Alsce breathed in the fresh air. Ah, how nice to be away from evil things that wanted to rip out her heart.
A man walked across the courtyard on the opposite side of where she was standing. He was looking around.
Wait! That mad brown hair...she recognised it.
"LEON!" screamed Alsce. Leon turned and Alsce ran over to him, super quick.
"Oh. Though I'd lost you." said Leon.
"You can't get rid of me that easily!" laughed Alsce.
Leon kept walking and Alsce followed him.
"Werre you looking for me?"
"No."
"I think you were."
"You though wrong."
That was the extent of the conversation that passed between them until they got back to the first district.
"Hey, where are we-" began Alsce, still walking as Leon stopped. He held an arm out in fron of her and she walked into it, stopping instantly.
"Stay here." he said, walking over to one of the shops. Two figures walked out of it.
"But-that's Ichigo and Sora!" said Alsce, in excitement.
Leon pushed her back and walked forwards, knowing Alsce was coming after him. He sighed and concerntrated. Suddenly, Alsce's feet stuck to the ground.
"Hey!" she called, but Leon didn't turn back. He just went up the stairs, and stopped a few feete away from Ichigo and Sora.
---
Ichigo sighed.
"Well, we'd better take another look." she said.
"They'll come out of nowhere." said a voice. The sibling turned to see a man with leatherwear, a spikey hair-do and a giant sword infused with a gun.
"What?" asked Ichigo.
"The shadows. So long as you have the keyblades, they'll keep coming. I wonder why they chose you...you look even more worthless than your friend."
"Friend? You mean-Alsce?!"
"Never mind. Give me those keyblades."
The kids jumped back as Leon stepped forward and held their keyblades in a defensive manner.
"What? No! You arent; gonna get these!" said Sora.
"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." said Leon, and jumped at the duo.
The kids did their best to fight him off, but they couldn't. leon was too strong and too fast.
Leon flipped back and landed on one knee.
The kids were exhausted, but they tried not to show it.
"Now you're gonna-gonna-" said Sora, then fell over, unconscious. Ichigo did the same.
---
Marie was very fascinated about the girl. Who was she? Where had she gone? At least it was a nice town.
"Hey, it's really empty. Kinda spooky." said Marie, in a warbling voice. Donald frowned.
"Phooey! I'm not scared!" he said.
Donald felt a tap on the should, yelling in fright, he jumped onto Goofy.
The three turned to see a young woman in pink and red with two plaits.
"Excuse me, did the king send you?" she asked.
---
Alsce called for someone to help. Leon had gone, taking Sora and Ichigo with him. But had he unstuck her? NO!?
"LEON! GET BACK HERE, YOU-"
"Hey, hey!" said a voice. Alsce turned as far as she could. The voice had come from Yuffie.
"Oh, hey. Can you help me, here?" she asked.
Yuffie clicked her fingers and Alsce became unstuck.
"Sorry. My fault. I'm covering for Leon and had to make sure you didn't stop his plans. That's why I froze you."
Alsce sighed.
"Oh, well. Let's just go after them. I need to find my friends!"
---
LATER
---
"Sora? Sora, wake up, you lazy bum!" said Kairim hovering over Sora. Sora blinked to get his vision straight as he woke up. He seemed to be...in a hotel room.
"Are you ok?"
"I think...what about Ichigo?"
"She's fine. Thise creatures-the shadows? They're after your keybalde, y'know."
Sora breathed a sigh of relief, not really listening. *
(* Not that he ever did. He is a boy)
"I'm so glad your OK, Kairi."
"Who? No, I'm the great Ninja Yuffie!"
Sora's vision cleared and he could see Yuffie above him.
"Oh." he said.
"I think you may have overdone it, Squall. How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Uh...six?"
"Two."
"Leon." said Leon, sharply.
"Sorry about that. We needed to get the keyblade. The Heartless were tracking you off it." explained Yuffie, as Sora got up, seeing his sister next to him.
"That was the only way to conceal your heart. It won't work for long...especially as there are three keyblade holders in one place."
