Dear Diary:

I had the weirdest dream last night. I woke up (in the dream) and I was floating! There was nothing but darkness everywhere, I was so afraid. But then I felt someone holding my hand and talking to me, a boy. I only heard a few things that he said, like "Hold on" and "Stay with me Xion". He sounded about 14, two years older than me.

Journal Entry 1055:

It's Shaylee's birthday today. I painted her room like the sunset, just so it would match the sky she loves to look at so much.

She loves it, I'm glad I could make her so happy. We went to the beach today too, Shaylee and I really enjoy our birthdays, the one time we don't have to work like always. The grandstanding, and playing music and all is fun but it can get tiring.

Dear Diary:

I came home late today. He just can't make one meal for himself can he! I have to cook, I'm the unpaid maid that lives in the house with him and looks like the woman he married! He just doesn't care. We're moving in a few days, when we live there I'll be staying in the basement when I'm not cooking or at school.

Journal Entry 1056:

Shaylee got the flu. It's my fault, we sould have left the beach sooner. I can't leave her home alone, even though we need the money from the odd jobs for food, and the bills. Why did Dad have to go and just, just leave us like this! If there is a heaven and hell, I know without a doubt he where he went. That ass. I hope Shaylee gets better soon.

Dear Diary:

Well, we've moved. I can finally be clean, now that I can hide my own soap and shampoo. I still have to cook but that's ok. People at school will talk to me now that I don't smell, and look so awful. I have to hide that from him though. I have a wig to hive the fact my hair is brushed, and he doesn't get close enough to smell me. I like the basement, it's like my own little house, minus a kitchen.

Journal Entry 1057:

Shaylee is better. It's been six days. But I got a bucket load today, so we'll pull through alright. We found a hurt cat, Shaylee wanted to make it feel better, "Like how you made me better big brother!". She's so sweet. After I put her to bed I decided to do something I never thought I'd do, go back into my parent's old room. I haven't gone in there sense Dad… did what he did. I had to get the ring, the one Dad proposed to Mom with, the Amano family ring. Once I got it I got out of that room as fast as I could, and locked the door again. I just know I'm going to have nightmares about that day tonight.

Dear Diary:

I had a darkness dream again. I could hear the boy screaming, but this time he seemed younger, but not a lot. He sounded like he'd just seen his Mom die. I wouder who he is. I wonder if he's the knight who's going to save me from him, that person people call a father.

Journal Entry 1058:

I just knew it, I woke up Shaylee screaming and shouting. Shaylee ask me if I had a dream about Dad. She knows that's the only "bad, bad, bad" dream I have. I just wish he'd kept his promise. If he would have, he would love Shaylee almost as much as I do. But, I guess the loved Mom more then us, even me… I still remember the days we'd go to the beach and play catch, I was his son, I looked like him, but with Mom's hair color and eyes. Shaylee looks like Mom though, her whole face. That would have made her happy, I just know it.

Dear Diary:

Dad went to Parent-Teacher Conferences, the teacher told him about that I was coming to school clean and brushed. "It's so great to see her looking so well" and all Dad said was "Really". When we got home he stole my soap and combs and brushes. When he was finished he slapped me, so hard I was on the floor with a red mark all the way across my face. It still stings.

Journal Enrty 1875:

Today's my birthday. That means it's time for us to go to the Sunset Carnival! Shaylee's going to wear her favorite dress, the yellow-orange one, it's spagetti strap and ends at her knees, it also has a ribbon going around her waist, tied in a bow in the back, other than that it's very plain. I'm just wearing what I always wear. I'm a bit nervous though, there's some killer on the loose. I think we'll be ok once we get to the carnival though, there's going to be cops everywhere.

Dear Diary:

I'm sorry to say this is my final entry to you my friend. I'm still young at 13 but, I can't take this any longer. I snapped at Dad. "I love her too you know!" all he had to say was "It doesn't matter. You didn't even know her". So I guess I'm just leaving. If he cared he wouldn't treat me like this… If he cared he'd wouldn't tell me over and over again that's it's my fault she's dead.

That day, Roxas nor his dearly beloved little sister got to go to the Sunset Carnival. Shaylee ran ahead of Roxas just past the arch by the sandlot, waving for him to hurry up and join her. "Shaylee don't run ahead of me!" he said light-heartedly in an almost joking tone. Just as he started to run, a gunshot filled the air, no more then two yards ahead of him Shaylee fell to the ground without even a yelp, the smile she'd been wearing barely half gone from her face. The screams Xion had heard in a dream came from Roxas' mouth. He checked to see if she was alive, even though he knew the answer. Rage filled him, more then he felt towards his Dad for killing himself when Shaylee was hardly more then a year old, killing himself even though Roxas, only nine years old, had just come to the open door of the parents' bedroom to ask a question. Leaving Roxas with a house, a baby, a body, and blood. Blood on the floor, on the wall, on his shirt, on his face, and in many, many nightmares for the rest of his life. All Roxas wanted was to kill the killer. After all, why Shaylee? What had she ever done to deserve this? Roxas grabbed the man's gun trying to take it from him. Roxas almost had it, the shaft was in the killers hands and he almost had the trigger under his finger. The killer saw the cops coming, and managed to yank the handle out of Roxas hands. Using the gun as a club, he slammed the handle into the side of Roxas' head which, in-turn, hit a wall. The cops got the gun away from the man and started making an arrest. Roxas, with two good sized cracks in his skull, crawled toward Shaylee, then curled himself around a body in a pool of blood. He just let himself cry, and when the cops tried to pull him away ("Come on Roxas, she's dead, just let her go" "She gone's and there isn't anything you can do") he just yelled at them ("I don't care" "Leave me alone" "I want to die too"). Sooner than later Roxas didn't have any strength to hold on with, and was taken to the hospital, where he fell in to a coma, and missed the funeral of the last bit of family he had, the one person that he loved more than anyone before.

