"Did you ever think of life before the light?"

"Never. Why?"

"Can't you imagine it? The endless miles of darkness, undisturbed, indistinguishable from everything around it? A warm, tight blanket around creation?"

"Sounds scary."

"No, it's…just…unending-"


Silence. Just silence. The whizzing, screaming, nauseating, deafening kind of silence. That's what his ears could register as he awoke in a daze and confused state. The fugue of new existence settled in as the world became alive around him. He smells the scent left by copper pipes and that ethereal scent. The silence came back soon after the feet disappeared. And there it was, all he could see. The dark, the pitch. The black. The darkness still was overwhelming, even with the sensations that were felt all around him. That's when he heard it.

The signs of life that soon came after the nothing of silence. His body shuddered at the horrified screaming and the barked shouts to retreat. The yelps and fearful screeching of those who are too afraid to fight. Too scared to engage in battle. The figure could barely hear the voices through the piercing dark that surrounded him. Their faint yells echoing in the dark.

"What about the keyhole?"

"Let's just get out of here!"

The voices peaked the new soul's interest, as he slowly turned his head toward the direction of these new stimuli.

That's when he could feel the cool stone beneath him, the rough surface scratching his shoulders and his back as his cheek brushed against the ground. With his ear to the floor, he could hear the pattering sound of boots stomping against pavement in a rush, and the tapping sound of webbed feet taking off in a sprint.

Whoever they were, they wanted to get out here quickly.

A voice, a singular voice cutting through the dark startled him. A voice that pulsed his chest, and jump started the rushing of blood in his body.

"You lazy bum…get up!"

The voice echoed in his skull, rattling his bones and he chose to listen to it. Steadily his eyes opened, transfixed to the ceiling above him. The dark vault above was blocked by the crossing of imposing copper beams and steam pipes.

That's when he could feel the tight compression in his chest and in his back. This pain of something that struggled to work itself out of him. Fighting to the surface in a great hurry.

Slowly he rose, sitting up in his position as he felt the pressure in his chest and in his stomach get stronger. He dry heaved once, the action scratching his throat and then twice, the hair on his neck rising on end. In the third and final heave, he felt it. A course of air bellowed into his chest and out without a shudder. His hands, which were beginning to shake, settled immediately. A breath eased his body. His first breath.

He scrambled up onto his feet, the steady weight of his form nearly buckling his knees. His hands stretched out and fingers webbed to maintain balance. Curiously, he stared around at the room, continuing his deep chested breathing and savoring every breath.

The room was full of steam pipes and metal, all of them interconnecting and weaving into this foreign, yet familiar symbol that rested against the wall. Around him was once an enclosed space with old cobblestone revealing this destroyed and crumbling center piece. He felt a looming energy overhead, the low faint buzzing of machinery could be heard in the distance, and the steady beat that matched his internal marching in his chest. He turned his head to the source, and found the strange shape, with ever changing incandescent colors. The shape felt familiar, as he stared. It looked like a…

A…

"A heart." The voice erupted out of the silence, as he turned around to face the speaker. Though he did not appear at first, ever so slowly a bleeding door of ever flowing blackness was conceived. What marched out was a man, with tan skin and silver hair, that was hiked into there points along his hairline. Flowing hair that ended between his shoulder blades. His coat of leather was weather black with golden trim, underneath a white vest and slacks. Upon his feet were knee high boots, and upon his chest was the very 'heart' symbol he spoke over. The man's raging flame colored eyes focused on the newly born soul, as he crossed his arms and began to speak again. He seemed confused more than upset, as he took a step forward. "What are you, creature?"

"I don't know…" The new soul muttered, as he glanced up at the tan figure. Shoulders pulled together as his hands pressed against his temples. The tan figure squinted his eyes as he looked upon the new soul. What struck him was…curiosity. Just an odd curiosity.

This being's aura read similar to that of the Heartless he commanded. He was sure he could make this new being crawl on the floor towards him on all fours should he feel so inclined. Yet…the being appeared a humanoid. A familiar humanoid at that.

His silver hair hung loose on his head, swept back due to its weight. The olive skin of the new soul matched his own tone, and even his eyes. This new being's eyes were orange, a dark fiery orange. Just like his own. The new soul let out a bemoaned sigh, his hands resting on his skull. "What am I?"

