Hey guys! Yeah I know, this took too long. ;; But now I have KH:DDD, and there are too many feels, so I'm taking breaks and writing this story. Please bear with me~

Please read and review!

~ Akane

P.S. Please read this in the 1/2 format~ I find it makes it a lot better to read~!

The Maiden Awakens

Chapter Four - A World In Pain

"Here, drink this."

I pushed Kyo's hand away, refusing the water he offered me for the fifth time. We had quite a bit of water left, but neither Kyo nor Nara would take any for themselves. They both were warriors, used to such situations, and they knew I was not. I was already forced by them to sit on a large rock, something about conserving my energy.

Nara had chosen this World to land on - or crash land in my terms - but as soon as we had taken our first step onto the land we were surrounded. They called themselves Silver Guards, threatening our lives if we fought back. Even knowing we could defend ourselves just fine, I refused to attack innocents. My companions surrendered with me, and the three of us had been led somewhere, wearing blindfolds.

Now we were underground and behind bars, unsure of where we were. Many others filled the damp space, but none of them seemed as confused as us. All of them were wearing armour and carrying weapons. I couldn't help but notice how the younger ones remained huddled together in the corner and showing fright on their faces. The older ones would sometimes close in on us, eyeing Kyo's flask of water or pouch of food. One look from him and they decided it wasn't worth it.

Where had we landed?

"It's no use." Nara sighed, returning after her search for an escape route. "The only ways out are behind the bars, or that stone door there." She motioned to the other side of the room, where the stone was coloured different than the rest of the walls. "If we wanted to escape now, we'd have to fight our way out." I shook my head. "I know; no fighting humans. I'm just saying it would be easier."

"Where do you think we are?" I questioned, taking another look around.

"By the structure of these pillars and the way the ceiling is formed, these ruins appear to have once been some sort of dungeon or treasury."

Nara nodded. "No one getting in or out without them noticing. Makes sense."

Kyo's words seemed to grab the attention of one of the captives, an older man who had been watching us since our arrival. He shook his head, making his way towards us, trying not to bring too much attention to the others. "This place had once stood magnificently, towering over us as a sign of what the people have conquered." The man mumbled, his voice holding whatever strength he had left. Closer now, I could see how the lack of nutrients had affected him; his skin was pale, his eyes red, and his arms were shaking slightly. He stood proud despite his suffering, reminding me of the warrior aura that Kyo also held around him. "Now it only stands for death."

Kyo swore, understanding what I hadn't. "It's an execution ground."

His whispered words froze her in her place.

She dared not move from her spot as he hovered beside her, chuckling at the excitement of the crowd below them. The people did not know the truth that she knew; what really happened behind the stone walls of the old coliseum.

Tears streamed down her face; there was nothing she could do except cry from her watchers seat.

The death bell echoed.

The older man shook his head at the sound. He sauntered over to his previous spot, picking up an old rusted sword that had been leaning on a stone pillar.

As I watched him, I found myself enable to breathe. Unable to think. All I could feel was pain clawing at my heart.

Before the bell had rung, the older man had explained that the imprisoned warriors were forced to fight monsters in exchange for something. Some fought for glory and riches, while others had been criminals fighting for their freedom.

I couldn't hear anything, not even the question that had left Nara's lips. She had asked what I didn't need anyone to answer. I could sense them. Sense their darkness tickle my skin. I knew what the man had meant; The enemy they had been fighting was not one they could defeat.

"They're here," I whispered weakly.

Nara turned to me, seeing my reaction for the first time. "Heartless?"

I nodded. The harsh shrill of the metal bars earned everyone's attention, and my friends both tensed as they waited for a sign that it was safe to flee. Two men appeared in the way of our freedom, both large and tall, wearing swords at their hips and masks covering the top half of their faces. They were the same guards we had seen when we had arrived.

Nara reached for her own blades, but I grabbed onto one of her arms and held her back.

When she looked at me, I shook my head. "Right," she mumbled. "No innocents."

One of the guards turned to the older man and motioned to the stone door at the other side of the room. "Today, Champion fights first."

The older man sighed and nodded, lifting his sword with weak confidence. It was the look in his eyes that told me what he knew. His look was of surrender; he wasn't going to make this battle.

"Let us fight instead," I spoke, loud enough for the guards to hear me. I wondered if they could tell how badly my voice was shaking as I watched the older man's eyebrows crease in confusion.

