Hello again! Maybe I'm biting into something more than I can handle, but this is a story I wrote about two years ago that I want to breathe some life into. I don't really have any plans as to how long this fic will be. It really depends on how many people want me to keep it going and if I have the inspiration for it.:)

I do not own Kingdom Hearts, but the plot is all mine… and the Thrugits. I reserve the copyrights of the mutated creatures that have haunted my nightmares since I was six. Lol I'm such a dork…

*******************************Enjoy**************************************

I ran with my ears flat in fear. I could hear the guards getting closer. I ducked into an alley and held my breath as the guards rushed by. I waited till they were gone and slid down the wall onto the cold, wet ground with tears of relief welling up in my eyes.

I suddenly felt frustrated. It was only bread! I just needed something to keep me alive! I don't want to steal but no one is going to hire such a scrawny runt like me, even if I were human. But as a Neko, I am only good for slave labor.

Basically, I had three choices. I could be someone's pet and let them do horrible things to me like my last master, I could be put to work in the silver mines, or I could steal scavenge and starve half to death in the back alleys of the city. I don't wanna die, but I refuse to be someone's Pet ever again.

Suddenly I heard a loud thumping sound and saw a tiny shape dart under a pile of trash as the boxes it was hiding behind fell to the ground. Deciding to inspect it, I moved closer.

The pile of trash shook violently and I felt fear pool in my belly, what if it was an Thrugit?! The giant spiderlike insects carried a deadly poison. I flicked my ear as a tiny whimper sounded from the pile.

Feeling more confident, I shifted the trash out of the way and found another little Neko, curled up and trying to cover his ears, even though his little brown tail stuck out like a sore thumb, even though it was between his legs. I felt bad for the poor guy when I realized he was crying. I said softly,

"Hey. Look its okay kid I'm not gonna hurt you."

He sniffled and looked up ever so slightly as to see what I looked like. He relaxed a bit when he saw my ears and I crouched down to his level. I swung my tail up so he could see it and gave him a reassuring smile. I asked curiously,

"So where did you come from little guy?"

He sniffled "I-I r-ran away. M-Master hurt me. He hurt me all the time and I d-don't wanna go back! P-please don't make me go back!"

I shushed him "Easy. Look, I'm not going to send you back okay. I know how bad it can be if you're a pet. I would never send someone back to that. I escaped myself just a few months ago."

He nodded and sat up and I took the chance to actually inspect him. He was cold and wet, and looked absolutely exhausted. His clothes were covered in mud and his fur on his tail was matted and just as dirt as the rest of him and his hair and ears weren't much better. He was really tiny I was seventeen, but he had to be barely eleven or twelve. He looked at me pitifully and I saw his eyes. I groaned

"Oh no."

He trembled "W-what is it?" I sighed "You're a bearer kid. Your blue eyes give you away. They're gonna send people after you."

He started to sob "Oh no no no!" He gulped, and whined "B-but your eyes are blue too! Why didn't they come after you!?"

I waved my hand "Eh, I'm nowhere near the prize you are. My scars make me unattractive to Masters. You're too pretty for your own good."

He shrieked "Then scar me! Please! I c-can't go back! I just can't!"

I had an Inner debate with myself. If I brought him with me then people would possible find both of us, and send me to the mines. Then again, he would die if I just left him out here alone, that's if he's lucky. If he was unlucky some random merchant would take him in and make him their own pet.

I looked at the poor kid's terrified face and sighed "Look, I'm not gonna scar you kid. Come with me."

He stood shakily and I took his hand, leading him over to a few crates that were scattered on the ground and showed him how to climb on the roof of the building. He gracelessly followed my example and scrambled up.

He shook his head, swaying dizzily. The rain started to poor harder and he shivered in his thin cloak. I told him to get on my back and he obeyed. I ran as fast as I could over the rooftops, being extra careful with the little kit.

I finally reached the abandoned smithy in the old part of the city. I walked inside and realized that the little brunette had passed out on my back and was unresponsive. I took the loaf of bread from beneath my threadbare tunic and set it by the coals of my dying fire in the hearth. I then proceeded to carefully maneuver the boy from my back to my arms.

I sighed softly after leaning him against the wall nearest the embers and rebuilt the fire. It was too cold and we were too wet. Without the heat from the fire, we'd be sick. I couldn't afford that so I would take the risk of the smoke being seen. It was almost dark anyways.

The boy gave a soft whimper as the warmth roused him. I smiled gently at him and when his eyes landed on the bread I'd just picked up the got big and watery. I knew he wanted the food but was too scared to ask for it. I just sighed and broke the loaf in two. I offered him half and he looked at me carefully as if asking if it was okay to eat it.

I pressed it into his little hands and said

"Don't be afraid of me. We're gonna stick together okay. My name is Roxas. What's yours?" He swallowed hard and in a hoarse voice said softly,

"S-Sora."

I gave him a bright smile and said warmly "Well then Sora, I guess this makes us friends don't ya say?" He nodded and grinned at me "Y-yes."

I chuckled "Good. Now eat up so I can clean yu up. If you stay wet and dirty you'll get sick and out here Sora, sick is about as good as dead."

Almost seven months later, Sora and I were a lot better off than I ever dreamed. His ears and tail were small enough for me to pin his ears down for him and wind his tail around his tiny waist just under this beltline, but I had to tie the end to the base because he would forget to keep it coiled.

