"Are you sure it is smart to be heading for the creature that wants to destroy us and consume our hearts?" Sora hissed under his breath, but Leon ignored the boy's words of warning.

"This creature has destroyed the districts of Traverse one by one, it is time someone dealt with it once and for all. Maybe its destruction will even bring peace to this town at last and

rid it of the Heartless that lurk its streets" Leon spoke back to the boy, both then halted as they came to a set of oak doors marked with a sign that read: 3rd District.

"So the master has made a home for itself in the third district, come on Keyblade warrior. Now is your chance to truly use that blade of yours" Leon spoke again, the man then kicked the

double doors open onto an empty plaza thats light came from a few street lamps and a glowing fountain of two dogs consuming a plate of spagetti.

"I don't see anything, are you sure that Heartless ran down here Leon?" Sora questioned the man, who wandered about with his large blade still drawn and at the ready.

"I am sure the foul thing entered this district" Leon reassured himself and the boy, when suddenly a bang echoed behind them. Both whirled about quickly and were in shock to see

the squat figure of Mayor Harn, and alongside him was the blond giant Sora reconized from his trip into the first district of Traverse

"Excellent, you followed my little friend just as I knew you would" the Mayor said with a triumphant smile upon his weathered face.

"So your the one Sora spoke of, the one masquerading about as the Mayor" Leon responded sharp and accusingly.

"So, Sora told you about me, or should I say the Keyblade warrior" Mayor Harn said, and as he spoke his form began to melt away with the steps he took toward the Keyblader and the

resister. Where there had been a kind withered old man now stood a hulking demon with shining yellow eyes that were slitted like a snakes, complete with fangs and horns that curled

in toward the face of the Heartless master.

"A Heartless Guardian, should have known only one of them could create such an elaborate plan to turn Traverse over to the darkness"Leon whispered under his breath, but the creature heard

him and perked up its head.

"Exactly why I had to disguise myself as your foolish leader, but fortunately my time resting within that wretched weak shell are through and now I can finish what I started" the

Guardian said with a sneer to the two warriors of light.

"And what exactly was that?" Sora shouted at the creature, who twisted its head to gaze at him with its cruel malice filled eyes.

"To find this worlds Keyhole of course, for that is the mission of all the Heartless, to find a world's Keyhole and fill it with our darkness. I was close to achieving such until your arrival

Keyblade warrior, for you must already know how as creatures of the darkness, the Heartless have come to fear your kind and the weapons you master. Therefor you could

only imagine the fear I felt when facing you, I knew I had to get rid of you and so I sent you into the second district under the guidance of my associate while my Heartless and I

searched the first district, but with no luck" the Guardian explained, spitting with each mention of the Keyblade and its master.

"So thats why you sent me into the second district" Sora cried out in sudden realization.

"Exactly, but my Heartless were defeated by you as its seems. Then I knew that I would have to deal with you myself before I could accomplish my task, and while I was at it destroy

the heart of the cursed resistance as well. As they say, better to kill two birds with one stone, and my stone can be quite useful as you may have seen the evidence in the first district,

the fools didn't stand a chance" the Heartless said with a wild laugh, behind him the blond giant sneered and clenched his meaty fists.

"May I destroy them then master?" the giant asked the Guardian, whose face twisted grotesquely with pleasure.

"Indeed, destroy them my pet, and leave no evidence of either. After we shall have no more oppostion in our hunt for that cursed Keyhole" the Guardian ordered, and the blond giant's

form then expanded as his limbs suddenly detached and simply floated around a central core that bore the Heartless mark, where his head had been now floated a spiked helmet.

"And so it begins" Leon cursed under his breath.