• One
    "Sora! Hey, Sora!" , Kairi yelled, as she ran up to him. "Hey Kairi, what's up?" , he said as Kairi bent over, trying to catch her breath. She plopped down on the soft, warm sand next to Sora. He glanced over at her and said, "So what's up Kairi? Everything alright?".
    "Yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to sit here and watch the sunset with you, is that okay?" she asked. Sora nodded and returned his gaze to the crimson-violet streaked clouds and the golden orb falling behind the horizon. Sora became extremely nervous as Kairi scooted closer to him and rested her head against his left shoulder.
    Sora was unsure of what to do. Should he just play it cool and drape an arm around her shoulders? Should he try to kiss her? "I've been in love with her for years... What do I do now???" he thought to himself. "Hey Sora," she asked, not taking her eyes off of the sunset. "Do you think that this moment could last forever?".
    "Y-yeah... It c-could...," Sora said nervously. "Do you think that... W-we... Could be... T-to-gether...?" Sora asked, trying not to panic.
    "What do you think, silly?" she replied. Before Sora could answer, Kairi pressed her lips to his. Sora's heart started pounding. "Is this really happening? Am I dreaming???" he asked himself, in shock.
    Kairi broke the embrace first and Sora tried not to stutter as he said, "I... I l-l-love y-ou..." Kairi giggled and said, "I love you too, Sora." Kairi kissed him again, then pushed him down to the sand and layed her head on his chest. The two layed on the sand, holding each other, watching the sunset. Sora thought to himself, "This truly is 'Destiny Island'."
    Two
    Riku burst into Sora's room frantically shouting, "SORA!! WAKE UP, SORA!!!!" Sora just rolled over in his bed, pulling the blanket over his head. "Come on, wake up you lazy bum!" Riku said as he pulled Sora from his bed. Sora's head hit the floor with a loud thud. "Ugh... What are you doing, Riku? Why'd you drag me outta my bed?" Sora said, still half asleep and rubbing the back of his head.
    Riku tossed Sora his clothes and shoes to him as he said, "Hurry up Sora! The King is here!" "Wha-!! The King!? He's here!?" Sora asked, suddenly wide awake. "Yeah! Now hurry up and get dressed, Sora. We'll see you downstairs." Riku said before leaving Sora's room. Sora dressed quickly and hopped down the stairs as he rushed to get his shoes on. "I wonder why Mickey's here. Hopefully it's just a social visit..." Sora thought to himself.
    It took Sora a few mintues to adjust to the bright morning light. As soon as his eyes adjusted, he saw Riku and Kairi sitting on the low, curved branch of the Paopu tree, talking to King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. He ran up to the group with a big smile and said, "Hey guys! Long time, no see!" Donald and Goofy tackled Sora to the ground, hugging him. Everyone laughed and Sora said, "Hey, come on guys. I missed you too, but that doesn't mean you gotta tackle me!" Everyone laughed as Donald and Goofy helped Sora back to his feet.
    King Mickey's smile was short lived as he said, "Sora, I'm afraid that this isn't a social call," Mickey paused, to gather his thoughts. "Grrreat... How'd I know this was coming..." he thought sarcastically. Mickey continued by saying, "We need your help, Sora, as well as Riku's and Kairi's... A few days ago I received a letter from Merlin... They were invaded by a massive army of Dusks-" Sora smiled confidently and said, "Not a problem. We go in and take 'em all down, right? Piece of cake." Mickey's expression didn't change as he said, "I'm afraid it's not that simple, Sora. Merlin told me that Leon and Cloud were defeated, and that only Leon survived..."
    Sora's confidence took a hefty blow as Mickey continued, "Leon is in critical condition, and they were unable to recover Cloud's body. I came here to get the three of you, to help us defeat this new threat." Kairi stepped forward and said, "So? What's the problem? The six of us have defeated plenty of bad guys in the past. We beat Ansem's heartless, we took down Organization XIII... What's a few more badies to add to our list, hmm?" Sora and the others were immensely shocked by Kairi's confidence. Sora and Riku exchanged looks of determination and said, "Count us in! We'll take these guys down!" Mickey smiled and nodded. "Welp, I guess that means that we should get going. We oughta go see Leon; make sure he's okay." Mickey said.
