I'm finally on Christmas break so I'm celebrating by writing some more on all of my stories. This one is first so I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Read the first two chapters, I'm tired of writing it out every chapter. Cloud belongs to Square-Enix.

Italics thoughts

Legendary Hurt

Chapter 6: Fight with the Hound From Hell

Kinno's POV

We were on the ship, heading towards the next world, Olympus Coliseum, The closer we kept getting, made me more and more nervous. I was exhausted from my first transformation into my heartless form and I hadn't gotten approval from either Aurora or Sora. So I sit in the back of the ship, leaning wearily against the wall as I think over events, specifically when I found out Sora was Aurora's brother.

Flashback

We were in Traverse Town, recovering from the fights in Deep Jungle. I was exhausted from my rough battle with the leopard, but my mind was in turmoil. Aurora flat out refused to try to get to know Shadow, the baby shadow heartless I had picked up, and I was upset as well, If Aurora refused to get to know this small heartless, what would she do if she were confronted with a full grown half heartless? The thought was tearing me apart and I move my hand into a secret pocket on my pants and bring out a necklace. I lift it above me and let it dangle, the red portions of the half heart playing across my face. My thoughts take a turn, thinking back to our past with Sora.

"I wonder…But their so opposite of each other…That's not so strange…Riku and Sora are opposites too and yet they get along so well…So that shouldn't surprise me…."

I let my arm fall, letting the necklace rest against my stomach as I stare at the ceiling.

"Maybe we'll never find out why he washed up on shore that one day…" I murmur, quite loudly in the quiet room.

"Who washed up on shore?" A new, now familiar voice asks,

I jump, sitting up quickly as Aurora walks in. I hadn't even heard her or I would have stayed quieter. Aurora gives me this little look and I finally sigh, lowering my head a bit.

"Sora did, when we were kids." I finally answer in that same murmur.

"How old was he?" Aurora asks, sitting on the end of my bed.

"5 maybe 6. He didn't know anything expect his name. Not what had happened or where he had come from. So we took him under our wing and found a woman who was kind enough to adopt him, but even though we never really left his side."

I look up after my answer to see Aurora has gotten up and moved out to the balcony of my room. Confused, afraid I had done something wrong, I followed despite my exhaustion. I stand in the doorway of the balcony, watching her as she rests her hands on the railing, looking out over the alleyway.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just…I had a younger brother that disappeared who was around that age…" Is Aurora's quiet answer.

I start a bit to that, my eyes widen. That explained a lot. I could feel a connection between the two immediately after I saw Aurora even though Sora obviously didn't remember her. And as of late, despite all the trouble we had already been in, Sora had been hanging out more with Aurora than me, but that was fine. If Sora was truly Aurora's brother, than they needed to hang out more so that maybe Sora would remember her. My musings are interrupted as Sora runs through the alleyway, chasing after Shadow who's chirping loudly in playfulness, teasing Sora though I'm sure the boy doesn't understand him. They stop at the water and start playing and I smile as I look up at Aurora.

"It's funny…I used to laugh and smile a lot when I was younger…But then after he went missing I just got depressed and it stayed with me."

"If it's true, it might lighten your heart to know he didn't grow up alone. Riku and I were there with him every step of the way, helping him recover from sickness and teaching him all that we know. Even after he was adopted, we stayed with him, keeping him from straying too far into trouble."

Aurora doesn't answer right away, just watching Sora and Shadow before lowering her head a bit.

"Yea, but Sora had something like this. It's the other half of mine."

Aurora takes off a necklace and lets it dangle in front of her. My eyes widen to see it's the other half of the heart that I've been holding for 9 years. I immediately dig out the half I have and let it dangle in front of us. Aurora blinks a bit, tilting her head in question.

"You found that…With Sora?"

"I did. It was lying on his chest, dripping wet just as he was. I took it and hide it. When we asked if he remembered anything and his answer was only his name, I kept it with me, afraid if I showed him, it might hurt him. I was hoping his memory would one-day return so I could return it, but it never did. So I've fallen into the habit, if I'm upset or sad, just as a little while ago, I'll take it out and look at it, thinking about how Sora must have felt that day."

