A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (open)

A quaint melody filled the air. It made the air hum with a sort of melancholy feeling, but at the same time, hopeful and joyful.

The ruins that surrounded Miles in every direction were black with battle scars. A few pillars and walls were still standing, but most of the old Traverse Town was nothing more than a pile of old rubble. Only a few plants grew over them, but it was mostly ivy and weeds, rather than grass or flowers. Miles himself was sitting on an old Piano bench, cooking beside a fire he had made in what looked to be the old cobble stone floor of an old and tired building. It looked to be more decayed than destroyed, as if it had fallen over before the heartless had come. Bacon and eggs sizzled in his frying pan, where he smiled, tilting his head from side to side, keeping in rhythm with the song that the mice around him were singing.

-"A dream is a wish your heart Makes,
When your fast asleep.
In dreams you will lose your heartaches,
What ever you wish you you keep.
You wake with the mourning sunlight,
To find fortune that is smiling on you.

Don't let your heart be filled with sorrow,
For all you know tomorrow,
The dream that you wished will come true.
No matter how your heart is grieving,
If you keep on believing,
The dream that you wished will come true."

The mice, in their quaint little cloths, the women in little dresses, and the men in stocking caps and tunics, all sang along together, some humming the tune, some dancing, and a select few jumping on top of the keys of the old piano, only playing the high notes, to make it sound dainty and gay.

Miles sang along during the chorus, making sure to make his voice as smooth as possible, not wanting to disturb the mice. After all, this was not where Miles lived. It was almost comical, but the mice had taken him in after the rains had started to fall in the middle of the night. Though the house had no roof, and the Mice lived in the walls and furniture, the slightly standing walls gave cover from the wind at least. The Mice had even been kind enough to drag a tarp they had been storing from out of a cupboard, and drape it over the soaking boy.

Now he was repaying them with breakfast. Though Mice did not really eat cooked eggs and bacon, Miles had given them a large wedge of cheese that he had been saving for a special occasion. It had payed off though, because Miles was almost overjoyed to hear the music, and know that he was welcome back any time. It was good to make friends, but he knew that staying could only endanger them. They were well hidden, and Miles intended to keep it that way.

Still though, he could not find urge to leave right now. It was to pleasant, and wonderful to pass up.

-"No matter how your heart is grieving,
If you keep on believing,
The dream that you wished will come true." sang Miles, the Mice staring to laugh as his voice broke, right near the end.

Miles laughed as well, flipping the bacon and scrambling his eggs. No doubt that this song could be heard from a wile around, but if the heartless should find him, at least Miles was having the time of his life at this moment. What better time to be turned into a heartless than when you were more happy than you had been in a long time? Perhaps that logic was flawed, but no matter, Miles cared not to review dark and terrible things.

Well it wasn't a heartless that found him at first.. rather it was a girl.

A pretty girl, with long locks of purple hair, tripped into the area, with a soft omph. One of the mice curiously poked her nose, and her strangely yellow eyes opened. Sitting up, she looked confusedly around, her clothes a bit haggard because of the rain : thus they clung to her tightly. Her head looked over, and bitting her lip, she looked at the mouse. ''Heartless are coming..'' she said with a worried voice, as it dashed off. Getting up again, the girl looked at the five heartless that were coming her way, and she tried to walk backwards, only to end up falling. She gave a slight panicked breath, as she tried to think of something to help her.. and she shut her eyes tight.

She still hadn't seen the poor male that was probably watching his happy moment getting ruined...

"MAN YOUR BATTLE STATIONS!" Shouted Miles suddenly, with a grin on his face, grabbed for a fork that was placed on his knee, and began to shove everything that was on the frying pan into his mouth.

-The Mice began to hop around, looking for shelter in any place they could. The cupboards, the dressers, the holes in the wall. Miles just started chewing, starting to turn his entire breakfast to mush in his mouth, and swallowing it in small segments. He had already gotten grabbed for his backpack, a handful of throwing knives, and then for the girl.

-"Wowie! A Damsel in distress!" said one of the mice, still clinging to Miles shoulder.

-Miles gulped the rest down, just as he grabbed for the girl. Shooting the mouse a look of slight annoyance. Why had he not gotten to shelter like the others? The mouses bold look on his face told him everything though, and Miles admitted defeat before they had even begun to argue.

-He grabbed for the girl, one arm sliding around her shoulder and another under her knees, picking her up, and hauling her inside as he indeed spotted the five heartless coming this way. No way to hide from them now, they had been spotted. No matter. Five less heartless to worry about when this was all over. With the girl in his arms, he made for the large two doored dresser in the corner of the room, letting the mice open it. He pushed her inside a moment later, gently, but still in a hurry. The mice closed the door almost instantly when she was inside.

-Again, he ran for the front door, slamming it closed right in the faces of the heartless who were swarming after the poor girl. Miles grinned, hearing a thud of one of the heartless being beaned in the head by the door. Mission accomplished.