    They followed Goofy, who lead the way to the Highwind. The group boarded the ship and got fastened in their seats. "Computer. Plot a course for Radiant Garden. Location code: 22-6-009B." Goofy said. After a few click and beeps, the computer's automated voice said, "Location 22-6-009B. Course plotted. Estimated time of arrival: two hours, nine minutes, fourty-seven seconds." The ship began to rumble as the engines fired up and within minutes the group broke through the atmosphere and were headed for the warp tunnel that would take them to Radiant Garden.
    Three
    Three days ago....
    "Dammit! There's too many of them!" Leon shouted, fighting off a group of Dusks and Dragoons. "Cloud! We have to fall back and get reinforcements!" Leon yelled as he barely dodged a Dragoon's lance-dash. "No way! I defeated Sephiroth; I can defeat these Nobodies!" Cloud said confidently. "Cloud! Look out!" Leon yelled as a swarm Dusks buried Cloud. Leon rushed to his side and started throwing Dusk corpses off in every direction in an attempt to save Cloud.
    "Get these damn things off of me!" Cloud's voice was muffled by the mass of Dusk bodies piled on top of him. "Heh, hang in there pal, I'm workin' on it." Leon said as he tossed more corpses aside. Leon plunged his arm into the throng of Dusks, searching for Cloud. He felt Cloud tug on his arm; Leon pulled him from the pile. Cloud crawled out of the mass, struggling to catch his breath as he said, "See?... I told you... I could... Beat 'em." Cloud said confidently.
    Leon helped Cloud to his feet and said, "You alright?" Cloud nodded. Leon turned around to make sure that they were safe; they were, for the moment. "So, what do you think our ratios are Cloud?" he didn't respond. "Cloud?" Leon turned around to see Cloud being strangled by a thick, black chain. Leon struck the chain with his gunblade, but it shattered against the chain's orichalcum bonding.
    Leon tried to follow the length of the chain, but it ran too far into the distance to tell where it ended. He turned around to see Cloud fall to ground; Skin pale, lips blue. "CLOUD!!!!!!" Leon yelled as he caught his fallen friend. Leon quaked with rage as he picked up Cloud's sword. "ARE YOU SUCH A COWARD THAT YOU CAN'T FACE ME!!!???" he yelled into the empty canyon gorge.
    Leon heard a shot ring out in the distance. He felt a warm, liquid-like sensation sliding down his chest and ribs. He realized that the shot he heard was aimed at him, and that the warm sensation was his blood. Leon heard three more shots fired, and three more sensations of blood running down his chest. Leon collpased to his knees, "I'm sorry Tifa... I'd bring him back, but I don't think that... I'll be making it back myself..."
    Four
    There was a thunderous crash that peirced the ears of all the inhabitants of Radiant Garden, as the Highwind made its way through the atmosphere. Sora and the others were greeted by Tifa and Yuffie at the Gummi Hangar. "Hey guys. Long time, no see." Yuffie said. She didn't seem very enthusiastic to see them. "You guys remember Tifa, right? She's Cloud's... WAS Cloud's girlfriend..." Yuffie said, trying to hide her pain. Sora could see the pain in their eyes, but was unsure how to console his friends.
    "We're sure sorry for your loss, guys. Is there anything we can do to help?" Goofy asked. Tifa and Yuffie looked at each other and nodded. "Yeah, you can come see Leon." Tifa said, "Come on, this way." she said, walking away from the group. "Is Leon awake already?" Sora asked. "Yep. He's pretty banged up, but the doctor says he'll make a full recovery. Come on, he's in the Medical Center." Yuffie said with a fake smile.
