Kioku didn't know how long the darkness lasted. I could have been an hour, it could have been a year.

All she knew was a sense of panic.

There was a freezing inside her chest. It was painful. Horrendously, awfully painful. It was as if someone had ripped her open and filled her insides with ice.

So she did the only thing she could−worry.

Where is Sora? Is he alright? Is he here too? Should I look for him? How could I look for him?

Time passed. The freezing began to lessen.

Where am I? Am I still alive? I can't see anything. Is Sora here? I hope he's not.

A minute. An eon. As the chill receded, a warmth filled its place.

Will I ever get to see my son again?

A light shone in the distance. It was not remarkably bright, nor did it reach Kioku's eyes without some effort. But she did see it, and it was very much there.

Instinctively, she began to move toward it.

The light grew in luminosity, ever so slightly.

Kioku started running.

Her chest was burning now. A pleasant burn.

She sprinted.

The light grew.

She extended her arm toward the source.

Kioku woke up on the floor of her kitchen.

A/N: Thank you all for the very positive feedback! Sorry for the short chapter. It's necessary!

With that being said, my aim is to make this fit in to canon as snugly as possible. Unfortunately, that doesn't give Kioku much room to be a very active character. However, I will do my best to make it seem like she's not doing completely nothing.

I hope you continue to enjoy reading this as much as I am writing it!