Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom hearts.

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Chapter 6

Like trying to swim against a flowing current of water, Sora pushed through person after person. The shouts of the man behind him could be heard constantly.

"Hey you! Someone stop that man!"

Sora continued to put distance between them. How did this man know who he was? Why was he looking for him? These questions and not to mention several more were flooding his mind.

'I can't let him catch me, he must be police or something, somehow he had my picture."

Leon likewise was struggling through the streets. In a city where murder and thefts were common, where corrupt officials like Sephiroth dealt most of the cards, no one was too concerned with one man yelling for another to stop.

"Goddammit! Get out of the way this is the police!" Leon expected that to get some people to move out of his way. Sadly this didn't happen.

Kairi was being pulled along like a child pulling a rag doll. "Sora stop that's a police officer! You need to…"

Sora cut her off, "Kairi not now!" The harshness and power in his voice, it had been the first time he had not called her 'miss' Kairi, and it struck her very hard, she suddenly remembered the first time they met that day before work. Had his face always looked like that? Why all of a sudden had the funny joking Sora been replaced with this new Sora?

"Sora…"

BAM…BAM. BAM.

Kairi and Sora ducked at the sound of gunfire, as well as other citizens. Leon stood their triumphant. It was amazing how a simple gunshot in the air could do much more than ALL the yelling in the world, the people automatically parted like Moses and the red sea. A clear path could be seen and at the end of it…was the Strife legacy.

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"You called me father?" Riku walked into the main dining room of his mansion, sitting at the far end of the table was his father, Sephiroth, and next to him was Kadaj, leaning back on to legs of the chair like a child.

"Kadaj informed me of his misconduct earlier towards our…guests."

'Shit, he probably knows.' "Yes, it was very uncalled for." Replied Riku. He knew how to show emotion, this was a test. His father was most likely trying to pry information out of him, but he knew better.

"A reporter from the newspaper… and a man…I forget what he was there for…" Sephiroth turned to Riku with a small grimace. "Can you remember what he was there for?"

The first test, "I believe he was another employee of the paper." Riku dodged it.

"I wonder why he was standing outside the door." Kadaj casually smiled.

Second test, "I'm sure that Kairi wanted her privacy." Another one dodged.

Then Sephiroth stood up and turned the opposite way, back towards Riku. "Yes but surely there was nothing that Sora could hear that would interrupt your interview."

Third test…

'Shit, I dropped Kairi's name, now he hits me with Sora's. There is no right answer to this…'Riku turned to leave and grunted, "Well if that's all father." Briskly walking to the door, he was four steps away, his father and brother still at the end of the room…

…Three steps away…

…Two steps away…both of them still at the end of the room…

…One step away…

"Who said you could leave?" A cold hand grabbed his shoulder, behind him stood Sephiroth.

"Heh," Riku gave a nervous laugh, "using your speed in a place like this, that's unlike you father."

"Your changing the subject, if I recall, there was a boy that looked remarkably like that man who was here earlier, his name was also Sora, you and Sora were friends if I recall correctly as well, when was the last time you saw this boy…"Sephiroth smirked and his eyes were ablaze with triumph, "…this boy from the Strife family."

Twenty years earlier…they were both six and seven.

"Riku, you and I are best friends right?" a hazelnut haired boy said as he passed a red ball to his friend, who caught it and spoke back.

"Yeah Sora, you and I will be best friends forever."

Sora nodded to his silver haired companion, both had fierce blue eyes that burned with adventure and the capability for success. But then Sora grew grim and continued.

"So why do our Daddy's fight? Why can't they play ball like us?"

"I don't know, maybe they don't like each other."

Sora looked down as the ball stopped in his hands, he stood up and looked down at the ball he was holding, his eyes unable to be seen. "Riku…" he said, his voice starting to shake.

"Yes?" Riku tilted his head in a curious fashion.

They playground they were in slowly disappeared as the next words slowly spilled out of Sora's mouth. "Have you ever seen someone die…?" His hands began to shake, and his finger twitched.

Riku was not expecting this and crossed his arms and thought about it. "No, I don't think I have, I did in a video game though. Does that count?"