"I thought he looked familiar that day on the beach when you pulled me out."

I smile a bit in remembrance, wondering if Sora didn't get a hint as to who she was since it was she who he had immediately gone over to.

"He's even helped me a lot. I'm not the strongest person around, as you can probably tell." I say, moving my arms out a bit to emphasize the point.

Aurora sits on the railing now, nodding a bit.

"Yea. So what were you talking to yourself about before I came in?"

"About how I've noticed that your both a lot alike, but so completely different, like him and Riku." I answer, letting my arms fall back to my sides.

"How in the worlds are we alike? I don't act like a 6 year old still!" Aurora exclaims, looking back at me and I just grin faintly.

"That might be true. But the few times Sora has acted serious, he acts a lot like you do now." I answer, bringing up the faint memory I have from when I was dying and my remembrance of seeing him in one of my very brief lucid points, his dark blue eyes full of worry and sadness.

"Yea, but I'm usually like this, but I don't think he'd really remember unless we went back. But it's too dangerous."

"You know he's going to start trying to get you to lighten up." I say with a little tone of amusement.

"I'm hiding on the roof than and your not telling him."

Aurora climbs up onto the roof and walks along it, going to the other side. I hide the necklace again and immediately follow, walking along the tiles until I'm standing next to her.

"I never said a word about mentioning to Sora that you're his sister. I'm talking about getting you to laugh again."

"I know what you're talking about." Aurora is quick to answer as she sits with her feet hanging over the edge.

"You won't even let him try? Now that you know he's alive and perfectly healthy, that depression encompassing your heart should evaporate."

I spoke with the empathy since even though I felt her more happier emotions spike throughout this conversation, I could still feel the never ending depression underlying it every time, as if afraid to dare to hope this Sora was the same little boy she had lost all those years ago. I'm startled to see Aurora look up at me, and actually smile, the first since she had come to the Islands not so long ago.

"But it's sometimes fun to act like this and be mysterious." She says with that smile.

End Flashback

And from there, the conversation had turned to Shadow's continued attempts at befriending Aurora. I didn't want to remember it, as I stay curled up in the back of the ship, breathing heavily in exhaustion but fighting my body's demand to rest. My left hand is gently playing over the long gash in my right arm, trying to see how much it has healed and I'm disturbed to find out that it's only healed enough to where the bone isn't exposed anymore and it's not bleeding. But it's still as deep as before. I lift my head up a bit to Aurora telling Sora to stop dozing off at the controls of the ship and smile faintly. Looks like I wasn't the only one tired out from this trip. We eventually make it to the Coliseum and I go on ahead, letting the two siblings bicker a bit as I walk through the lobby and into the grounds. As I slowly walk closer to the arena, I'm suddenly grabbed around the throat and my head is forced back so I'm staring into startling bright blue eyes, familiar bright blue eyes. Faded memories of a man with worried blue eyes come to my head as I choke loudly when he tightens his hold on me.

"Cloud! What are you doing? Put her down! Where in the worlds have you been! Aeris has been looking for you since you left!"

Cloud…That name was familiar to me somehow. My memory of my past was sketchy and hazy and anything I saw or remembered from it was blurry and confusing. As I try to dig deeper into it, a sudden echoing high pitched whistle goes through my mind and the memory fades. Cloud finally loosens his hold a bit on my throat and I gasp loudly, coughing as I try to breathe again,

"I'm under a contract and she's involved." His deep voice answers, looking to Aurora.

I see recognition flicker in his eyes as he looks at her than back to me and I suddenly growl a bit.

"Because of my heart? You have it, I want it. What do I have to do?" I ask coldly, angered that someone I guess I had known in my past in some way, was being used this way.

"Transform." He answers simply,

"No!" I instantly protest.

In minutes I would no longer have a choice. My chest was tightening in fear as the countdown drew closer and closer. The transformation was close and I was terrified.