    It was a bit of hike from the Gummi Hangar to the Medical Center, but Sora didn't care; he just wanted to see Leon. "The Medical Center is just up ahead." Tifa said blandly. "Okay! Let's go!" Sora said as he ran ahead. "Hey, Sora," Yuffie asked, "Do you know where you're going?" Sora stopped in his tracks and turned around blushing. "No, I sure don't." he said chuckling. "It's over here." Tifa said as she walked through a large set of glass doors.
    "Oh. Whoops..." Sora though to himself, feeling a little silly. He ran into the building; straight up to the reception desk. "Hi, we're looking for Leon. Which room is he in?" Sora asked the attractive girl behind the desk; she didn't respond. "Patient 2243, please." Tifa asked. "Request confirmed. Patient 2243- Squall Leonhart. Room 339." the receptionist said. "Oh... She's a hologram..." Sora said to himself.
    The group walked to the elevator a few halls away; Sora pressed the "UP" button to call it back down. "When we get to Leon's room, you might want to be quite. His room is on the Recovery Floor. He might also be asleep." Tifa said to Sora. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. "Okay. Got it." Sora replied as they all piled into the tiny car. It was a short, but very cramped ride to the third floor.
    The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Sora and the others tumbled out into the hall where they were greeted by Aerith, who was happy to see Sora. "Ow... H-hey Aerith! How ya been?" Sora asked, rubbing his head. Aerith put a finger to her lips, and Sora whispered, "Oh, right. Sorry." Aerith waved her hand; beckoning for the others to follow. The nine companions walked through the Recovery Wing's halls to room 339. "Okay, This is it," Aerith whispered, "He's awake so just knock, okay?"
    Sora nodded and tapped lightly on the door. "Come in." he heard Leon say. Sora couldn't help smiling at hearing Leon's voice. "Hey Leon. How ya feelin' buddy?" Sora asked. "Sora!? Man, it's great to see you guys again. I wish I wasn't all tore up though." Leon said with excitement.
    "I wish we were here to just socialize, Leon, but we need to know what happened." Mickey said glumly. "Of course, your Majesty... Let's see... I remember that Cid said there was a flood of Nobodies pouring in from Ansem's computer in the old castle and that Tron was unfortunately unable to stop them... So Cloud and I went to go check it out. We did find, and defeat all of the Nobodies, even though they pushed us back into the gorge near the bailey. Cloud got cocky and took on the last of them by himself; he beat them, of course. Then... then this huge, black chain came out of nowhere and choked him to death. I tried to break the chain, but it shattered my gunblade. Then I heard a couple of gunshots ring out... And, that's all I remember. I didn't see anyone... Sorry guys." Leon said.
    "Well Sora, I think we should be on our way." Mickey said, "Maybe we can find some answers in Twilight Town." "Yeah, maybe someone there has seen or heard something." Sora replied. Then he turned to Leon and said, "You take it easy and rest, okay Leon?". Leon nodded as the group left his room. Before Sora passed the threshold, he turned to Leon and said, "We'll see ya soon, pal."
    Tifa, Yuffie, and Aerith were sitting in waiting room just outside Leon's room. Sora knocked on the window to get their attention. Tifa looked up to see Sora and the others waving good-bye. She stood up and was about to wave back when Sora suddenly bolted in the direction of Leon's room. The three girls immediately followed suit to make sure that Leon was okay.
    "Leon! What are you doing!?" Sora said, as Leon stumbled out of his room into the hall. "I... I just remembered... something..." Leon said between rapid, shallow breaths as Sora and Riku helped him back to his bed. "Okay, so what was so important that you had to scare us all half to death?" Tifa asked. "I remember seeing a woman, just before I blacked out. She was wearing a cloak that was the same style as Organization XIII's... But the one she was wearing was crimson, not black..." Leon said quickly.
    "Okay, great! Now we have a lead. Thanks, Leon." Sora said. "You guys got 'im?" Sora asked Tifa and Yuffie; they nodded in agreement. "Okay. Leon, you get some rest." Sora said. Leon nodded and said, "We'll see you guys again soon, right?" Sora smiled and gave a "thumbs-up". The friends said their good-byes and headed back to the Gummi Hangar.
