Summary: What if everything had been a bad dream? The Heartless were never created and the Nobodies never existed. What if one apprentice woke up from that dream, only to relive every moment of it again? He would try to stop it of course. But you can't always change your fate.
Warning: This story is an Alternate Universe from the original Kingdom Hearts world(s). There may be slight Out of Character-ness and some parts of the original Kingdom Hearts plot-line may be changed. If you do not like fanfictions like this, please click the back button. Also SPOILER WARNING FOR BIRTH BY SLEEP!
Dislcaimer: I, KradsLover, do not own Kingdom Hearts.

Iezno didn't know how long he had been in that closet. He just knew that the more he screamed and banged against the wooden door the more exhausted he became. He now was sitting on the ground, his back against the door as he sobbed quietly.

"Please... Somebody let me out," he said as he continued to cry. He didn't like the dark. He didn't like closed spaces. He didn't want what he knew was going to happen to happen. He didn't want to see Ansem, the closest thing he had to a father, be betrayed by those closest to him. He didn't want to see the men he saw as brothers die. The pain they would go through was not worth the future in store for them.

He whimpered and rested his head against his knees, closing his eyes. He tried to block out the darkness, with darkness. Yes with his eyes close he couldn't see, but he also couldn't see how dark it was in the closet. The one thing that frightened him.

As he ast there and thought silently, images rushed through his head. The memories of his dreams, of the time in that white castle, and things he had not yet seen. ONe by one he saw them all fall. A boy with a sitar, Dylan, Lea, Braig, a man with time on his hands, Isa, and finally, Xehanort. All were fallen by a boy with spikey hair and eyes he could not forget.

Those eyes were so blue, and so kind. They were filled with a light that could not be surpassed. He seemed reckless, but he was so pure. He would do anything for his friends.

He shivered as he imagined those eyes. Then the horrible green eyes filled his mind, as well as light aqua eyes. Those eyes that stared at him with hatred and hopes for his death in his dreams.

IEnzo was brought out of his thoughts by a knocking sound. He quickly got up and looked at the door.

"Hello?" it was a little girl's voice. She knocked again on the door. "Hello? Is someone there? I heard crying..."

Ienzo's eyes widened as he recognized the voice. "Kairi!" he called out. "Please, let me out! The door locks on the outside." he felt near tears again. Never before had he been so happy to hear that child's voice.

The click of the lock echoed in the darkness and slowly the door opened. Ienzo winced as sudden light flooded.

Standing in front of him now, was a small girl. She was maybe two years younger than him. Her hair was the color of wine and her twilight colored eyes shined with more light than that of the boy of his dreams.

"Kairi!" Ienzo rushed out and quickly hugged the little girl. He felt like he was going to break down there.

Kairi nearly stumbled back, Ienzo was a bit bigger than her. She patted his shoulders awkwardly. "Why were you in there?" she asked, her voice innocent. "It's nearly morning right now."

Ienzo's stomach filled with dread. He had been in there all night. Who knows what would have happened. "I-I... I got lost and tripped.. the door closed behind me." he couldn't tell her the truth. Kairi always looked up to the apprentices. She didn't want to ruin her images of them just yet.

"That's a lie." came an elderly voice.

Ienzo's head snapped towards the direction of the voice. There, standing at the top of the stairs, was Kairi's grandmother.

"Well come up here deary's, so we can talk. I can't get down these steps." she said. Her voice was sweet, just like anyone's grandmother, but it was unwise to not do what she said.

Kairi smiled. "OKay granma!" She then looked over to Ienzo, gently grabbing his hand. "Come on," she said sweetly, leading him up the stairs.

(-)

Iezno sometimes forgot that Kairi and her grandmother lived in the castle. It was so big and he had never seen them around too often. Rumor among the apprentices was that the old woman was Master Ansem's sister, the true ruler of Radiant Garden, but she gave it all up to watch after her loved ones. "Ansem is better suited for this," is what she was to have said.

He was in the part of the castle that the two lived in. In their kitchen to be exact. Annie, the old woman, sat him down. "Kairi, dear, why don't you go find those lovely drawings you drew for all the apprentices. Ienzo might be able to deliver them for you," she said softly to her granddaughter.

Kairi gave an eager nod and ran off to her room. It was a bit of a mess so it would take a while to find them, and she wanted to fix them a bit.

"Now then," Annie said, looking down at the small boy. "Why were you really in that closet?"

Ienzo bit his lip, trying to think of how to say it to the older woman. "I... Got in a fight." he said softly. "Xehanort and Braig.. They didn't like how I was so opposed to an experiment they're going to do. They got REALLY mad... They put me in the closet so they could convince Master Ansem to go along with it," his white face got even paler, if that was possible. "What they're doing.. It's going to destroy EVERYTHING. I don't know how I know but I just do!" his heart was speeding up again and it felt like his lungs were shrinking. He was so worried.

Kairi's grandmother looked at him then pulled the small boy into a hug. "Shh... shhh.." she hushed him, wanting him to calm down. It wasn't right for a boy so young to be worried like this. "I understand," she knew a lot about situations like this.

"You can't tell Master Ansem!" Ienzo said, looking up at her with wide eyes. "I might be wrong."

The old woman smiled down at Ienzo. "I understand," she said again. It was all she ever needed to say. "I won't tell him... But you do need to tell him soon before things get out of hand."

Ienzo nodded softly. He still hadn't pulled away from her. It was nice being hugged like this. As an apprentice, he was forced to shed all child-like wants immediately, before he was even done being a child.

At that moment Kairi came running back into the kitchen, almost slipping on one of her sandals. "Here they are!" she said, panting softly. She proudly handed them to Ienzo.

Ienzo looked at them, he almost laughed. The drawings were horrible but he could tell that the girl tried very hard. He could make out Dilan's dreadlocks, Braig's eye patch, Even's long blond hair, and Aeleus's girth. He smiled softly when he saw the drawing of him. This one had Kairi in it and they were holding hands. It was rather cute. He then saw one of Master Ansem, but none of Xehanort.

Kairi noticed the confusion on his face. "I don't like Xeha," she mumbled softly. "He's mean and scawy!"

Annie and Ienzo both laughed softly, but before either could say anything another voice was heard.

"Indeed his is," there standing in the doorway, was Ansem the Wise, smiling at the little group.

Behind him was Xehanort.

Author's Notes: I know, I"m just horrible. D8 Not updating in this long and giving you another cliffhanger... BUT I know that makes you want to review and read more. 83

Thanks to all of you for the reviews, it makes me really happy to read them.