"A heartl-" The tan figure took a step forward, this step coming to the deafening sound of silence. The step echoed through his chest for what felt like eternity. The man's eyes went wide as the new soul began to scream as images flooded his memory. Instances of death, anger, horror and pain.

The slashing of a weapon into a colleague's chest to end their current life and begin a new one, this hand pressing against the skull of a silver haired child as green energy consumed their being to possess them, the images of a furious woman in a suit of armor wailing in sorrow as she struck the figure with a key shaped weapon. All these memories seemed to open a mental floodgate and overtake the new soul, who desperately wanted the world to become silent once again.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" He roared as he clapped his hands over his ears and screamed. The tan figure also began to scream as he took steps back and looked desperately at the boy. As the two pairs of horizon shaded eyes met, that's when he felt it. There was this internal shift in the equilibrium of nature. This disruption in the natural order. The tanned man squinted his eyes as he stared at this disruptor.

"What are you!?" The man asked, as he raised his fist and summoned a being from the ether. The boy quickly backpedaled, as the dark creature took form and its arms darted to him. Their claws inches from him as the boy crawled away. The boy raised his own arms to defend himself, shades of black overwhelming him as he felt consumed by the tide of a dark wave. The man stared daggers at the boy, up until the darkness took his sight once again…Then light broke.

And out of that darkness, came a ferocious and deadly ball of gloomy flame. The speed and distance of the flame striking the body of the dark creature, which returned behind its master's frame. The tan man squinted his eyes, before growling at the new soul.

"I don't have time for this." The tan man roared, before he called a bleeding door of ever flowing blackness once again and walked inside the shimmering void. "Don't expect to see me again… you thing."

Soon after, he was disappearing among the dark. And the new soul was alone.

The new soul rested against the floor, laying his head back and letting out a shuddering breath. He looked ahead of him, over the edge of the platform and into the hall. Along the carpeted floor, there were six crystal structures, three on each side of the row. Each of them harbored these vague silhouettes of damsels.

The first wore a gown of gold skirt and blue corset, with lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, and skin white as snow.

Another wore a dress of blue with a white apron, with hair as golden as the sun. She was so small compared to the other women.

There was one that was olive toned, a skin tone that matched his own, with hair ebony black and adorned with a crown.

The fourth wore gown that was a rosy pink at one angle, and sky blue the next depending on what direction of the onlooker.

the fifth wore a gown of white with golden locks. Her smile a little more prominent than the others.

The last of the six was a brunette in a gown of yellow, her hair pulled back in braids atop of her head.

But then this noise echoed in the chamber. The scampering of feet against the stone. This figure of darkness, with glowing golden eyes and flicking antenna, scurried across the floor, charging through the doors. The new soul rolled onto his stomach, getting up onto his hands and knees. His sights focused upon this new creature.

"Hey, wait!" He shouted, getting onto his feet and jumping off the structure towards the floor. The new soul crashes against the floor, stumbling as he lands and rolling down the stairs in front of him. The stone steps unforgiving as he crashes onto them.

The new soul groans in pain as he watches the small creature disappearing into the dark hall in front of him. He crawls up the carpeted hall before scrambling to his feet and running into the next room. "Hey! Wait up!"

The darkness broke into an almost blinding light, as the new soul began to hear the zipping and shifting of stone as these platforms moved along the tall tower and entered a different corridor. The new soul leans against the wall, his heart beating hard inside his chest. His eyes shutting tight as he feels a pinging sensation in his chest.

"Tied to the darkness... Soon to be completely eclipsed." The voice's words struck true to the new soul…his shut eyes totally eclipsed by the darkness. His heart settles into a steady rhythm as he lets out a gentle sigh. The voices are beginning to get more and more numerous. "The darkness in people's hearts—that's what attracts them."

"I…I can't…I don't know…anything…" The new soul muttered in a feeling that made his palms sweat. That makes his heartbeat erratically. That makes his breathing short and shallow. Fear . He is scared. "I don't know…anything…"

"There is so very much to learn. You understand so little." The soul presses his hands into his face, roaring in defiance as the voices get too loud. Overwhelming all his senses and blocking out every other sound. "And darkness was born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts…"

"I will understand. I will learn." The new soul let loose a roar, his hands curling into tight fists. His eyes staring into the dark behind his eyelids as he could see this figure in a brown robe, staring back at him. The feeling of dread overwhelmed him. It swallowed him. "The Darkness in my heart…will it spread?"