-Oddly enough, for some odd reason the heartless softly knocked on the door. Miles shook his head, comically wondering if he had lost his head.

-"Sorry, no housekeeping needed today." he said sweetly, clasping his hands together and leaning to the side, in a sort of womanly fashion.

-And then the door started to crack from a pounding. They were now trying to break it down, and this is that Miles had been waiting for. With a smug grin and a wink, he picked up his right leg, leaned back for only a moment, and then kicked the old door from its hinges, throwing two of the heartless who were trying to break down the door, flying across the street, and slamming into a wall. The heartless had disappeared by the time the door fell over into the street, and two more heartless, peeked in from eighter side of the door.

-"Sorry. I forgot to ask who was there." grinned Miles, grabbing for two of his dirks, one in each hand, and lobbing them through the heads of the heartless. The little guys staggered backward for a moment, before falling over, and turning into a gassy shadow.

-"Now that was four...where is the-"

-And he gasped, seeing that he had been tricked. The heartless that had been left alone had made for the dresser, and was moments away from opening it. For that moment, miles made a spin, grabbing another Dirk, and with accuracy that only few possessed, launched the knife, pegging the little guy directly in the back of his head.

-His face had been serious for that moment, but now, after the ligering moments of silence, he grinned again, just as the mice began to pour of of eveywhere.

-"Hooray! Hooray! Hooray for our McKnighty!" the said, Miles laughing at how odd this all seemed.

-It was when the dresser opened, and Miles got his first real look at the girl, that he smiled kindly.

-"She's pretty eh boss?" said the Mouse, still perched on his shoulder.

-Miles only nodded.

Heartless! Bloody Heartless! The damn things were everywhere! There were never this many damn Heartless back in Boston, no sir. One or two every month, maybe, and the police handled them rather well. It was the only thing they were good at, as far as David was concerned. But in whatever town he was in now, whatever country he was in now, they bred like jack rabbits and fought like enraged gorillas. David looked around him, the circle of shadows now complete.

They eyed his trident dagger cautiously, their heads tilting from side to side in curiosity, their little antennas wiggling frantically. David turned around quickly in a circle, gripping his dagger like a talisman, pointing it at any shadows that risked a step. "Get back, you little shit! I'm on to you," he shouted, waving the pronged blade. "The cute act is getting annoying, too! We all know you'd eat our souls just as soon as look at us!" One of the shadows leaped from behind and got the trident through its neck. It exploded in a shower of orbs that David ignored, focusing on the other shadows. The act of one had spurred the rest of them on, the shadows closing in on him like a press.

"No matter how your heart is grieving,
If you keep on believing,
The dream that you wished will come true."

David looked up from the heartless, instantly recognizing that song. Anyone who was a proud American knew that song! From the movie about Cinderella, the Disney one with the mice and the fairy godmother. And if someone was singing such a familiar song, then surely they must know where he was. That they spoke English was only an added bonus. David dashed forward, leaping a heartless that he brought down with one slash. Two more clawed at him, but David slid past them, taking off their hands and turning them in vapor.

The remaining eleven stopped, staring intently at David. As one they began to step towards one another, their flesh contorting and melding as they touched, their bodies starting to form into one. For a moment they were nothing more than a solid ball of shadow, roughly three feet in diameter, and then they weren't. In a flash of darkness the ball sprouted legs and arms, elongating, changing its shape once again. In a few moments the eleven shadows had changed into a carbon copy of David, sans head. The shadow David ran forward, drawing a copy of the trident dagger. "Meep," squeaked David. They never EVER did that in Boston. For a few moments the look of fear lingered on David's face, but it was quickly replaced by a devilish smirk. "Care for a game of cards? No one can resist a game of 'Find the Lady', friend."

David clapped his hands once, a large folding table appearing. Three cards spontaneously generated face down, quickly shifting position. They danced as the shadow David stepped cautiously towards them, watching them mesmerized. Eventually they stopped. "Now find the lady, find the pretty lady and get a prize!" The shadow cautiously touched a card, looking up at David nervously insofar as the headless Heartless could. David looked down, feeling the tension. This was best part of the scam; would he have picked the queen? Or was that Heartless a dead man?

David flipped the card. The Joker grinned up at the heartless and David added his own, looking back up. "Ooooo, you're nicked, chum." The Heartless sighed, gently vaporizing. The table and cards vanished, leaving David alone again. David ambled off in the direction of the music, trident dagger drawn.

She still hadn't opened her eyes, muttering things under her breath. And then, without warning, she was picked up, and her eyes snapped open, face to face with a.. mouse? She heard the creak of doors and next thing she knew, it was dark. The girl blinked, slightly squished in a way, because humans don't normally fit into closets. She could barely hear sounds, and she was afraid, as there was a resounding thump, and she closed her eyes again. When the door opened, snapping her eyes wasn't the best thing : it hurt. But the purple haired girl took a minute to do so and her gaze turned to her hero.. and her big eyes widenned more, looking almost adoringly at Miles. And then her arms were wrapped around his neck, as she buried her face in his other shoulder. ''Ooooh ~! Thank you, thank you~'' she said, almost sobbing as she clung tightly to the male. She felt intensely relieved that someone else was here now : after all, wandering in a world of heartless for a week could definately make you grateful for anything human.