    As they boarded the Highwind, Sora noticed that Kairi looked worried. "What's wrong, Kairi?" Sora asked. "I can't help feeling like something aweful is going to happen to Leon and the others if we leave now..." Kairi replied. Sora hugged her. "No worries. Leon can take of himself, and with Tifa at his side, nothing's gonna happen. They're all really strong. So don't worry, okay?" Sora said, trying to ease Kairi's worries. It didn't help. "Hang in there guys, we'll back real soon. I promise." Kairi thought to herself.
    Five
    "So, all four Keybearers are traveling together. That should make things easier. Well, I suppose I should report back to Lord Gilgamesh with my findings..." Goujin said to himself as he walked through the white portal behind him. He reappeared in a bizarre looking world: it was darker than black, but he could see as if he were standing in daylight. Goujin turned around to see his fellow crimson-cloaked companions all kneeling in a way that formed a path. Goujin could hear footsteps echoing through the emptiness. "Lord Gilgamesh..." he thought. Goujin knelt before the throng of crimson-cloaked beings.
    "Well, what information do you have for me, Goujin?" Gilgamesh asked before he was even visible. "Lord Gilgamesh. The four Keybearers are traveling together. They are currently en route to Twilight Town..." he said without raising his gaze from the ground. "Continue." Gilgamesh said. "Sire. The Gunblader is still alive and-" "WHAT?! TAIJIN! MOTA! GET UP HERE, NOW!!!" Gilgamesh ordered.
    From the back of the crowd, two figures slowly stood and approached the front. "Yes, my Lord?" they asked in unison. "You, Taijin, are the one that brought me the Busterblade of the one called 'Cloud'. Correct?" Gilgamesh asked as he examined Cloud's sword. "Yes, my Lord." she replied without taking her eyes off of the ground. "You have done well, my dear. You are dismissed." Gilgamesh said.
    "As for you, Mota. I charged you with retrieving the Gunblade. Did I not?" he said, directing his focus to the hooded man. "Aye, my Lord. You did..." Mota said, reluctantly. "You pause, Mota. Is it because you did not complete your mission and regret returning? Or is it because you fear punishment and my wrath?" Gilgamesh said, as anger slowly crept into his voice. "I-it is both, my Lord, Gilgamesh." Mota said, trying to hide his fear. "Well, Mota, you are correct in one thing... YOU SHOULD FEAR ME!!!!!!" Gilgamesh said as he grabbing Mota's face and lifting him single handedly.
    "M-my Lord! Please, spare me! I-I will not fail you again!" Mota said, his voice muffled by Gilgamesh's massive, paw-like hand. "You're correct Mota. You won't fail me again. Now DIE!!!! CRIMSON ASPHIXIATION!!!!" Gilgamesh shouted. A deep red fog poured from his hand and enveloped Mota. "M-my Lord! ... Please!! I-I-...." Mota choked out between shallow, ragged breaths. Mota's body went limp and his hands fell to his sides and swayed gently in their momentum.
    Gilgamesh dropped Mota's lifeless body and turned to the others and said, "Let this be a lesson to all of you! Mota was an Elite, but even an Elite can falter. Only Elites get the death that Mota had. Ninety-five per cent of you are SeeDs, so if you fail any assignment that I charge you with, do not return if you fear death. Is that understood?" After a breif moment of silence, the crowd of hooded beings all responded at once, "Yes, Lord Gilgamesh. We will not fail you!" Gilgamesh grinned cynically and thought, "We shall see.".
    Gilgamesh walked into the throng of hooded people and picked two men from the crowd. "You two, come with me." he said, as he walked back towards Mota's body. They followed, looking fearful. "Yes, my Lord?" one asked. "Your wish is our command, Sire." the other said. Both bowed deeply. "Zell. Laguna. I have tasks that need completing." Gilgamesh said.
