A/N: Ok, I'd like to thank the following people for reviewing this story so far: Ru Tsuna, ValroggTheInvincible, and ccsakura21! You guys rock! Cookies for you all *Throws you all cookies*! Now, please go on and enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I own nothing except this story and my oc!

Dear Diary,

Its been about 3 months since Xehanort arrived, and he has proven to be a very promising apprentice with his ability to learn fast. Sadly, he still has no memory of his past, but that doesn't appear to bother him one bit.

Lea and Isa told me that they tried to get inside the castle yesterday, but Dilan and Aeleus caught them and threw them out. Lea told me he landed in a puddle of mud, and that he hates the guards now. Lea…There's something about him that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside….

Could it be that I love him?

I sat on top of the clock tower, sea-salt ice-cream in hand as I watched the beginning of the sunset.

"You're early."

I turned around and saw Lea standing there, smirking at me as he walked over to take a seat next to me. "Actually, you're just late, like always!" He plopped down next to me, turning to grin at me.

"What can I say; better late than never!" Well, I guess that's true.

I smiled at him, turning my gaze back to the horizon. "Today makes 10,000 times."

"Huh? What's that about?" Lea asked, taking a bite from his ice-cream.

"That's how many bars of sea-salt ice-cream that I've eaten since I first met you and Isa." I explained, taking a bite from mine.

"So, you got it memorized, huh?" Lea asked.

"Yeah…It's a special number, because it represents how much we do together all the time. Remember the first time I ate one? You said that when I bit into it, I looked like I had just ate something rotten."

He put a hand on my shoulder. "That's right, and when you developed the taste for it, you looked like a freak…" I rolled my eyes at the comment. "But c'mon," He slapped me on the back, causing me to almost drop my ice-cream, "You're still pretty freakish!"

"Gee, thanks!" We both laughed at the comment, before Lea turned his attention to the horizon.

"Hey, Hope. Bet you don't know why the sun sets red."

"Do enlighten me then." I took another bite from my ice-cream, finishing it.

"Light is made up of lot's of colors. And out of all those colors, red is the one that travels the farthest." He grinned at me and I shoved him with my shoulder.

"Know it all!"

The atmosphere was filled with our laughter.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

2 years later: Age-17 -

Two years had passed since the arrival of Xehanort. He was now known as Ansem the Wise's foremost apprentice. Hope had taken a particular liking to the man, and held a great deal of respect for his intellect and abilities. Although she had come to like Xehanort, that didn't erase her suspicions about something not being right with him. His abilities were so remarkable, they could be considered supernatural. Although she had suspicions, she kept them to herself.

"I cant believe it's been two years already that you've been here! Time flies!"

Xehanort chuckled at the young girls words. "I cant believe it either." Over the course of time, Xehanort and Hope had become good friends, seeing as how she would always talk to him and her constant kindness towards him. "I just wish…I could remember my past." Xehanort looked down sadly, deep in thought.

Hope placed a hand on his shoulder, patting it sympathetically. "Hey, cheer up! Even though you don't remember, you have new memories of your life here at the castle! That's something to be thankful for. And even though we forget certain things, the memories themselves don't disappear. They stay in our hearts, where they can never be forgotten."

Xehanort smiled at her words. "Thank you. I need to get back down to the lab. I'll see you later."

"Bye!" She waved as she watched her silver haired friend turn the corner and disappear, leaving her by herself to walk the halls.

Little did Hope know about the events that were to come.

"You really believe that there is a way to repress the darkness in peoples hearts by using him as an experiment?"

"My dear, I fear that the darkness in peoples hearts will only consume them if it is not ridded of."

I looked over at Xehanort, who only stared at the ground, avoiding my gaze as it wandered over to him. I knew why he was doing this. He only wanted to remember his past from before he came here. But using him as an experiment…it sounded too risky.

"Xehanort…if you're doing this just so you can remember, I have to say that it is the most foolish thing to do. It isn't my decision to make, but I wish you wouldn't do this."

"I just…I want know, who I was before I came here. I want to remember what I was like before…"

I nodded, turning my attention back to grandpa. "Very well then. If you are to conduct an experiment such as this, I wish you would make sure that nothing goes wrong that could cost his life, or anyone else's." I made my way towards the door, only to stop and turn around. "One last thing…you make sure that nothing goes wrong that could hurt Ienzo."

