A/N: I hope the wait didn't seem too long.. because a week is the fastest I'll be able to get a chapter out with school having started again. Oh, and "Infanity World" is the name of a song from the anime Serial Experiments Lain.

Reviewer Shout Outs:

Oo, I've always wanted to do one of these shout out things!

Kazyuki: Original? This? I think it's really cliché, but I'm not one to deny a compliment so thank you! For that, and the cookie ) Although that will probably change after reading this chapter…

Tolea: Thank you for suggesting a character, but I just decided to give it a try and make one of my own. I know she seems like the typical angsty girl with a bad past, but there is definitely another side to her. Yes indeed :D Though, I'll be sure to read whichever story you make with your characters.

Smiley-chan: Such a cute user name n.n I'm happy that you feel my writing is good enough; especially in comparison to yours. I read some of your work and it's great!

Kitoru-san: Short and to the point. Hehe, thank you for reading.

Anonymous Person: Thank you for the walky talky thing. I just knew there had to be another name for it.

Disclaimer: I didn't create Riku, Kairi, Sora, or KH. But I DID kinda screw them up for the purposes of this story XD

Chapter 1 .:. Infanity World

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"Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"She will be killed immediately?"

A nod. "As always." The young man turned to leave, but stopped at the words that followed.

"Don't underestimate her. This is an important mission."

"You have nothing to worry about sir," he replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Riku," the deep voice warned, "Just remember, she's the new wielder, which means…."

"As I said, it should be no problem. I've dealt with this before so why all the extra precautions? I think I've proven myself quite capable of handling a job such as this one."

"I'm just making sure-"

"Then I'll be going," was the swift reply.

There was a murmur of protest, then a sigh, as the agent let the man go. He shook his head. "So young…one of these days he's going to get himself killed with that naïve sense of confidence he has."

He shouted after the retreating figure. "She'll be at the Noda Estate. Don't forget what I said."

Riku waved him off with a feeling of anticipation. 'This should be interesting…'

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All was quiet within the dark city, despite the fitful sleep of Lana Kimisu. She turned back and forth under the heavy blankets around her, black hair haloing her pale face in the cool moonlight. Her thin, delicate wrists rustled back and forth agitatedly above her head. Beneath her translucent eyelids, her eyes fluttered fretfully.

The fear. The running. The horrible darkness that threatened to consume her. The hundreds of dark, bushy bodies pressing in upon her, crushing her, cornering her. She felt it again. She struggled to breathe, her gasps of air erratic and labored.

A young man by the name of Riku watched this all with a subtle curiosity. He had been cautious when he crawled through the window, mostly because he thought she would be able to detect his existence within the room. How she ever became the one person to inherit the key blade was beyond him. She would lead all the world into chaos and darkness if she couldn't even detect the presence of the night within no more than five feet of her. Of course he took care not to underestimate his opponent, as he had done in the past with Sora, but such things were so difficult for him to grasp.

His eyes returned to the sleeping teen, narrowed in contemplation. She was tossing and turning continually beneath the sheets, and he couldn't suppress the interest that arose in him as he wondered what she could be dreaming about.

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"Hey silly, whatcha up to?"

The small boy grinned cutely, revealing two small gaps between his teeth. "I'm making a present for Kairi!"

He continued to pile more mud into his tiny blue pail as his sister contented herself by watching her younger brother play. In the back of her mind though, she was worried.

It wasn't exactly the best time to be in the park, she noted, seeing how the sun had already started to set. In its steady descent below the horizon the shadows appeared to shrink as the dim light of the sky shed an eerie glow over the deserted playground. Most people couldn't be found outside after sundown, let alone in the park, for obvious reasons. Even the presence of the legendary key blade master Sora couldn't ease the feelings of unease that the people felt, because rumor had started that the door between worlds had been breached. Lana had more sense than children her age though, and would have gone home with her brother by then had it not been for one thing. Kairi wasn't back yet.

Lana scanned the vicinity for any sign of the brunette, but the act only served to increase her anxiety.