    "Zell, you are to go to Radiant Garden and tell this 'Leon' that death is coming for him. Kill anyone who gets in your way. Understood?" Gilgamesh said coldly. Zell bowed and said, "I will not fail you, my Lord." then vanished into a cloud of red smoke. Gilgamesh turned to the other man and said, "As for you, Laguna, go to Twilight Town and intercept the Keybearers. Do NOT kill them; assess their abilities and report back to me. Understood?" "Completely, Sire. I shall not fail." Laguna replied and vanished. Gilgamesh smirked and thought, "Again, we shall see..."
    Six
    "Command Prompt: Open window." Leon said to the automated system in his room. The window opened and a cool breeze gentley billowed in. "Ahh... The breeze feels great..." Leon thought to himself. Leon reached for the remote control to his bed and reclined it down to thirty degrees. "Perfect." Leon said to himself as he settled down to get some sleep.
    Leon had just dozed off when a subtle knock at the door woke him. "Come in." he said. Aerith walked in and asked, "Do you need anything, Leon? Anything at all to help you feel more comfortable?" "You could have left me alone." he thought cynically. "No, I'm fine. Thank you though, Aerith." he replied.
    "Okay. Sleep tight. We'll see you in the morning." she said before turning to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot! Tifa wanted me to remind you that we'll be just outside your room if you need anything." she said. "Okay, thanks." Leon replied. Aerith smiled and gentley closed the door behind her. "Okay... Now where was I? Ah, yes! I was asleep." Leon thought to himself as he pulled the soft cotton blanket up to his chest and drifted off to sleep.
    A few hours later...
    There was a loud crash outside his room and Leon heard Yuffie say, "Who the hell are you?!" "What the hell is going on out there???" Leon said under his breath. He quickly threw on clothes and grabbed the new gunblade that Cid had made for him. Leon was three steps from the door when he heard Tifa say, "NO! I WON'T LET YOU---" "Wha--" Tifa suddenly came crashing through the wood steel door and collided with Leon.
    "Are you okay, Tifa?" Leon asked, as she struggled to stand. Tifa nodded, but her vision darkened as she coughed up blood. She fell to her knees and through ragged, gasping breaths, she said, "Leon... You have... To run... He's gonna kill..." Tifa collapsed in Leon's arms. "Leon... Run..." Tifa said as she gasped out the words; her last breath.
    "Tifa!! No, not you too, Tifa!!" Leon said. He gently layed Tifa down and through his tears he found his rage and charged out into the hall, screaming furiously. He found a man in a crimson-colored cloak holding Yuffie in the air. "Leon... Help me..." she choked out. "Take another step and I'll crush her windpipe. Got it, Leon." the cloaked man said.
    "You wouldn't-" "I wouldn't what? Do THIS!?" the man said, tightening his grip, slowly choking her to death. Yuffie gasped in pain, then her arms fell to her sides; limp and lifeless. "No! Yuffie!!!" Leon cried out. He charged the cloaked man in a furious rage, but was knocked down as Yuffie's body collided with his own.
    Leon layed Yuffie next to him before jumping to his feet and charging the man again. Leon swung his gunblade with ferocious might, but the mysterious man simply vansihed in a cloud of dark red smoke. "ARE YOU SUCH A COWARD THAT YOU CAN'T FACE ME EITHER?!!!!" Leon called out. Leon heard Aerith scream a few halls down. Leon darted down the main hall when the man reappeared behind him, holding Aerith.
    "Don't you DARE compare me to Mota! Just for that... I'm gonna break all your limbs and make you watch as I slowly torture her to death!" the man said in fit of rage. Just as Leon was about to rush the man, Aerith bit down on his arm as hard as she could, drawing blood. "Ah!! You witch!!" the man yelled as she smashed her elbow into his gut and ran to Leon's side. "Hmph... It would seem that I've underestimated your little girlfriend, Leon. I won't make that mistake again." the cloaked figure said, turning his back to Leon and Aerith. Leon lunged at the man, but he simply side-stepped the attack and slammed his elbow into Leon's solar plexis.