"A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing." The new soul holds his skull as he lets out a groan. And then…a new voice appears. It cuts through the dark, the muffling of the other voices ceases, and it's only their voice that remains. "What's... What's happening to me? Falling... falling... into darkness."

That's when the new soul opens his eyes. He stares up into the ceiling, his heart thumping in his chest as he holds his hand to his heart. That falling and falling into darkness that voice described…it sounded so…familiar. It sounded so new. So recent.

The new soul looks at his hand, seeing the creases and calluses on the inside of his hands. The new soul stared curiously as he closed his fist. Feeling it tight and shaking violently in his hand. Feeling the bones pop and struggle to not break under the pressure he put upon it.

"Am I…the Darkness?" The new soul squinted his eyes. Tears swelled in his eyes had began stinging and burning him. "What-Who…am I?"
That's when a new voice spoke out. A silent voice. A soft voice. One that eased his unsettling heart.
"Kuro…your name is Kuro ."


Elsewhere...


Noise. Ambience. The humming, murmuring, irritating, illuminating kind of noise. That's what his ears could register as he awoke in a daze and confused state. The fugue of new existence settled in as the world became alive around him. He smells the scent left by towering pine trees and slick wet grass.

And there it was, all he could see. The light, the bright. The white . The ever glow was absolutely blinding, coupled with the sensations of grass tickling his neck and his bare arms made it difficult to process the world and all its understanding. That's when he heard it. Breaking against the sound of wind rustling the branches, and the creaking of the iron gate off to his left.

" Arise ." The voice bellowed out. The new body's eyes glance off towards the voice, seeing this looming and imposing mansion beside him. The new body slowly rises, his eyes fixing to the forest line ahead of him as this orb made up of pure darkness appears. Out of the dark comes this imposing figure dressed in a deep black leather jacket emerges. The slow saunter toward the new body fueled by purpose and by determination.

"You seek answers." The cloaked man rumbled, his eyes closed to emphasize the nature of his speech. The new body simply nodded, as clear headed as he seemed, if there was anything he wished to find it was the answers to his question of, 'Why?' The dark coated man waves a cloaked arm before the new body, shimmering into sight are these floating letters. and the word 'SORA' appears suspended in the dead air. The letters are glimmering, twinkling in the descending sunlight with a sparkling silver glisten, and hovering in suspension as though they were dangling from puppet strings. Rising up and down to the pull and the motion of their master's motions.

"You feel nothing." Xemnas states with a sure understanding, as he once didn't feel anything shortly after his birth. The new body nodded in agreement, as he in fact did feel nothing. "Nothing is real."

The new body squinted his eyes, pondering the idea that nothing is or was real, that this feeling of curiosity amounted to nothing? That the ticklish feeling grass on his pink skin was nothing? It made no sense.

"I can give you purpose." The cloaked figure spoke, interrupting the new body's train of thought with a sense of authority. One that commanded the new body to cease his thinking and pay attention once more.

The man waves his arm again in this huge powerful motion. Those silver shined letters began to swirl around the new body, gaining momentum until they're barely visible as letters. Just streaks of glimmer against the verdant green treeline and the orange hued skies move. The hooded man, at the most opportune time, slams his fist hard into the blur. Bursting out of the blur of silver are these four jagged and sharp points of golden light. The flash is so bright, it makes the new body cringe in response, shutting his eyes to block out the shine.

Once the light settles, the new body opens his eyes and sees this new golden letter X hovering just in front of him. The silver letters that once spelt the word, 'SORA' rejoin with the X at their center forming a new word. One befitting of the new soul's name. The word now spelling, in a bright golden glow, ' ROXAS '.

"Roxas." The new body repeats, reading his new name aloud for the first time. The word echoing deep inside his hollow chest, his flat expressionless face pulling up back to look up at the hooded figure.

"That is right - the new you. Roxas ." The devious figure whispered with great satisfaction, his lips curling to an unscrupulous grin. One that was lost on the new body, who had just registered that the name he spoke aloud was his name. His name .

