A/N: This is a crossover between Kingdom Hearts and Advent Children. It's AU and there will be shounnen-ai later on, so if that bothers you, leave now 'cuz I don't want your complaints. I intend to keep the characters as accurate as possible (within my understanding of them) and the only OCs in this fic will be there simply for conflict and entertainment. Wow, long note. Okay, that's it. You can read the fic now.

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Title: The Permanence of a Memory

Chapter 1: An Encounter of Fate

Game: Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children

Author: Kat-chan8806

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He seemed to be a mystery to all around him. Kadaj was the type of guy that you didn't want to bring home to your mother. His exterior was cold and calculating, not to mention he always came across as the pained tough guy. Even so, tough guys have troubles, too, and this is the account of only one of the many trials he faced.

Sunlight crept through the cracks of half-drawn blinds. Rays of light shone persistently across Kadaj's face as he groaned, half awake, half asleep. He was seventeen today, but no one knew that but him. He dragged himself from his bed and pulled on his normal attire: black everything. After running a comb through his light silver hair, he decided that he needed to go somewhere, anywhere to escape from his normal, monotonous life. It could have been the most fateful decision of his life.

The world lay open like a map in front of him. He could go anywhere and do anything. There was nothing left for him in that washed-out town anyway. He decided to go everywhere, see everything. It was time for him to do something other than terrorize children on the streets. He had a world to explore. So he did.

The first town he stopped at was a small village at the edge of a large ocean. The moment he entered that place, he knew something unexpected would happen. His motorcycle hummed through the streets and stopped in front of the docks. He gazed out at the endless stretch of water and noticed a figure sitting, looking out at the ocean. Kadaj stood and strolled toward the figure, and as he approached, the boy stood also and turned to face him.

"Who are you?" the boy asked, his cold aqua eyes fixed on Kadaj.

"My name is Kadaj. I was just stopping to watch the sea."

The boy turned back to the ocean and spoke so calmly that even Kadaj felt at ease, "The name's Riku. I came from this sea..."

Before Kadaj could question this odd statement, the boy turned back to him. "You're going somewhere important, aren't you?"

"I am. How did you--"

"You're like me. No family, right?"

Kadaj stared at Riku for a moment before answering, "You are right. How could you have known that?"

The answer was simple: "It's in your eyes..."

Kadaj gave a small smile. He was intrigued by this boy. "You are very observant, and very odd."

"There's something else... You're tired of being alone, aren't ya?"

Kadaj thought for a moment, then understood. "You want to come with me, don't you?"

Riku smiled slightly and nodded. "I've got nothing here."

After an afternoon of sitting at the dock, watching the waves and talking, Riku and Kadaj climbed onto the motorcycle and rode out of the small town, headed for the future, and, though they didn't know it, they were also headed for heartache and pain. The sun set in a display of pink and orange as the motorcycle was lost in the calm horizon.