"Three?" asked Sora, looking at an open door that seemed to lead to the balcony, "That means...Alsce is here too!"
Before they could object, Sora ran to the open balcony window and out the other side.
---
Alsce sighed and looked down onto the empty street below and sighed, wondering how long it would take Sora to wake up.
Suddenly, she felt a hand either side of her waist and gave a jump. She summoned her keybalde-but then collapsed in giggles. Whoever it was was tickling her.
Alsce looked up.
"Sora!" she said, as she saw his grinning face.
"I'm awake!" he siad, helping her up.
"Good. I was getting worried. Leon gave you a whupping." said Alsce.
"And where were you when I so desperately needed saving?" Sora asked, mockingly.
"Ask ninja girl." sighed Alsce, an anime vein appearing on her head.
The pair headed back inside. As they got in, Leon snatched Alsce's keyblade from her hand.
"Hey-" she said, stepping forward to stop him.
The keyblade disapppeared and reappeared in Alsce's hand.
"So I thought." said leon. he poitned to the bed, where Ichigo was stirring, "Sit down."
---
"There are many other worlds except this one." explained Aerith.
"Really?" asked Marie.
"Yes."
"We know. They're supposed to be secreets." sighed Donald, guessing the word had got out.
"Yes. They were. That's because, before the Heartless came, they weren't connected."
---
"Heartless?" asked ichigo.
"Can you let me talk?" snapped leon. Yuffie gave him a warning look.
"They are the ones who have been following you-the shadows."
"The ones whon destroyed my home!" gasped Alsce.
Yuffie nodded.
"They don't have hearts. But the darkness within other's...that's why they are drawn to people." explained Leon.
"Have you heard of a man named Ansem?" asked Yuffie to the teenagers.
---
"Ansem?" asked Marie, now really confused.
"Yes. He was a great man who devoted his life to studying the Heartless. He recorded everything he found out about them in a report."
"Gawrsh, uh, Can we see it?" asked Goofy.
"Yeh, i'm guessing it would really help!" saidMarie. Aerith shook her head and sighed:
"No. It was lost and scattered."
"Scattered?" asked Donald.
"Throughout the other worlds."
Something occured to Goofy.
"Maybe the king went to try and find 'em!"
"Yes...that's what i thought, too." said Aerith, nodding.
"Then we'd better go after him!" said Marie, wanting this to be over so she could go home.
"Wait! We need the 'Keys'." said Donald.
"Yes. The Keyblades." replied Aerith.
---
"So...that's what we have. Keys." said Sora.
"Blades." continued Ichigo.
"Keybldes." finished Alsce.
"Exactly!" chirped Yuffie. The three of them fell over and laid on th bed, finially understanding what was going on.
"Don't worry. The Heartless fear them. So they'll keep coming after you-if they can destroy them, there's nothing to stand in their way."
There was silence.
"We didn't ask for this," whispered Alsce, after a while, "I lost my home in Spira. That was horrible-I lost everything I held dear to me. But then I finially settled in a new home and made myself a new life. And then I lost it again. That was worse-it was bad enough the first time. Do you know what it's like, the darkness following you? You never feel safe. And so alone."
Yuffie put a hand on Alsce's shoulder.
"You're the only one with the power to stop it happening to other people-besides, the keyblade choses it's own master. It chose you!"
"So tough luck." said Leon.
Sora shook his head.
"How did this happen? The last I remember, I was in my room and I went to get Ichigo and Alsce because of the storm-"
He stopped, abruptly.
"Wait! What happened to the islands? Riku?! Kairi?!"
"Caitlee?!" asked Alsce.
"I don't know." said Leon, looking down, obviously ashamed about not being able to answer their questions.
Nothing happened for a while, then leon said:
"The Heartless will easily find you. Prepare youselves."
"Prepare for what?" asked Ichigo.
"To fight for your lives. Ready?"
"Ready." the three said, confidently.
"Let's go get Aerith. I gueess she's here by now, with the others."
