Yuki sat on top of a gravestone watching X pace back and forth. He had been silent for the most part since the mission had started. This surprised Yuki as he had admitted to having no clue what they were supposed to be doing. She would have at least thought he would ask questions. Instead, he only paced looking off into the distance with a hard look.

"Are you done yet?" Yuki asked. X glanced at her with an unamused look.

"Why? Are you in a hurry?" He asked. Yuki sighed leaning her chin against her hand. Once she would have cowered away from X's unfriendly behavior, now she didn't care one way or the other. X would be X, and he was usually annoyed.

"No, I just want to leave," Yuki replied. X smirked and stopped his pacing, turning to face Yuki.

"Ok, what are we supposed to do?" X asked. Yuki stood, stretching as she began walking into the town of dark brick.

"There's a scientist in this world who tried to create a heart that could be used to control the Heartless. The boss wants us to check it out." Yuki explained. X rolled his eyes following her into the town.

"Sure, that's their excuse. Probably just want to see if he can actually do it and save us a step in getting ours back." X said. Yuki laughed, nodding in agreement. "Really, they put in too much effort, all for us just to return to being our others."

Yuki frowned in confusion. She had never heard the term other before. She wasn't sure what she thought of the use of it. It was strange and unusual. Yuki couldn't decide what it meant. She glanced over her shoulder at X.

"Others?" She asked. X looked up at her in question.

"You've never heard the term?" He asked. Yuki turned her head away. The way X said it made it seem like it was a commonly used term. A term she should know. As simple as Heartless. Yuki felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment realizing she once again failed to gain so much knowledge.

"No, can't say I have." She said briskly. X stopped walking behind her and leaned against a wall. Yuki too stopped after hearing that X had stopped. She turned to face X calmly, hoping the red in her cheeks had faded. X didn't make any reaction to her turning so she assumed it wasn't noticeable.

"It's who you used to be, back when you had a heart. Your Somebody is another common term used." X explained with a wave of his hand. He was looking past Yuki in a way he often did. Sometimes she thought he could see things no one else could, but she always dismissed the thought.

Yuki frowned once again. If they were identified by some other term that must mean something had changed greatly when the heart was lost. Why else would they not call themselves the same things they once did? But there was still a link to the past. A Somebody was just your other. Someone you could find again. To Yuki, it sounded like a desperate attempt to cling to humanity.

"So, we really are different from our someone's?" Yuki asked. X let his gaze slowly wander over to Yuki. He looked at her for a moment, his calm purple eyes locking with her clear blue ones.

"Sometimes." X finally responded. Yuki raised an eyebrow in question. X sighed and rolled his eyes before continuing his explanation, ignoring Yuki's silent question. "I think the term other was coined because they were basically the other us. Not to say they were exactly the same, but they're usually pretty close."

"Usually?" Yuki asked, seeing that if she remained silent X would ignore her questions. Another one of his annoying habits. X shrugged calmly.

"Well, sometimes there's a major change. Like Sykitune, for instance. Now she's very rash and such, act now think later. Before losing her heart she was a worrywart, constantly freaking out if her brother and his best friend were so much as out of her sight line. Then again her brother is Axel so that could explain it." X said. Yuki frowned thinking of the red-haired Heartless. She couldn't imagine her ever trying to stop someone from causing trouble. She would probably help them get into more trouble. It was surprising to hear such a change when the usual account was not much had changed. X tipped his head to the side, watching Yuki think. "From what I've heard a few of the older ones changed a lot too. I don't know much about them though." He added.

"Huh, I thought you knew everything," Yuki said softly, only half listening to what X had said. X looked at her startled. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

"What gave you that impression?" He asked looking away. Yuki smiled softly watching him.

"You just always seem to know exactly what's going on and you taught me a lot when I was barely out of the zombie mode. No matter the question you would have an answer, even if it wasn't one I could understand." She explained. Out of all the others she knew, X was usually the one she would ask questions. He seemed to always have an answer and was always honest about his answer. It was a reassuring trait very few shared.

"I never thought about it that way," X muttered, keeping his eyes on the ground. Yuki smiled towards him before turning back around.

"Come on. Let's finish up here." She said. X glanced up and nodded.

Yuki and X skirted around the edges of the town square, looking for any sign of the town's inhabitants. It looked to be empty for the most part. The only two visible were a very tall skeleton and a small being in a wheelchair. They seemed to be discussing some matter of great importance. That was fortunate for the two Heartless, as they were on the other side of the square. Yuki glanced over her shoulder at X to see his opinion. He was watching the two across the square carefully. Yuki returned her attention to the two just as they left the square, still deep in discussion.

