Genre: AU, fantasy

Pairings: ?

Warnings: Memory loss, peril, action violence

Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words

A/N: This is my first KH fic! I welcome all feedback, so long as it's constructive. Hope you enjoy!


They say it's a long, long fall to the earth. Only the Darkness can make Angels fall. Fallen Angels will always be hunted by the Dark. And Angels cannot return to Heaven alone. Because Fallen Angels can't fly.

-

His heart pounds painfully loud in his ears. Dear God, it must be trying to beat free from his chest. It hurts. In fact, everything hurts. What happened to the light? When did it get so dark? Why did it get so dark? Where is he? Oh, God, he can't remember anything. Not his name, not where he's from. His back is on fire. What happened to him? Why can't he remember? He's scared. He wants someone to help him. Only he can't move. He can't open his mouth to cry for help. He can't bear it and blacks out.

- - - - - - - -

"God, I will be so glad when finals are over," Kairi groaned, flinging herself down on her bed.

The dorm's only other occupant, Riku, looked up from his Physics textbook. "Stop whining. You've got it easy."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Just because I'm into dancing and music and you want to be a freaking rocket scientist," she teased. "Besides, theatre is demanding. I never sleep. At least your classes keep normal hours."

Riku yawned. "Maybe. But all the time I spend studying makes up for the difference."

"Whatever," Kairi scoffed. "You never study. You spend all your time partying." She hopped back to her feet. "C'mon. Let's go for a walk. I'm bored."

Dropping his pen, ever amenable to her whims, Riku rose to his feet. "Sure. We can make a run down to the store. I could use some caffeine."

Kairi opted against pointing out it was one in the morning—they should both be in bed, not pumping up on caffeine. But it was Friday night, so what did it matter anyway? She paused only to grab her jacket and the pair strolled off the campus into the chilly night.

A trillion stars glittered brightly in the sky, complimenting the pale silvery glow of the moon. Kairi sucked in a huge lungful of crisp air, smiling faintly. God how she loved the night. Everything was softer in the night, cleaner and less . . . hostile.

"You'll do fine, you know," Riku said abruptly, startling her.

She turned her dark eyes on him. "What?"

"On your finals. You'll be fine. You'll knock 'em dead. You always do."

That brought a grin to her face. She glomped Riku's arm, hugging it tight. "Thanks, Riku. You're a great friend."

She saw his crooked grin. They'd been best friends since childhood, sharing everything. Neither of them had any siblings, and as the only child of rich parents they were spoiled and lonely. Since meeting, they did everything together.

"Look," Riku said softly, pointing. "What's that?"

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Kairi looked where he indicated. "Oh my god," she said with a frown, "is that . . . a person?" She broke into a jog, hearing Riku follow her.

It was, indeed, a person. White as sheet, a boy their own age or maybe a little younger lay near some shrubs. Quickly kneeling by his side, Kairi checked for a pulse. She heaved a relieved sigh when her fingers found one. Her eyes located a deep gash at his temple.

Riku, meanwhile, pushed the boy's white shirt up to reveal hideous bruises all over his chest and sides. At his prompting she carefully rolled him onto his side. Riku made a grim noise.

"More. All over his back."

"Do you think he was attacked?" Kairi asked quietly, unable to help the worry. This boy really had an angelic face. She wondered what color his eyes were.

"More than likely," Riku said, equally quiet. "I didn't bring my cell phone. Did you?"

She shook her head.

"Damn," Riku muttered. "All right, maybe he's light enough I can carry him back to the dorms. It's not that far, and he's pretty skinny."

Nodding, Kairi stood to move out of his way. The moment Riku's hand touched the boy, he groaned and stirred. His eyes opened, and Kairi momentarily wished there was enough light to see the color.

"What . . ." he boy croaked. His voice was very dry. Coughing, he tried again. "Who are you?"

Riku sat back on his heels. "Riku," he replied. "This is Kairi. What happened to you?"

The boy's eyes slid shut. "I . . . don't know . . . I only remember . . . falling . . ."

Kairi leaned forward and touched Riku's shoulder, feeling a sense of urgency. Riku nodded.

"You're hurt pretty bad," he said. "Can you stand?"

In response, the boy rolled into a sitting position. He closed his eyes, breathing hard though his nose. "I-I think so," he gasped.

Riku lifted his arm and slid it around his shoulder. Kairi quickly went to the boy's other side, mimicking her friend. At Riku's nod they slowly rose. Between them the boy started panting, tiny whimpers escaping him at times. He managed to stay upright, though. The pair began slowly walking him back to the dorms.

It took a long time. The boy couldn't walk very fast, and sometimes they practically dragged him. They took him to Kairi's dorm—it was closer on the ground floor. Riku's was on the fourth, and she didn't think he could take stairs right now. They lowered him onto her bed, and she could see he was barely conscious.

"We've got to get him to the hospital," Riku said, gesturing toward her desk. "Where's your cell phone? I'll call."

Nodding, Kairi rose to find it. However, the movement stirred their unexpected guest into action. He grabbed Kairi's hand. His eyes were huge as he gasped for breath, shaking his head. In this light she could finally see the color. They were bluer than the sky, deeper than oceans.

"Don't," he choked. "I can't . . . you're all I know . . ."

Kairi sat back beside him, cradling his hand in both hers. "What do you mean?"

Seeing she wasn't immediately leaving, he calmed again. "I . . . can't remember anything," he told her. "I don't even know who I am."

Astonished, Kairi looked up at Riku. His expression mirrored hers. Finally she looked back down at the boy, who'd fallen asleep. She sighed. It was going to be a long weekend.