I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters.

Broken

Tyler stared at the floor in silence. A knock sounded on the door, and when he didn't answer, Serah walked into the room, sitting beside him on the bed, glancing at the plate of food he hadn't touched.

"How are you feeling?" Serah asked, receiving silence as an answer. "You know, Alice is really missing you. You should spend some time with her."

Tyler didn't answer.

Serah sighed silently. "You know, she wouldn't want you to shut yourself off like this. I understand how you feel. I felt the same when Snow died. But she wouldn't want you to live like this. And...I never really explained why I stopped you, did I? Do you care to hear it?"

Tyler was silent, staring just as emptily at the floor as always.

Serah sighed. "I'll bring you some fresh food for dinner. Until then, I'll leave this in case you get hungry."

"Why?" Tyler finally croaked as Serah reached the door.

She stopped, turning back and seeing tears leaking down his cheeks. "She always knew she'd be taken by the darkness. At one point in her life, she could see everything. All of time. It was a jumbled mess, she said, but she could always see one thing at the very end. She knew for years that she would end up fighting against Xemnas, and that she would be cast into the darkness. And she always said she couldn't see past it."

"She knew the future?" Tyler asked, looking up at Serah for the first time since they'd reached Twilight Town and he'd shut himself in his room.

"Yes," Serah nodded. "I talked with her about it a couple days after you two found me. She had known she'd find you and save you, and she knew that she'd die defending you. But she knew the only way to change it, would to be to allow you to die instead of saving you, and she couldn't bear the thought of that. So she made me swear to come after you once we were separated, and made me swear to let her go. To save you, instead of letting you be swallowed by the darkness with her."

Tyler was silent again returning his gaze to the floor, so Serah sighed quietly and left. Tyler let what she had told him stew. She had known. She had always known. Known that being with him would get her killed. And yet, she had chosen to be with him anyway. And he had failed her. Now his only options were to allow her Heartless to remain, and probably a Nobody somewhere, given how strong Lightning's heart always was, or else he could kill them, and erase what little was left of the love of his life from existence. He felt tears begin to fall again at just the thought of it. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill Lightning, even if it was a Heartless or Nobody. He'd rather die.

He curled up on his bed, pulling the covers up over him and closed his eyes, blocking out reality and sinking into his memories, as he had been more and more the last few days. Time slipped away as he relived his memories. He wasn't sure where the memories crossed into dreams or back, but he knew he'd slept because at one point, there was a different meal waiting the not be eaten beside his bed. He ignored it, as always. He had no appetite. So, he drifted back into his memories.

Tyler looked up as Serah walked in, staring at the, once again, untouched food sitting beside the bed.

"If you don't eat, you'll die," Serah said.

Tyler remained silent. Serah sighed, shaking her head, then opened the door. Alice walked in, looking like she might crow and walking over to Tyler. She held her arms out and Tyler felt his throat close off and tears run down his cheeks. He lifted her up, hugging her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Is the nice lady gone?" Alice asked.

"Yes," Tyler choked out. "She's gone."

"Will she come back?" Alice asked.

"No," Tyler said. "She can't come back."

"But why?" Alice asked. "Did you have a fight?"

"No," Tyler said. "She just went somewhere she can't come back from."

"Are you going to go get her?" Alice asked.

"I can't," Tyler said. "If I went there, we'd get into a fight."

"Why?" Alice asked.

"We just would," Tyler said. "I'm sorry, Alice."

Alice set her head down on his shoulder and Tyler sniffed, wiping his eyes, suddenly feeling hungry for the first time in days. Funny how that worked. He gives Alice on hug, and suddenly he has an appetite back.

"I'll get this out of your way," Serah said, walking over to the plate.

"Leave it," Tyler said, Serah glancing at him in surprise, then smiling.

"Alright," Serah nodded. "Come on Alice. Let's let Tyler eat in piece, okay?"

Alice nodded and followed Serah out of the room. Tyler picked up the plate and fork, eating everything quickly before staring at the plate. Finally, he sighed, standing and walking out of the room, heading to the kitchen and setting it in the plate. As he turned, Serah stepped up behind him, holding out a second plate.

"Eat," Serah said.

"Isn't it bad to push myself?" Tyler asked.

"Eat," Serah said again.

He sighed, accepting the plate and sat at the table, beginning to eat the food.

"Do you feel any better?" Serah asked.

"Not really," Tyler said. "I just felt hungry is all."

"Well, that's a step in the right direction," Serah said. "We got a letter from Oswald yesterday. He said that Sora and Riku are going to be going to someone named Yen Sid's tower for something called the Mark of Mastery exam. He said you're welcome to take part as well, if you feel up to it."

"No," Tyler said. "I...I can't. My keyblade's broken. And...I don't deserve to wield it. My whole reason was to protect her."

Serah nodded. "I understand. I figured you'd say that, but I thought I'd let you know."

Tyler nodded, then sighed. "I'm...going to head back to bed."

Serah nodded and Tyler left, heading back to his room, crawling under the covers and slipping into his memories again.

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