Title: True Colors

Story Type: Alternate Universe/Story (AU)

Rating: M for Adult Situations/Sexual Content

Genres: Romance/Drama/Fantasy/Mystery

Summary: Tossed into a world with no recollection of her past, Kairi must face the mysterious pursuits of ghost-like Heartless, a curse that threatens to transform her into a monster, and the test of finding true love in the tainted heart of a certain golden-eyed AntiSora.

Pairings: Sora/Kairi/AntiSora

It was only a week ago that I woke up on an island - in a world - I've never heard of before; my limp body was carried away to a house where I could rest in bed and be cared for by a nurse. When I woke up, I couldn't remember certain things about myself. I remembered my name, my age… but I couldn't remember where I came from. I knew nothing about my home, but somehow I was sure that I'd never seen this world before or even heard of it for that matter. I was told that a spell had been cast on my memories called a Curse Mantra, and the only way to break the spell is to find true love. When I asked "Why love?" I was told that love is the strongest power of all. It can even tear apart the darkness and triumph over the greatest evils of all the worlds. Love conquers all. The Curse Mantra brings about hate and bitterness as it works in one's mind, then it targets the heart. After a while, it takes away one's ability to love and remember cherished times - important events that have since passed. It takes away one's ability to feel and be human, and so the heart dissipates and allows darkness to take its place.

In some cases, the process can create monsters more terrifying than the most sinister of darkness' allies. Regardless of what I was told, I'm not scared. I'm not giving up. I'm here, and though I don't know much about anything at this point, I going to make the best of it all. I won't let myself become a monster.

I'm staying in a mansion now with a rich family: a woman who insists I call her "Asa" without using any formal titles; her son Sora stays in the room across from mine, and even though he acts a little strange around me (as if there's something about me that bothers him), I think there's much more to him than meets the eye. And now it's been a week since I arrived. Summer's nearing an end and school's about to start; since I need to make new friends before I can even begin to think about finding true love, Asa thought it'd be a good idea if she enrolled me in high school (and so that I don't fall behind in my education) and acted as my guardian - not parent. I wouldn't really mind thinking of her as my mother, though; my parents are probably in another world right now looking for me. Until they find me (unless I find them first once I break the Curse Mantra), it would be nice to have a sort of motherly figure around.

The sooner I find love, the sooner I can find out who I am and where I really belong. Right now, my name is the only thing I was left with. Oh, not to mention a fleet of monsters called "Heartless" that followed me here to this island.

Who am I? And why are the Heartless after me?

True Colors

Chapter One

Into the Blue

I hadn't expected to wake up in the same place. I was being torn from dream to dream, nightmare to nightmare. Which was reality?

It started out the same as always; deep, amber eyes pierced into my skin as I lied there helpless and paralyzed, wanting to call for help but not having a voice. Its body stood tall like a person's, but it was black and smoke rose from the faint outline of a body. And as I lied there, unmoving, its gaze never lifted. I could only watch and hope that it wouldn't harm me. That's when it stepped forward, then again. Soon, it was so close I could feel a strong heat rising from the surface of its body; its hand grazed softly over me, always starting with my cheek, sweeping over my lips… It took its time tracing the outline of every curve on my body. Finally, it leant in close so that I can practically taste the warmth of its breath; it stared long and hard, and then hungrily closed the space between us.

That's when I woke up.

I never have the slightest inkling if I'm really awake at this point, but something about this morning felt so different. There was a soft shimmer coming in through an open window, and a warm, salty breeze drifted in and brushed past the whishing curtains. The sunrise was beautiful, and I took in a deep, refreshing breath. I couldn't be dreaming anymore. Everything was just far too perfect - not like those strange nightmares I've been having.

Destiny Islands. That's what they call this strange little island. As I sat there comfortably in bed, I tried to remember if I had ever even heard of it before. Of course, my efforts were useless. I only ended up with a slight headache. I guess the Curse Mantra had taken away that memory, too.

My name, Kairi, really was the only thing I could remember about myself (besides a select few other tidbits of useless info).