"Damnit Cloud! Call it off and let her go!" Aurora yells.

"I can't. If I do, my heart gets taken." Cloud answers in a remorseful tone.

The longer I'm held by him, the more I take tell something within me is reacting. It's not my heartless side, threatening to break free. It's something else, something much more sinister that makes me flinch, my green eyes widen as I feel it suddenly disappear, as if it were never there. I hear Cloud's statement and look down.

"Fine…"

Cloud lets me go and I walk away from them going to the other side of the arena. I lift my head up, giving myself up freely this time to the painful transformation. But it doesn't hurt any less. I feel that snap again and double over, crying out as pain surges through my body. I collapse to my knees as my claws form on my fingers, stretching out before curling in as a clutch my hand in pain, curling up as I cry out again. Scales form, this time going down to my elbows instead of just covering my shoulders. I cry out even louder as my wings rip from my back, a bit longer now and dripping blood, They flick out, throwing the blood around me before curling down to drape over me as I breathe raggedly, exhaustion coursing through me as I force myself up, glaring at Cloud with golden yellow eyes.

Cloud's POV

I gaze upon the young woman in front of me, looking past her form and that hateful glare that she places on me. My memories swing back in time, to a quiet town that had a dark history. I can vividly remember the woman with her two young children I had helped to save and I smile inwardly, meeting the girl's blazing golden eyes. She may have hated me now for making her do this, but in time, she would learn that I was the one who helped her stay alive. I gesture to the arena and Kinno goes into it without a word. As the barrier forms around it, I gaze around the arena, pointedly ignoring Aurora who was glaring at me. As I gaze around, I start a bit to see someone sitting on the very top of the arena wall. Silver hair shining faintly in the sunlight and piercing eyes staring down to watch his twin go through the tournament alone. I can't help but get an image of someone else as I look upon him though the image is distorted as I watch him watch her. Again my memory swings back and I can clearly see both of them as toddlers. One ill the other fiercely clutching his mother's hand, as if trying to protect her through touch. The young man moves his head, his piercing eyes settling onto mine and the image I get is destroyed as I see a very vivid fear and sadness go across his whole face before he simply turns his head away, vanishing from site. The older twin had turned out nothing like him, but the younger had turned out to be a lot like her…The woman I was truly searching for who had left my hometown 13 years ago to try and keep her young ones from perishing…

Sora's POV

The second time seeing her transform was no easier than the first time. Her screams echo painfully in my head, reminding me of the time she was dying, screaming in fear to end the never-ending heat she felt from her high fever. Looking at her, standing there, glaring at Cloud, I'm surprised to find myself thinking, that even though she's supposed to be a frightful creature, she actually looks really pretty. The form's obviously not fully developed yet, judging by the wings but already she seems to have adapted well to it. I gasp in surprise as she goes into the arena. I had missed something and that thought was disturbing as she starts fighting, her claws tearing effortlessly through the many heartless.

Normal POV

Angered, yet fearful, Kinno was doing her best to hold her own against the many hordes of heartless that kept charging at her. Unable to use her new sword because of her claws, she is forced to get used to a different way of fighting, now much more close range than she's used to. It results in many injuries for the already exhausted girl and as soon as no more heartless show up, she weaves a bit on her feet turning to glare at Cloud who meets her gaze calmly. A pang of familiarity hits her again as she struggles not to show any weakness to him, standing up and pulling her wings in, flinching in pain.

"Am I done yet?" She asks harshly, her voice now a lot harsher and colder than her normally quiet and light voice.

"You have one more fight." He answers and snaps his fingers.

Kinno turns around as a gate opens than gasps in shock as the arena disappears from around her. A giant three headed dog steps out from behind the gate and her wings snap back out in shock.

"Cloud, you can't do that to her! You can't even beat Cerberus! You can't expect her to!"

Aurora cries, fear in her dark red eyes.

"If she succeeds, she gets her heart back." Cloud answers and Kinno steps back as the dog steps forward, growling.