"That's fortunate for us." X said calmly. Yuki nodded in agreement.

"Now all we have to do is figure out which one of these buildings is the scientist's lab," Yuki said looking around. X followed her gaze to each one of the buildings. He frowned glancing back towards where the two had just vanished to.

"Kids," X warned. Yuki quickly turned to see what he was talking about. Sure enough, there were three kids running into the square. Yuki smiled softly.

"That's actually helpful." She said. X looked at her in confusion. Yuki whistled loudly, causing the kids to turn their attention towards her. They cowered the moment they saw her. Yuki motioned for them to come over to her. They slowly approached her, almost shaking in fear.

"W-what do you want?" The little witch asked, trying to hide the fact she was afraid. Yuki smiled at her calmly.

"I need to know where the scientist's lab is." Yuki said. The three kids looked at each other and had a silent debate on if they should help her or not. Finally, they turned to Yuki.

"You mean Dr. Finklestein right?" The skeleton boy asked. Yuki nodded, glancing at X who also nodded.

"It's this way, come on." The devil boy said, holding his head high and leading the way. The other two children followed him without a word.

"How did you do that?" X asked.

"Last time I saw them I was with Zakey. She threatened to steal their hearts, so they said they'd help anyone wearing a white coat like ours." Yuki explained following the kids. They were already in front of a structure, fighting with a lock. Yuki and X reached them just as the lock popped open.

"Here it is." The witch girl said.

"Thanks," Yuki said looking inside the entryway. "Keep watch and let us know when he's coming back." She ordered. The three kids nodded quickly as Yuki and X went inside.

"Do you really think they'll keep watch?" X asked. Yuki shrugged.

Inside the two went up a set of stairs. They ended up in a large room that seemed to be the lab. Without a word, they split up looking for any sort of records. Yuki went to a bookshelf and began taking down books and flipping through them. Most looked like notes on inventions. One was a comprehensive list of every Heartless they had ever seen in the town and where. Another had notes on a specific creation called Sally. From what Yuki saw she was by far the most successful of his creations. A living being he had created.

"Terror, fear, hope, despair, surprise, and memory," X announced from across the room. Yuki looked over at him in question. He was leaned against a wall with a book open in his hands. He looked up at Yuki with a grin. "That's what he used in creating a heart."

"That doesn't seem right to me." Yuki said, closing the book she had been reading and slipping it back up on the shelf. X shrugged.

"I think the only thing he got right was those were there. There's a lot more in a heart." He admitted, returning his attention to the book. "The experiment failed. Probably too many fear-related emotions. Wonder why they used so many." He said, half to himself.

"This world is supposed to inspire fear, but really I've only ever seen it as comical." Yuki said. X looked up at her again. He seemed to consider his answer for sometime before speaking.

"It's hard to decide, just what exactly people are scared of." X said slowly. Yuki narrowed her eyes in thought. Was there anything she was afraid of? Nothing came to mind.

"Are you scared of anything?" Yuki asked, looking to X. X looked at her in shock. He closed the book and began pacing around the lab. He seemed to be thinking as he walked.

"Scared?" He asked. Yuki nodded, though she knew he wasn't really asking. "I guess a few things scare me, but not much. It's usually more dislike or annoyance than anything for me." He said. He picked up a vial filled with a greenish fluid and studied it.

"Can I ask what? I mean the annoyance and dislike part." Yuki asked. It interested Yuki. She often noticed X was annoyed with things. Was it because of an underlying fear or dislike?

"Keyblades are the biggest," X said casually, without so much as a glance towards Yuki.

"Keyblades?" Yuki asked in shock. X nodded, setting down the vial he had been looking at and moving on.

"Yup." He said.

"Why?" Yuki asked in confusion. X glanced over at her with a sly smirk that made Yuki almost regret asking.

"No, I'm X." He said. Yuki sighed in exasperation and glared at X. He laughed, one of his few real laughs that weren't full of sarcasm. Yuki couldn't help to smile a little listening to it. "Have you ever heard of the ancient keyblade war?" X asked after he had finished laughing.

"No," Yuki replied, looking at X with sudden interest. X looked at her unconvinced. He probably thought it should have been common knowledge.