Where could she be? It's already been four hours…

The wind began to pick up, scraping dead leaves across the cement and Lana was aware of the goose bumps rising on her skin. She glanced over at her brother, but he didn't seem to notice the change in the atmosphere, happily preoccupied with his muddy gift. If Kairi didn't come back soon, she would be forced to go looking for her. Kairi was their only family, and although Lana hated being so dependant on others, the fact was, they had no place to go. Lana's parents had died in a fire when she was very young, and Kentarou had only been a baby then. Somehow they both survived the flames, but her father had been burned badly trying to save her. As for her mother….

Nobody had ever found the body.

The investigators had found one of Kentarou's coloring books nearby their heater, and attributed that to the cause, but she never told her brother. She didn't want him thinking what happened was his fault.

The raven-haired girl tilted her head up to the sky as the feeling of loneliness threatened to engulf her.

'It's the past. I'm over it already' She'd already gotten this far on her own, and besides, they had Kairi now…

"Lana, look! I finished it!" A very excited Kentarou beamed up at her proudly, gesturing to his pail which was filled to the brim with mud. A single daisy stood feebly in the center; the white petals brilliantly outlined against the pale afternoon sky.

Her face lightened with a smile. "It's beautiful Kentarou."

"Yup. I picked this flower 'cause it's pretty like Kairi!"

"And I'm sure she'll love it," Lana said and drew him into her arms.

'If we find her.'

Golden eyes peered into her face, confusion written all over them. "Then why did she leave? Is she going to leave us like mommy?"

The truth was, she didn't know. Kairi had been acting strange the past few days, frequently leaving her and her brother alone for long periods of time, and asking them not to follow her. And every time she came back with tears in her eyes, but no explanation. This was the longest Kairi had been gone at one time, and Lana's worry was turning to fear.

She met her brother's anxious expression, and forced a grin. "Of course not! She's probably planning something special, just for you." She tapped him on the nose playfully.

"But you know what? This park is pretty big," Lana added, and decided to go through with her decision. "Kairi might be lost. Maybe we should go look for her."

He smiled, all trace of doubt removed from his face. "Otay, and then we can surprise her first!" He snatched his pail and took off down the street before the girl even had a chance to grab his hand.

"No, Kentarou! You have to wait for me first!" Lana ran down the street after him, the cold wind whipping across her face. The sun had completely set, and with nighttime setting in, she could barely see his small figure in the veil of darkness that had been draped over the town. His laughter became a distant murmur as he seemed to disappear into the blackness.

'Why won't he stop?'

The shadows pressed in all around her, but she kept running, following the slap of his shoes against the pavement. She was running blindly, not even caring where she was, or how she had gotten there. What if he got hit by a car? Or got lost? She sped up. Kairi was already gone, and she didn't want to risk losing him too.

Tap

Tap

Tap

The strike of his steps became a steady beat, tapping within her head. How in the world could he see where he was going? She could hardly see her feet, each bringing her closer and closer to the boy before her--each sound reflected in the sky above her, causing a light to flicker out. But she didn't notice; the beat within her pulsed with her heart, drowning out all other senses. Kentarou was everything to her, and without him she didn't know what she would do with herself.

Tap……….

Tap…

Silence.

Vivid emerald eyes opened to nothingness. "Kentarou…?" The silence was painful to her ears. He had stopped, but why did she have this gut feeling that something wasn't right?

"Are you scared girl?"

Lana stared into the darkness, trying to pinpoint where the voice was coming from, but with the way it echoed, the sound seemed to come from all around her. She gracefully got to her feet, ignoring the fact that she could not see, and stepped forward. It felt as if she were in a void, where nothing existed, except for her and the voice. Waves of muted emotions swirled around her, and for some strange reason, she could feel them pulling at her. She slowly relaxed, letting herself embrace them - and nearly fell to her knees at the intense feelings of hatred and fear within. Lana felt like she was the mouse in a game of cat and mouse – only she had no idea who the cat was…

Not wanting to encounter the figure attached to the voice, Lana attempted to run, but promptly fell to the ground as a wave of intense pain crashed into her body. She curled up on the floor, her arms tight around herself as she rode out the wave of pain and rising panic she felt from within. Wherever she was, she was unable to move. She only cringed more as a pair of black shoes entered her field of vision, and Lana looked up into cold blue eyes.

