I sat up in the stands with Cloud for most of the Pegasus Cup. I watched as Meg and Nessa kicked ass to get to the finals and fight the tall guy with a million belts and the short ninja girl. During the 8th round though, I spotted Hades at the bottom of the grate motioning for me to join him. I sighed and stood up.

"Yes?" I asked, showing the anger in my voice.

"So those are your friends owning at this cup?" I nodded, "Remember our deal?"

"Yes," I said slowly.

"Wrong!" He laughed. "Maleficent says you must first defeat Sora and his friends before you're allowed to even speak with them." I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in disbelief. "But since I'm a nice guy," He added, "I've decided to allow you to speak to your friends."

"On what conditions?"

"OH Smart girl!" He applauded, "On the Condition that you will attack Hercules before the cup tomorrow and weaken him, kill him if you can, but if not weaken him so he looses." Maybe I can escape with them and we can hide somewhere. "Don't even think about running away," Hades warned, he smiled at me and put his hand on my shoulder, "You don't want to go into the Underworld do you?" I felt my energy being drained and the light around us disappearing.

"NO!" I gasped. He released my shoulder and the light came flooding into me.

"Good, now get back to the games and figure out how you're going to explain this to your little friends."

XXXXXXXX

I sat out in the courtyard, I didn't bother to watch how the match ended. Though there was much cheering so I guessed Leon and Yuffie won, apparently they always did. When people started to file out I moved behind the tree but as I took a step I was suddenly surrounded by a purple light and shoved to the ground. I got a mouthful of sand.

Two people were standing over me in seconds. I tried to move my head but I couldn't.

"What the hell was that for?" I yelled. I was enraged they'd thrown me on the ground like that. A familiar power ran through me and all of a sudden the weight was gone in an explosion that blew the leaves off the tree. I got to my feet quickly. "MEGGAN! NESSA!" I yelled. I ran to them and hugged them. Squishing them with my hug.

"RACHEL! You're okay!" Nessa said. I nodded. Meg hugged me back tightly.

"Okay now that we have you we have to go!" Meg whispered into my ear. My face immediately darkened. I could still feel the after effects of Hades trick on my shoulder. "Our ship will be here in little less than half an hour and we can hide in the ship deck until then!"

"I can't!" I whispered back, letting go and stepping away from them. I couldn't look into their eyes.

"And why the hell not?" Meg asked. Without looking at her I knew immediately that her hands were on her hips and her face getting tight with anger. Wanessa was probably staring at me in disbelief and hurt.

"I can't, these people they have a serious amount of power! They could get us back to our world, I just have to finish some stuff for them," I explained, and it hit me that's what I was really after.

"You're just scared to leave them," Meg said in disbelief.

"That too."

"You don't trust us to get you away safely," Nessa finally said, "Way to be confident in us."

"It's not that! I saw you guys fight you're amazing!" I said, "But…."

"No! There are no buts! Come on Rachel we have to get you out of here! We're going to help Sora find the King and he will get rid of the darkness."

"Rachel," his sly voice was behind me now. I could feel Hades hand on my shoulder, threatening to squeeze, "Who are your friends?" Meggan and Wanessa stared at him.

"Rachel!" Meg urgently called my name, completely ignoring Hades, "Let's get out of here. He's working for the heartless and he'll be overcome with darkness just as the other ones did." Hades laughed, but I think I could only hear it. His fingers tightened on my shoulder, I started to feel a little lightheaded.

"Rachel wouldn't leave without first fulfilling her promise," Hades said, "would she?" I shook my head.

"THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" Meg yelled. She reached forward to grab my hand but I blew her back. I didn't want her to feel this. She fell back on the grass and stared at me. Hades removed his hand and I could think clearly again. I looked down. Nessa stood between us and looked from me to Meg, and back again. She took a step for me but thought better of it and moved to Meg.

"I'm sorry!" I cried, I felt the hot sting of tears in my eyes, but I forced them back. I turned and ran the other way. They didn't understand! Nobody did.

"Of course they don't understand," Her smooth voice entered my head. I stopped running to realize I was in the middle of an empty coliseum. "They don't know what it is like to have such powers. They're jealous. All they want is the power to themselves and they don't trust you anymore."

Maleficent materialized out of nowhere and stood before me. I looked at her through teary eyes; she resembled a dragon in my blurred vision. I wiped my eyes.

"What do you want?" I asked bitterly.

"Only to grant you a gift," She said, "since you didn't betray us and try to leave you are in line of a gift." I looked at her. "Do you accept."

"I guess so."

"Yes or no?" What else did I have to loose?

"Yes."

"Good, now close your eyes." I did. I felt myself growing in power.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Maleficent gasped. She returned to Hallow Bastion only seconds ago.

"Ansem!" She gasped, "Why does that girl drain me so?"

"Her heart is more open to the darkness than his," he explained, his deep voice penetrating the still air, "Before you granted her a little taste of the power she already had darkness boiling inside her. You just enticed her even greater. But don't worry Maleficent soon she will be able to draw her power straight from darkness herself, unlike our Riku." Maleficent's breathing had returned to normal, "Now go to the ship and make sure their paths cross soon. Any more delays and our plan will fail."