I slipped out of the covers and noticed that a school uniform had been lain out at the edge of the king-sized bed I had slept in, so I wasn't surprised to see that it hadn't gotten wound up in the sheets (my feet weren't even close to the end of the bed!). I studied it: there was a white, button-up shirt and a blue and white plaid, pleated skirt with it. It was beautiful; I let my fingers run lightly over the silk that complimented the luxurious bed sheets the uniform lied on, and noticed a pretty heart insignia on the backside of the shirt for "Kokoro." There were also two keys criss-crossing in front of the heart, though I wasn't quite sure what they stood for. I made a mental note to ask Sora about it. That should start up some kind of conversation.

I didn't know much about Kokoro Academy, to be honest. From what I gathered, Asa implied that it was mostly a school full of extremely well-to-do teens. It was a school packed with wealth, intellect, talent… Anything and everything amazing. Oh, and variety! Odds were, I was bound to make a few friends. It's a huge school; the senior class alone had nearly two thousand students. For such a small island, that's pretty impressive.

I happily shimmied into my uniform, tidied myself up a bit, and peeked quietly out my door. Directly across from me was Sora's room, and his door was closed. With only about fifteen minutes left to get to school, that worried me. Was he still sleeping? Should I knock on the door and check?

Probably.

So slipped out of my room and pressed my ear to his door and shivered. It was strangely cold. I squinted my eyes and listened hard for any kind of sound. No snoring or anything… So I lifted my hand and went in for the knock.

"What are you doing?"

I froze. Oh, Sora's awake. "Err, I thought you were still sleeping, so I was gonna wake you up." I smiled sheepishly, stepping back from the door. My cheek was cold from where it was pressed.

"Oh," was all he said as he brushed past me and entered his room. I caught a glimmer of irritation in his impressive blue eyes, and suddenly I kinda felt like a bug that nobody wanted around.

"Yeah…" I rubbed my cheek and watched as he shut the door - more like slammed the door, actually. Boy, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!

"Be out in a sec!" He shouted from the other side; then I heard some shuffling. I sighed.

This was how Sora was; he never said more to me than he absolutely had to, no matter how much I'd try to talk to him. Asa would always tell me, "Oh, Sora's just shy around pretty girls!" I was flattered, but then I started to wonder if she actually meant to say "bitter" or "spiteful." That would make more sense in this case. I brushed off the thought and decided to walk down the hall to the stairs and down to the dining room where I found Asa sitting at the table (it reminded me of one of those long tables you'd sit at in a bar). She was watching T.V. from a suspended flat screen up in the far left corner of the kitchen. Some cooking channel.

"Oh, hey there!" she chirped, looking over her shoulder with that bright smile of hers. Sora was pretty much a spitting image of her, only not so girly. They had the same goofy, infectious smile (I saw him smile at her once); I couldn't help but flash a smile of my own.

"Good morning!" I took a seat next to her and crossed one leg over the other, suddenly noticing how short my skirt was when it revealed the porcelain of my upper thigh.

"Wow, that uniform looks great on you! Ya know, I wore that when I was about your age. We were the same size then… And then Sora happened, and well…" She glanced down at her body and chuckled. I rolled my eyes; she was very thin for her age, and as far as I could see, she had no room to complain.

"Oh, you are not fat, Asa."

She sighed thoughtfully, casually glancing at the T.V. then glancing back at me.

"You really think so?" She asked after a moment, catching me off guard.

I nodded quickly. How could someone so pretty be so self conscious?

My heart leapt when I heard thumping coming from the stairs. Sora appeared with a black messenger bag on his shoulder, and he too was clad in a silky, expensive, and very stunning uniform. I stared like an idiot because the boy wearing it was even more stunning. Asa chuckled; she must've noticed my gaping.

Sora seemed impatient, so I stood up from my seat and smiled, letting him know that I was ready to leave. Asa pulled us both into a brief hug. "Sora, you take good care of Kairi. Don't let her get lost. Kokoro's pretty big!"

I gulped; hopefully, Sora wouldn't mind me following him around like a lost puppy. For one, quick moment, he sent me ice-cold daggers as if he could somehow hear my thoughts. This went unnoticed by Asa, who pecked him on the cheek and ruffled his spiky hair. I tried my best to hold back a laugh.

"Whatever." Without another word, he headed straight for the door. It made me uneasy… He didn't even say bye to his mother. What's going on here?

"Bye, ma'am!" I said cheerfully before following after Mr. Grumpy. "And thanks so much for lending me this uniform!"

