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[ Kyle : Sleeping Car : Bunk ]

The teen lightly glanced out the window at the starless sky. There had been so much going on lately, he'd hardly had a chance to glance at the sky... at least, not since they'd been in Agrabah that night. That's when he'd met all of these people. That's when they'd taken him, shown him he wasn't alone in this world of delusions.

But that's also when it sank in that this was real. Earth was gone. Everyone he'd ever known...

He glanced at the Trinity Charm on his wrist. A neat little thing, really... he had to talk to them. To someone on that side. They had a right to know.

Who could he tell? Jon? He made it clear before they left he may not even be doing well. Kyla? No, he didn't want to burden her with telling the others. Who else on that side did he really know?

... there's really only one.

Lifting up the bracelet so that it was somewhat close to his mouth, he focused on the one individual he knew he could tell this to, and who would be able to tell the others at the opportune moment.

"Riku? Are you busy? This is Kyle. I... have some bad news."

The words would have fed directly into Riku's mind, so no one else would have heard it, but he hoped Riku knew how to respond.

[[I'm assuming you meant 'If you don't already have....']]

[ Kyle : Sleeping Car : Personal Bunk ]

Kyle sighed, both physically and mentally, so it would likely have gotten through as well. Best to start at the beginning.

"We defeated Oogie and rescued the Enchantress, but," he began, continuing to speak aloud out of personal preference. Opening his mind wasn't exactly high on his list of things he enjoyed. "When we got back to the train... long story short, the Replicas stole Rae's heart and kidnapped Noelle. We're guessing they're holding on to Rae's heart, as her body stayed around- we sent it back to the Castle with Merlin and the Enchantress. As for Noelle, we've tried to contact her using these things, but nothing's going through- she's out of the charms' reach."

His voice seemed calm, almost matter-of-factly, as if he was simply giving a status report. That's the way it had to be; a cold exterior, focused only on the statistics, on the causes and effects, never the emotions or persons behind it.

"Cory has also publicly stated his hatred for us and that he should have been considered an enemy from the very start," he continued, though his voice obviously took a more tense turn. "We've made sure to bar him entry from the train, but I thought I should warn you guys to keep an eye out for him."

[ Sora : Dining Car ]

"Nah, I don't mind," he asked, leaning back in the booth now that he'd finished his pizza. He'd let things digest a little before getting up and moving around. "Mine's the third on the left when you enter from this car. About to get some sleep?"

[Kyla: LoD: Imperial City - Firework Yard]

There was an erry silence over the moment. The way Cloud just stood there, staring at her numbly, was somehow unsettling.

There was the smell of steel, and the way Leon looked with his hair slightly ruffled, as was Cloud. There was beaded persperation on his neck- which she noticed having gotten closer...
The tense after-shock feeling, like a coiled spring having been wound up to it's limit. Kyla would always reconize this atmosphere, it could only mean one thing-

Did a fight just happen? Was the enemy still here?

Kyla didn't want to jump to conclusions, but Axel was gone now- did Leon send him somewhere?

"Ah, there you are! Kyla!"

"You find them?"

It was Kichi, with the rest of the group following behind him. Riku was a few steps behind him but he had stopped his approach. Kyla waved back to Kichi in the distance.
"Uh- yes! Everything is fine!"

But she glanced between the blond and burnet, the tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Only Demyx seemed uneffected- and you couldn't blame him for that.
"Everything.. is, alright..isn't it? Where did Axel go?"

[[Riku : LoD : Imperial City Streets]]

There was a slight shift in Riku's face, subtle, only a slight tension below the eyes as Kyle gave him the news, "Rae's been taken by the replicas... Noelle's been kidnapped..." he thought to himself though it undoubtedly returned over the mental connection. He held out for a good while until Kyle finished with his statement on Cory.

Finally, when Kyle was well finished with his statement and Riku had listened also to the conversation going on in front of him between Kichi, Kyla, Cloud, and Leon; Riku replied, "What you did was the right decision. Cory has never been one to trust, this just makes that clear. If he shows up, we'll know how to greet him."

