If you want just the story, feel free to skip this chapter.

The Setting:

I rarely go in for slash fics, and have been known to make derogatory comments on the subject when pressed. It was under these circumstances that the challenge was finally issued me - to write one of my own.

I would be lying to say that this is my first experience in the development of one, though it was long ago, far away, and has been placed behind me as just the beginning of my roleplaying/writing career.

I suppose my resistance against fanfics is due to three factors - bad writing, bad pairing, and people forcing alternate personalities on characters, and messing up the people I grew to know and love, for the sake of a little lemon. Before you make judgments - I'll state this. I am bi, and have nothing wrong with pairings - same-sex, or not. I just don't like two characters that would not ever 'get together' being forced to, which makes this whole thing pretty entertaining. Alright, enough with the rant - here's the dare.

This dare was made to me by a Gaia friend whom I shall keep anonymous: and here are the conditions. Using one anime or manga of my choice, I was to do exactly what I am usually leery against - pair two same-sex characters (or vice versa, if their orientation was geared towards yaoi/yuri) together and weave a plotline that would accommodate this, as well as tie into the actual story. I was not allowed to rewrite the story itself, but instead provide a behind-the-scenes, companion story - no crossovers. I was to write at least one graphic scene. I was not allowed to use custom characters. I was not allowed to use characters only seen in one episode or chapter, and although secondary characters were allowed, it had to be ones well-known enough to be recognized by people who had only 'seen a little of it.' For extra credit, I was to use two main characters. The anime or manga had to be well-known. The fic could not be a one-shot. Finally, I had to complete it.

The bet is that I am incapable of this, and will surrender to her three thousand gold and thirty dollars cash. I have no intention of backing down from this challenge, and fully expect to receive three thousand gold on successful completion. Then I shall go and stare at my computer in utter disbelief that I actually wrote this.

So, without further ado... here goes my reputation, for the sake of winning. I hope you enjoy it, for I sure intend to.

- - -

The storyline is one that is thick in fallacious symbolism and bad voice acting on the part of the main character - and for years, the one video game I swore for years that I would never touch. This is the reason that at anime conventions, you will see people not only in oversized, strange outfits, playing characters known worldwide... but playing characters developed in the US decades ago.

This is the story brought by the unholy union of Squaresoft and Disney.

This... is Kingdom Hearts.

Welcome to oblivion.