"No problem at all. I'm just glad it fits." She waved. "Have a great day, Kairi! And don't worry about a thing. I'm sure they'll love you!"

Butterflies welled up in my stomach. This was my new beginning: new school, new friends… new world. I was practically a stranger to myself, and I could thank the Curse Mantra for that. Who could I love enough to break the spell?

I had to run in order to catch up to Sora, who was already starting to look like an ant from where I was standing.

"Hey, wait up!"

I thought I heard a growl, but it could've been my imagination. Nonetheless, Sora kinda slowed down. I jogged over to him, struggling to keep up with his pace. He was probably worried about being late.

After a minute or so of awkward silence had come and gone, I couldn't stand it anymore. I had to say something. "So…" I wracked my mind for a topic. What could I do to make him lighten up?

He stopped dead in his tracks and regrettably looked me in the eye. I froze, but I was too stubborn to look away. What was this guy's problem? I needed to know.

Suddenly, he snatched my wrists and forcefully tugged me forward so that my face was almost touching his; the shock of it kept me from reacting, at least physically. My mind was reeling, and my stomach was doing somersaults; my voice decided to betray me and disappear without a trace.

"Listen carefully," His voice came out in an icy hiss. "Saving you was a mistake. I'm sorry that I even brought you into my household!" His grip tightened to a painful extent. "So whatever it takes to break that curse of yours and get your memories back, I hope you do it fast."

He leant in so close that his lips hovered over my own; only then did I realize that I was trembling.

"Or you'll regret it."

He released me then and continued walking on as if I was a vile sickness he wished to avoid. I rubbed my aching wrists, but nothing seemed to rid me of the strange burning sensation. There were even red slits from his fingernails.

I followed in his path but was sure to keep my distance; there were so many questions flooding my head. I wish I could retaliate, give him a piece of my mind, but all in all, I felt empty. Nothing I could do would fill me up again - not unless I kept trying to break the barrier Sora had put up to block me out. What in the world could I have done to make him hate me so much? I really needed to know, but something told me that now wasn't exactly the time to ask him. It was probably the throbbing in my wrists.

As I was walking, I took a deep breath and steadied my shaking hands. I focused on things like the trees, how the bright blue sky hovered far above their lush green canopy. I could hear the swishing waves of the ocean in the distance. Rays from the sun reached down through various spaces and warmed my skin comfortably, and just like that, I was taken away to a different place - a place where my fears were chased away with promises of happiness. The beauty of this little world stood out to me in that moment in a way it hadn't since I had arrived.

Then something struck me like the bullet of a gun, and I was frozen in place - back where I started - where the pain in my wrists resurfaced and the haze of tears that threatened to slip from my eyes wasn't just from gazing into the bright, sun-brimmed sky. The late summer's warmth had completely abandoned me, and I felt cold. A bone-chilling wisp of air crept around me, and it was as if I was being watched by the eyes of a murderer.

'Princess…'

I couldn't tell if it was out of excitement or fear, but his long beard amused me. It was gray and pointed at the end where it fell at the very base of his torso, reminding me of a wizard - especially the way his large, dark eyes peered into my own as if they were merely windows to the forgotten story of my life. His voice was worn with the struggles of time, but his words were wise and stern.

His name was Yen Sid - Master Yen Sid - and he was the principal of Kokoro. He was the one responsible for keeping order, and he was tall and very intimidating, even for a man of his years. I would be utterly shocked and amazed if anyone had ever dared to go against his authority.

He cleared his throat, pleading that I say more after introducing myself. Problem was… the Curse Mantra was still in full effect, and I felt as senile as an elderly woman. I tried to think of something – anything - about myself and my family, but a headache threatened to arise and rebel against my attempts.

"I'm…I'm so sorry, Master. I honestly can't recall much of anything." My face felt hot with frustration, and I started to wonder if he would believe me.

After a short moment and the steady rhythm of a ticking grandfather clock, his eyes somewhat softened. "Ah, I knew there was something different about you from the moment you stepped into my office."

My heart leapt. How…? Maybe this old man actually was some sort of wizard.

"A Curse Mantra," he stated harshly, stepping around his desk and coming to a stop in front of me. "And a nasty one, at that."

