Welcome to Gaia! ::

Selphie pulled her knees even tighter into her chest when the SeeD came over to comfort her. Although she knew he was a friend from her childhood, and her memories of him as a small child helped soften his hardass image, he still wasn't one she wanted around during such an emotional time. So, she was extremely relieved when Rinoa came over and ushered him back into battle.

"Rinoa..........?" She whispered when Leon went back into the conflict, "......I'm really scared. A friend of that guy took one of my friends from Destiny Islands away." Memories of a more recent conversation with Aros filled her mind, reducing her to an even more pathetic state. "This meanie named Aros took Sora.........and no matter how hard I try, I can't get him back. I know he's alive, but I don't know what to do......"

"..........By the way.......can I have one of those tissues?"

Baralai watched everything take place without speaking. So many things were confusing him. And the throbbing in his head make it harder to concentrate and center his thoughts. Lady Yuna said she was looking for Tidus with the Gullwings. But why is she here alone? Where are Paine and Rikku? He questioned repeatedly in his mind.

He looked about the group before him, his brown eyes taking in every detail on the others to later put names with. He had to remember them if he wanted to be helped in any way, right? Plus from what he heard Yuna was friends with these people. Good thing he was friends with her or else this situation would be far worse. Baralai sighed heavily.

Yuna's pointed gun falters a bit as the Heartless does not seem to want to attack them. The others had drawn out their weapons too, but still, Yuna does not want to be threatening someone who does not want to cause any harm. Lowering her gun slightly, she gives the Heartless a confused look. The ones back in Spira seemed to be bent only on destroying, but Gluttony said he only wants to know about this Ienzo, and his memories.

She turns to Baralai, a familiar face she is very glad of meeting here. "Are you alright, Baralai?" It seemed like something she should ask before saying anything else. He seems to be very frustrated about the situation too, judging from his heavy sigh. "We'll find help for Spira, I'm sure we will. Don't worry," she gives him a smile in an attempt to alleviate his frustration.

Ship's Hold, just outside the room with the other people.

The unique smell of salty air and rotting wood greeted Yuffie as she got off the gummi ship and entered the hold of the large pirate ship. Had she not known better, she would seriously wonder if Roxas had made a wrong turn and dropped them all off at Port Royal. However, something about the atmosphere of the ship allayed her fears and confirmed she was in the same place as her old friends.

A cold sea breeze blew through an open port-hole, causing her to shiver involuntarily. Well.....at least I can feel that. After a run-in with Aros just before leaving Olympus, the ninja was now questioning whether or not she had actually survived the encounter. Although Demyx had healed the deep stab wounds she received, there was no magical way to fix her other infirmity: she was almost competely devoid of emotion. The only things she could feel now were self-loathing when her mind went back to the previous events, and a slight sense of comfort when she was near her love.

Hoping to experience more of the latter, she moved over to the sitarist, pressing her slender form against his side and wrapping her arms just above his waist. Resting her head near his chest, she silently prayed he would pick up on her need to be comforted and wrap his arms around her in return. Why am I so numb inside....? I don't want to be like this anymore.....

From the other side of one of the walls, she could hear muffled voices talking about something. Although she couldn't figure out the exact identity of the speakers, she had a good feeling they were her friends. "Hey guys......" she whispered, unable to force herself to actually talk "......I think there's some people in the next room."

Okay.

That was a bad idea. A bad, bad idea.

Everything was going swimmingly well until Selphie decided that she wanted to go back and attack the enemy again. With only her skipping rope, no less.

The Selphie she knew was hell with her nunchaku, but with just a skipping rope? She barely had time to affectionately return the hug and respond to Selphie's words before the younger girl jumped off the crate and picked up her rope.

"Selphie, no!" Rinoa's eyes widened as she tried to reach for the hyperactive girl once again. It really wouldn't do if she got hurt, or anything, and considering the fact that Squall was letting her take care of things here, not letting Selphie back into what was clearly a dangerous situation fell into that category as well, probably.