As the figure opened his mouth to speak again, only for his eyes to go wide and his attention be turned to the shadows of the forest. His yellow eyes narrow at this disturbance he feels in the wind, this pulsing echo he feels in the center of his chest. A familiar call. A wordless call is sent out to him, and with a passing glance at Roxas, he abandons him to answer the call.


The Ruins of Hollow Bastion


"Kuro." The new soul mutters, as he slowly stands up onto his feet. Kuro feels a rush of adrenaline through to his core, and he lets out a shuddering breath. The name felt appropriate, it felt settled. It felt…personal. Kuro nodded as he recognized his name.

"Who are you?" He asks aloud, to no one in particular. His voice carrying out into the empty space of the room.

"Nobody." The voice answers, her voice as delicate as fingers tracing a knife's edge. Kuro glanced down the corridor to the next room, his eyes focusing on the dark as he marches forward. "Nobody who you need to worry about now. You need to get out of here. Leave this dying place."

"Why?" Kuro asks aloud once again, following the path to the next room. Through the cobblestone hall he entered this circular room.

The room was dimly lit by a stained glass window overhead. The intricate weaving circlet of metal and steel holding in place translucent pangs of cerulean, red and clear glass.

Kuro entered the room, noticing the large imposing stained windows that circled around the area in thin shaped arrows. Their glass as red and blue as the one from above.

"The river of light has been flowing for some time now…and your presence has…complicated things for people. I can hear them now…they are furious. They are curious. They are…"

Decorating the center of the room was a figure made of gold. Its shape was that of a heart, with these crossed bars affixed to the front of the shape. Surrounding the heart were these decorative swirls and edges of gold, emphasizing and creating this image of the heart bursting forth, these swirls being the sparks and waves of its burst.

"I think your sudden birth is very complicated to the way things are going now. You need to protect yourself…please. For me."

Kuro slowly approached the center of this room, as these shadows beneath him began to swirl and move as if they were sentient. Then, suddenly, the shadows rose.

These figures were starless night black, with these hanging antennas above their heads and eyes of glowing yellow. To the squinted eye, it would almost appear that these figures were only these moving bulbous glowing shapes. The three of them surrounded Kuro, whose hands rose up to guard from whatever attack they may attempt. His forearms covering his face as his splayed out hands covered his cheeks and ears as well as they could.

"What are these things?" Kuro asked.

"Creatures of the dark…You need to fight." The delicate voice whispered, as her sound became less and less prominent. The silence was returning. Kuro's eyes narrowed as he looked through the openings of his fingers, seeing these monsters move about and circle him. Their hands twitch and shake in anticipation as they prepare to strike.

"I…I don't-" Kuro began to speak, as his voice gets slowly louder and his breath is hitched. A shadow figure approaching him readied its dark claws, before it made its pounce. "I don't want to-"

"You will fight! Now!" The voice shouted as Kuro's hands moved to defend himself. His hand grabbed the head of the inflight beast, before taking a swift step forward and slamming the monster straight into the chapel's floor. The beast bursted into nothing but matter and smoke, the act of violence echoing in the room as the other two continued to circle.

A second one jumped, throwing its claws into Kuro's back. Kuro reached behind his back and grabbed the beast by the antenna.

Then, with a swift cocked fist, he slammed it through its chest. As the first one did, this one combusted into smoke and matter. Kuro turned to the last living small creature, hands coiled and his mind focused on destroying this small creature. Kuro's hand raise in fury as he takes a swing.

The dark creature bobs out of the way as it sends out a swift slash. The claws make contact and dig into Kuro's thigh. The contact was sharp, and painful. Kuro growled as he got struck, before grabbing the creature's extended arm and hoisting it up into the air.

As the grab is made, Kuro feels this sharp pain erupt down his arm and into the palm of his hand. The creature felt a similar pain, what Kuro could guess was the same pain, as it writhes in shock as well. To quickly finish it off, Kuro cocked his left fist. As he motioned to swing, that's when he heard it. Speaking out of the dark from nothing.

"Stop!" This voice sounded out immediately. This voice, unlike the one that spoke earlier, spoke in a harsh and quickened tone. The sound of scraping branches on window glass was the sound the beast made, but the word 'stop' is what that sound meant. It was foreign yet familiar. New and old.