I nodded once briskly. "I was told that I needed…" Suddenly, I felt silly. I folded my hands over my stomach and peered down at my fingers, not quite certain if I had been told the truth.

"Yes?" The master clasped his hands behind his back, studying me curiously.

"That I needed to find true love." I was too stubborn to let my voice sound with anything but pride.

To my surprise, the wise old man chuckled. "Most definitely. And even for someone with no memories, what you require to break the spell is not impossible." He cleared his throat, then continued to peer into my eyes as if he could see something beyond that of violet irises.

I smiled. Maybe my predicament wasn't so silly after all.

"I can see that your heart contains an untainted light, and the shadow of doubt never dwells there for long." He closed his eyes thoughtfully before making his way around his office desk. "You will make friends easily here - no doubt."

He snapped his fingers, and a small card appeared in my hands with the names of my classes. My mouth gaped.

"I was asked to overlap your schedule with Master Sora's. Surely, he won't mind showing you around until you get used to this Academy."

Master Sora?

"Th-Thank you very much, Master!" I nearly laughed. My excitement was hardly containable. I held onto the card tightly as if it would fade as quickly as it had appeared.

He nodded sternly. "Take care. I have confidence that you will break the spell."

I was told to keep my distance - to give us space so that no one mistook us for friends. So I walked idly behind, pretending that it was of my own accord and that I had no care in the world that I was alone. Several students approached him, and my heart leapt when I heard Sora's laugh for the first time. From what it seemed, he was completely at ease around them.

"Who's the girl?" I heard a silver-haired boy ask, and so I toyed with my fingers, pretending that I was busy and hadn't noticed his question.

"Hell if I know!" Sora chuckled carelessly.

"Well, she's pretty," I heard someone else say. My face felt flushed, and I was very tempted to stick my fingers in my ears. Out of all the conversations going on around us - there were tons of students in the hall - why did theirs have to stand out the most?

"So what? There's a whole bunch of pretty girls here. Besides, red heads aren't my type." He sounded slightly aggravated.

I wasn't the least bit surprised.

"News flash, jerks aren't my type," I snapped under my breath.

I got the nerve to look up; Sora had paused for some reason, so I stopped as well, praying that I wasn't too close. I distracted myself with a bulletin board beside me and read some of Destiny Island's highlights.

"What's going on, man?" I heard another voice ask.

My stomach grumbled nervously. There's absolutely no way he could've heard me…

Right?

"It's nothing."

Phew. Relief!

When they started moving again, I followed suit, looking down at my card and reading the first row carefully.

Period One Room 507 Magic Arts Merlin

My eyes widened, and my heart began to thump so heavily against my chest, I could've sworn that the students walking past me could hear it. Magic? I was gonna learn how to use magic?

I was so caught up in my own excitement that I walked into someone. When I looked up, I took in a sharp breath of air and stepped back, only to be met with that familiar icy pair of daggers: a trademark of Sora's.

"Sorry," I mouthed.

He simply looked away (his friends were laughing at me) and walked into room 507 without a single word. I rolled my eyes and looked in another direction, waiting until everyone else had stepped into the classroom.

I would probably regret not paying attention later, but until then, I wasn't going to worry about the consequences.

I walked into the room, which turned out to be a lot larger than I had imagined. It was more like a miniature gymnasium, and there were actually stands instead of old-fashioned table-chair desks. There were several students piling into them, all talking and laughing and carrying on about their summers. There was only one person who seemed to keep to herself: a petite girl sitting by a diamond shaped window on the far left of the room (from the direction I was facing), allowing the light of the world outside to illuminate the sketchbook resting in her lap.

I made my way up the stands, receiving a lot of stares which I easily answered with a smile. My eyes wandered over to Sora, where he was sitting beside that silver-haired boy and a few others from before. From a safe distance, he looked happy. And for a moment, I felt like I was losing my marbles. Maybe I made up everything about this morning - how he had snatched me by the wrists and had said all those hateful things.

Nobody said anything about the Curse Mantra causing hallucinations, though. At least, not at this point. The curse was still pretty fresh. Master Yen Sid probably would've noticed if I was capable of experiencing such side effects.

Sora looked in my direction, and in the instant our eyes met, that happiness I noticed in him was gone. His eyes grew harsh and questioning, and before I had the chance to react, he had already turned away, focusing on the lively conversation next to him.

