I dunno why I have the urge to share this on here. Perhaps someone will find it good. This is sort of a Years ago prologue to a story I'm working on. This kind of takes place prior to the events of the First Kingdom Hearts game, but at least 2-3 years after BBS. Obscura is a character of mine, but I own nothing else. Enjoy, if you've stumbled upon this. -Webs

Music suggested to play- End of the World or Night of the Dark Dream, both by Yoko Shimomura

The End of the World. Named that for which it was where all worlds, destroyed and enveloped by the darkness that which attacked it, had ended up in a sort of...Frankenstein's Purgatory. Remains, pieces, fragments, basically corpses of those unfortunate worlds had simply drifted and formed into this mass-this Heartless World.

And as such, not a living soul could be found-only the Heartless that wandered the desolate, magic-charged wasteland.

At least, except for one. I had visited this place countless times-it was closer to my domain, given how near the edge of this universe's reality it was. Each time, it grew a bit bigger-the Heartless were getting voraciously stronger with each passing year, and then there was a sudden breach of the Wall that led to the destruction of more worlds. Many were lost, and many more were found at the mercy of other worlds, homeless or left to wander.

I never understood why I visited this place, this rotting junkyard of worlds, the seedy underbelly considered the Heart (Ha-Ha) of the Heartless-their domain.

I suppose I had done it out of sake of curiosity...maybe by some distant, lingering hope that perhaps there was a lost resident among the ruins, confused and scared. But I knew that chance was highly unlikely. If the resident of a destroyed world wasn't fortunate enough to escape its destruction, then they were swallowed by the corrupted Darkness the Heartless produced, torn apart and turned into one of them.

Then again...here, all time stops. Due to that, I could not tell or foresee if that was true. This place was a true Limbo, where time was basically non-existent.

I suppose...maybe my reason of visiting was perhaps here I could walk and think without having to see different futures-different turns, twists in time, various possibilities-constantly turning and unfolding in front of my eyes.

I figured today's visit had a reason no different from the many before...but I couldn't help but feel the notion that today was different. Again I found myself walking towards the vortex at the end of the Final Dimension, silence all around save for the sound of my boots making a soft sound as I walked, sometimes a soft crunch, but it was a sound that was almost reminiscent of one walking on soft, fine-grained sand.

I wasn't afraid nor bothered by the Heartless. They had largely ignored me, which was all for the better. I did not come to fight. I had come to think, just to wander this fragmented Junkyard.

Fate had other ideas.

And it began with two faint words.

"Help me."

I had looked up, the noise hitting my ears as I stood on the ledge of the Crevasse. I had brushed it off as the wind-at least until I heard it again.

"Help me."

It was faint-very wispy and weak-but it was human, and it was calling out, drifting on the wind. I had hesitated-there were more things down here than just Heartless, there were things here that often fooled unsuspecting prey. But...I couldn't really resist my curiosity, nor my concern.

So I followed it, pushing silver locks out of my face.

The plea led me to a door.

It wasn't like the door I had encountered at the Final Rest. It was far, far different (and thankfully, didn't lead to HIM). It was mechanical-industrial in design, Hexagonal in shape. A red beacon light-broken in and faintly sparking as the white, snowy ash of the world seemed to fill the cavity of its filament in-stood above its frame, Black and yellow stripes (the colors used as a hazard indication) lined the shut door as it just seemed crooked, out of place on that of the dark wall.

I couldn't blame it. The pieces of the worlds shown were often out of place in a dreary place like this.

And yet, I could hear the voice again, drifting from the door.

I could see bits of smoky shadow drift from a crack, the striped door only slightly ajar. I had summoned Fortuna-my Scythe-and wedged the door open farther, a seemingly endless, black abyss greeting me.

Yet, I could still hear the voice, calling for help.

I had taken a deep breath, and soon stepped inside the cavernous darkness...

...And found myself in an odd Homecoming.

The darkness gave way to reveal the land-ruinous and forcibly mashed with that of the feral, organic nature that was the End of the World. The land was well split, cracked to show more of its merge.

But what it was, to my surprise, was that of a town. Nothing like that of the towns I've known, but it wasn't something futuristic, either. It was a simple, little city town, from what could be made of the torn remains that were recognizable. The same snowy white ash littered the ground, sometimes drifting through the cracks.

I was careful to where I stepped-as the ground was loose. If I found where the keyhole of this world used to be, I suppose I could find whoever (or whatever) was making that faint plea, which had stopped when I entered.

