"How do I look?" Xion whirled around in her silk purple dress with satin lace. Her black heels clicked against the stone floor.

"You look good."

"Thanks, Aqua. You're not too bad, yourself. Is Terra here yet?"

"No, he's in the bathroom, finishing up." Aqua started to walk towards the carriage.

"Why?" Xion scurried after her.

As Aqua got in the carriage, her cream, brown, and pale blue dress fluttered. "I don't know."

"Hey, guys!" Terra ran after Xion, sliding in and sitting next to Aqua. Xion climbed in after him.

"'Sup, big bro?"

"Nothin' much. You?"

"Well, beside the fact that I've got a date, I'm good."

Sora and Kairi were in the front of the carriage, conversing amongst themselves.

"So, what are they teach kids these days?" Kairi asked, a lame attempt at conversing.

"Oh, you know, the usual. History and science and what-not."

"History? Like the kings and queens? Or farther back, during the times of the presidents?"

"The textbooks in elementary tell so little of our history before King Groden. It's sad," he paused, and began to drive the horses, "how children have no idea what happened in the past."

Kairi shook her head, her hair flying delicately around her shoulders. "That is sad. After President Obama, America's economic structure crumbled, and we rebuilt Daloria from scratch. We still needed government."

"I think we were happiest with a king. We got sick and tired of presidents, I guess." He chuckled. "When Groden came, everyone was confused, and maybe even scared. But he wasn't mean. At least not to the women."

She smiled. "It's been said that he had five wives. When he died, his seventh son took over. King Raniheld stopped the 'the many wives' predicament quickly. Though, it is said in the ancient books, that he kept a male slave in his quarters. Every night."

Sora's eyes widened as he glanced at her.

She nodded and laughed. "It's true."

Sora continued to stare at her. "Goddess."

"I know." she said, grinning. The carriage came to a slow halt.

Sora turned to Kairi. "Your house."

"Oh, um, wait here. I'll be back in a sec."

She jumped out and hurried down the stone walkway. Inside, she changed into jeans and a black sweater. Jeans were the newest thing. With a salary like hers, she was very happy to buy herself three pairs.

She grabbed her favorite purse and headed back out the door. "Sora!"

He smirked as she climbed back into the carriage. "Can't get enough of me, can you?"

She blushed. "Shut up," she muttered.

He grinned.

As the carriage slowed in the small village of Rockrema, sister city of Remrain. As Aqua peered out the window, she curled up closer to Terra.

"Remember this place, Terra?"

He smiled and nodded.

Xion leaned past him to see Aqua's face. "What's so special about the random countryside?"

Aqua glared at her. "It's my hometown. And it's where I first met Terra."

She grinned sheepishly. "I knew that."

"You were four," Terra chuckled. "You didn't know how to count to your own age."

When Xion stepped out of the carriage, she tensed. She admitted to herself that she was nervous. She did that before she left the castle. But why was she nervous over something as pointless as impressing Riku?

When Aqua stepped out, tugging her purse beside her, she tensed as well. Another spell weaver was here. And she didn't like that feeling. She grabbed Xion's shoulder.

"Xion," she said, pulling out two black gloves with steel covering the knuckles. "Put these on. I don't think the war's over just yet."

"What do you mean?"

Aqua slipped her two favorite guns, Tigrena and Dragonele, back into her purse. "Someone's gonna do something stupid."

Riku smiled as Xion got closer. She flexed her hands and sighed. "Hello, Riku," she said cheerfully.

"Hello, lovely. You look nice."

"Thanks. You look mighty handsome yourself." She smiled politely.

Behind Riku, Namine stepped forward.

Aqua closed her eyes, and began to count mentally.

'I can't kill that girl.' She thought. 'That's insane. And what reason do I have to—'

A brass bullet whizzed past her cheek, almost grazing it.

'Okay, now I can kill her.'

"Eat diamonds, bitch!" She whipped out her guns, and fired four diamond bullets at Namine's forehead. The girl disappeared, and reappeared behind Xion, holding a knife-made of ice crystals?-to her neck.

Xion elbowed her in the face, and then spun to kick her in the stomach. Riku snapped his fingers, and suddenly, hundreds of soldiers surrounded them.

Terra pressed a hand on both Xion and Aqua's shoulders. "Should we run?"

Aqua shook her head. Xion glared at him. Then she smiled. "This," she paused, "is child's play."

"Ready, Metal Fists?" Xion grinned. Aqua hasn't called her that since her first real fight.

"Hell yeah, Hurricane."

Both of them ran into the swarm of soldiers, Aqua firing crystal bullets, Xion punching random people in the face. Terra pulled out his favorite weapons: grenades.

Next to him, Kairi appeared with the two shiniest shotguns he had ever seen. Even Aqua's pistols weren't that shiny. She nodded to him and charged in. Sora pulled out his sword and tried to help her out. Terra happily continued to throw grenades. Soon, hundreds of soldiers became ten soldiers and ten became none.

Suddenly, Aqua took a step back.

"Aqua, what's wrong?" Aqua pointed towards Namine, and answered Xion's question.

Namine's pretty blue eyes had rolled to the back of her head and she had begun to rise into the air. Her body had begun to glow red, and even Riku looked scared.

But then he remembered the plan.

"Xion," he boomed, "You must agree to what I am going to propose."

Xion tightened her gloves' straps. If she was scared, no one could tell.

"You shall be forced to stay within my castle for six months. If you decline, Namine will kill you and your friends."

Xion froze. All the thoughts in her head had come to a halt. Now she was scared.

"I get to bring Aqua and Terra with me," she forced the words out of her lips.

Riku stared at her, and secretly admired her determination. He even smiled a little. "Alright. But that's it. I'll pick you up tomorrow afternoon."

Xion was shocked. "Well, that was remarkably easy..." she muttered.

Aqua raised her hand. "Hey, um, Riku?"

He turned to face her.

"What exactly is she doing?" Aqua pointed up towards Namine in curiosity.

"Calling the gods," he stated simply.

Aqua gaped. She can't do that. She can do something similar, but not that. Classes for that kind of magik don't come 'till spring. She was –the tiniest bit— jealous.

But then she realized why he said that so simply. He had absolutely no idea what she was going to do.

Heyyyyy! sorri this is late. skool just started and theyre already shoving work down my throat. yaaaay.

anyway, im glad u guys like this. i lk it too. =D

lol. love ya-

Saphira