Here's chapter sixty - five. Thank you imademyfangirl and caitlinkeitorin for reviewing last chapter!

Chapter Sixty - Five: Invasion

Xuren had a wicked grin on his face as he surveyed the city from his vantage point high atop a cliff. "Well," he commented, yellow eyes glinting, "I wanted to get things moving." What better way than to attack Xeiruwe, one of the Light Army's chief cities?

Of course, he wasn't acting alone. Glancing back, he saw the other Keybladers who'd come along with him; Keybladers who longed for battle and blood. "Is it time for us to attack, sir?" one asked, taking a small step forward.

Xuren returned his gaze to the city below him, then summoned his Keyblade. "Yes," he said, "it's time."

Mala continued forward slowly, feeling drawn with fatigue. So far, she'd found no sign of Gillick, but she refused to give up. Gillick…where did you go?

Her eyes fell on a shadow up ahead. The dark spot became clearer as she drew near, and she felt a flash of relief upon realizing it was a city. Maybe someone there knows something. Hopeful, she pushed forward with renewed vigor, hoping to reach her destination before very long.

She looked around with wide eyes as she entered the city. It's…so big! She been in plenty of smaller towns and villages before, but nothing as grand as this. Her instincts as a thief kicked in instantly, and she slipped towards the shadows, wanting to stay out of view.

Then she reminded herself that hiding wasn't going to help her find Gillick. Her shoulders sank as she looked out at the bustling streets. Is guess I have to go out… Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself out from the shadows and into the city.

Mala's blue eyes flickered around nervously. Her hand twitched, and she had to resist the urge to reach up for her bow and arrows. Gillick, are you somewhere in here?

"Excuse me, miss."

She jumped at the voice, whipping around quickly to face the owner. "Yes?" she asked, eyes stretched wide.

The man blinked his own eyes in surprise. "You looked lost. Is everything alright?"

No, everything is not alright. But her problems had nothing to do with her at the moment. "I'm looking for someone," she said. "He has black hair tied in a long ponytail, amber eyes, a sword, and probably looked angry about something." In hindsight, she wondered if he'd still have the sword, but decided not to dwell too much on the idea.

The man frowned. "No, sorry. Haven't seen someone like that."

"Oh."

He must've heard the note of disappointment in her voice because he added, "Don't worry, though; it's a big city. I'm sure you can find him somewhere."

"Hopefully," she replied, not feeling overly optimistic. She thanked the man quickly before continuing on her way.

Several more inquiries later found Mala sitting on a doorstep, feeling defeated. I have…no idea where he went to… She was beginning to realize the enormity of her task, and how unlikely it was that she'd be able to find him again. She leaned back, looking up at the sky. But I found him so many times before, she thought, images flickering behind her eyes. Me and Riun. And we weren't even trying. Why is it that now, when I want to find you, when I need to find you, that I can't?

Her depressed ponderings were broken by the sound of screaming. Startled, she jumped to her feet, hand flying for her bow. She stood frozen in place as she watched the area just ahead of her. Far down the street a commotion was brewing. Slowly Mala pulled the bow off her back, reaching up to pull an arrow from her quiver and stringing it to the weapon.

Then burst of darkness flew past her, hitting a building just behind her. She felt a jolt of surprise, her eyes stretching wide.

Then the Keybladers came.

They dashed around her, Keyblades slashing at everything they could reach, darkness spreading from the weapons. Mala acted on instinct, running and taken cover in an alleyway. She pressed her back firmly against the wall, shaking and breathing hard. What is the Dark Army doing here? She supposed she didn't know which side this city was aligned with, but…

She heard screams, and shut her eyes tightly. What am I doing? I can't just…stand here… Gathering her courage and steeling herself, she whipped out of the alley and released her arrow in the same instant.

It hit a Keyblader in the shoulder. The man let out a cry of surprised pain and skidded to a halt before her. Mala narrowed her eyes. This man looked familiar…where had she seen him before?

The man's amber eyes flickered as he looked at the arrow imbedded in his shoulder, then trained his gaze on the girl before him. A wicked grin crossed his face. "I remember you," he commented. "You shot me before, when I was going to kill that boy."

All at once everything clicked into place. "Xuren," she breathed, eyes growing wide.

The man's grin widened as he jerked the arrow free, snapping the shaft between his fingers. "I don't think I caught your name last time," he said, taking a step forward, "but I don't think I care, either."