I found the large, cavernous pit within a neighborhood street, the buildings curved and warped around it menacingly. By the looks of it, there might have been a building here, once. within the pit, the colors and organic nature of the End of the World had shown through, as if this town was only a fickle skin layer.

That was not what surprised me.

What had surprised me was a faint, green glint, just shimmering out of the corner of my eyes.

'Odd.' I pondered. The ashy ground was smooth...but there was a bump just a few feet away from the pit, one that seemed, out of place.

I had knelt down and dusted the bump, revealing-much to my own surprise:

A heart. It had been sitting there, inert, covered by a thick line of ash as if it were something claimed by the sands of time.

I had put on my black gloves, picking up the heart carefully. It was cool to the touch-not deathly cold, but not hot either-and it was a normal soft, rosy pink. It had fit quite nicely in the palm of my hands. I could feel the living energy within it pulsing, slowly and with a faint rhythm, but enough to indicate it was still alive. It had a more frosty glass-like quality to its appearance, a thin, half translucent layer resting over the rosy pink color.

Why haven't the Heartless found this one? Even more, how come they haven't even touched it? I kept my hands cupped around it. I was tempted to take one of my gloves off and find out for myself-to start the link and see exactly who (or what) this heart was.

The fact that it turned from rosy pink to a strange, neon green, the rhythm of its pulsing energy suddenly quickening, had told me that now was not the right time to ponder.

I could barely feel the adrenaline and fear that pulsed within the heart. 'Something is here-the Heartless are here.'

A ring of Neoshadows had appeared, and I quickly pocketed the Heart, summoning Fortuna once more, her curved blade alight with an electric blue glow as the pack decided to attack, claws extended.

I hadn't come to fight.

But I had to escape somehow, hm?

I began with a long arcing sweep of Fortuna, a shock-wave blasting out at a good number of the Neoshadows, and continued the assault on those trying to get at me from behind. Once I found my opening, I ran and made my escape, the Neoshadows in hot pursuit. I sliced through any other Heartless that decided to get in my way as I made my way back to the door, the heart pulsing wildly now.

Even in this stressful situation, however, I stayed calm. Panicking was not an option-nay, not even a thought-in my mind.

Even as I managed to get out of the door, I could still see those hungry, emotionless yellow eyes-growing larger as they tried to reach the door to pursue me.

I had used magnet in order to pull the two halves of the door shut, and I quickly beaten the door in to keep it shut, though claws still seeped through the small gaps, trying to break free.

I wasted no time in running back to the Gateway, making my way back to my own domain.

The heart sat on my desk, resuming its original rosy pink color as I slouched in my chair, my thumb and index finger resting on the side of my cheek and temples, respectfully.

Both gloves were off, but I had yet to start the link.

The heart just sat there, pulsing, unassuming. I should've put it in a container...but I don't know how much damage was done to it. I could only find out by starting the link.

I could put this off for perhaps a half hour longer...or perhaps I'll do it a lot more earlier.

But the question of why it wasn't consumed by the Heartless still stewed in my mind. What was so special about this one, aside from its weird green glow (which I suspected, represented its fear)?

It wasn't like the heart could talk. Unless I had it in my body or it was in its own, the only way I could figure out this mystery was by beginning the link.

The link was a sort of Empathetic trait I had-if I had touched a heart with a free, exposed hand, I could see the whole life of the individual. I could see their past, their current thoughts, what sort of futures belied them or would be denied. I would learn everything the heart could tell about an individual-and nothing would be hidden.

But I could only gain the knowledge if I made direct contact with it.

I had no idea why I was making no move to grab or touch it. I was curious, yet hesitant. My thirst for knowledge was something that these endless years had yet to beat out...but this Heart, it was making me stall.

I took a deep breath, moved my hair out of my face, and finally grabbed the heart in one of my hands.

The tingling sensation began as the interior of my study-from the windows that had shown a dark, twisting void outside to the bookshelves filled with old journals and books-began to melt away, leaving me with just myself and the heart. The sensation began from my hand and twisted all the way up my arm, spreading through my body. I had taken a deep breath, clearing my head and relaxing my grip, the darkness I was now in wavering a little.

'Let's start with your name...'

Silence, for about a few seconds. Slowly, the darkness seemed to become a fuzzy blur surrounding me.

'...Daniel? Is that your name?'