Kyo must have realized what I was trying to do and continued. "I'm sure we would be more of an amusing show for your audience."

Nara grinned. "Yeah! Outsiders like us play better than old men anyways!"

I smiled at them, happy to have such friends and allies by my side.

"You think you stand a chance to face a Champion's enemy?" The second guard snickered.

Both guards exchanged brief amused looks, before the first guard nodded. "Let the outsiders learn their place."

The older man tried to argue, telling them that children stood no chance against his foes. They ignored him as they led the three of us to the door. Everyone was watching us while we passed, either curious or fearing for our lives. I didn't want any of them to sacrifice anything, so I refused to stop smiling. As long as we fought for them, they would be safe.

Light flooded slowly through the stone door when it opened; I turned to smile at the older man before he was no longer in my sight.

The impatient crowd burst to life when the gates opened. They expected to see their Champion, their King, tear apart his enemies with his mighty sword.

What they saw instead brought shouts of anger and confusion rather than those of excitement. The ones that took the champions place were a simple group of teenagers, one around her age, and the other two slightly older. The older ones seemed to circle the girl in the middle as if to protect her, taking in their surroundings. She watched the older female's lips move, turning to the male who nodded in return. The clothes they wore were new to her, styles she had only seen in fantasy stories and tales read to her as a child.

When she finally looked away from the two to the girl between them, she realized the brunette was staring at her. Their eyes locked together, ignoring the large distance between them. The girl had no emotion on her face when she tilted her head, then saying something to her allies.

"That is her," the hooded man whispered into her ear. His slight chuckle sent chills down her spine. "She is the one to be destroyed, my master wants."

She shook her head, wanting so much to argue against him. Biting her lip to keep silent, she felt the tears once again fall from her eyes.

Too many lives were at risk, three should be nothing, no matter how wrong it was.

Save me.

The old man's laughter echoed off the stone walls, making the other contestants nervous as well as capturing their attention.

After returning from the first round with a cheering crowd left behind us, we had discovered much from the old man, starting with his name; Eldon. I was so happy to see him in such a cheerful mood, even after his lecture about how dangerous it had been. He agreed to exchange his knowledge if we shared with him how we had survived. Without telling him about the other worlds, I summoned my keyblade to show him, explaining that we had been traveling to destroy those monsters.

Eldon had sighed, bowing his head to thank us. He began with his story after we returned to our previous rocks. Only a week ago, he had been king, ruling his kingdom in peace and teaching his daughter how to follow in his place.

"Was that her, watching from the top of the crowd?" I had asked. The resemblance between them was amazing, and I had seen the connection before the fight. Her long black hair was a darker version of her fathers, not lightened with age, and the eyes matched perfectly. That had been the first thing to catch my attention, the second the redness of her eyes. Everyone else had been excited, but she was so sad.

Eldon continued after confirming my question. He told us how the heartless appeared slowly, only in small towns and even smaller villages. Soon, they attacked the capitol; by that time he had already lost too much against them. The people had no chance fighting an enemy that could not be hurt by their weapons, so when a hooded man came before him to reach a compromise, Eldon had no choice but to agree.

The stranger kept his daughter Miya by his side at all times, threatening his life along with her childhood friend, a boy named Sai. Eldon fought the heartless so his people could watch, thinking it was simply a show.

He sighed, rubbing at his temples. "The only reason I am still alive is that those monsters do not kill me. They toy with me, wound me, but do not go further then that."

"Please don't worry." I smiled, understanding the trouble and pain this world had been through. "We'll find a way to stop this, I promise."

Eldon bowed again, hiding the tears I had seen shine in his eyes and thanking him from the bottom of his heart.

A few days later, Nara and Kyo had helped me decide on a plan of action. We had been fighting the heartless on and off since meeting Eldon, building a plan around it. Soon, they were going to try and separate us to fight the enemy, and we would let them. One would keep the audience entertained, while the other two would break out into the rest of the dungeon. First they would free the boy Sai, and then move to the top of the coliseum to approach the hooded man. Afterword, we would search for the keyhole and I would seal this worlds Heart away from the heartless. I knew the plan sounded easier than it would be, but we had no other option. With the little food and water they were giving and how the enemies were getting stronger each time, they couldn't hold much longer.