Lana saw the cruel smile that appeared on the silver haired man (1), and fought to not show her fear. He held out a hand to her. "Come now girl, it was a lot of effort to come here . . . the least you could do is stay for a bit instead of trying to run away."

Lana shuddered as she felt the coldness in his eyes pierce her soul and clamp an icy grip around her heart. "After all, everyone abandoned you."

Lana furiously hit the offered hand away and stood up, her green eyes wide and angry.

She carefully avoided what he said. "What have you done with my brother?" She could feel an ever so slight tremble in his voice, but hoped that the slight fear she felt did not reflect in her question. "Who are you?"

The smile widened on the young man's face, and Lana could feel a subtle change in the emotion coming from him. "My my . . . so angry . . ." He raised a hand and made a small gesture. A wave of force struck Lana and froze her where she stood, only her neck and head maintained movement. "No need for such questions. Just come with me…" Lana strained against the invisible bonds holding her in place, but could not break free.

"You know can't escape that feeling within you." She stopped moving.

"That you aren't even worth saving…"

"Your father died saving you when he could have saved his own wife…" It hurt to hear it, almost as if the words were being burned within her.

"Kairi left you…" 'Shut up…'

"And now your brother has even abandoned you."

"SHUT UP!" Anger replaced her fear and Lana, though unable to move, fought to reach forward to smack that smile off of his face. But it was in vain, for as she regained mobility, her arm struck empty air, only to fall into the arms of someone very familiar. He had disappeared.

'Kairi?'

Violet eyes looked back at her, and Kairi smiled warmly. Eternal blackness engulfed everything except a pale glow that emanated from the girl. Lana blinked and raised her head from ground that she could now see. Why was Kairi glowing? But the question disintegrated in her mind at the sight of thousands of yellow eyes encircling them.

"I guess I'm a little late huh?" She attempted a small laugh, but Lana just stared back at her in shock. 'Doesn't she see them?'

Lana would have been relieved, if the presence of the dark figures had been absent. Hundreds of heartless began approaching and she glanced at Kairi, who seemed oblivious to what was happening.

"Kairi, what in the world is going on?!"

The smile that met her showed happiness, but her eyes were so…sad. "I'm sorry Lana. I meant to tell you, but I…"

"Tell me what?"

"Take care of yourself Lana. I have no doubt that that Kentarou will be safe with you."

"What do you mean? I don't understand. . . ?" She struggled to speak, unable to form the words.

Kairi smiled sadly. "You'll understand someday."

Lana had no chance to reply. She heard a cry from behind her and paled in recognition of the sound. 'Kentarou!' She turned quickly, barely able to catch his smile body before it hit the ground. Everything was happening too quickly. The heartless began to close in on her, their insubstantial figures seeming to penetrate her skin. There was no escape, no way out, and Lana could feel the walls crumbling around her.

"Lana, take Kentarou and run." The voice reassured her slightly, and she took the boy into her arms, but didn't move an inch.

"Like hell I'm going to leave you here."

"Lana! You have to listen to me. They're not after you!" For the first time Kairi sounded panicked, as if she had fully realized the danger of the situation. She looked Kairi in the eyes, inconceivable pain evident within their depths. She whispered. "Please…Lana…"

Lana hesitated, gathering her brother in her arms once more. "We'll be waiting for you Kairi…"

There was silence, and then the soft reply. "I'm…not coming back." And before she knew it Kairi had been engulfed by the night, and the darkness vanished. A single blue pail was all that remained; the white daisy crushed against the pavement (2). But Lana could see nothing; she could only feel her spirit breaking inside, and her tears fell to mingle with the scattered white petals.

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With a broken sob, Lana awoke. She lay for a moment, just breathing deeply and staring at the ceiling. Her heart was beating madly, and a sheen of sweat covered her lithe body. Slowly she sat up, her blanket falling away from her.

It had just been a dream. But the memory was real.