Kuro froze, just before making contact with the beast. He understood the noise, he could feel it's tremble and it's tone. Feel it's sudden fear.

"Is…is that you? Monster?" Kuro's voice muttered. The beast shuddered in his grasp, as if the sensation of hearing something was new and alarming.

"You…you hear me?" The creature's yellow eyes darted to Kuro's orange, as the two lock stared at one another. Kuro's hand is slightly lowered, as the creature is still held in his grasp. The creature's loose hand swings gently as the legs are dangling off of its small waist. "I didn't know if you could hear us?"

"Neither could I?" Kuro mumbles as he stares at the monster in hand. It's eyes jumping from floor to him repeatedly as he is gently lowered to the floor. Kuro gets onto one knee, standing eye level with the creature. "What are you? You…denizen of the dark?"

"My kind are simply known as Shadows. The most common of the Heartless." The creature explained, it's eyes gently lowering as it begins to rub its head. As if it has received the most painful headache. "It's so quiet now."

"What do you mean?" Kuro asked. The silence in the room was present before the two began to speak. Albeit, one sided conversation to any eavesdropping person.

"Your hand…the contact…It…it cut me out of the dark. I feel…I can see…I never have known silence before. It's…it's haunting."

"Explain." Kuro asked immediately, wondering if the silence he knew was of the same kind this creature felt.

"We shadows are a collective…a single cascading force broken into many different pieces. Our hate…our anger…we all feel it. Our death and our breaths, we feel them together. We all can adhere to it. But now…I hear nothing. At first it was nauseating. It sounded as though the noise in my own skull was thundering around. But now? I can feel no more. Just…just me. And-"

"And I." Kuro answered, as he crossed his arms and glanced off to the side. The shadow seemed to be as alone as he is, it seems. Subjected to the same level of silence. "Interesting…"

"You must understand…the darkness that we are…it's…its…suffocating." The beast mewled, almost as though it were in pain. "A painful precious feeling unknown to me until the chains around my neck snapped."

"The darkness?" Kuro murmured as he turned to the heart shaped decoration over head. The bleeding abyssal heart in the chamber that Kuro had just left. It's presence, it's aura. It's…

"It's…it's suffocating. And quiet."

The creature turned towards Kuro, his eyes meeting its own as the creature fixated upon the new soul. The creature's charcoal hands reached out, not in an attempt to strike but to be connected. To be touched.

To be…approached. Kuro hesitated, before gently taking the creature's hand into his own. That's when he felt it, the heart beat.

The thumping, drumming beat of a strong heart pushed in his hand. Kuro's eyes narrowed, as he got up and stood tall. The heart without a body, the wandering spirit of pure instinct was in his hand.

"You know the dark, Stranger." The shadow confirmed, it's eyes reflecting an aura of…of pity? No. Sympathy. A feeling the shadow shuddered at when it felt the creeping phenomenon. These overwhelming feelings of sorrow and despair. The Shadow felt sympathy for the stranger. A feeling that it never had to feel before. "I feel lost, and different, Stranger."

"You're lost…just like me." Kuro continued. "Born to circumstances we don't quite understand."

"I think you haven't been here long enough to be lost, Stranger." The creature admitted, as it took a hesitant step toward him. "To be lost is to not find the path you need to follow. But you lack a path."

"What is my path, little shadow?" Kuro inquired, his hands balling into fists as he turns to the huge double doors ahead of him. The stone and metal beckoning him further into the dark. Into the gray. "What is my path if I don't know the way?"

"Perhaps it is a path that only you can make, dear Stranger." The Heartless stated, before walking alongside him. "A path that you carve yourself."

The silence wasn't awkward following the creature's words. It was illuminating, it was comforting. Basking in the warmth of a tensionless air. To not feel…alone.

"What is your name, creature?" Kuro inquired, the creature's claws folding over one another as it squirmed its own eyes. The yellow bulbs brought to a slant, as it peered through the dimly lit room in search of a name.

"We don't have names." The Shadow revealed. "We are not supposed to be-"

"If you were to have a name…what would you call yourself?" Kuro asked, as he looked down at the creature with a puzzled expression. The creature nodded, and let out a giggle. A few chortles that made even Kuro's lips curl to a smile. The sound of it was as quick as the heart this creature was supposed to lack, the tone of it was high, like a shriek of fear.