The tingling sensation suddenly became a SHARP pain in my back. Displeasure-it hated being called that. It? No, he, he-a name like that, it had to be male.

'...Danny? Is that what you like to be called?'

The blur began to come into focus as a sort of confirmation. I began to grip the heart a little more firmly.

'Ok then, Danny...show me what's so special about you.'

A white flash went off in front of my eyes and I winced. It wasn't anything dazzling-it was quick, to say the least-but I had held back a few choice words as I blinked.

It wasn't a flash of magic-but a flash from a Camera.

I was fully linked in, apparently. I had looked down at my hands I found I wasn't holding the heart anymore-nor were they the tanned, slender hands I recognized as my own. I was gripping a white and black hazmat suit (with a rather...well, boisterous looking logo of a man's face on the chest), but this wasn't me.

This, apparently, was 'Danny'-at least, one of Danny's memories before I had found his heart. Someone had approached me-apparently the one who took the picture. A girl, about the same height as my eyes could see...somewhat goth-ish in appearance, as well as tomboyish. If I could, I would've grinned at this girl's appearance. It was...dare I say it? cute? Apparently she was this boy's friend, if my reading of her body language and expression was correct. There was another friend of his as well-dark colored skin, bespectacled, and dressed in a rather...well, what was the word children used these days? geeky appearance? It wasn't overly so, but it was enough to catch my attention.

"Okay, you've seen the portal, now can we get out of here? My parents could be back any minute! Besides, they say it doesn't work anyways." the words escaped my lips, but it wasn't my voice in the slightest. I was slowly getting a good picture of what Danny must've been-definitely human, a teenager at best, and he sounded rather...awkward? I could see just a little bit of jet black hair out of the corner of my vision. He probably must be awkward and scrawny, something that probably could not be helped.

"Come on, Danny; a Ghost Zone? Aren't you curious? you've got to check it out!"

I could feel my curiosity syncing up with Danny's own-though with mine, there was familiarity. 'Ghost Zone? why does that sound so familiar...?'

I found myself approaching said portal-it had been inert and inactive, showing a hollow, mechanical interior-though its frame was extremely familiar to that of the door I encountered in the End of the World. If this was actually real and I was actually myself, I would most likely made it malfunction, given my high power of magic. But if even if those two factors were true, it wasn't working, which would've left it to be safe, at least.

"You know what? You're right...Who knows what sort of awesome, super cool things exist on the other side of that portal?"

Ah yes. Young curiosity. The bane of cats and the trait of Monkeys. I almost hadn't noticed that I (well, Danny, actually) began putting on the suit and was about to enter the empty cavity of the portal when the girl had called out, stopping me for a second.

She had taken the logo off. Underneath, a little black logo was revealed-odd. Perhaps this memory was altered in the past, somehow? I didn't give it much thought.

"You don't want to go walking around with that," the girl went, pointing at the man's face with her free hand to indicate what she meant, "On your chest."

With that, I went inside. it was dark, save for a low, electric blue glow that came from the wiring and panels on the inside. It was rather intricate-I was rather impressed. If only I could see what this looked like when it was functional.

BEEP.

I mentally froze. 'What the he-'

and immediately I was subjected to the WORST PAIN IMAGINABLE. The only other time-and the LAST time-I ever experienced this pain was when I was caught within a rift that occurred in the Lanes Between-one that very much ripped my body apart and would've otherwise killed me, had death actually been a Privilege granted to me (it had taken me a decade or two to properly regenerate, and even then I was still so sore it hurt to move even a finger for a few months).

But this time, this was way, way worse.

This was a mortal human boy experiencing THIS sort of pain, and he wasn't being forcibly ripped apart, meaning it had felt Ten times as worse.

Was this, perhaps, the memory of his death?

I highly doubted it-why would I find the heart of a dead child, still beating and full of life, in the End of the World? Then again, it could explain why the heartless didn't touch it...but I doubted this was the answer.

I could feel my body spasming due to the flash of pain, and I could feel myself being ejected out of the link as my surroundings returned to that of my study, and I collapsed on the floor, the heart resting to my side as I could feel the pain finally dying down, but still leaving a burning aftermath.

After a while of stunned silence, I had said aloud, exasperated: "Good GOD, Daniel, who the hell puts an ON button on the inside of a portal?!"

Thank you for reading. You can PM me if you want some stuff cleared up, but this is mainly though Obscura's point of view, if you couldn't tell.

-Webs