"No…I mean, to see them yell, and then stop moving…" though his eyes were unseen, a tear was visible sliding down his face. Riku wasn't sure why Sora was acting like this, they had come to this park secretly for many years to play with each other, but they had never had a conversation like this.

"Sora, are you alright?"

"Riku, the other day, I was in the car with my daddy, and then a bunch of mean looking guys got on the window, so daddy got out and took out this big weapon, he fought with them and then I saw your daddy come out of a shadow, and…and…" Sora started shaking violently and he dropped the ball, which rolled to Riku.

Riku looked at the red sphere in fear, afraid it contained some virus that had infected his friend. "Sora…what happened?"

"They…sniff…they were yelling, and some of them screamed as the died, the car driver told me not to look, and one of the body guards covered my eyes, but I could still hear the screams…even daddy's guards, your daddy's guards…when I looked again, they were all on the ground, one was still moving…sniff…"Sora's knees collapsed and he started crying hysterically.

Riku jumped up and ran to Sora, hugging him, "Sora, it will be ok, someday they will be friends."

Just the Riku was torn away by an icy-looking woman, whose face could not be deciphered in the memory. Leaving behind a sobbing Sora.

"Riku dear, come along, I won't have you sneaking out to mingle with…"she gave a gross look at Sora,"…the filth of the city. It's because of people like him that these poor infidels are dying."

"Mother!" Riku looked at his mother begging her to let go.

Sora stopped shaking and whispered to himself. "It's because of me…?"

The next day, Riku, snuck out of his house to the park where Sora had met him earlier. Riku looked around, expecting to see Sora waiting for him. They were best friends after all right?

After hours of waiting and hoping for a sign, Riku walked over to the jungle gym and lay on his back, his small body exhausted. He closed his eyes and slowly listened to the hustle and bustle of the cit, the cars driving by, the people talking, as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

Riku snapped awake from his dream, he had dreamt that Sora's voice was next to his ear, it had whispered, "Riku, if I'm not here, no one will die anymore, and things will be better. Goodbye."

Riku shook his head, what a peculiar dream, but it had seemed so real, then he felt something crumple in his jacket.

A letter…it read…

Deer Riku,

I dident want to wake you from yor sleep. I am very sory for not saying goodbi but I had sum crayons and paper so here is a leter. I am going away so no one will get hert, ill write you again. You are stil my bestest friend ever.

Sora

Present…

"I don't remember what happened to him, didn't he get kidnapped, surely your doing." Riku said in a cold voice.

Sephiroth was taken aback by Riku's cold glare. "Indeed, you don't know. Well, you may leave I suppose."

Riku left the room and left the door a crack open as he left. The room now only occupied by Sephiroth and Kadaj, Kadaj spoke up, "Father, what shall we do now?"

Sephiroth walked over to a table near the door that held a vase with purple roses blooming out of it. "We shall continue with our plans for tomorrow night, we will now end this controversy between houses," A swift, undeterminable movement was made by Sephiroth, the curtains around him flew sideways as if gusted by wind, and a large sword was now seen in his hand, "starting with the mother of the strife family."

The flowers beautiful petals shattered into the air cut by his slash.

"…Just like that."

It was getting dark, the night-lights had turned on in the streets, the temperature was dropping, and Sora could now see his breath as he gasped for air. Kairi was in no better condition, he heels had broken long ago and she was as disheveled as Sora. They had momentarily lost Leon in a crowd, but they had accomplished this before only to have him surprise them seconds later.

"Damn, we don't have much time before he finds us…" Sora spoke to himself. 'It's like he has a sixth sense.'

Kairi was leaning against a wall in the ally. She had long ceased in trying to receive information from Sora, and stopped attempting to slow him down. "This is ridiculous! Where the hell are we?" Kairi took a moment to survey the scene and leaned out from the alley to view the street sign.

"What does it say?" Sora asked from afar, bending over to catch his breath.

"It says…Midgar lane…hm, never heard of it before."

"Midgar lane," Sora stood up and ran over to Kairi, "That means…Tifa…" slowly he contemplated his next move. Folding his arms he leaned against a nearby wall.