Mala instinctively took a step back, whipping out another arrow and stringing it to her bow, pointing the weapon at the man's chest. He simply looked at the projectile and laughed. "What are you planning to do?" he asked, eyes glinting wildly. "Kill me?" Mala didn't move, despite the chaos that rage around her. Xuren laughed, the sound wild and insane. "You don't have the guts, do you?"

Taking a deep breath, she released the arrow, allowing it to fly along its intended path. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, not wanted to see the outcome. Instead of a pained gasp and the sound of the tip sinking into flesh, however, she heard the sound of metal hitting off of metal. She snapped her eyes open, expecting to see the Keyblader's weapon held in front of him. However, the dark blade was still at his side, and he had a curious look on his face. "Interesting…" he commented.

"What…?" How was he still alive?

His grin returned when he noticed her surprise, and he lifted the shall that hung over his shoulders. Beneath she could see the metal of armor. "You couldn't kill me aiming there," he commented, "even if you tried."

Mala flinched backwards, then reached up and grabbed another arrow from her quiver. She narrowed her blue eyes, trying to focus her mind. "I'm going to stop you," she told him, stringing the arrow.

"Really?" the dark man asked. "I'd like to see you try."

Mala responded by releasing an arrow at his other shoulder. Her hands were shaking, however, and she missed. Cursing herself silently - she prided herself on her aim - she withdrew another arrow quickly and shot again. This time, however, the Keyblader was expecting the attack, and blocked it with his weapon. Feeling a flash of frustration and fear, she withdrew three arrows, stringing them simultaneously and letting them fly towards the Keyblader. He didn't attempt to dodge or block; instead, he simply sent out a wave of darkness that deflected them. Mala dived to the ground, the attack grazing her back as it passed above her.

She rolled over and reached up to grab another arrow, feeling a jolt of alarm as she realized her supply was growing low. But what can I do against him? she wondered; he was still standing across from her, a wicked grin on his face. Despair and fear washed over her. I'm a thief, not a warrior.

The answer hit her like a rock. Then fight like a thief. It was so simple, so obvious, that she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. She didn't have to charge head on into battle like her companions did; that wasn't the way she fought. She fought from the shadows and played dirty. She'd never liked it before, knowing that it wasn't the path a Keyblader would take. But she wasn't a Keyblader, and knew now she was never going to be one.

She was a thief, and she was going to use all the skills in her possession to her advantage.

Mala ripped an arrow from her quiver, stringing it quickly to her bow. Then she ran into the nearby alley. She heard Xuren's manic laughter behind her. "What? Are you trying to run away girlie?" Not this time, Mala replied silently. She glanced behind her, and noticed that the dark Keyblader wasn't following. He isn't concerned with me, she realized quickly. Though the thought was a blow to her already - low self esteem, at least it meant that she could use sneak attacks against her unsuspecting enemies.

She looked up the side of the buildings around her. Both were taller than she was used to, but neither seemed too tall for her to climb. Working off years of experience, she looked for her first hold. The smaller of the two buildings had a window just above her head. She kicked off the wall, using it for support as she jumped for the window ledge. Her arms shook as she attempted to haul herself up, her legs kicking at the side to help push her onto the ledge. Once she'd managed to get her feet under her, she crouched, looking up for her next grip. There was another window a fair bit higher up; a small indent in the surface of the rock in the side of the building would help her get there.

Hearing the sounds of chaos from beyond her hiding spot, she knew she didn't have more time to waste. She returned her arrow to her quiver and bow to her back, then jumped up with as much force as she could muster. She barely managed to grip the indent, and quickly kicked with her feet, the action helping to push her up. She lunged for the window, grabbing the edge with one hand and swinging for a few moments before managing to grab it with her other. She kicked at the wall, scrambling up onto the window ledge, from where it was easy to climb onto the roof.

On top of the building, she removed her bow and quiver, quickly counting her arrows. Five. She had to make every shot count.

She put the quiver back on, pulling out an arrow and stringing it to her bow as she did so. Slowly, she crept to the edge of the building, peering down into the streets. She looked at the Keybladers who were hurrying around, their magic flying everywhere as their weapons cut at the innocent people. She swallowed hard. When I was stealing to get by, I never aimed to kill, she thought. Scare or hurt, but never kill. And now she was going to have to.

She didn't know whether this was the bravest thing she'd ever done, or the most cowardly.

Mala pulled her arrow back, aiming quickly at the head of an unsuspecting Keyblader. She released the arrow, only watching long enough to make sure it stayed on course. When she knew there was no hope for escape for the Keyblader, she fell back, pressing herself flat against the roof. She heard raised cries, and stifled a yelp of surprised fear as magic hit the side of the building. She rolled over onto her stomach, crawling across the roof of the building. When she got to the back she stood, jumping quickly to the roof of the next.