"LEON!" said Yuffie, suddenly. A heartless with armour appeared next to Leon.
"Yuffie! Go!" he said, picking up his Gunblade.
Yuffie ran out the door, throwing it wide open, consequently flattening Donald between the wall and the door.
"Aerith." she said, cathing sight of her friend, "C'mon!"
Leon, Sora, Ichigo and Alsce readied their weapons.
"Let's go!" he said, jumping out onto the balcony, then onto the street. The others followed. Heartless jumped up at them and the children tried to hit them off.
"Don't bother-these are small fry! We need to find the boss!" said Leon, grabbing Alsce's hand and pulling her, Sora and Ichigo follwing.
Alsce kpt hitting the Heartless, follwing Sora and Ichigo as Leon got separated.
"I don't like this." she gasped, backing off from four heartless coming towards her at once. She went back to back with ichigo, who was doing the same.
"Alsce, link your arsm through mine." she said. Alsce did what Ichigo said.
"When i say kick, kick." she said.
Ichigo began to spin round, fast. Alsce felt herself being lefted from the ground.
"KICK!" said Ichigo. Alsce thrusted out her legs and kicked all the Heartless towards Sora, who finished them off. When it was clear, they continued.
After much fighting, they got to the third district.
"I'm tired." said Alsce, who had gotten out of practice of fighting properly.
"C'mon, there are more!" said Ichigo as more shadows appeared.
The trio kept hitting the Heartless away, making them disappear eventually.
---
Marie, Donald and Goofy stood on the roof of one of the buildings.
"These are the Hearltess?" asked Marie, worrying.
"Let's get 'em!" said Donald. The Heartless all jumped on the trio and they fell into the thrid district, onto Sora, Alsce and Ichigo.
They gasped.
"The keys!" they said.
"No time!" said Ichigo. They all got up as more Heartless came. The fight became much easier with the extra three helpers.
Donald threw his staff up and made lightning came down and zap the Heartless as Goofy hit them repeatedly with his shield. Sora and Alsce stayed together in a tag team and they hit the Heartless fast, and Marie and Ichigo stayed together hitting them slower, but taking one out with every hit.
Eventually, there were no Heartless left.
"Wow!" said Marie, relieved they had finished.
"So, who are you?" asked Ichigo. But before they could say, there was a rumble. A huge suit of purple armour asembled itself and looked straight at the group.
"DUCK!" said Sora, pushing his sister over and jumping with the others as it fired a fist at them.
They got up and stared at it.
"You two, take the legs!" said Alsce, gesturing to Donald and Goofy. They looked at each other and nodded.
"Ichigo, um...I dunno your name, take the arms!"
Ichigo and Marie nodded.
"Sora, after they've weakened it, you take the torso."
"What about you?"
Alsce sighed.
"I'll go for the head."
The small army got in a line.
"GO!" screamed Marie, and five of them ran towards the armour while Alsce ran up the stairs to above the fountain, waiting to get a good shot.
But she was very surprised to see who was there.
"Caitlee?!" she gasped, geeing the girl sitting in a corner, flute tightly pressed to her lips.
"Alsce!" she said, and jumped to give her friend a hug.
"Caitlee, why are you here?" she asked.
Caitlee looked over the side, as to where Alsce's new friends were fighting a losing battle.
"I'll tell you when I've finished with these pests." she scoweled.
Alsce gaped.
"Caitlee. Sora and Ichigo are down there!"
Caitlee looked up, confused.
"But...I have to get rid of the keyblades..."
Then she noticed what Alsce had in her hand.
"No. Not you too." she whimpered.
"Caitlee..." said Alsce, reaching out.
"NO!" said Caitlee. She put her flute to her lips and started playing again.
---
Donald cast a fire at the armour's left foot, while Goofy tackled it's right. It fell and Ichigo and Marie started wildly slashing at the metal hands, and Sora pummeled his blade into it's stomach.
"ALSCE! GO NOW!" he called.
---
Alsce looked at Caitlee, and as she started playing more frantically, she heard a rumble.