"I suppose…I would like to be called…Dusk." Dusk told Kuro.

"Then Dusk it shall be." Kuro extended his hand once again. "Kuro."

The paw was taken into Kuro's hand, and given a firm shake before the pair turned towards the huge double stone doors at the end of the hall.

"There is darkness here, Kuro. One that rivals even the most drowning pitch." Dusk explained. As he walked to Kuro's side, the new soul took up Dusk and placed him upon his shoulder. The heartless sat perched, as Kuro walked toward the doors.

"Your kind…will they be indifferent to our presence?" Kuro asked, as they quickly approached the doors.

"I don't believe so. We felt the need to snuff out any light. Even the faintest of it." Dusk explained. "Even yours."

"Mine?" Kuro's hands rested against the stone's handles, his heart banging hard in his chest as he stared into the dark creases and divets in the door. Seeing how the faint gray broke into the deep and entrenched darkness. Kuro shuddered, Dusk noticed. "My…light?"

"However faint…your light is present. It's there…hidden amongst the brushstroke of ebony. That's what drew us to the room initially." Dusk continued with a curious tone. "A strong yet faint light in a dark space. If we weren't so starved for energy in this damned place, we would have sworn you were one of us…"

The thought crossed Kuro's mind as he turned to Dusk. The creature's head bobbed to the size, confused by the look on the no-longer-a-stranger's face.

"Are there…things like me?" Kuro asked. Dusk shook his head. Before eliciting a sigh from its body. "None? At all?"

"The only other being I feel could be related to you that I can tell…I'm afraid he left the world not too long ago." Dusk explained. Kuro began to push open the doors. And stepped through into the light.

The chilling air caught him off guard and made his skin goosebump. Then the sounds of whirring machinery was nearly deafening. The boundless skies and popping cream colored clouds against an endless blue sky were a sight that made his jaw drop and his eyes take in its splendor with an awe inspired stare. Kuro breathed in the fresh air of the outside, real air. With a sigh of content, he moved to continue along the path. Before he turned the corner, he asked one last question of Dusk.

"What was his name? The only other one like me?" Kuro inquired, his hands moving to rest on his hips.

"The harbingers of light call him Ansem. We simply know him as Master." Dusk whispered their name as though it were gospel, with strength and reverence. With an added bonus of fear and sovereignty to the word, 'Master.'

"And where can I find this-"

SCRAAAAHHHH

This winged beast's spiraling dive bomb crashed into Kuro and spiked him into the nearby wall, interrupting him with its battle fry and attack. The impact of the two ended up cracking the concrete wall and smashed in the stone as Kuro's dazed eyes focus on the beast that struck him.

This winged beast was draconian in its shape and sound, with these wide crimson scales and a tan underbelly. Its wide wings were flapping back and forth, blocking out escape except over there side of the edge, which fell a concrete landing a lower level below.

Its three-toed black talon feet slammed onto Kuro's chest and was pinning him to the wall, as its V-shaped head focused on spearing his skull through to the concrete.

As it lunged forward, Kuro acted fast. Kuro's hands rose and caught its snout, with its hot breath shooting out of its nostrils the same as the steam shot out of the pipes above. Piping through the spaces of Kuro's fingers as he struggled to maintain their grip.

The beady yellow eyes flamed in rage and vitriol, and its Heartless emblem adorned like armor along its broad armored chest. The snout punched forward with a resounding thrust, Kuro's arms buckling at the force as it dug him deeper into the wall. The pointed snout got closer and closer to his cheek.

Dusk didn't hesitate to dive into the draconian Heartless' throat, a claw diving deep into the dragon's beady eye. The beast roared in defiance and pain as it let a claw release Kuro so it could slam its head into the floor against the Shadow. As Dusk knocked against the wall and fell onto its stomach, the winged beast jumped over with its flapped wings beating the air around them before slamming its claw atop of Dusk. Squeezing Dusk's head in its grip.

As the beast maw chomping and screaming at its prey, Kuro felt the surge of fury spike and the need to protect Dusk elevated to heights unfelt before. Kuro didn't feel the need for self preservation or control. Dusk would be safe. Dusk will be safe.

