Disclaimer: I do not own the Kingdom Hearts series, nor do I own any of the official Kingdom Hearts/Disney characters that will be written about in this story. I do, however, own the main character as well as several minor original characters.

Note: The world the main character is from is of my own creation; more of the world will be explained in later chapters. Also, the title is German and roughly translated, means, "Battle of Love".

Chapter One: Mysterious Presence

During my usual nighttime walk, an eerie revelation settled over me.

The forest was far too silent for that time of night. The standard, welcome sounds of small animals scurrying about or owls hooting had vanished, leaving only stillness in its wake. Never had I seen the forest be so quiet, and it unnerved me.

What's going on..?

Frowning, I pressed a hand against the bark of a large tree and surveyed my surroundings. Leaves shifted as a soft breeze passed through the branches and a chill ran down my spine. Something was unnatural about it - wrong, even.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted a quick flash of a black form and beady yellow eyes. Heartless, I realized, scowling slightly. No way are they making it to the village.

With that, I turned and bolted down the beaten path the Heartless had taken. I couldn't allow them to enter the village. Though Heartless rarely appeared around my home, when they did, they came in great numbers. Even as a fighter's village, complications arose when the Heartless presented themselves.

I slowed my pace to a walk when the silence around me faded into rustling and growls – inhuman growls. Straining to listen closer, I recognized not just growls, but also strangled yelps and cries in pain. A dark aura protruded from a clearing not far from me and I sensed subtle shifts as Heartless were vanquished and others came to replace them.

Who's battling them?

Curiosity got the best of me and I took slow steps forward until the clearing was within reach. I peered around the trunk of a tree and gasped at the sight in front of me.

The clearing was filled to the brim with Heartless of varying size and stature - not just the small Shadows, but larger, more dangerous ones as well. One figure stood out amongst them; in the midst of all the Heartless, a cloaked figure fought them. One by one they fell, yet it took its toll on the stranger. As the clearing emptied of Heartless, the person fell to their knees and ragged breaths mixed in with the growls.

Instinct took over and I dashed into the clearing, summoning my weapon as I did so. A short silver handle rested in my right hand, connected to a bright silver blade with dark silver, near black, designs covering it. The blade curved downwards and then back up and a dragon carving connected the handle and the blade; I preferred curved blades over straight ones.

With one swift slice I destroyed a Heartless that came at me and quickly moved on to the next. The Shadows were the first to die because of their speed - too quick for comfort, I didn't want to risk them creeping up behind me. A good dozen larger Heartless remained and I found myself surrounded.

"Tch," I spat, scowling as I twisted my wrist. "Time for plan B: Burn!"

Throwing my arm up, I released multiple balls of fire and sent them at the Heartless. Two died, but before I could react, a large blue fist swung at me and caught me in the lungs. I gasped in pain and flew back, colliding with a hard surface. I whimpered when gravity kicked in and sent me crashing onto the ground.

"Son of a –"

"Get out of here," a male voice hissed. "Go!"

As I pushed myself unto my hands and knees, I spotted the cloaked figure. He had gotten to his feet and stood a ways away from me, one hand pressed against a tree to keep his balance. His hood had fallen, which gave me a better look at him. Layered pink hair passed his shoulders, framing his face, though some strands stuck to his skin due to sweat - how long had he been fighting?

A wry smile crossed my lips and I thrust my sword into the ground and used it as leverage to hoist myself to my feet. I did not plan to leave him there to fight the creatures alone, or even die. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to deal with my help.

"No."

No other words escaped me and I took revenge on the one that had attacked me. A well-placed slice to its back caused it to cry out and disappear. From there, it was smooth sailing; had the Heartless been able to feel emotions, they would have felt something akin to fear. The last Heartless froze in ice due to a spell and I stabbed the tip of my blade into the ice, causing it and the Heartless to shatter into tiny pieces.

Irregular breaths left my lips and I swept my mid-back length brown hair over my shoulder. "Are you alright..?" I turned to face the stranger, spotting him sitting on a large boulder.

"Yes," he stated.

Letting out a sigh in relief, I walked over to him. "How long were you fighting out here?" Noticing his cloak had been shredded over his chest, I began to worry, especially due to the crimson I saw beneath it. "You're injured."

"A while," he answered, watching me with blue eyes. "And it's nothing."

Shaking my head, I stuck the tip of my sword into the ground and kneeled in front of him. "Let me treat your wound; it looks serious." There was no way I'd take 'no' for an answer; he needed medical treatment. Either he got it from me, or I'd drag him back to the village.

He remained silent for a moment and then let out a soft chuckle, "Vexen would be pissed if I let you."

"Who?" By the sounds of it, Vexen must have been a medic.

"No one." Regarding me for another moment, he finally decided to let me have my way and unzipped his cloak, or the little there was left of it, and tossed it onto the ground.

I paled at the sight of his chest; a huge gash ran diagonally from his left shoulder to the far right of his midriff. Blood caked the wound, still fresh. No wonder he couldn't fight anymore. The severe wound made me feel very ill-prepared to treat it.

"I won't be able to fully heal it, but I can seal it."

Gripping the fabric of my tank top, I tore a strip off the bottom. With it, I began to gently clear away some of the blood. As I wiped more and more away, I realized just how serious the injury was. Not only was it a long slash, but also wide - nearly three inches in diameter. It was a miracle he made it out alive.

In my subconscious, I hoped my fiancé wouldn't realize I was missing and come searching for me. The last thing I needed was him to find me with another man… a topless man, at that. I did not need that drama.

The stranger remained remarkably coherent, despite the pain he must have been in. "What's your name?"

"Huh?" I glanced up from the wound to find him looking at me. "Oh… Sarah. And yours?" I tore another small strip of cloth from my shirt.

"Marluxia." He flinched as I dabbed the wound with the soft material.

"Sorry," I said quickly and set the cloth on his cloak. "OK, I'm going to seal it now."

Raising my right hand, I held it over the no longer bleeding gash. Closing my eyes, I forced myself to concentrate and dig deep, finding the healing abilities I knew I had. A soft white light glowed from my hand and I trailed it over the torn flesh. Mending his injury took longer than I anticipated, but after a few minutes, the light faded.

The wound had sealed, though it was still evident there had been a wound there. The scar would fade with time, or so I hoped; it would be a pity if such a scar would taint his well-toned chest. After opening my eyes, I rose to my feet.

"There," I said with a slight smile. "You should be fine now."

Nodding, Marluxia stood up, "Thank you."

I grabbed the handle of my sword and tugged it out of the dirt. "Not at all." Pausing for a moment, I pondered his presence in the forest. "Where are you from? I haven't seen you around before."

"I'm just passing through," Marluxia stated and picked up the remains of his tattered cloak. "I should go." For a moment, he eyed my weapon and then glanced back at me. "I appreciate the help."

The slightest frown crossed my expression due to his haste of leaving, but I nodded, "OK."

Amusement reflected in his eyes and he turned his back to me and walked away, leaving the clearing. For a moment, I still heard his footsteps, but those faded soon after he disappeared. Had I not witnessed his presence there myself, I would have never known he'd been there.

Marluxia, I thought, frowning as curiosity filled me. Who are you really?

Here is the first chapter of my first even multi-chaptered Kingdom Hearts fan fiction! As you can probably tell from this chapter, Marluxia will be the main male person of the story, while the protagonist is a character of my own creation. I hope you enjoy the story!

If you spot any grammar/spelling mistakes, then please let me know so I can edit them.