This is my first really big main story! Sure an OC is the main character... through most of the story, but this is still a KH fic! Please read and review, I was told that this was my best work. (but then again, that was from my close friends. XD)

enjoy Kokoro!

The sun was rising over the eastern sky in the western world. A young girl walked into her school. She wore black leather boots that went to right under her knees, but were covered due to her dark blue jeans. They flared a bit on the bottom, but not enough to see a drastic difference. Around her waist was a black leather belt with double belt buckle holes encircled in silver metal for it to fit on at any size. On her left side was a chain hooked one side to a front belt loop, leading to a black wallet in her rear pocket. She wore a black T-shirt with a small white stripe around the neck, the bottom ending on the middle of the belt. Over her shirt was a dark blue jean jacket, the sleeves rolled up and it opened. On her right wrist she wore six silver rings, each one exactly the same but all disjoined. Finally, around her neck was a silver necklace, holding a silver crown which centered itself on the middle of her chest. The girl walked to the back of the open campus school, to meet her friends like she did everyday. She moved her hair out of the way, as she walked it sometimes got there. It was cut short and in layers, the longest layer going two thirds down her neck and the shortest ended right under her eyes (aside from the right which was slanted from the middle of the eye to match the other side). The line was off center in favor to the left and she had no bangs. Her hair was a natural brown to match the dark brown eyes. She adjusted her glasses, and readjusted the heavy bag on her shoulder. "Boo!" She yelled over to the people sitting around a tree. The bench was composed of smaller benches surrounding a tree. She walked over and placed her bag down, only one other person was there. "How long does it take for everyone to get here? It's not that early..."

The other girl, sitting and eating a breakfast cereal bar and in cooking attire, looked up and laughed. "It is early!" The girl in blue shrugged her shoulder and walked around in a circle a bit until more people started to come.

"Kokoro!" A girl with long black curly hair ran up to her and gave a giant hug. "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks... Nicole..." The girl known as Kokoro laughed as her friend, Nicole, let go. It was a special day, in a matter of speaking. Today was her sixteenth birthday. "So, is it that late?"

Nicole put her stuff down next to Kokoro's, then came over with her blue fluffy wallet. She wore a red chinese shirt that was carefully embroidered with flowers and other decorations. To add she wore black slacks and black boots that went to the ankle. "Yeah, it's not that early. Coming? I'm hungry!" Both laughed as they started off to the cafeteria, which served breakfast. "So Denise, how does it feel to have school on your birthday?"

"Don't ask." Denise, who was nicknamed Kokoro by her friends, laughed. "This isn't right! My birthday is special, it shouldn't be on a school day. Let alone the first one of my senior year..."

Nicole opened the glass door, letting both in. "How is that? You turning sixteen at senior year?"

"I skipped a grade. To smart I guess." Denise laughed as the door closed behind them and they got in line. Meanwhile in the shadows a small sudden movement made something vanish...

Over half of the day had passed, and Denise sat alone at a table in the cafeteria, waiting for someone she knew. The large room was full of other students chatting and talking about what had happened so far, but Denise never entered those conversations. She didn't feel secure about it. It wasn't that she was shy, she just felt misplaced; as if she didn't belong to the rest of them. She sat at the end of a table, her head resting in her hands which cupped and were supported by the elbows. Her eyes glazed over with boredom as she stared outside. It was a bright and sunny day, which she loved, but she felt horrible. Ever sense she woke up that morning her head had been hurting, but it seemed to get worse and worse. Denise looked around again, then hid her head on her crossed arms on the table. 'Why does it hurt so much? A headache hurts... but not like this...' she thought. Then her head hit the table as someone from behind gave her a hug. Denise looked up to find her counterpart, Jodi. "Hiya! We have lunch together, great!"

"Yeah." Jodi sat down as well. She wore all black, which was normal. Black jeans, a black sleeveless shirt, a black choker, and a black hooded jacket to top it off. Not to add the heavy black boots and socks. "You feeling okay?"

Denise nodded. "Yeah, just a small headache that's all. I mean, how can I get sick on my birthday!" She tried to joke, but it still hurt a lot. "So... how are your classes going?"

"Good." Jodi summed up in one word. Denise waited for more but Jodi said nothing. She was going to pop a joke like normal to lighten the mood and start conversation, but felt a sharp pain in her chest. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Denise put her hand over her necklace and took a deep breath. "Yeah... just fine." She stood up and stretched, then grabbed her shoulder bag already full of books, let alone all of the notebooks and papers she had to bring. "I'm going to look outside for people, want to come?"

