Kingdom Hearts; The Twilight Keeper

Chapter XI; A Forgotten Start

Yuki blinked open her eyes adjusting to the darkness around her, and the light that came from under her feet. Slowly she looked around, looking for any sort of sign. There was nothing, only black. She sighed as she looked down, finding the strange source of light. 

The ground was a familiar stained-glass plate. The image was of a red-haired girl, young probably only a child with her hands clasped over her heart and her eyes closed. Shadow Heartless surrounded her, and even a few Neoshadows in the mix reaching towards her. Behind that was a strange blue light that was familiar, but at the same time, Yuki wanted to gag.

Yuki looked up again, seeing the red-haired girl depicted on the glass standing not so far away. In her hands was a small black orb. A heart?

"What's that you've got there?" Yuki asked as she slowly walked over to Kiu. Kiu smiled, looking over her shoulder at Yuki. Her broad grin didn't lessen as she turned back to the black orb.

"This is my friend!" Kiu said, holding the heart up a little higher. "He's just a little grumpy. I don't think he likes asking for help."

"Really? What sort of help?" Yuki asked, looking at the heart. She could feel the emotions that rolled off of it. Anger and spite.

"Well, he's hurt and he needs a place to stay until he's strong enough again. I'm going to let him stay here," Kiu explained, lowering her arms. She winced as a sharp wave of emotion burst off the heart. Bitterness, fear.

"Here? In your heart?" Yuki asked.

"Yup!" Kiu said, nodding her head. "Why don't you say hello?"

Yuki frowned. The emotions rolling off the heart only strengthened. And not a single one was good. A girl with such a bright heart couldn't be a good place for this heart. Why would it stay here? Would it even stay here? Yuki crouched getting more eye level with the heart. Should she introduce herself?

Tch, as if princess.

Yuki gasped, falling back from the heart, the familiar voice ringing in her ears.

Bolting up her hand rested over her heart, a stinging sensation spreading from her chest down her arm. Her heart raced against her hand, the familiar beat reassuring that she was alive. 

Why would Kiu have done something so dangerous? Of all the hearts she could offer shelter to. Why did it have to be his? One that brought nothing but pain and misery. Vanitas.

Yuki shook her head, glancing around. It was a white room, one of the rests after completing a floor. Had they stopped to take a break after the last floor? Which floor was that again? Neverland? No. Her eyes wandered the room slowly this time. 

Y was curled up beside her, chest rising and falling with each breath. Her hair fell around her, the black and blonde strands tangled and messy. Yuki chuckled slightly before continuing her scan of the room. Her eyes fell on the corner farthest from them, a small form curled into a ball there. He shook every so often as if he were in taking a breath that wasn't going down easily. His hair was tousled more so than usual, and he was covered in dirt. His face was hidden in his knees that he had pulled to his chest tightly.

"X?" Yuki asked, leaning forward slightly. He looked up slowly. The dirt on his face was still present, save what looked like lines from his eyes that had been washed away. Yuki swallowed nervously as his purple eyes looked her over. They were bloodshot. He couldn't have been.