Lana pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face against them, wrapping her arms tight around her legs. Her house was quiet, the still of night around him. Pale moonlight drifted through the bedroom window, casting the room into a bluish glow. She was beyond shaken. The dream had frightened her to the core.

Were they ever going to stop? She tightened her grip around her legs and breathed deeply. Ever since Kairi had been taken, ever since that day, constant nightmares had come to torment her sleep. Well, what little she did get these days.

Nightmares about the heartless, of the day they attacked, and took away one of the only people she cared about. Dreams of her childhood, of the silence and long cold nights alone in the orphanage, before she had met Kairi. Dreams of intense fire, with her parents kneeling in the flames, dying. Nightmares of being alone, of rejection from everyone who cared for her now.

Complete abandonment.

She had always had nightmares, from the time she was a small child. Her life didn't provide much for happy dreams. Yet somehow . . . this one was different. There had been a young man in this one. Lana stared across her bedroom to the far wall. In her dream, he had seemed to know all about her. Her weakness.

She could see his cruel smile in her minds eye, repeating the accusing words once again. Not only had the dream boy violated Lana's sense of control and well being; he had reopened emotional wounds that had only begun to heal. Lana shook her head and rested her forehead on his knees. Like she didn't have enough problems at the moment, now she was beginning to doubt herself.

This nightmare, unlike all her others, was not based on the far past, but on recent events. Lana felt a shudder run through her body. The hordes of bodies. The feeling of being crushed and lost in the mass of racing bodies. The terrifying sounds that the horrible creatures made. Never before had it been like that, the nightmares, while horrifying, never had a feeling of being totally and completely trapped like that. The emotions that she felt within the dream, were exactly like those she felt nine years ago. The touch of the heartless; she could still feel it upon her body, like the touch of a ghost.

Lana pressed her hands to her forehead, trying to block out those thoughts. The nightmares, somehow sparked by her receiving of the key blade and the opening of the door, haunted her sleep, but never had they been so vivid, so . . . disturbing. She peeked one eye open to look at the alarm clock beside her bed. The digital display read 2:29 a.m.. It was still night, but Lana dreaded going back to sleep. Her entire body and mind were on edge.

She breathed in a shuddering breath and uncurled from her self-imposed ball. Leaning her head against his headboard, she lifted an arm to rake her fingers through her sweat dampened hair. Just a dream. . . it was already the past . . . But why now? . . . Lana shuddered as the ghost of a caress grazed her face. She closed her eyes and sighed, the unavoidable exhaustion pulling her back into slumber.

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Riku approached the bed slowly, in doubt at what made this certain girl the target of such an important mission. There was nothing seemingly special about her, and she looked so…weak from what he had seen just then. Distractedly, he observed how much more peaceful the young teen looked when she was asleep. He was reminded of a flower upon coming closer; ridiculously fragile and ever so delicate. They were beautiful to behold but short-lived, the petals were an ironic testament to human existence.

He unsheathed his sword, the glare of the blade reflecting off the moonlight. 'Might as well finish this' The sword looked relatively new, its black grip juxtaposed against the pallor of his hand which held it. The peaceful figure stirred slightly beneath the covers, unaware that the soft murmurs that escaped her lips would be her very last. Yes, people were like flowers . . . elegant in their short existence, and even in their death; but oh so frail.

He raised his sword, poised for attack, when suddenly her wide eyes snapped open.

Piercing green met icy blue.

And for the first time, Riku faltered.

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Footnotes:

(1) No, the silver haired man is not Riku. I'm not going to be that straightforward.

(2) Ok, in case it was hard to understand I tried to include some symbolism in there with Kairi and the flower. It was probably dreadfully obvious, but just thought I should let people know. Plus, I like writing footnotes! It makes me feel like a real writer, hehe.

::dodges rotten tomatoes:: I know, I know…it's cheesy and stuff, but I didn't know what to do. Lol. I'm cheesy by nature. Anyway, I hope it was up to par with what might have been expected? Either way, I'd be happy for reviews. That way I can try and improve. Oh, and does anyone know a better program to use than Word? It doesn't allow me to use my multiple smiley faces. That's…just wrong…