That's when I made up my mind. I was going to ask him (after school) why exactly he hated me so much. This whole situation was entirely immature and seemingly unreasonable (as far as I knew), and according to everyone I had come into contact with, I was a stranger. I had never been to Destiny Islands before. In other words, I had never met Sora before. What could I have done?

"Excuse me," a soft voice interrupted my storming thoughts.

The girl with the sketchbook was in front of me now; her lips curled into a delicate smile, and her soft blue-gray eyes slanted slightly. "Are you new here?"

"Yes," I nodded with a smile in return. "My name's Kairi."

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Naminé." Her voice was nothing short of sincere. "You looked troubled, so I thought I'd help you to a seat."

I followed her up to the top of the stands, where she took her spot by the window as I sat to her left. "This general spot's usually free," she chirped. "Or not crowded, I should say."

"Fine by me. I was planning on sitting over here, anyways," I giggled.

"Oh, are you a new student?" a girl with chestnut hair and bright emerald eyes asked from the row in front of me; the girl sitting beside her turned around as well, looking just as excited.

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm Kairi."

"Sweet! My name's Selphie."

"And I'm Olette," the girl sitting next to her also had green eyes, though they were a tad bit lighter. "So what brings you here to Kokoro?"

"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Selphie stood up and placed her hands on her hips. "She's a Keyblade wielder, like us! And she wants to train under the greatest masters of all the worlds, right?" she asked with a knowing grin.

My heart thudded. "What's a… 'Keyblade wielder'?"

Selphie gasped. "Huh? Whaddya mean 'What's a Keyblade wielder?' Everybody knows that."

"Apparently not." Olette snapped before she looked at me with concern.

Naminé placed a hand over her mouth; it seemed as if she saw something terrifying.

"Kairi, a Keyblade is an extension of one's heart. Its true purpose is to defend the light, or what we see as the light. Our friends, family… Our homes. There are many people with the potential to summon one, but it takes a true Keyblade wielder to become a master," Olette explained.

"We still have lots to learn about our Keyblades before we can even think about becoming masters," Selphie sighed, twirling her hair.

Naminé placed her hands in her lap. "Kairi…" Her voice was full of concern. "You don't know if you're a wielder, do you?"

I shook my head. It couldn't hurt to tell them about the curse, right? Perhaps that would clear some things up.

"I came to the academy for another reason," I replied after a moment. "Have you ever heard of a Curse Mantra?"

Naminé nodded. "Yes. I can sense one right now. So, you came here looking for a way to get rid of it," she concluded.

"Yeah."

"Ya know, not just anyone can be accepted into Kokoro. Master Yen Sid is very choosey. There must be something about you that he really, really appreciates." Selphie thought for a moment. "Are you a genius? Smarts like that would probably win the old man over."

I chuckled. "No, I'm definitely not a genius."

"Selphie's right. Master Yen Sid has turned down many students, simply because they lacked the potential as wielders. So, maybe you do have the potential. You just don't know it yet." Olette smiled.

"Maybe." I felt nervous. A Keyblade wielder? Me?

"About that curse of yours…" Olette continued. "You just need to battle it with true love, right? I learned about it in my studies last year."

"Oh, we can help you there!" Selphie cooed. "There are so many hunks in this school I can hook you up with. Hmm…" She looked around the classroom.

"True love, Selphie. Not lust," Olette huffed.

"True love," Naminé repeated in deep thought, peering down at her unfinished drawing.

It was, for the most part, an introduction day and an overview of the class study plans. It came and went, and in the time it took from bell to bell, my excitement had gathered immensely. I had even made three new friends in the first class of the day, so I was overjoyed with my progress. I would not only battle the curse with true love, but with true friendship as well. I felt something good in their hearts - in Selphie, Olette, and Naminé. Maybe their lights were strong as well.

I followed Sora to each of my classes but from a distance, of course, so that I didn't anger him any further than I already had (if that was possible). And in each class, I had introduced myself to smiling faces; it seemed as if I wasn't a burden to anyone else. Selphie, Olette, and Naminé had even appeared in a few of my other classes as well, so I sat with them and talked about all sorts of things. Selphie found it funny that I could recall absolutely nothing from my past - not even my home world. On the other hand, Naminé seemed perpetually worried; she had even assured me that I would find love and that she would help me do so to the best of her ability.