He nodded in understanding, and I left. Although Ienzo was now 12 years old, I still worried for his safety. He was actually an astounding apprentice, making me proud. Actually, we haven't seen much of each other for awhile. He's always so preoccupied in his science and such.

And, in a way…it made me kinda sad.

Several Days later-

Grandpa realized that the experiment was too dangerous to continue, and decided to stop it as soon as he started it. Xehanort seemed extremely angry by it, though he didn't exactly show it. I've noticed that everyone, aside from grandpa and the servants, have been acting strange. Everyone has been very busy and such lately, with what, I had no idea, but it was strange.

It was as if they were hiding something.

"HEY, HOPE!" I yelped as I heard Lea shout my name, causing me to trip and fall. "Are you listening?" He asked me as Isa helped me up.

"Sorry…You were saying?"

"Have you heard? A whole bunch of people have mysteriously gone missing! Everyday this entire week, someone is there one day and then poof! They're gone the next!" Lea explained, waving his hands around.

I didn't think anything of it until the next day, when I was walking around the halls, I heard screaming coming from the castle basement. Out of instinct, I ran down there as fast as I could, and I practically screamed when I saw what I saw.

"Oh, god…"

It was this monster, with beady yellow eyes, and followed by it were more monsters. I summoned Hope's Sky and attacked them as they lunged at me. "What the hell are these things?"

"I've decided to call them Heartless." I turned around to find Xehanort standing behind me. "Beings that feed on others hearts. My experiment has been a success."

I frowned at him when I saw him gesture towards a cell that had not been there before. It wasn't the cell that surprised me, but what was inside it. "Those are the people that have been missing! You….you kidnapped them? WHY?"

"Why, for research purposes."

"You turned them into- monsters! You're an apprentice, Xehanort, not a criminal!"

"She's right." I turned towards the doorway to see my grandpa standing there, a very angry look on his face as he stared at Xehanort. "I remember specifically telling you to not continue with this research, Xehanort! Why have you defied my instructions?"

"But, Master Ansem-!"

"I don't want to hear it! Hope, please escort him to my office upstairs while I go and find everyone else."

"Yes, grandfather." I walked over to Xehanort, looking into his eyes sadly, before tugging on his lab coat. "Let's go."

The two walked in silence as they headed for Ansem's office. Hope kept her eyes off of her friend, trying to hide her sadness and disappointment.

Ansem had ordered everything of research be destroyed. The wise ruler had began to wonder what had happened to his loyal apprentices. They seemed less humane…and the darkness in their hearts had appeared to consumed them.

It was sad.

The Heartless escaped upon being fed the darkness, and as they killed more and more townspeople for their hearts, the more Radiant Garden became engulfed in darkness. The apprentices had turned on their master, and banished him to a world of nothingness. As sad as Hope became as she watched the horrific acts being performed on her home, she still fought for survival. She had no one, except her two friends, who she went to search for while slashing through more and more heartless.

Eventually, she saw them up ahead and she paced herself to run faster. "LEA! ISA!" Said boys did not acknowledge her, and she saw why they weren't. She could tell that Isa was trying to get Lea to give into the darkness, and she knew that if she didn't run faster, she wouldn't be able to do anything. She ran and ran, and it felt like she was flying that she was running so fast. She watched in horror as Lea reached out for Isa's hand as the darkness engulfed Isa.

"LEA! STOP!" He ignored her. She lunged at him, but it was too late, because he had walked into the darkness. "LEA!" She cried out as she fell to the ground, sobbing. "NOOOO!" She hit the ground with her fist, tears blinding her. She hadn't been able to stop him and save him. "ARGGGGHHHH! WHY DID YOU TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME!"

'I didn't get a chance to tell him that I loved him…'

She wanted to just lay there and die. Actually, she just laid there as she sobbed for what seemed like an eternity before she felt someone pick her up. "Hope, we have to get out of here!" It was Squall.

"NO! Leave me so I can die!" She screamed, trying to get out of his grasp. He didn't let her go, only located the pressure point on her shoulder to knock her out.

As soon as he boarded the gummi ship, it lifted off, heading towards another world as Radiant Garden became completely engulfed in darkness.

A/N: Sorry if it was a bit crappy, but I hope you still enjoyed! Later taters!