"Kinno be careful! It's a death dog of Hell! Plus it spits fire!" Aurora yells and Kinno's wings twitch as she nods, stowing away the fire comment for memory.

"Thanks for the warning!" Kinno calls back and gets into a fighting stance, her body trembling in exhaustion as she waits for the first move.

The dog spits out a fireball at her and Kinno flies up to evade it. Her wings, a little larger than before, still can't hold her for long periods. So she takes the chance and flies behind the large dog and lands on it's back, her weight nothing to him and hurries up to it's heads, keeping low and moving carefully. She watches carefully, seeing Aurora and Sora talking quietly and seriously and listens to the dog growl in confusion to her disappearance. She stands up and lashes out, clawing at one of the heads and tearing off an ear. Blood seeps from the wound, getting onto her claws as the dog howls in rage and pain, trying to throw her. She ducks down and hangs on as he throws his heads, trying to shake her off but she hangs on, knowing if she falls, she's lost it all. She moves more and tears another ear off, gaining another howl of rage and pain. He starts tossing his heads again, and Kinno, unable to gain a good purchase fast enough, is thrown to the floor. She lands on the ground on her side and she turns on her back, gasping in pain. Her eyes widen before she cries out in pain as the dog steps on her, pressing down to try and crush her.

"Kinno! Cloud call it off!" Aurora cries.

"No!" Kinno yells back as best as she can as her chest is crushed.

"You'll be killed!" Sora tries to reason.

"I want to fight!" Kinno counters and stabs her claws into the dog's foot.

He howls and steps back, getting off of her. She gets up slowly, coughing loudly as she weaves even more, her eyes half closing in exhaustion before she forces herself to stay awake and keep fighting, glaring at the dog as it growls at her. Ignoring all around her, including her rapidly increasing weakness, she springs forward, flying up without warning and slashing at the one of the dog's noses. He growls in pain and tries to snap at her but she moves, going to his back. She lands just as her wings give out and she lifts her head a bit, frowning in question to see Aurora pouting a bit at Cloud who looks uncomfortable. She moves on though, her mind going blank to block them all out and concentrate only on her fighting. She claws at the junction between the three heads and the neck and it gets more of a reaction as the dog howls in pain, rearing on it's hind legs to try and throw her. She digs into his shoulder with her claws to avoid it but is still badly shaken when he lands. She climbs back up and slashes at one of the dog's muzzles, slashing all the way to it's neck and moves back, trying to avoid the fireballs he suddenly spits out. But they home in on her and she screams in pain as they three fired hit her, burning her badly and causing her to lose what little grip she has. The dog shakes again and Kinno gets sent flying. She hits the bleachers and lays still, her whole left side burned and her senses are overloaded from pain.

"Cloud! Call it off! You know she wouldn't want you to do this!" Aurora's desperate voice breaks through Kinno's haze and she slowly opens her eyes.

Kinno slowly lifts her head up to meet Cloud's gaze and is more than shocked to see a desperate, yet quiet fear in his bright eyes. Something was horribly wrong and Kinno snaps her head up to look at Cerberus as the dog snaps his teeth at her. She scoots away, just barely missing getting bit before she flaps her small wings and flies up, flying to avoid the dog as he keeps trying to bite her.

"Cerberus! I command you to stop!" Cloud's deep voice yells and Kinno pales when the dog just growls, still trying to bite her.

She lands, shock playing across her face as Sora suddenly jumps in, slashing viciously at the dog.

Kinno's POV

Why…? Why were they so concerned about me? Why did they care to help me when I'm just a monster? I cry out in pain again as I get hit with another fireball, Sora's vicious attacks not even to stop him from getting off that one attack.

"Kinno! Get out of there!" Aurora cries.