By the end of the day, after the final bell, we said our goodbyes; I headed to the bathroom. When I came out, the halls were completely deserted. I hadn't expected Sora to wait around for me, so I had already been mapping out my trip to the mansion in my head. I found my locker with some luck and a little patience and stacked the books I had collected throughout the day inside, making sure that everything was neat and organized before I closed the door.

Then, for the second time that day, a freezing wisp of air hit me, bringing with it an array of distant whispers.

'Princess…' It taunted its nickname for me as it had this morning; I looked all around me, hoping to find whatever the voices belonged to standing somewhere in the hallway.

It turned to screaming - thunderous screaming - as I lost the ability to stand, searing pain ripping through my head. I felt the cold tiles of the floor smash against my fallen knees and the way the ice of the air around me crept over my skin; my voice had been stolen, and though I wanted to call for help with every nerve in my body, my efforts were useless.

Through the blur of my vision, I saw something; its black body crept closer, and then there were more that followed, reaching for me over the screaming of their voices.

'Light!' They roared; I braced myself for the slashing and tearing that was bound to come, and yet, I felt nothing but a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Kairi!" Naminé cried out, placing her hands on my damp cheeks as if she was trying to wake me from a nightmare.

"Nami?" I panted. "Can you see them, too?"

"It's the Curse Mantra, Kairi. I can see it in your eyes. It's only making you think that it was the Heartless!"

I wiped my nose and noticed a deep red smear on the back of my hand. "Heartless?" So that's what those black things were supposed to be?

"Yes. Thank goodness I decided to come back. I left my sketchbook in my last period class on accident," she nearly laughed. Her voice was shaky.

"Here, take this." She helped me to my feet and handed me a tissue for my nose. "I'll walk to the mansion with you, Kairi. It's not safe for you to be alone."

"So if something like that starts to happen again…?"

"I'll snap you out of it," she smiled confidently.

Suddenly, I found myself wondering if she was a hallucination, too. After all, what I had just witnessed was proof that my curse was more severe than most Curse Mantras. Of course the bad stuff was gonna start happening sooner than later.

Unless I had never even crawled out of bed in the first place, and this was just another one of those nightmares.

If that's the case, when will I wake up?

When I walked through the door (it had been left unlocked), it seemed as if no one was home. I had a feeling that Asa had to work late; Sora was probably upstairs in his room taking a snooze. In the short time I've been here, two things were certain: Sora loved naps, and he hated me.

Oh, right. I was going to ask him about that, wasn't I?

I started my journey upstairs once I cut through the kitchen, noticing a dim light in the hallway above me. So I walked faster, my heart pounding with anticipation; when I made it all the way up, I didn't notice anyone. Then I heard footsteps coming up the stairs behind me, and I was met with a familiar pair of sky-blue eyes.

"Oh, hey!" I greeted him cheerfully, only to be ignored as he brushed past me with ease.

What a predictable response.

My frustration got the better of me. "What is your problem?" I snapped. I was scared, but I wasn't about to let him know that.

He froze momentarily, glancing over his shoulder in a sort of carefree manner. "That's rhetorical," he stated bitterly, smirking as if he somehow enjoyed upsetting me.

I groaned. Was that going to be his new favorite response?

"You have been treating me with nothing but disrespect ever since I got to this stupid island," I snarled with as much venom as I could. "Trust me, if I had a choice, I would not have come here knowing that I would have to meet someone as shallow and heartless as you!" I was shouting now; my hands were shaking, and I wanted nothing more than to get to the root of this.

He turned around completely, and for the first time (though it was only for an impossibly brief moment) there was something of regret in his eyes.

"I need you to hate me," he whispered with emotion I couldn't recognize.

Before he turned around and stormed away, I caught a glimmer of gold in his normally blue orbs.

Who was Sora, really?

The shower was my favorite thinking place, besides lying in a fluffy, comfy bed late at night when the whole world was sleeping. The hot steam left a screen of fog on the mirror in the shower; my silhouette made me appear as a ghost in the midst of the bathroom, barely visible to my tired eyes. I took in the intoxicating smell of fruits as I lathered myself in exotic soaps, focusing on the wet locks of my hair when I turned my attention to shampoo instead. It was all so heavenly that I feared I would soon fall asleep in the safety of the shower - where my privacy was secured by the locked door.