This allowed Sora to go to the market and walk around freely. The people loved his bright curiosity and the vendors in the market would pay him to run back and forth to deliver messages to other vendors. I made Sora save up all his earnings because I knew that since we were eating well his ears and tail would grow with his body and it would be too dangerous for him to do such things anymore.

I made sure to keep a close eye on him at all times. I had to hide in the shadows, but I would do anything to keep Sora safe. He had become the center of my life. I began to strive to do everything I could to keep him safe and happy.

I couldn't imagine losing Sora now that I'd found him, he was the light in my life. I had Sora buy new clothes for himself, and he came back with a set for me too. From then on, I made sure to only give him enough money for exactly what I asked him to get.

I knew that winter was coming quickly now that summer had faded. I began to stockpile as much food as I could and when the traders arrived I would have Sora get a few furs to keep us warm when we couldn't light fires.

Then, finally, the traders began to come and we finally got everything we needed. I told Sora that we wouldn't be going to the village for a while and he was upset and wanted to let all the shop owners that he really liked, know that he wasn't going to be able to carry messages this winter.

He was so upset that I agreed to allow it. We left the next morning as usual and everything went on as planned until one of the advisors from the castle, who was speaking to the butcher, asked about Sora. The man had dark hair and pale skin. I didn't like him immediately. I heard him ask Loric

"My what a beautiful and bright child. What do his parents do?"

Loric replied "Oh 'im? Poor tykes an orphan. Runs around being everyone's errand boy for a bit of coin. Says 'is brother told 'im they're holin' up for the winter. Won't see 'im again till spring 'e says."

The man smirked "Is that so? Well mabey I should speak to his brother, the Castle could use a bit more entertainment."

Loric scowled "You listen 'ere now. That boy aint ever done nobody no harm. Don't ruin 'im in that black castle of yorn."

The man chuckled and said "Oh come now, its better than living on the streets isn't it? Now, I bid you a good day."

He left and I was determined to keep a closer eye on Sora than ever until we got home. I couldn't have been happier when Sora and I met at the bridge between the old part of the city and the new part. I saw when we neared that a band of traders had decided to pull their wagons together just a ways away from our home. They had a fire burning brightly and food sizzling on the spit.

Our bellies grumbled and I cringed at the thought of eating bread and dried fish while smelling the heady aroma of what they were cooking. We walked over to our home and we heard a shout.

"Hey!"

I whirled and pulled up my cloak in the shadows of dusk and Sora turned to face the man. He spoke in a happy, friendly tone,

"Hi there!My name is Demyx and…. Um we didn't mean to stumble on your home, but our leader has a deal for you."

Sora looked unsure "Um. What kind of deal?"

The man chuckled and I chanced a glance at him and saw that he was a tall blonde with a strange hairstyle that stood up in the front and fell down to cover the back of his neck and be tucked behind his ears. He replied

"Well ya see, we kind of stumbled into your home when searching the area, but I promise we didn't take anything!"

I made a mental note to check everything in the sores just in case, and continued to listen as the blonde kept talking. "Anyways, We wanted to offer you a hot meal and a few furs in exchange for letting us have a bit of the honey in your stores. It is really rare in the mountains where we are from because we don't know how to harvest it and—" I cut him off,

"Um…can we just have the furs? Honey is really easy for us to come across?"

He was confused "huh? You don't want any food?"

Sora looked at me pleadingly, but I couldn't afford for them to find out that we are— "Is this because the two of you are Nekos?"

I felt terror pool in my stomach and I pulled Sora behind me and hissed in warning. The boy did something then that shocked me. He laughed. Loud, belly-deep laughter sounded from the blonde as he threw his head back, clutching his sides. I was so confused and it only scared me more.

He calmed down and said in a softer tone "Look, we aren't from around here. We don't believe what they do here. You may have to hide here, but you don't have to do that where we're from. We have a Neko with us as a matter of fact, and he's one of our best fighters and he makes a wonderful hunter with those ears and light frame of his."

I was in shock, but Sora bubbled up "R-really?! He isn't a p-pet?"

He frowned "He was once, but Axel made sure that he would never have to be a pet again."

I spoke up "Who is Axel?"

The blonde grinned "Axel is the leader of our band. He's saved all of us from one fate or another. Hes got a penchant for strays."

I frowned "Where exactly are ou from?"

He answered "We all live in a community in the Ciaran mountain range across the Wolvesbane Forrest and over the Tier Pass. We are returning tomorrow before the pass closes with snow in a few days' time."

I nodded and said softly "I-I would like to meet Axel before we agree to meet your whole band. Is that acceptable?"

He chuckled "You're a tough one to please aren't you?"

I shrugged "I'm concerned about our safety against numbers. Will he humor my request?"

The blonde nodded "Yeah. What are your names?"

I pointed first at Sora and them at myself "This is Sora, and my name is Roxas."

He nodded and said "Well Axel went off to find a friend of his in town and was supposed to me back soon. I'll get Riku and have him help me track him down. Wait here and don't wander off okay?"

I nodded and as he ran towards their camp, I pushed Sora inside to wait for them.

We waited for a bit before there was a knock on the door. I forgot about my ears and tail, thinking it was Demyx with Axel, but when I opened the door the man from the butcher shop was standing there.

Muwahahahahahahahaha. Yes. Yes. I am that evil