-The Mice almost started to nudge each other, the women pulling the men into corners and dark areas, leaving the two visually alone, but spying on them none the less. Miles himself was a bit perplexed by this girls reactions, but at the same time, could he really argue with it? He grinned, placing his arms gently behind her back. Never one to truly take advantage of a girl he decided to let his raging hormones take a nice long hike, followed by a cold shower.

-"There there now." said Miles, a smile stretching over his face, and his eyes squinting so much that it looked as though they were closed.

-He made it a point to push her away very lightly, and show her the happy grin. It was a matter of showing friendship for him. He would rather not be a hero, just a loyal friend...and maybe more later when his hormones returned from the nature hike.

-"Miles McKnight." he said, holding out one of hi hands for a shake.

-"But...just call me McKnight." he said, rolling his eyes.

Son of a- there's more?! I cut one down, two more pop up. I bring them down and ten more take their place! This is a nightmare, David thought as he sprinted through the town's ruins. Oh, I'm not going to be welcomed by whoever I find... my "honor guard" of heartless will see to that. David rounded a corner, holding his dagger close to him. The Heartless bounded along the alley, losing track of him. For now. "Hell... that was close," David whispered to himself, brushing his blond hair out of his eyes. "But at least I can find my new friends without worrying about bringing a wave of death to them. And then I'll have someone to talk to, so I'll stop talking to myself! Yay!"

David traipsed his way onward, dagger drawn, coming upon the plaza. At first he stuck to the shadows, wanting to stay hidden. But the longer he thought about it, the more he realized that maybe the light was a better place to walk. The new comer to this world paused before the cracked and battered bulk of the door, gently tracing it with his fingertips. The door was removed from its hinges, forcibly, and thrown across the plaza. And following the trajectory... there! That house! David made his way there cautiously, pausing in the doorway, the dull light silhouetting him. "He-hello? Anyone in here? Knock knock..." he called, gently rapping on the door frame.

''Hi Miles! Thank you again for saving me : I thought I was heartless fodder! I'm glad none of the little mice were hurt either : that would've been hurtful! Anyways, my name is Hazel and - EEEEEEK!'' she screamed, as she heard knocking on the door, suddenly backing away and tripping, falling to the floor face first. Nothing without flashing everyone behind her first, as the purple haired girl let out a sound of pain, rolling over, still lying down on her back. She struggled to her butt, blinking owlishly at the now two males, and let out a sigh of relief. ''Oh geez! You scared me!'' she said, holding her hands to her heart, panting lightly as she was ruffled, her hair a mess, and her clothes slightly torn. The clothes were still clinging to her tightly, as she looked at them, her legs lifted halfway to her chest, her hands on her heart, as those strange yellow eyes stared at them, innocent looking and pure. She waited for someone to talk, because the silence was.. killing her. She needed voices.. she had been so alone for so long.. someone to talk to her would make her feel good.

-"McKnight...just McKnight." sighed Miles, jetting out his hand as he helped the scared and perhaps slightly confused girl up.

-Miles turned to the man behind him, nodding to him with a smile, his lips parting to grin ever so slightly. He seemed to be sizing him up, but at the same time, gave a sign of good gesture as he saluted with two fingers. The boy looked a little odd. Something about him was just wrong, as if he did not belong here at all. Still though, Miles was not about to turn away a soul who was at least showing good faith via a knock.

-"Miles McKnight." he said, still holding his salute, and Hazels hand.

-"You look a little lost. Whats your damage?" he asked, grinning, keeping his face as friendly as possible.

-"Odd to see you two show up at the same time. It's either fate, or dumb luck, but it's not like I mind."

David jumped at the voices, his hand dropping down to his dagger. But as his eyes adjusted to the light in the house, he saw the inhabitants. Two people, a dashing looking man, one who practically dripped with chivalry, and a rather meek and innocent looking woman, were staring back at him. Realizing that his gesture could be misconstrued as aggressive, David pulled his hand up, brushing his hair over his ear. "Oh, hi, uh... you had a little... uh, I'll get it-" he mumbled, turning back towards the square. He lightly sprinted to the opposite wall, grabbing the door that has been blown from his hinges and returning to the doorway, setting about the task of getting it back on the hinges. "Can't be too *grunt* careful, you know," David grunted again, manhandling the door into place. "Give these damn heartless an inch and they take a - YOWCH!" The door slipped from its frame and landed on his foot. He rested the door on the frame, crouching down to rest his back against it and massage his foot. "Eh, that'll do for now, I 'spose, he said to himself, finally looking back up at them. "The name is David - David Spencer. A pleasure to finally meet another soul in this - place." There was just the slightest hesitation between 'this' and 'place', hinting that he had another phrase for the town that he chose not to use.