Riku stopped for a moment, then continued, "I have some bad news for you as well. The man in purple armor showed up a little while ago and attacked us. We fended him off without any problems, but the battle isn't important, it's what he said. He tried to recruit us... to kill you."


[[Louis : Train : Dining Car]]

The shadowmancer nodded in reply, answering but not quite getting up yet, "Mmm, I'm really feeling exhausted now that I've gotten something to eat. Thanks allot for allowing me to share your room. I got the feeling you were a nice guy so I thought I'd ask you rather than the others. I don't know why, but I feel like there's some tension coming from them I can't get past. I suppose today has been stressful for all of them so I can't blame them. Hopefully I can get to know some of them better tomorrow."

[Amy : LoD : Tea Shop -> Streets]

"Mhm," Amy said, pushing back her chair, "Kichi-Jon's right. We should get going." She stood up and watched as the others filtered outside. Kichi was right about more than one thing, she mused, Seymour was a villain in Final Fantasy X. A good one, at that, although after the fifth or sixth time killing him she had started to wish he would just stay dead.

Her expression faltered, and she was glad the Guado was not inside anymore to see it. How accurate was Final Fantasy X? Did it even apply to the Kingdom Hearts universe? Many characters had their back stories changed around when Square put them into Kingdom Hearts– who was to say which was accurate?

And who was she to judge based solely on having played a game with him in it? She didn't have the answer.

Beginning to walk out the door, Amy stopped when she noticed John had not followed her. He was sitting in his chair still, looking deeply into his 'tea'. He appeared lost in thought; displaced. A citizen of a destroyed realm cast into a foreign country. He didn't look like he was going to follow, granted that might be due to the drink.

"You should come with us," she began lamely, irrationally afraid she wouldn't get him out of the Tea Shop. "I mean. Yeah. No. Gah. Get up, we're going. You're John from Cleveland," she pointed, "and you're coming with. For yours is the drill that will pierce the heavens. Or something. Just come with so I can go to beeeeed. I'm so stinkin' tired, this tea wasn't caffeinated, and I ache in fifty zillion places, and you're John from Cleveland, so come on."

She practically pulled him from the table. It wasn't hard to do– he had three glasses of that 'tea'. She smiled weakly at the tea lady as she led John out onto the streets before he could so much as protest. It was less crowded now, but she saw no sight of where the group had gone. Dumbfounded (she certainly hadn't considered this) she looked more closely for her friends. She spotted Seymour's unique hair as it disappeared around a corner, and she hurried to follow, John in tow.

[[Riku : LoD : Imperial City Streets]]

The twilight keyblader sighed inwardly as he listened to Kyle's story. When he finished, Riku replied, "I can see why he'd be mad." he paused then added, "No one was severely hurt. Maybe a few scrapes, the one who took the worst hit must have been John but I think the only real injury may have been an injured pride more than anything." Riku paused again and asked, "Do you think there are more out there like this Mateus guy? If there are really 10 more like him... watch your back, Kyle."


[[Louis : Train : Dining Car]]

Louis nodded again, "Right... and I'm glad they have allot to fight for. You guys seem to have more than your share of powerful enemies." Louis stretched silently and concluded the conversation, "Alright. I should head to bed now. Thanks for the talk... Sora, right?" Louis left the car with a wave of his hand and took the 3rd door on the left, just like Sora said. He looked around at the two bed, noting the messy one as Sora's. He sat on the other bed, feeling for a moment finding it just right for his taste. After kicking his shoes off and taking off his jacket and shirt he flopped onto the pillow and pulled up the covers.

Though it would be a good while before Louis would be able to fully fall asleep, even sleep would not bring him a break from his trials.

[Joe: Dining Car]

The finger drumming stopped, but the leg didn't. The male opened one eye and looked at the table, then Sora. It was only half open, but was bright and alert-looking otherwise.

"Nah, I think I'll just sit here for a bit. Gotta think to myself for a bit, and I'll probably just snack on that while I think."

Re-closing his eye, Joe continued the drumming. "Thanks, though."