Kuro rose to his feet and felt this power swirling around him. This aura of darkened flame that culminated in a burst of light pulled back and restrained by chains of interlocked purple and black links. Kuro's eyes shifted from their orange hues into a bright and glowing yellow, his skin darkened from its tan tone into a charcoal ashy gray. His hands tightened into fists and he was ready to give out pain.

Kuro rushed ahead and slammed a sharp elbow into the winged beast's side, throwing an arm around the Heartless' neck and sending a hammering strike down into the beast's skull. The beast reverberated the hit and dashed into Kuro, knocking them both off of the platform and towards a the concrete floor below. Kuro's hands dug into one of the tattered holes in the beast's left wing and tore it north to south. Hearing the screeching noise erupt from the Heartless as the two continue to fall.

The tearing for the wing was an effort in dividing it from rest of the wyvern's body to disrupt any attempt to take flight once again.

Kuro continued his assault as the beast and him plummeted down. Kuro used the little appendage it had left on its left side to hoist his hands up to the beast's maw and grab hold of the jaw to keep it from closing its mouth. Driving his hands into the front and bottom halves of its mouth and pulling the open with great force.

With a momentum-fueled thrash, the pair slammed into the concrete below.

The beast slammed first into the ground followed shortly by Kuro, who quickly brought his heel down onto the dragon's throat. As it shrieked in peril and pain, Kuro grabbed hold of its already broken and twisted wing, tearing it off of its body in a few great twists to the left and to the right. As the beast writhed and wailed, Kuro slammed its wing through its open maw with the jagged edge first. With its wiggling out of control and its muffled screeches as it choked on its wing, it did eventually dissipate into smoke and dust after a certain threshold of pain was met. Dying from the damage it had taken.

Kuro looked up at Dusk, whose small body lingered over the edge of the floor above to peer down at him.

"Kuro!"

"Get down here now!" Kuro ordered, as he heard the screeching sound of not one but two more winged beasts over head. The warrior turned towards the skies and saw the two swift Heartless maneuver overhead, as if to taunt him with their numbered and size advantage. The first of the beasts charged into a spiral, which Kuro was prepared for this time. He charged ahead to meet the diver.

Slamming shoulder first into the crook of its neck, Kuro wrapped his arms around the beast's neck, bending it around his shoulders like a bow drawing an arrow for a shot. Kuro's arms pulled in shape, before a pair of talons latched into his waist and pulled him into the air. The sudden change in direction made Kuro drop the first draconian heartless, his hand focused on breaking the grip of the other's onyx colored claws. The beast seemed to have noticed, now repeatedly slamming Kuro into the ground, as one would hammer a nail into a board.

Each hammering knock heralds a mischievous cackle from the winged beast. Kuro's body bounced against the floor, his skull pounding into pavement once, then again, and again. And again.

On the final dive, Kuro felt the body pull back and prepare for a snout driven dive. Right towards the center of his shoulder blades. That's when Dusk threw itself into the fray once again. Its claws slamming into the both eyes of the winged beast, the beast's movements now dictated by the direction that Dusk threw its arms toward. Riding its skull like an out of control bronco. Kuro looked up at the dazed beast from earlier, whose neck once rested against the cold stone. He turned to Dusk and smiled deviously.

"Dusk! Pull it here!" Kuro barked, as he charged and wrapped an arm up under the chin of the downed beast. Kuro pulled the beast so its neck bent back, exposing its underbelly. Dusk, hands still in the beast's eyes, pulled the beast towards its companion. Unable to see or understand where it was going, it charged forward out of fear. The beast speared ahead without precaution and knocked into its own companion, a snout piercing chest as Kuro let go of the one draconian heartless in his submission hold's head.

The beast catapulted its own snout into the back of its attacker, piercing through the body of its companion and wounding it. Kuro stepped back, the two beasts intertwined in death then burst into dust and smoke just like the previous one, leaving Kuro to reach up and catch Dusk as it fell. Kuro caught the small shadow in his arms, clutching him tightly to his chest.

"I got you, friend. I got you." Kuro mumbled, his eyes shut as he felt his body come down from its heightened state. The pair were alone, and safe. "What were those things?"