I sensed her fear that I would dive back into the fight. Truth be told, normally I would. I never ran away, even if I knew I would be killed. This time, I'm too worn out to even stand a fighting chance. I fly up on hurting wings and fly shakily over to where Aurora and Cloud were. I land and stagger, starting to fall. Aurora catches me and holds me up, careful not to turn the burns that cover half of my body. Through the haze of pain, old instincts return and my head pounds in anger as I fight off those instincts to the best I can. But it's not enough. Behind Aurora's head, I see my claws begin to glow black, my body acting on it's own, desperate to get the heart to replenish it's self. I clutch my hand, shaking in an effort to fight back. Aurora just holds me closer, asking something of Cloud quietly but I miss it as I slowly lean my head against her chest, not meeting her gaze as she looks down at me.

"You…don't hate me?" I ask quietly, feeling a surge of pain as well as surprise.

"Why would I hate you? Your one of the first friends I've had in years." She answers, surprise coloring her voice.

"You hate the heartless for what they did, destroying your family and life. I'm half heartless because I sacrificed myself to save Riku." I answer in a barely audibly whisper.

"Kinno…Your still my friend…" She whispers back.

I look up at her in shock. I felt her sincerity, but my mind was in a whirl, I couldn't be sure if my senses were telling truth. I had to get away from them. I had to figure this out on my own. A thought crosses my mind, despair spreading through me. What if Aurora was saying that out of pity? To try and calm me down? She gently nudges me and I blink.

"I think Clouy was something to give back to you." She says quietly and I look over my shoulder.

My heart fragment! Now I didn't have to stay in this cursed form! I pull away from Aurora and stand up as tall as I can with my injuries. Cloud holds the fragment out to me and I let the fragment come to me with no hesitation. It disappears in me and I feel the gentle barrier around my heartless form repair it's self, for now. I breathe deeply, the transformation melting off of me and healing all my wounds. But now human, the exhaustion hit harder than it had before. I fall back, a quiet moan of pain escaping my lips. But I'm caught again by Aurora who helps me stay standing as Sora finally comes back, a hard look in his blue eyes. He's succeeded in making the dog back off for now and gently takes me from Aurora, holding me close as if afraid for me. I'm too tired to protest anything as after a brief talk with Cloud, they lead me back to the ship. I close my eyes tightly, breathing deeply but silently as I try not to completely break down in front of them. I fail partly. Tears run silently down my cheeks as my emotions threaten to consume me, blocking out reason. They get me onto the ship and gently sit me down. My tears have stopped and as soon as I'm sitting down, I drift off to sleep, finally letting my exhaustion take over my body and shut it down.

Chapter 7: A Heartfelt Talk

Kinno's POV

I couldn't sleep. I mean, I did sleep, but it was fitful and not restful in the least. A few hours after returning to Traverse, I couldn't take it anymore. I left my room and went to the roof. My thoughts run rampant again and I shudder in mental pain, tearing myself up about all that's happened.

"I'm a monster, neither human nor heartless. I'm a danger to everyone around me." I mumble out loud to the wind, my quiet voice sounding ice cold.

Minutes later I leave the roof and head down to the alleyway. The waterway's open to me, despite previously being locked, and I go into it, swimming quickly through the water and coming to the rocks. I sit down and just dangle my feet in the water, running my hand through my long hair.

Damnit…I didn't want this to happen…Riku's a slave to Malificent now…I know I'm killing my body with this constant worrying…But for all I know Aurora and Sora are scared of me and won't admit it…

And yet I can remember at one point in my sleep, the one time I had slept peacefully I could hear an implacable voice speaking to me.

"I'm not afraid of you Kinno. I'm afraid for you…"

In my sleep, I couldn't place the voice. I still couldn't, but I knew it was someone friendly for I had fallen into a healing sleep right after it. It didn't last long but it helped. Something gentle brushes across my senses suddenly and I look up in question, my eyes falling to the mural at the end of the next tunnel. That same gentle brush comes again, actually soothing the turmoil rolling through me. I stand up and walk back into the water, walking towards the mural. The cool water gently caresses the skin of my legs, sending faint shivers up my spine but I ignore it, wanting to find the thing that was soothing me. I reach the mural and very gently brush my fingers up against it. Rough stone is what I feel as well as a soothing song. I hear something move and turn back, surprise coloring my face as I see a platform that seems to have appeared out of nowhere. I head towards it anyway, a tender tug on my mind guiding me. Once I reach the platform, I climb up onto it and stand silently, not surprised when it rises back up. It takes me up to a small, cluttered room. And yet, as I look around, I feel peaceful, for once. I see a bed and go over to it, lying down on the top of it. Now, sure that I won't be found, I finally cry out all of my anxiety and fear. Tears roll down my cheeks and onto the pillow as I curl up on my side, finally letting it all go. After a little while, I feel a gentle touch to my back, and thanks to my recent transformations, I start violently. My back had become sensitive to touch because of my wings and I didn't like the feeling it gave me, so I react, sitting up and almost lashing out at who touched me. I stop myself though and find myself gazing at an old man who's gently smiling at me.