    The man knelt beside Leon, who was struggling to catch his breath, and said, "It's good to see that you haven't lost your touch, Leon... But you've grown gentle since Rinoa's death." the man said. "Who... Who are you...?" Leon gasped out through pain-clenched teeth. "I'm just a ghost from your past, Leon. And as much as I'd love to stay and kill you, my orders are to inform you of your impending death." the man replied. "Why... Why are you doing this? Why did you kill my friends?!" Leon said between shallow, ragged breaths. "Don't take it personal, Leon. It's just business." he said before disappearing again.
    Aerith ran to Leon's side and helped to his feet. "Are you alright, Aerith?" he asked. She nodded, but didn't say anything. "She must be traumatised... After all that's happened, it wouldn't be all that surprising..." Leon thought. "Come on, let's get out of here. We need to find Sora and the others and tell them what's happened." he said, taking her hand.
    The two surviving companions slowly made their way to the Gummi Hangar. They boarded the Falcon and buckled themselves in. Leon started up the engines as plotted a course for Twilight Town. Within minutes they were on there way to the warp gate that would take them to Twilight Town. "Are you sure you're alright?" Leon asked Aerith, but again she just nodded as she stared out the cockpit window.
    "Computer. Establish communications to vessel: Highwind. Scramble channel matrix. Authorization Code: 88-9-14-Alpha." Leon said. A few clicks and buzzes later the computer replied with, "Authorization Code- Accpeted. Command- Received. Searching for vessel Highwind... Highwind located. Establishing communications network... Network- Connected. Channel Matrix- Scrambled." After a short burst of static, Sora's voice came through loud and clear. "This is the vessel Highwind. Please respond. Over." Sora said. "Sora! It's Leon! Where are you guys? Over." Leon responded.
    "Leon?!" What happened? Why aren't you at the Medical Center? Over." Sora asked, extremely concerned. "It's a long story, Sora. To give you the basics; We were attacked by another one of those crimson cloaked guys. Aerith is with me... Over." Leon said. "What about Tifa and Yuffie? Are they okay? Over." Sora asked. "... They're... Dead... ...Over." Leon said, seeing the saddened expression on Aerith's face. "I see... Are you and Aerith alright? Over." Sora asked.
    "Yeah... We're alright. I'm still a bit sore, but I'll be alright. Aerith... She's... In a state of shock. She hasn't said a word since we left the Medical Center... Over." Leon replied, as he gently held Aerith's hand in his own. She didn't seem to notice the contact, she just continued to stare into oblivian. "Well... At least you two made it... We're en route to Twilight Town; We're about ten minutes out. How far are you guys behind us? Over." Sora said. "We just entered the warp tunnel, so about three hours or so. Over" Leon replied. "Alright. We'll meet you guys at our friend Hayner's place, in the Back Alley. I'm sending you a map to help guide you... Okay, so we'll see you two when you get there. Over and out." Sora said as he ended the transmission.
    "Okay, here's the map that Sora sent us. So now all we gotta do is just wait 'til we land." Leon said to himself. Leon looked over at Aerith who was still staring off into space. "We should try to get some rest before we get there..." He said to Aerith, who didn't acknowledge him. Leon unbuckled his safety belts and walked to the bunks in the back of the ship. Leon looked back at Aerith, then he opened the supply closet and grabbed a blanket and a couple pillows.
    He took off his jacket and hung it at the end of his bunk, then kicked off his boots before laying on the soft mattress. He was almost asleep when he heard the door slide open, "Is everything alright, Aerith?" he asked. She walked up to the side of his bunk and stood there a moment before asking, "C-can I sleep n-next to you, Leon?" "Sure." he said, skooting up agianst the wall. Aerith slowly layed down on the bunk and curled up against Leon; he held her close and they both fell asleep within minutes.