The doors opened again, the same guards that had entered the first time now wore solemn looks upon their faces. Quickly they approached, separating my friends from my with the weapons they carried. A murmur spread through the watching crowd, all of them backing away from the larger men.

"Today only you," the taller one grumbled.

Giving a look to my friends after hearing the familiar click of Nara's sheath, I hoped that would be enough to stop them from following me. When we had decided on the plan, the two of them seemed to have talked to themselves about who would fight under the crowd's eyes. I couldn't tell if they were overprotective or they didn't think I was ready, but either way I needed to do this. The two of them together were fit for such a task, and would be able to rescue the princess a lot quicker than I could. At my current level, the most I could do was form a distraction.

With a little push from the guard, the doors closed behind me. I could barely hear my heartbeat over the crowd. Shadows emerged from the ground, the weakest form of Heartless. How many rounds would buy enough time for the others?

The Keyblade flashed in my hands, my eyes moving to the hooded figure above. I could barely see him, but I could feel him watching me as I watched him. His presence sent shivers down my spine, a fragment of a memory I couldn't recall.

The Heartless made their move.

"Now?"

"No, wait a minute longer."

Nara bit her bottom lip, tapping one of her swords gently against the wall. She was impatient and wanted to move quickly, but the patrolling guards were still too close. The reactions of the crowd gave away Ami's progress and told them that she was still alright. If they waited too long, the Heartless she faced would be too much for her.

They had finished gathering information from the other prisoners; the princesses' friend was locked away on the other side. Nara and Kyo decided the plan needed to change, and they would save Ami first. They wouldn't make it to the other side without being noticed or causing a fuss, so the priority was to make sure she was safe.

When the last guard was out of sight, Kyo gave Nara the signal to open the door. The lock itself was simple, so the two of them managed to escape easily into the stone hallway that had led them there. No one dared to follow them.

The number of guards surprised both of them, barely finding enough places to hide when one of them passed. Without being spotted, they didn't need to worry about fighting; they had promised not to unless it was completely necessary.

As they neared halfway point, they were led into a large hall crawling with heartless. On the other end began the staircase that would take them to the Princess.

Kyo swore, motioning to an open space the Heartless had begun to swarm. "They can reach the crowd there, where those innocent people are watching. The hooded man wasn't planning any fights after this. All of those watchers were to feed his monsters."

In a swift movement, Nara felt the tightened grip of her swords in both hands and saw Kyo's weapon appear in the corner of her eye. The anger boiled inside her, fuelling the fire on her blades as she whispered the spell. "Then we have a feast to crash."

Together they sprinted towards them, Nara speeding ahead and narrowing the crowd while Kyo finished the stragglers. He was unable to use magic, so the two created a system after the initial attack; she would slow down a small circle of them so they would be easier for Kyo to fell in one swift swing. It was a tiring process, but proved very useful as they continued up the staircase.

Once they reached the top however, both of them froze, unsure of how to continue. In front of them stood a pair of giant doors, melded together with darkness that oozed and boiled through the cracks.

"What do we do now?" Nara said, catching her breath. She had always been told she was a natural when it came to using magic, but it still tired her when too much energy was used.

Kyo slashed at the darkness, watching it blend again a second later. "Without Ami, we need to locate and defeat the one who created this."

"Then you two have nothing to worry about," a new voice echoed off the walls.

The two spun around, ready to strike. There stood the hooded figure, arms crossed as he watched them. Nara prepared to attack, but questioned the presence this figure held. It was not the same she had felt from the figure watching in the coliseum. When the figure lowered the hood, long strands of black hair fell around the face.

The woman grinned, her fangs glinting under the candle light and her red eyes shining.

"I'm right here."

The potion I drank felt cool down my throat, restoring only a slight bit of my energy. I could use healing spells, but it took several minutes before my body allowed me to use the spell again.

I had taken a moment to myself after finishing the last round. My wounds weren't great and I found them easy to heal, though I could not take the beating for much longer. My legs and arms were shaking with fatigue, and each enemy proved more difficult than the last.

A scream broke my thoughts, melting together with others from the crowd. Panicking, the watchers scrambled in all directions. I could see the darkness that they fled from, Shadows crawling into the stands. I jumped up to help them, but something stood in my way. It couldn't be seen, an invisible wall I could reach out and touch. The force sent me flying when I struck it; I wasn't getting past unless I could break it somehow. I stood and tried again. The result was the same.

