A/N: Lines in italics are the thoughts of the character while lines in italics with quotation marks represent memories.

Prologue: The End of Things

The last thing Hayner remembered was a feeling of vertigo as the sky suddenly turned black and the world around him shattered like so many pieces of broken glass. He also remembered the argument; he didn't think he would ever be able to forget that. When he awoke sometime later, Hayner had no idea where he was, how he'd gotten there, or how long he'd been out of it. The one thing he did know was that he was completely, horribly alone.

He found himself on a beach, not unlike the one at home in Twilight Town, but that was where all sense of familiarity ended. As he slowly trudged towards what appeared to be a road, a feeling of utter desolation settled over the teen rising into panic as he took in the scene before him. Gone. All the people, all signs of life that once inhabited this place, wherever this was, were just gone. It was like the gods had reached down and erased every man, woman and child right out of existence.

This isn't happening…it can't be happening…

Hayner wandered down what looked to be the main thoroughfare of the town…where the hell am I, anyway?... and took in what was left. There were cars crashed into buildings or street signs, engines still idling, the sounds of music could be heard playing from an open window and there was the smell of something burning in the air. Following the smell led Hayner to the kitchen of a small diner where there was what looked like bacon burning on an open faced grill. Turning off the heat and removing the now inedible breakfast to a nearby sink, Hayner then moved back out into the dining room where several plates of half eaten food and cups of coffee were scattered, left behind like everything else in this place.

After wandering around for what seemed to be hours and finding no one, the desolate teen sat with his back against a nearby tree and buried his head in his arms as the first sob escaped him.

I didn't mean it…oh gods…I swear I didn't mean it…

"Gods, I wish I'd never met you! You want me gone? You never want to see me again? Fine! I'm gone and if I have my way I'll disappear to someplace where I will never have to look at your face ever again."

"Oh Gods, what have I done?"