---
The armour started moving, trying to get up.
"ALSCE! WE CAN'T HOLD IT FOR MUCH LONGER!" screamed Ichigo.
---
Alsce loooked at Caitlee.
"You control them." she whsipered, but couldn't wait any longer. She jumped over the wall, onto the Heartless's shoulders.
At that moment, it threw it's attackers off and statted twriling wildly, trying to shake Alsce off.
"BWAHH!" she screamed, grabbing round it's neck to stay on.
---
Donald sighed and aimed his staff.
"Dponald, what're ya doin'?" asked Goofy.
"Helping." quacked Donald, and sent a freeze spell to stop the giant.
---
Alsce was almost thrwon off, seeoing the giant had stopped and the others were coming back to help her.
She stood up, now getting a bearing, got her Keyblade to one side, and SMASH! Hit it's head off.
It flew over to the wall and smashed into pieces. The armour trembled, then fell into pieces.
Alsce hit the floor and bounced, stunned.
"You ok?" asked Sora, coming over.
"I'm fine." she said, getting up.
---
Caitlee stared over the side. How dare they stop her armour! How dare they?!
She started playing again.
---
"What's that?" asked Alsce.
Suddenly, the head came back to pieces. then it flew over to where the other pieces of armour were, and it re-assembled, but in a different way this time.
"Crap." said Ichigo. The armour brought a fist down on them, and they jumped.
"Whadda we do this time?" called Sora.
"I dunno!" called Alsce.
"Fight!" siad Marie. The six rushed towards the armour.
Donald cast various spell on it's legs and Goofy hit them after, until eventually they broke. Marie and Ichigo managed to climb up the fountain, jump onto it's back, then hit the arms from behind. Sora and Alsce were left for the torso. Alsce decided what to do.
"I'll climb inside it and hit it from there, and you take the head." she said, and running under the armour and jumping before Sora could object.
It was dark and cramped in the armour, but Alsce had had worse. Using what room she could find, the flundg her keyblade about hard. It made a differece, the armour was weakening.
Sora jumped from the broken foot, to the arms, to the shoulders. He kicked the head out the way and put a hand down it's neck, then helped Alsce up. The two of them nodded at each other as the head flew back.
"On three." said Alsce.
"One...two..THREE!" called Sora, and they brought their keyblade to either side of the spehere, really destroying it this time. The whole suit disppeared.
And a heart flew from where it was, high, high into the sky.

Obtained: Brave warrior
---
"You were looking for us?" asked Ichigo, after they were all safe in the first district. Leon, Aerith and Yuffie were there.
"Uh huh." said Donald and Goofy.
"They were after the other holders of the keys." said Leon.
"Then, you can come with us! To other worlds!" said Goofy.
"On this spaceship...it's so cool!" said Marie.
"Could I find my friends?" asked Sora.
"Or my sister?" asked Alsce.
"Yeh! Of course!" said Donald.
"Are you sure?" whispered Goofy.
"No. But we need them to find the king."
Marie heard this and sighed. She knew it was wrong, but she didn't
care how many lies they had to tell, how many tricks they had to pull, she just wanted it over and to go back home.
"Go with them if you want to find your sister." said Leon, placing a hand on Alsce's shoulder.
"Or your friends." said Yuffie.
"I guess." sighed Sora, frowning.
"C'mon, if you want to come with us, you can't look like that! No sad face, okay?" said Donald.
"Yeh, look funny-like us!" said Goofy.
Marie was about to object by saying she didn;'t look funny, but bit her tongue.
"This boat runs on happy faces!" said Donald.
Sora looked down.
"Happy...?" she asked.
Sora looked up, with his face stretched into a huge smile that was hard to hold. Ther was silence. Then Goofy, Donald, Marie, Ichigo and Alsce all broke into gales of laughter.
"That's one funny face!" laughed Goofy.
Sora joined in laughing.
"Ok, we'll go." he said, Alsce and Ichigo nodding.