    Seven
    "See, Sora? I TOLD you something bad was gonna happen after we left! But said not to worry; that they were gonna be okay. Why didn't you listen to me?" Kairi asked beratingly. Sora slowly sank in his chair, feeling like a jerk for not trusting her. "Okay. I'm sorry, Kairi. I didn't know something was gonna happen. I mean, how was I supposed to know that Tifa and Yuffie were gonna get attacked and killed? I'm sorry, okay!?" Sora replied feeling lower than dirt and somehow responsible for the deaths of his friends. "Don't yell at me, Sora! It's not my fault either. So don't chew me out for it! I just-" she was interrupted by Riku. "Will you two PLEASE shut up? You're senseless bickering isn't going to bring them back, and it sure isn't gonna help us any. So just stop, okay?" he said pleading for peace between them.
    "Okay, we should split up into two groups; one will stay here for when Leon and Aerith arrive, and the other will go into town to find what- if any- information on these crimson-cloaked guys, okay?" Riku said. "Donald, Goofy. You two stay here with Kairi while the three of us search for any intel." Mickey said as he opened the cockpit hatch. "Yes, Sir! Uh-hyuck!" Goofy said as he and Donald saluted their King as he exited the ship. "Lock the ship up after I get out, okay? I love you, Kairi!" Sora said as he climbed down the ladder. "Yeah... Love ya too, Sora." Kairi said still irratated as she closed and locked the hatch down.
    Not long after Sora left, Kairi began to pase up and down the ship's main corridor; nervous and worried for Aerith and Leon's safety. Goofy put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Gee, Kairi. Maybe ya oughta just sit down and relax." Kairi stopped pasing and turned to Goofy and said, "How can I relax? You heard what Leon said. Tifa was the strongest of them and now she's... And now she's dead!" Kairi began to pase furiously. "Gawrsh... I didn't know she cares so much..." Goofy thought, returning to his seat in the cockpit.
    Kairi sighed in frustration as she continued to pase the corridor. She could hear Donald and Goofy talking, but couldn't clearly make out what they were saying through the steel door. "Let's see... It took us about three hours to get here from Radiant Garden and Leon contacted us ten minutes before we got here... And we've been here for about an hour now...," she said to the silent walls. "Which means that they should be here in less than two hours... What am I gonna do til then? I'm going insane just standing here..." she said as she plopped down on her bunk. "Guess I should try to sleep the time away... After all, they'll be in about two hours anyway..." she thought as she layed down.
    Eight
    The Falcon broke through the atmosphere of Twilight Town and Leon said, "Computer. Obtain clearance to land. Verification Code: Echo-6-2-6. Secondary command: Re-establish communication link with Highwind." There was a breif moment of clicks and beeps from the ship's computer. Then after a quick burst of static, a man said, "Falcon, you are cleared to land. Hangar eighteen is available. Welcome to Twilight Town. We hope you enjoy your stay." Leon glanced over at Aerith, who was amazed by the sights of this new world. "Yeah, me too." he thought to himself.
    "Communications link- connected." the ship's computer informed. Leon reached for the comm button, but stopped when he noticed Aerith staring at him. "Everything okay?" he asked. Aerith smiled and nodded. "That's a relief... It's good to see her smile again..." he thought, reaching for the comm button again.
    "Come in Highwind, this is Leon and Aerith in the Falcon. Please respond." Leon said. The computer beeped and blipped, then said, "Request for video feed. Grant or Deny?" "Request- Granted." Leon said, then Kairi, Donald, and Goofy appeared on the ship's monitor. "Hey, Leon! Hey, Aerith! Glad to see you guys finally made it." Kairi said, genuinely relieved. Aerith smiled and Leon said, "Yeah... It's good to see you guys too. Is Sora with you?"
    "No, he's in town with Riku and the King; they're trying find all- if any- information they can on those red-cloaked guys. What hangar are you docked in?" Kairi replied. Leon glanced over at Aerith and said, "We're in hangar eighteen. You guys wanna meet up and go find Sora?" Goofy and Donald nodded furiously. "Well then, I guess it's unanimous. We'll see you guys in the main lobby of the Dock Yard." Kairi said. "Alright. We'll see you guys in a few minutes then." Leon replied, then turned off the monitor.