"Heartless as well. Beasts of great speed and strength. They are dangerous." Dusk explained. The yellow eyes focused on the spot where they both fell.

"Yeah, they're dangerous. I don't get it. I touched them, but I couldn't hear them…" Kuro said, his eyes squinted in confusion as he looked at his hands. "They're…they felt-"

"We pure Heartless are born from the darkness inhabited in the hearts of mortal beings. We are born in the dark, we are the dark. These beasts are not like us. They are created by the very Master we all serve. Or…served." Dusk's voice grew silent, as if there was an air of disappointment in the creature.

Kuro turned to his companion, his eyes narrowed as he looked upon the shadow in confusion. "Served? What do you mean?"

"To see you attacked and mauled by that beast…it…it scared me." Dusk looks at Kuro with wide eyes, a feeling of relief that he is unharmed basking in this new, appreciated feeling. "I couldn't stand idly by as you were attacked. You are…my friend." The heartless narrowed its eyes, before letting out a groan. "I…I felt compelled to protect you. I felt it in…in my…"

In its heart. Dusk felt it in their heart to protect Kuro. And Kuro felt it in his to protect Dusk.

"If it's all the same, I wished to protect you as well," Kuro smiles softly. "My friend."

Eventually, Kuro lowered Dusk onto the floor. The two of them saw a corridor ahead, its encroaching darkness hiding the next room. Both of them let out a simultaneous sigh of relief, as they headed off together to the corridor entrance. Heading closer and closer to the entrance/exit of this complex steampiped castle. They entered the dark without hesitation, darting into the pitch black together.

Somewhere, in the castle, a great Beast roared in rage and defiance as he tore through score after score of Heartless. His fury echoed through the halls and the depths of the fortress. However, no matter how many monsters or how dangerous they were would ever deter him from his goal.

The purpose of tearing through the fabric of space and surviving through the perilous dark for as long as he had. He refused to leave this dying word without his Beauty. He wouldn't think about leaving without Belle.


The Castle That Never Was


Axel's eyes focused on the single smudge against the window in the Grey Area. It was hip level, with a streak that started heavy on the initial press, then got lighter and thinner as it moved out. So, whoever did was testing the strength of the pang, surely. As if they were trapped and wanted to stress test this glass cage. It was an odd thing to see, he's never seen anyone press against the glass. Get close enough to breathe on it, sure. The castle overlooked this massive shadowed metropolis, it was a sight to behold. And leave annoying breath marks along the glass? That was to be expected. But to get close enough to smudge the glass? That was slightly more annoying.

His hand moved through his massive mane of fiery locks, feeling it straighten and loosen the knots that tended to get bunched in the back of his head. His faint silhouette in the window pang.

Axel heard a series of footsteps, assuming it was Sїax to chastise him for not being out on recon once again. Axel clicks his tongue against his teeth, turning to the Organization member with a crooked grin and a wicked stare. He was ready with a slick remark and an eye roll, one that he was sure Saïx would appreciate. Maybe call him Sigh -ax. That'll surely make him breathe a little harder out of his nose, the hardest he'll have laughed since he made the pass over into Saïx from Isa.

"Yeah, yeah, what do you need Sigh -" Axel's words are beaten into silence immediately, as he stands face to face with Number I, The Superior of the In-Between. Axel's taken aback, raising his shoulders and letting his arms fold quickly behind his back. Xemnas glared into Number XII's eyes, clenching his jaw as he approached The Flurry of Dancing Flames. The Nobody was effective, if a bit of a talker. "Lord Xemnas, it's an honor to see you outside of The Round Room."

"Business has taken me back to Twilight Town. We have a new prospect. You will go, pick up my post and monitor him until he is ready to join. Should he choose to join the Organization, you shall RTC with in tow. Do not disappoint." Xemnas orders, before calling for another Corridor of Darkness, and beginning to step through. "Afterwards, I wish for you to check Hollow Bastion. I feel there is a presence there that is most…unusual. Investigate it and report back to Saïx immediately."

Axel simply nods, understanding the order from the headmaster himself. Xemnas disappears, leaving Axel in the room alone once again. Once he surely knows he is alone, his lips return to a devious grin, and calls forth a dark corridor to follow instructions. After all, who was he to ignore orders, right?