"Donald duck." said Donald, putting his hand out.
"Name's Goofy." said Goofy, doing likewise.
"I'm Marie!" beamed Marie, following the example.
"I'm Sora."
"I'm his sister, Ichigo."
"And Alsce!"
The others put their hands in the middle.
"All for one, and one for all!" said Goofy, and they all raised their hands.
Suddenly, from Alsce's gil pouch, there shone a blue light.
"Wha-?!" they all said.
The blue crystal flew out and started changing. It wasn't a crystal...it was a boy. A teen.
"Tidus!" gasped Alsce.
"Hey kid." he greeted.
"But-why? How?"
"I just thought I'd say good luck. You'll need it."
Alsce ran into his arms and threw hers round his waist.
"I'm so glad! Your back! Oh, thank you so much!" she wept.
Tidus put his hands on her shoulders and slowly pushed her away.
"My energy is low. I have to go back now. Good luck." he said, tapping her lightly on the chin with his fist. Then, in a flash of light, he turned back into a crystal in Alsce's palm. In there, he was a tiny figure.
Alsce turned and smiled.
"Ok." she said, "I'm cool."
---
Somewhere...in a dark room...shadowed figures stood round a table.
"Those kids took down the Heartless!" gasped a man's voice.
"Their strength comes from their weapons, not themselves." said another.
"Just turn them into Heartless. We know that girl has the power to do it." sighed a woman.
"Yes, well, three of them are the king's lackeys. Swoggle me eyes, thy're all bilge rats by the look of 'em." said another man.
"You're no prize yourself!" laughed another.
"Shut up!" said the one before.
"Enough." said another woman, "They keyblades have chosen their masters. They may be able to conwuer the darkness. Or will the darkness take them? Either way, this will be entertaining..."
---
"Make sure you're prepared for the journey ahead." said Leon.
"And check out the shops here. They're neat!" said Yuffie.
"This is from all of us." said Aerith.

Obtained: 100 munny

"Spend it how you like. This is from Leon."

Obtained: Elixir

"Good luck!" siad Yuffie.
"I pray you find your friends and sister." said Aerith.
"Look out for each other. We know that from experience," Leon looked at Yuffie and Aerith, "Keep your spirits up. Remember, we'll always be here in Traverse town."
The six walked away.
"Our gummi ship is outside that gate." said Donald.
"The what now?" asked Alsce.
"Our ship. It's so cool! You've gotta see it!" said Marie.
"Wait-this is for you." said Donald. He reached into his pocket** and pulled out a small fireball. It split into four and went into Ichigo, Sora and Marie's keyblades. It went into Alsce' crystal.
"Now you can use magic-that lets you use fire." said Donald.
"Oh, and take this too." said Goofy. He picked up a small pouch of gold lliquid, picking some up on his fingertips he threw it over the four.
"That's an ability-dodge roll. They let you do all sorts of things! We'd better keep an eye out for them on the way." he explained.
"Okay, let's get going." said Marie.
"Not til we're ready." said Donald, hitting Marie on the head with his staff.
"I see big adventures coming their way...better keep track of it in my journal!"
They went to say goodbye to Cid and to get some itmes.
"Bye, Cid." said Ichigo, after getting their purachses.
"Bye, kid. See ya found your friend." he remarked.
Alsce blinked.
"You're called...Cid?" she asked.
"Yeh."
"This is random, but-did you have a daughter?"
"Yeh. Little Rikku. Lst her when the Heartless came." he sighed.
Alsce said nothing.
"Ok. Bye then."
"Bye!"
They walked out the shop.
"Are we gonna go now?" asked Sora.
"Sure." said Donald. They went to the exit gate and opened it, walking into the Gummi sip.
---
"Wow!" said Alsce, sitting down.
"We're riding in this?" asked Ichigo, agog.
"Yep. Now put on your seatbelts!" snapped Donald.
They did.
"Off we go!" said Goofy, and the gummi ship sped away a full speed, leaving traverse town once again boring, quiet, and peacful.