From the time she ran away Xion lived on the street. She didn't mind being filthy, as she'd been living in such a way for most of her life. She made friends with other homeless and runaways. Her favorite was a woman who didn't know her own name, but most people called her Dilly. Dilly was old and kind, many liked her. But Dilly loved Xion more then anyone else, Dilly was a widow-mother (That's what she called it, and Xion a widow-daughter), a mother who's baby was dead. Dilly told Xion all about the little girl she'd named Minny. She had fuzzy black hair, like Dilly had when she was younger. Dilly guessed that Minny's eyes would have been light-hazel like her's. Being old and homeless wasn't easy, Dilly got sick often, and one night of Xion's first winter flu did her in. For the rest of the winter Xion was lonely, the others were nice to her, but most didn't stay in one place very long. Xion was beaten, like many another homeless man and woman, but never too badly that she couldn't leave to somewhere else that was safer for then. It was a warm spring night. Xion slept on top of her blankets to be more comfortable. A grungy looking man grabbed her and headed for a warehouse just across the street. Xion knew what was going on long before the man started ripping off her already shabby clothing. The next morning Xion felt like she'd been hit by a bus, the clothing was ruined and the man was nowhere in sight. Outside of the dim room Xion heard noise, footsteps. Xion swallowed her fear and cracked open the door. The man was still not to be seen, but a boy with hair so greasy, it was brown but, as Xion was soon to find out, really bleach blond. His eyes were light-hazel like Dilly's. He was so thin and stringy that calling him a toothpick would've be an understatement. He'd heard the door creak as Xion opened it and saw her face before she could slam the door shut. He knocked on the door, so Xion opened it a sliver again. She could now also see that he was very, very tall.

"Hey there, my name is Keith. What's yours?"

"X-Xion."

"What's wrong Xion?"

She couldn't think of what to say. I've was raped and I have no clothes? As if.

"Well? What, are you shy? I won't bite."

"Well, it's just… I, ummm…"

"What?"

"Yesterday, this guy… he… ummm…."

"He use you, sweetie?"

Xion just couldn't process the "sweetie" part of the sentence, but nodded her head yes.

"Were those bankets outside 'cross the street yours?"

"Y-yeah."

"Arighty, you just sit tight. I'll be right back"

Xion sat down and suddenly realized how cold she was. She liked Keith though, he talked kinda weird, but he was nice. Not bad looking ether, she thought.

"Here"

Keith's hands came in, but his head was looking away from the now wide open door. Xion grabbed her least favorite banket and wrapped it around her like a towel.

"It's ok, you can look now"

Keith's head turned quickly, curious to get a good look at whom he'd just helped. He looked a bit shocked.

"What?"

"Well, you're pretty. Most of us young homeless are thinner than boards, and have our cheek-bones stickin' out."

"Well, you are thin, but you cheek-bones aren't sticking out."

All Keith did was smile and say "So?"

Xion couldn't help but smile back, he was missing his top, left canine tooth, and he had a couple of gaps. A smile like that just warmed her up inside. Other than his smile it was like Xion had found the real-life Prince Charming she'd dreamed up as a little girl.

"Hey Xion?"

"Yeah?"

"Mind if I come with ya, to where ever your going?"

"I'm not headed any where in particular."

"Then, can I just follow you where ever you go? You know, be your travelin' buddy?"

"Sure"

"Thank ya."

"Of course!"

Keith ended up being a diamond-in-the-rough for Xion. He protected her like no one before had. Xion found herself falling in love, and best of all Keith was head-over-heels for her.

It was the end of spring, Keith and Xion hadn't spent more than two whole minutes apart sense the traveling deal had been made. But one drunk driver ended that, Keith pushed Xion well out of the way, but unforunetly, hadn't done much running himself. All Xion could do was tell the medics the name to put on the body's nametag, and cry.

That same night Roxas awoke from his coma, and broke out of the hospital. He headed for the graveyard, even though he didn't know why he wanted to go there, where it even was, or who he was. He stopped in front of a mansion, was given a name and a black cloak by a man with a plan Roxas didn't know.