She looked back and paled when she saw two Keybladers coming after her. I guess I'm a threat now. She decided she preferred not being thought much of. She ran across the roof of the building, drawing another arrow from her quiver and stringing it quickly. As she jumped for the next building she spun around in mid air, releasing her projectile. It hit one Keyblader between the eyes as the thief landed and slid across the next roof.

Mala swallowed back the bile that was rising in her throat and turned around, hurrying away from the remaining Keyblader.

She spun and jumped down the side of the building, digging out an arrow and jamming the tip into the side of the building to try and slow her decent. The shaft broke between her fingers, but a crate beneath her broke her fall, collapsing under her weight. She looked at the shattered arrow as she quickly regained her footing and began weaving through the alleyways. Two. She now only had two good arrows left; that and the stub in her hands.

She listened to the sounds of pursuit behind her and swallowed hard. I'm still being followed…? She didn't think she'd merited that much attention. Then again, she was the only one who'd really been fighting back…

The thought was somewhat ironic, but not amusing her to fearful mind.

Mala dropped the broken tip of her arrow into her quiver and drew another, stringing it as she ran. She swerved abruptly into a side passage, pressing herself tightly into the shadows by the wall. When the Keyblader flashed past her she spun to the side and released her arrow. The flying weapon imbedded itself into the man's neck. He fell dead immediately, his body collapsing in an odd, impossible looking way.

Mala immediately raised a hand to cover her mouth, falling to her knees as she attempted not to throw up. She remained in that position for several moments, shaking and heaving with wide blue eyes. When she felt like she could continue, she slowly stood on unsteady legs and began to leave. Common sense told her she should take the arrow out of the dead Keyblader's neck; however, upon seeing the man's empty, staring eyes, she found she was unable to, and hurried away from the scene.

She looped back around and pressed herself up against a wall, shaking in the shadows as she listened to the madness in the streets. One. She only had one arrow left. She tried to force her mind to function correctly. What could she do with one arrow?

She glanced out into the streets, watching as people flew by her hiding place. Then her eyes fell upon a crate, and a light flashed in her mind. She knew immediately what she could do with one arrow; she could use the trick she'd so often used back in her home town. She touched the pouch at her waist, the weight of the flint still present inside.

Will it work, though, without oil? Mala froze at the thought. How would she get the steel tip of her weapon to stay aflame without the substance. She looked at the weapon, and another realization came to her; The shaft was made of wood. She swallowed hard, then gave a decisive nod. She quickly struck of a fire with her flint, then placed the shaft near her arrow tip onto the flames. The wood lit quickly, and she just as quickly strung the arrow, aimed, and released, silently praying that the fire would eat up the wood of her arrow before it reached its target.

The arrow reached its target, causing the crate to do more than explode into flames; it completely exploded. By luck of misfortune, the crate seemed to have been carrying an explosive material. Mala fell to the ground as the blast reached her, the force of it causing her to go flying down the alley. She lay there, stunned, for several moments, trying to catch her breath. When she was able to she scrambled up, wincing as she felt the new scrapes on her body stretch, and hurried towards the mouth of the alley.

She had to turn away at the sight that greeted her. Bodies littered the area where the crate had been, stretching out in a wide radius around it. Flammable objects nearby were still burning, the hungry flames reaching for anything they could.

"Well, who would've thought?"

Mala whipped around at the voice. Xuren was standing amid the carnage, a grin on his face. The flames around him cast his face in a lurid glow, making Mala flinch backwards. "You're actually being really annoying," he commented, stalking forwards, his Keyblade held tightly at his side.

Mala quickly reached for an arrow, only to belatedly remember she didn't have any left. Xuren laughed. "What are you going to shoot me with? Air?" The thief girl ripped the quiver off her back, thrusting her hand to the bottom to pull out the broken arrow tip. She attempted to shoot this from her bow, but it flew crooked, and not very far, at that. Silently, she cursed herself for not trying to use it as a dagger.

Xuren lifted his Keyblade, pointing it at her. She froze, staring at the tip. "Time's up," the man told her, his voice high pitched with glee.

Then a shrill, inhuman cry sounded around them, causing them to stiffen.

Xuren looked up slowly, an odd expression on his face. "It's back…"

Mala knew what she'd see without having to look. It looks like…we've found each other again, Gillick. Slowly, she turned her blue eyes to the sky. Above them hovered the shadowed, broad - winged figure of the Knight.

That's the end of chapter sixty - five. Reviews would be awesome, please!