I later discovered that I still couldn't speak for some reason or another, but I wasn't too bothered by that fact. After all, I still had no ears, so what did it matter?

I was thrilled just from knowing that my creator still cared for me, and that was enough for me.

The next few weeks after that continued without much progress, but my creator came over every day to fix me up just a bit. Every day I could feel it... the feeling of, little by little, coming closer to finally being finished.

Then, one day, I watched the creator walk over... and past me! It came as such a surprise that I was left stunned and completely unsure of what to do. I hardly knew what was happening, much less what I could do about it!

There was no way my creator would leave me like before! There was just no way... not after everything that had happened in the past few years since I had been "born" and the creator had brought me into the world!

I tried desperately to make use of the mouth they had given me, to call out to them to come back, but I just couldn't. It seemed to be stitched shut, but without arms to rip out the stitches what could I do?

So, there I was, unable to do anything to prevent my sad history from repeating itself. In my sorrow and grief I could have cried... except for my lack of tears.

I wasn't even able to cry. All I could do was wait for the inevitable end... my re-introduction to the table that gave home to all the creator's other unfinished creations.

I waited and waited, for hours and hours, but nothing happened. Nothing. I couldn't see my creator, but I could feel that they were nearby.

My little stitched heart cried out that they hadn't left yet, that there was still hope, but I crushed thoughts like that. I had been through this once before already! There is no point in hoping when the ending is already known!

Finally, finally, I saw my creator again. It was strange... they certainly didn't look as they had all those years ago, when they abandoned me the first time. They looked... happy. They seemed to be brimming with pride!

I just couldn't figure it out, and I was still wondering what was going on when I felt their hands encircle me, lifting me up tenderly and lovingly.

They carried me away and set me down on something incredibly soft, almost plush-like. Then, my creator conjured up a needle and thread from somewhere and gently stitched around my head, attaching to me something I couldn't see.

They finished and carefully tied a knot in the thread, ensuring the stitches would never come undone, and then, with scissors, snipped the extra thread at the end away in one clean cut.

Suddenly, thousands of... sounds... rushed into my mind. I could hear, for the very first time! My creator smiled lovingly at me and took hold of something else they had just attached: my hands.

I could feel everything, every crease and line in my creator's soft hands, and it was amazing.

In my astonishment, I barely registered that my creator was speaking, but I still heard every sweet word they said in their loving voice:

"You're finally complete. Happy birthday, Tornado Step."


THE END! Sorry for the long wait on Ch.11, but i hope it was worth it.

Thank you all for reading this little story of mine. i hope you enjoyed it!

Oh, and by the way, this is based on a true story. Though, the main character (Tornado Step) is an inanimate object in real life, so of course i fabricated all of his emotions and thoughts. All of the things that happen to him in this story actually happened in real-life, though!

And, while i might not have made this totally clear in the story, Tornado Step is actually a plushie of the Tornado Step heartless (go to http: / / kingdomhearts. wikia. com/wiki/Tornado_Step if you don't know what i'm talking about), and i'm his creator.

And, although the Tornado Step in this story has been finished, the real-life Tornado Step has not. His troubles continue (for now, at least), i'm sorry to say.

Bye everyone! I love all of you dearly and truly hope you enjoyed reading Heartless!