sora wondered aoud, suddenly a cool voice spoke at the boy's side.

"They come out at you from nowhere, I was foolish to believe that mere doors can keep them back any longer. Not when there most hated enemy was so near" the voice said, belonging

to a tall man dressed in a short black jacket that he had worn over a white shirt above a pair of snug black jeans.

The man's face however was what interested the boy, for it was sharp and angular with cold blue eyes and framed by tousled brown hair that reached a bit below the man's sloping

shoulders.

"It is clear what they were here for, not for hearts but for something you hold as we stand here speaking in riddles" the man said, flipping some of his long hair back to reveal a

thin scar that ran just up to the bridge of his nose.

"What are you --?" the boy began, when suddenly the man began to approach him, his boots beating out a steady rythm upon the cobblestone.

"Hey, stay back!" Sora warned, the Keyblade appearing in his hands as he prepared to face off against the man.

"So that is what it looks like. I wonder though why it would choose a simple minded little punk like you?" the man asked himself, Sora then felt his temper begin flaring up.

Just who did this guy think he was?

"Hand it over kid, fun times over. Its time some one put that weapon to proper use" the man demanded, trying to swipe the Keyblade out of Sora's hands, but the boy jumped back

swiftly.

"I don't think so" Sora said, sensing the man's annoyance.

"So its a fight you want then? very well than, lets have it your way" the man said calmly as a large blade that almost bore resemblance to a gun appeared in his gloved grip.

As the man took a stance the gun let out an audible click that sounded like loaded ammunition.

What have I gotten myself into with this thing?! Sora thought grimly, looking down at the Keyblade in his hands.