Jodi agreed and both started to the outer lunch room looking for friends. They talked and chatted with others, but Denise felt different, like she didn't belong. Then, out of nowhere, came a death-defying scream. Both turned around to find Nicole running to them. "You would never believe this..." Nicole took Denise's hand, who in turn took Jodi's, and were led to the origin. "Look at that!"

Denise's eyes widened while Jodi looked perplexed. 'This can't be real...' was the only thing running through her mind. The girl that screamed had hit something with her also heavy bag. Everyone looked at the monster, but only a select few knew what it was. "Isn't that... from..." She held her necklace again. "Well... not real!"

Nicole shook her head, but the black creature started to move. "What the hell is that?" Jodi ordered for an answer.

"A Shadow Heartless..." Nicole and Denise said at the same time, looking at each other, then again at the creature. Denise's chest, her heart, hurt again. This time a feeling of emptiness filled it instead of intense pain. She cringed a bit, but again looked at the monster. It was gone. "Where did it go!" Denise looked around, everything seemed normal. Most of the students started to their daily business again, but those three looked around. "This has to be fake... I must have a really bad headache..."

Nicole laughed nervously, "Then all of us are going delusional Kokoro..." All three looked at each other one last time before the bell rang to go the their next classes. Jodi had to head off to a math class of some kind while Nicole and Denise headed to the theater for their acting class.

Denise sat down in the front row, not listening to the roll call. Nicole sat next to her, also looking deep in thought. "Kokoro..." She started, "you think that was the real thing?"

"If not that was one heck of a trick..." She looked down at her plain silver crown one last time. Denise didn't remember when she got that, just one day it came in the mail, addressed directly to her. Ever sense then Denise had this urge to wear it. "And on all of the days... this one..." She slouched in her chair, trying her best to remember everything that had happened. Her thoughts were stopped abruptly with an announcement over the PA. Everyone went quiet when the principle, with a very southern accent, started to speak.

"Teachers and students, we are under a code red. This is not a drill. I repeat we... what is that! Hey..." And then dead air. Denise and Nicole looked up, then at each other. The lights went out and the emergency power, like it's supposed to, went on with the select lights. Nicole and Denise stood up and looked around, the theater was dark, aside from the dark blue paint and dim lights. Denise felt something behind her, so she turned around and found one of them, a Shadow Heartless.

Denise took Nicole by the wrist and ran for the closest exit, straight to the courtyard. "We have to get out of here!" She opened the doors and looked outside. It looked like a giant storm was overhead. The sky was dark with black clouds and frightening lightning strikes. The winds had picked up a bit, but that was that least of their worries. Heartless, Shadows by the dozen, formed all around them. Some students were running out of the school to safety, others were already gone due to the loss of their hearts. "This can't be real..."

"Hey, remember the game!" Nicole looked at Denise in the eyes. "Let's find the keyhole!"

Denise shook her head in confusion and anger. "That's just a game! It's not real!" She yelled back. Nicole frowned and was about to yell an answer when Denise stopped her. A Shadow was behind Nicole, ready to strike. Denise pulled both out of the way, but lost her glasses in the process. "Dammit!" She went for them but the creature crushed them. "Great... can't see far now... just great..." Denise got up and started to run off. "Hurry up Nicole!"

The senior and her friend ran up the stairs to the math class that Jodi was at, hoping that she was okay. They never made it all the way up the steps to the second floor of the school. Nicole and Denise stopped when two Shadows were standing on the top of the staircase. Denise turned around to find that the back was covered by them too. Slowly they came in closer and closer. "Now what Kokoro?"

"Thinking..." Nicole and Denise went back to back, not knowing what to do next. 'If it were like the game... I would need a Keyblade to stop them... but I don't have one! It was just a game! I can't even fight on my own, let alone for another!' Denise looked around for options, but none came to mind. 'Great birthday present... getting killed by something that isn't supposed to exist...' "Dammit!" She yelled out as loud as she could. Nicole covered her head and ducked as Denise crouched and closed her eyes, ready for the end.

'huh?' Denise thought as she looked up. The Shadows were gone, but the storm still hovered overhead. A black booted foot stepped right in front of Denise, making her look up. "Jodi!" She got up, giving her friend a great big hug, then found that Nicole was fine too. It was who Nicole was with that made her think she was crazy. "You're kidding right?" Denise pointed to the boy, who held the silver Keyblade. "You are NOT Sora right!"

The brown haired, blue eyed boy in his black outfit looked at Denise in response to her question. "That's me... Kokoro."