"I… I remember school yesterday. It was a normal day, nothing exciting. Then I came home and did homework, finished my book, ate supper with my family." I strained, striving to pierce the fog that clouded my brain. "I was in my room, listening to music and on my computer… trying to make sure I didn't get caught awake." So that's why I was in my pajamas. "Then… something happened." But what? I opened my eyes briefly. Everyone was listening, even Riku, temporarily forgetting his anger to hear my story. I refocused before he caught me staring. "It was raining, I remember that. I could hear thunder above my music." I squeezed my eyes shut even tighter in an attempt to jog my memory. "There were sirens, and then…"

Suddenly, I broke through the wall barricading me from my memories of last night, and I gasped. Images of black shadowy creatures, one moment flat against the ground like shadows and the next three-dimensional, and their invasion of my neighborhood flashed through my mind. I heard the screaming and saw the Heartless kill my neighbors. I remembered turning to see if I could protect my sister and parents. I remembered being pulled through a pool of Darkness as everyone around me died and my home was swallowed. I sank to the ground and began to cry.

Sora, Kairi, and even Riku were at my side in a flash. Kairi helped me sit up and Sora grabbed a cloth from the table to dry my tears. But I could not stop; they just kept coming, flowing down my face in rapid waterfalls accompanied by great gasping sobs. It was Riku, bent over me as he had been when I woke in the alleyway, who asked, "What happened?" His voice was rough and his question abrupt, but I thought I saw curiosity and- was that sympathy?- in his eyes. I couldn't be sure though, because teary vision isn't exactly the clearest- and a moment later all expression was gone from his face.

I fought to control myself, with no success. Between sobs, I managed to choke out, "My home…we were attacked…those, those things everywhere…swallowed up…my fa-family!" I realized that those evil creatures must have been Heartless, and I knew the people I'd seen turned would never come back. My weeping grew desperate and painful as I curled myself into a ball, wishing my flood of tears would wash me away.

There was a hesitant touch on my arm. I opened my eyes to see Kairi attempting to soothe me. "Hey, it's gonna be ok. It'll be ok. All right?"

No, not all right. Everyone I knew and cared about- my family, my friends, my neighbors, classmates, teachers, annoying people at the grocery store…they were all gone. Most had probably been lost to the Darkness and turned into Heartless, others killed in the panic… Was there any chance of survival for those I'd left behind?

Then Sora's voice penetrated my hysteria, offering a slim ray of hope that I desperately grabbed at, anything to keep me from sinking into the abyss I felt opening in my chest. "You know, it's possible that you weren't the only one who came through to our world. Probably lots of people made their way to a different world. In fact, I'd bet on it! Maybe not this world, but we can visit the other worlds to find out. Don't give up, okay? We'll help you." Riku uttered a quiet groan at this rash offer.

I sniffled, looking up at the earnest face above me. It swam in and out of focus, but I could see his friendly smile. "You promise?"

He nodded. "Promise!" He offered me such a big grin, I had to smile back. It was tiny and watery, but seemed to satisfy him.

"What?" Riku hissed. "Sora, can I talk to you for a minute?" Not waiting for an answer, he stalked over to the corner farthest from me, Sora following. I could hear a furious conversation being conducted at low volume. "..don't know who she is or where she came from…have you ever heard of Earth?…untrustworthy… promised to help her just like that! What about our mission?" Riku fought to keep his voice down, but I could catch snippets here and there as his temper rose.

Sora didn't bother keeping his voice down. "Riku, I think you're getting paranoid. And she needs our help! Where would I be if Leon and Yuffie, then Donald and Goofy hadn't helped me, huh? What do you want to do- throw her out on the streets? Besides, we have to go world-to-world anyway. She can come along."

"Are you crazy? What we're doing is important, and it should be need-to-know, not us telling it to whoever wanders by! What if she's not who she seems? What if-"

Sora interrupted his rant. "Do you trust me?"

There was no hesitation as Riku replied, "Of course."

"Then she comes. I trust her," Sora said firmly.

"But…" Riku huffed in frustration, then gave in.

He trusted me? We'd met maybe twenty minutes ago, and I'd spent five or ten of them wailing on the floor. I turned to glance at Kairi. She felt my gaze and turned from her own eavesdropping. Noticing my confused expression, she smiled and said a little wryly, "That's how he is. Sora has such an open heart; it's hard for him to see bad in anybody. Not that I think you're bad, of course," she hastily reassured me. So.. I see Sora isn't the only one who sees the best in people, I mused. Looks like I had two votes of confidence. What was I going to do about the third? I really did need their help, shamed as I was to sound so dependent. I knew they were experienced world-travelers, and I was nothing of the kind. Back home, I'd barely been out of the state. Back home… I winced as a stab of guilt hit me in the heart. But I straightened, telling myself I'd figured out what to do and I was going to do it, no matter what. If there is even the slightest chance that my family's out there, I'll never stop looking, I vowed, Riku or no Riku.