"Hey, Selphie, I'm sure your friend's fine, but you can't go out there, okay? It's very dangerous! Why don't we play a game or two?"

Neverland-Ship's Hold

Aerith sighed and turned away from Cloud, regretfully letting go of his hand. She had talked to him over the internet and it seemed close to impossible to cheer him up.

"Alright, Cloud..." she commented sadly before walking over to the door and standing by it. Aerith jumped a bit when she heard voices.

"......I think there's some people in the next room."


She knew that voice....Yuffie!?

The Cetra swung the door open and looked at the group, "Yuffie? Demyx?"

There were two others with them, including a boy with a sling on his arm...she assumed he was Tidus. Aerith had spoken with him online.

She turned back smiling at the sight of her friend safe and sound and called into the hold, "Cloud! Leon! Yuffie and the others are here!"

Hook's Ship

Xeryim sighed, the elation from screwing up Riku fading as he prepared to perform the same routine for now the third time. He was quickly tiring of it, and he wanted a different task. He had plans forming and they required him to not flit amongst the worlds wreaking havoc by playing with the others’ lives like strings on a cello, finding the weakest point at which to snap the wires and make them bleed.

Not that he didn’t enjoy doing all that. There was something so thrilling about the look in their eyes, the emotionless, blank, empty stare as their inner soul fell like leaves in autumn, leaving them bare and vulnerable to feed his flame. When he exited the portal he realized he was in a place he recognized. Or more specifically, a place that Riku would recognize. He eyed the Captain’s cabin with distaste, wrinkling his nose at the smell of brine as he hopped down a ladder and followed a hallway to where he heard voices. He jumped down, a small tick of his boots against the wood the other sound of his arrival.

“Well hello there everyone,” he said, voice venomous as he walked toward them, power rolling from his body in waves. “Why, I do believe I recognize you all. You seem very... very familiar.” He frowned. Where in the name of Vivax was Gluttony? “I see you jumped straight here from Olympus.” He walked into the middle of the circle, for a moment ignoring the open door. “Well hello there, Yuffie. I see your shoulders are healing nicely.” He smirked, turning to Demyx with a calculating stare. “I didn’t talk to you last time, Sitarist. I see Olympus and the gaining of a past has done you good.” He looked the ex-Nobody up and down once, and then turned to the others. “I see the Zanarkandian is here too, and–” he looked at Rikku next, smiling slightly. He leaned down to say quietly, “Unrequited love doesn’t look good on you, Al Bhed.”

He smirked and shoved past the open door, glancing at the pink clad woman by the door. “Lifestream is a remarkable thing, isn’t it?” he asked, directing the question at both Aerith and Cloud beyond, who looked highly introspective. “Still dealing with your darkness, I see,” he said with a smirk, and glanced around the room. He grinned maliciously at the little girl, showing teeth to remind her not to try his patience as she had done over the net.

“Leon, good to see you still with your head attached to your shoulders,” he said, winking at Rinoa and showing a smile of cruel promise. He looked around again, eager for a new target, and saw Yuna. “Summoner! You’ll be happy to know your lover is outside, cavorting with another woman.” He smiled at the others, nodding at Baralai first. “Glad to be free and not destroying everything you touch?”

He turned to Gluttony, cruel smile quickly replaced by a cold stare. “Have you completed your task, Heartless?”

Right after Aerith had found the others, Xeryim showed up.

Oh great.

"Lifestream is a remarkable thing, isn’t it?”

The Cetra closed her eyes and kept calm, "Yes it is, in fact....now leave, Xeryim. I would like to talk to my friends without the interruption of heartless." she wasn't going to let the heartless get to her, no matter what he said.

Aerith went over to Yuffie, placing a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Yuffie, ignore him. Just ignore him and he'll go away. Let him know he's hurt you, and he'll keep on doing it"

The playful tone that was usually carried in her voice was gone, seriousness took over. Aerith wasn't going to let these heartless win, she wasn't going to lose anymore loved ones.