"Oh! I didn't know! I'll go…" I stammer in surprise, truly not thinking anyone lived here.

"No please stay. You're depressed and if you're willing to talk, I'm willing to listen." The man says gently, smiling still.

Unable to draw away from this mysterious man, I sit back down on the bed, looking down.

Sora's POV

Kinno has a very bad tendency to beat herself up for things that aren't her fault. From the first transformation to the end of the second, I saw those tale tell signs, but I could do nothing to comfort her. I mean how could I? I didn't know, couldn't even pretend, I understood what she was going through every time she transformed. She was drawing away from us in a desperate attempt to keep herself from a mental breakdown but I didn't want that. I wanted to help her in anyway I could, even if I couldn't understand her pain…I wanted to give her that shoulder to cry on if she needed. So when Aurora came in, waking me up to tell me that Kinno had disappeared again, I was saddened that the pain had overwhelmed her to the point she felt she had to do so. We started running through the district to find the wayward girl and eventually came to the waterway. I had skipped coming down here because it was closed off, but Aurora managed to get in, so I followed. We get to the rocks and Aurora immediately goes to the stairs, looking up at the ceiling.

"Merlin? Open up!" Aurora calls, throwing a rock up at the ceiling.

Confusion goes through me as I watch her; unsure of what she's trying to do.

"Merlin! Send down the lift!" Aurora calls again, trying again.

"Maybe…Kinno's up there and he's trying to calm her down…Maybe we should leave them alone…" I suggest quietly, suddenly self-conscious for no reason.

"Probably plus he built the walls like 3 feet thick."

I grin in sudden amusement to hear that grumble but I don't know why. Maybe it showed she was returning to normal instead of being the sad girl she had been recently. My amusement turns to question as she gazes at me with a little head tilt.

"What?"

"You should get some more sleep Sora. You look tired."

"Well you did wake me up from my nap." I retort.

"So what if I did?" Aurora teases than sticks her tongue out at me.

She than takes off to the hotel. I start to follow but that's when the lift decides to finally come down.

Kinno's POV

I had stayed with Merlin for what seemed like hours, just talking out everything that had happened recently, from the destruction of the Islands, to the end of my second transformation and everything in between. As I stood on the lift, hesitant to go down, one part of the conversation staying with me as I wait.

Flashback

"Afraid of what?" The old man asks.

We were talking about my transformations and I had finally revealed, out loud, to someone, why my mind was in so much torture.

"Being condemned and hated. The heartless destroyed Aurora's life and took away everything she knew. They are the reason Riku can't be seen by Sora anymore. Both have reasons to hate the heartless and I'm one of them now. I'm afraid of being turned on but I'm even more afraid of attacking them."

I couldn't help it. I started crying again. He eventually managed to soothe me. And kept the conversation going.

"Have you asked them how they felt about these transformations?" He asks, gently wiping the tears from my eyes.

"I asked Aurora and she said she didn't. At the time, I sensed truth but I was also in so much pain and turmoil…it could have been my own imagination."

"Why don't you just come straight out and ask them?" He suggests, gently rubbing my back.

I fight back the urge to shiver as he does this, slumping forward in despair.

"But what about the senses? The instincts? I feel everything they do and every time I come near them, I get this overpowering urge to take their hearts. I mean, I almost attacked Riku the first time!"