"Stop right there!"

Sora was jolted back to reality from his thoughts at gunpoint. Leon had appeared out of nowhere, not only taking Sora by surprise but Kairi as well. He was panting hard, obviously put through many obstacles, but he was too determined to let them get away.

"Huff…huff…okay, I want answers now…huff…you are Sora Strife correct?"

"Kairi interrupted him, "No! You have the wrong person, his name is Sora Avalon!"

Her statement was only to be shot down by Sora, "Kairi." Was all it took to silence her.

"…Sora…" She echoed.

"Well, which is it?" Leon waited patiently for an answer.

"I am Sora…Strife."

"Okay, now, I am going to need to take you into custody Mr. Strife."

Sora looked down at the ground, thoughts rushing through his mind. They all stood there for a while, no one choosing to break the silence, until Leon grew impatient.

"Let's go Mr. Strife." The gun in his hand motioned for them to move.

Suddenly Sora looked up and spoke, his voice filled with determination. "I'm sorry officer, but I can't come with you, not yet. There is still a lot that I need to fix."

"Too bad, you're coming!" Leon cocked his gun but before his trigger finger could go back to it's place, the gun was shot out of his hands.

"…The hell?" Leon gripped his hand, his gun fell with a hole straight through the side, he turned his gaze from the weapon to where the shot had come from.

Standing there was a man covered in a black hoody, covering his face in a shadow. A silver gun barely visible, but his hand could not be seen, only the gun barrel, with a trail of smoke still pouring out of it.

"Who are you? I'm part of the police…" Leon began but was interrupted.

"I know damn well who you are, now if you don't leave, I'll shoot you're scrawny ass up so much not even an autopsy will find out who you is." The voice of a full-grown man was heard from underneath the hood.

Leon knew a fib when he heard one, he gave a smile and stood at full height "That wouldn't be a good idea on you're part. I have connections, and they will find out who you are…"

THUD

Leon fell to the ground unconscious. A second person had appeared out of the shadows.

"Damn, he has a hard head." This girl wore a cloak as well, but her stature was a lot smaller than the other males.

"Quite your whining, let's get them outta here." Said the first figure.

"But Barret! What do we do with this guy?" Said the second.

The first threw off his hood to reveal a black man with scruff covering his chin. "Dammit Rikku! I was trying to be all cool and mysterious, now you just revealed who I was!"

The second threw off her hood, "Well ya know, it's not every day you see a man with a gun for a hand!" She retorted.

Sora stood perplexed, where had they come from? Was this Tifa's doing?

"Barret? Rikku? Is that really you guys?" Sora interrupted, as they both were about to brawl with each other, suddenly their expressions changed.

"Hey! Sora ma boy, how you doing? Man, you've grown a lot!"

Rikku leaned in close to Sora, almost too close for Sora's comfort. "Wow, you sure have gotten cute." Sora slightly blushed.

Kairi, on the other hand, gave up at this point trying to understand what was happening.

"Where's Tifa? Is she alright?" Sora questioned them.

"Yeah, she still owns her bar, come on, we'll take you there. Hurry though, before this lump gets up." Rikku motioned for them to get moving.

"Come on Kairi." Sora tugged on Kairi's hand but she didn't budge.

"No…Sora…"

"Miss Kairi, what's wrong?" He stared into her cerulean eyes, but she denied any eye contact with him and shut her eyes as she yelled.

"What do you mean what's wrong? First you know that Riku guy, then a police officer chases us, now some hoodlums are trying to take us to someone named Tifa! I don't know about you, but I say, what ISN"T WRONG?"

There was a silence between them as Rikku whispered, "Hoodlums?" (A/N moment wrecker)

"Kairi," once again, he said her name without 'miss'. It rolled off his tongue and to her it sounded like sweet music, she opened her eyes and stared into his, "I know I've dragged you into this, but please, just stay with me a little longer, I promise, I will explain everything."

Silence. Kairi's mad face softened, tears swelled in her eyes, and she began to tremble.

"O…Okay Sora…"

She placed her arms around him, needing to be held.

"…I'll stay with you."

(A/N PLEASE! READ AND REVIEW!)