I thought about everything - how I had reacted with Sora when I had gotten back from school. I felt guilty, and I was certainly capable of handling my red-headed temper much better. Why did I let Sora get under my skin so much? We were practically strangers, and yet, if felt as if his opinion of me mattered. It didn't, did it?

Even though Sora had been so hateful, I could feel something good about him, too. Something that he certainly didn't want me to see, for whatever reason.

He needed me to hate him… but why? What was his reasoning?

The more I pondered, the more restless I became, and not even the warmth of the shower water could soothe me anymore. I climbed out wearily and wrapped myself in a towel before cracking the door open and peeking into the hallway. I caught a glimpse of him - of Sora resting against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked like he was thinking, too.

I closed the door quickly and quietly before he could catch me peeking, reasoning with myself.

I felt the incentive to apologize, even though I was completely certain that Sora didn't. So I made sure the towel was wrapped tightly around me before pressing the door open once more and creeping into a much cooler hall.

Sora drew his attention to me immediately as I shut the bathroom door behind me.

I took in a deep breath before meeting his eyes with my own.

"Sora?" I asked hesitantly before he pushed himself off the wall and stood up straight.

That's when I noticed it; his eyes were completely consumed with the gold I had noticed before. My brow furrowed in confusion.

In one swift movement, my wrists were collected and drawn up above my head, and the heat of his body was pressed closely against my own, only allowing hardly enough space to let my towel fall to my feet. I shivered and panted; my face grew flushed as I watched his golden orbs glaze over my chest, down over my torso, to a place where he had proceeded to place his knee and force my legs apart.

A heat foreign to me began to spread slowly from where we made contact, and my legs seemed to part on sheer need and instinct. Sora closed what little space that was left between us, nipping at my neck with his lips and his teeth.

"Sora, please stop it. I don't want this!" I nearly sobbed.

He groaned, bringing his eyes up to take in mine.

"Sora isn't here," he whispered in the hint of a snicker.

A black, hazy smoke began to rise like vapors from his body.

"What are you?" I spat, trying desperately to wiggle myself from his dominating grasp.

I felt something long and hard grind into the space between my legs, and his eyes closed in bliss; he returned to the softness of my neck, to that place just below my ear, and I heard his bubbling growls and pants for more. So he pursued just what he wanted, harder and faster until the heat had spread up through my stomach; my body was conjuring something explosive, and though the pleasure was immense, my heart knew it was wrong. I needed to escape - run to a place where I could lock the door and separate myself from this lustful monster.

He took in my lips with the softness of his own, hungrily rummaging my mouth with his needy tongue; that's when I gathered my senses and bit him so hard, I could taste his blood in my mouth. He hissed in pain, releasing my hands to place his own at his bleeding lips.

I took the chance I had and ran with full speed to my bedroom, making sure to lock my door. Only once had I dared to look back, and the color blue met my worried, instantaneous glance.

I had hurt the monster, but I had also hurt Sora.

As I fell on top of my bed, panting and sobbing from the shock of what had happened, only then did I realize that I wasn't the only one with a curse to fight.

Sora had a curse too, and it was one that could consume him completely at any given moment.

That night, I lied awake in the darkness of my room, peering out into the moonlit sky, wondering - worrying - about the tortured boy in the room across from me.

A/N: I have a severe case of writer's block for my other stories, so in the midst of taking a hiatus, my mind conjured up yet another story. I apologize for having not updated in so long. I'm starting out fresh with a new story, and I have plenty of ideas for this, so I can't imagine arriving at any dead ends.

I wanted this to be as original as possible without being too strange and/or cliché (I'm so tired of reading the same storylines over and over again), and the fantasy genre leaves a great deal of room to be creative. This chapter was a heck of a lot of fun to write, though it had its challenges as well. I had deleted and rewritten it a few times before I was even at ease with the introduction paragraph/s.

I'm open to reviews, so please let me know what you think of it so far!

Since the title of the story is "True Colors," each chapter is going to have a color theme (since everyone probably knows that different colors have different meanings). If anyone out there has any ideas, just let me know. :)