"Maybe you three can find a way to fight against this if you just talk it out. I'm sure you'll find them to be very open."

"Why do you say that?" I ask in confusion.

"Because they're looking for you." Is his smiling answer.

End Flashback

Which leads me to standing on the lift. I finally take a deep breath and Merlin lets the lift go down, seeing I'm ready. My eyes land on the bright, happy ones of Sora and I'm subjected to his tight hug before the lift is even at the bottom of its descent.

"Your okay!" He says happily.

My mind swings back in time to when he first washed up on the Islands. After getting over the initial fear of his amnesia, he had quickly shown himself to be very upbeat and outgoing. As well as affectionate. As I return his hug, I mentally whisper a "thank you" to him. For even if he hates me, he helped pull Riku and me out of the abyss we were quickly falling into. And though I just want to hold him forever and never ask the question plaguing me, I know I have to.

Sora's POV

Kinno was okay! Well…somewhat okay. As she pulls back I can see that describable terror in her eyes again and I mentally sigh. We were taking steps back, not forward.

"Sora…I have a serious question…And I want a serious answer."

She knew me too well but I knew this was important to her. I could tell by how she was gazing at me, fear yet apprehension clearly shown.

"Sure, what is it?" I answer.

"Do you have me because of my heartless transformation?"

Though I knew it was coming eventually, I was still shocked to hear her ask it. It was because of her that I had a place to live after I woke on the Islands, with no previous memories expect my name. Though going through a mute phase at the time, it was her I had run to when I had nightmares or was just plain scared. And it was her I was currently crushing on.

"No. I don't hate you. I'm afraid for you and the only real thing I hate is the pain you go through when you transform. But just because you're a heartless…I don't hate you."

"Even though I could attack you and take your heart from you?" She questions, pressing me to see if my words rang true.

"Even though. We'll find your heart Kinno and get you back to yourself…Just don't despair…Stay who you were while we try…" I whisper back with sincerity and conviction, smiling brightly.

My heart soars even more to see her finally return it, her pale face lighting up as she smiles back.

Kinno's POV

My heart was soaring. My empathy was telling me Sora was telling the truth and I was so relieved to hear his words. But now that just left Aurora, which deflates my happiness a little bit.

"Sora! Did you fall in the water and drown or something!" Aurora's voice echoes through the tunnel.

"No! Just talking to someone about something and she needs your input too!" Sora calls back and I groan quietly to his words.

Within seconds, I see Aurora's dark red eyes peeking curiously at us before lighting up. She runs over and hugs me and in that instant I see the familiarities between her and Sora even more. If only Aurora chose to display them more openly…

"Don't take off like that! You scared me half to death!"

And yet Aurora could be so motherly too…it was a comfort to me and I smile, hugging her back gently.

"I just…needed to release everything. And I did. But…I need to hear it again. Do you hate me because of my transformation, even with you knowing I could turn and attack you without a word?"

I wait for Aurora's answer and she returns my gaze steadily, never flinching and never looking away.

"I already told you. I could never hate you. Your one of the first friends I've had in years."

"I know and I remember though my mind wasn't fully there since I was so hurt…but even with the risk of being attacked, you don't care?"

Aurora shakes her head, smiling very faintly. I smile brightly again, a heavy burden lifting from my shoulders as my empathy dies down a little bit, leaving me with the memory of the truthful words of the two.

Normal POV

"Now aren't you two supposed to be resting?" Aurora asks of the two of them.

"I'm full rested, I feel fine." Kinno lies through her teeth.

"Bed now! March!"

It takes only minutes for the two to be in the hotel and supposedly resting. Sora's fast asleep but Kinno's mind is still too active. So she heads to the roof where she sits and watches the stars, her hand playing over the gash in her arm again,

"I hope Riku's not getting hurt too much because of me…"

She lounges on the roof for a little bit before turning on her back and drifting off to sleep. Her necklace's glow brightens briefly before gently going back to its normal glow, the faint emerald color just barely playing over Kinno's face as she sleeps peacefully, finally.