"You sure?" He asked. Yuki nodded. "How about the story of how darkness came to be, you've heard that right?" Yuki nodded again.

"Once," Yuki admit. X nodded.

"That story ends with the world being consumed by darkness. That was a result of the keyblade war. Or perhaps the result. Keyblade wielders fought each other to the death. People they had grown up with and once called friend were slaughtered with no concern. Not a single person survived. If they walked out on that battlefield they died." X explained with a soft voice. It was obvious he held great respect for life. The thought of losing so many was terrible to him.

"Oh...." Yuki said with a soft exhale.

"My master taught me that story. Since then I've hated keyblades. They always seem to be the center of wars. They bring death wherever they go." X continued on. Yuki nodded, looking down. It made sense to dislike keyblades for that reason. But also, there were many other wars fought with other weapons. Why didn't he dislike other weapons like he did keyblades?

"Are other weapons any better?" Yuki asked softly.

"Other weapons are feared like they should be. Keyblades are considered a blessing to whoever wields one." X replied. Yuki nodded slowly. She wasn't exactly sure what X meant, but she rarely was. X was a walking riddle.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." X said. He lead the way out with Yuki trailing behind him in thought. Her mind raced thinking of all she knew about X and the way he thought. It was always different. He never agreed with what was being done, but he went along with it anyway.

Outside of the building they found the children already gone. X muttered a few curses but continued walking to the edge of town. Yuki glanced up at him.

"I have another question X," Yuki announced. X glanced over his shoulder at her.

"You usually do." He said. "What is it?"

"What did you mean when you said you were never on board in the first place?" Yuki asked. X was silent for a moment, trying to remember when he had said that. Finally placing it, he nodded.

"Just what it sounds like. I've never agreed with the organizations' plan, I don't want Kingdom Hearts." X said simply.

"Oh," Yuki said, not satisfied with the answer. "So, do you think what they're doing is bad?" She asked. X tipped his head from side to side considering it.

"Not bad per say, more it's not my own wish." He said. Yuki nodded again. X snapped, opening a dark corridor. It was only then Yuki realized they were outside of the town.

"Are you going to the clock tower today?" Yuki asked.

"Can't, promised Y I'd help her." X replied.

"With what?" Yuki asked. X shrugged.

"Same thing it always is when we can't make it." He replied. Yuki nodded, they were always out looking for someone.

"What did she mean by that anyway? Her wayfinder?" Yuki asked curiously.

"The wayfinder is sorta the symbol of her friends. The one she's looking for is the mom of the group. It was her who led them a lot of the time. Found their way." X explained calmly. He didn't look very happy talking about this friend.

"She's only looking for one?" Yuki asked. X shook his head.

"No, she just already knows where the other two are." He said before going through the dark corridor. Yuki sighed with a frown. She followed him through the dark corridor her mind still trying to process what she had learned this mission.

*<3*

Yuki reached the clock tower to see only Roxas sitting there. He was looking down at the ground with a hardened gaze. Yuki sat beside him quietly watching him with concern.

"Munny for your thoughts?" Yuki asked. Roxas looked up at her in shock. He tried to smile at her but it was quickly apparent the attempt was futile.

"I want to yell and punch something," Roxas said simply, looking back towards the ground. Yuki noticed his fist clench tightly.

"I'm going to say that's anger." Yuki said. "What happened?"

"Axel attacked Xion." Roxas said. Yuki blinked in surprise.

"You guys saw her?" She asked. Roxas nodded. "Why did he attack her?"

"I don't know. I know his orders were to bring her back. But he shouldn't have attacked without trying to talk to her first." Roxas replied. Yuki could see his eyes reflecting the light, more so than usual. She gently reached out and placed her hand on his. He looked up at her surprised.

"We'll figure it out. You'll have to wait and see what Axel has to say about it though." Yuki said. Roxas nodded and smiled softly at Yuki.

"Right." He agreed. He looked back to the setting sun, making no attempt to remove Yuki's hand from his own. "Thanks, Yuki."

*<3*

Day 298- Others,
Today was an interesting day. I was paired with X in Halloween Town. He told me about others and a keyblade war. Others, as it turns out, is just another term for your Somebody. It's weird to think I haven't heard of so many of these things. He also told me though he doesn't agree with the organizations' plan he doesn't think it's bad. I wonder if that's why he just goes along with it.
I sat with Roxas at the clock tower. Axel attacked Xion. I'm not sure what to think about it.