As I went to try a third time, a silver flash caught the corner of my eye. I jumped back, missing the full force of the attack as it scratched my ankle. The pain grew when I landed, causing me to collapse onto one knee, using the keyblade as balance. The enemy attacked again, but I was prepared and deflected it with my own weapon. In front of me, the enemy's blade struck the ground; it was curved, reminding me of the tool my father used to cut the grass when it grew too long.

My eyes followed the chain attached to the blade. I felt my heart drop and my fear rising; there stood the hooded man, pulling his weapon back to him.

"You are lucky. That was meant to strike you down."

I could see his crimson eyes hidden behind his black hair even before he pulled his hood back. There was something wild and threatening in his eyes that had me wishing I could run away.

"Who are you?" I called to him, attempting to distract him to buy more time. "Why are you doing this to these people?!"

The stranger threw his weapon again, my Keyblade barely able to knock it away. "If my master wants Hearts what better way than to gather them?" He grinned, his eyes remaining dark. "Your heart remains the greatest prize. Sisi and I are ecstatic."

My heart sunk at the realization; there were two of them, that was why my friends were taking so long. I needed to hurry, running at him instead of keeping my distance. Once again I barely blocked his attack, the blade digging into my shoulder.

Our fighting continued, neither winning over the other. I was afraid, but that fright was what kept me strong, what stopped my body from collapsing. Unlike mine, his weapon was designed to cut and the wounds it inflicted tore into my skin. It was a mystery how much blood I had lost; I tried to push the thought away, worried it would bring the pain to the front of my mind.

The princess was still frozen. Nara and Kyo were nowhere to be seen. The concern was enough of a distraction for his attack to strike again. Both of us stopped, standing on opposite sides of the arena once again. My lungs begged for air in this pause, my body shivering. The enemy smirked at the difference between us.

Even though I had hit him just as much, it didn't even appear I was hurting him in the slightest.

Another scream fell on my ears, my eyes catching the sight seconds before the citizen disappeared. My heart beat echoed in my head, blocking out any noise that followed. These people needed me, and I was failing them. If I couldn't beat him, they would all die.

If I couldn't save them, there was no hope for me to save my friends. My home.

My knees collapsed finally, the reality of my lack of strength taking over, and I watched the enemy make his way to me to finish what he had started.

I should never have been given this gift. It was too much for me. It should have been Riku, with his urge to protect those weaker than him. It could have been Sora, with his kind heart and friendly smile.

A woman's voice whispered in my head, different from the voice I usually hear. Words that were familiar but that I couldn't remember. The man stood over me now; I watched his lips move as he talked to me, but there was no sound. No pain. I was so numb I couldn't even feel the tears fall down my cheeks.

The hooded man smirked and raised his weapon, preparing for his final strike.

Ami.

The duo caught their breath. The silence between them was thick while Nara healed Kyo's arm, cut from the hooded woman's blade. Nara recognized the weapon, a chained shakra similar to the ones on her world, and knew the best way to heal the wound.

They had done well against the girl, standing on equal levels, the battle only shifting when Kyo had been distracted by a scream, their enemy taking the chance to strike. Minutes later, something had grabbed the woman's attention and she disappeared from sight, leaving the two tired and concerned. Was Ami alright?

Kyo stood, rotating his arm and mumbling his thanks. In another situation Nara would tease him, but they had a silent agreement to continue on as quickly as possible.

Nara turned to the door, motioning towards the lack of darkness. They remained cautious as they opened it together, unsure of what had happened to let them through. On the other side, the princess was no longer frozen and was clinging to a boy neither of them recognized. He seemed to be calming her down, and perked up when he saw the two, motioning over the edge of the booth. They exchanged a brief look before both decided to look down into the coliseum.

Nara felt her heart leap into her throat, confused and terrified by what she saw. Telling Kyo to stay with the princess and the boy she presumed was her dear friend, Nara jumped off the sides, using her magic to slow her body as she jumped from level to level.

Both of the enemy siblings were there, on the opposite side as Ami, but the woman was trying to help the man to stand. He appeared to be greatly wounded, and Nara was surprised about the level of fear in the woman's eyes.

When Nara got closer to Ami, she could begin to understand why.

The small girl was standing tall, as if she couldn't feel the blood from her injuries that fell down her arms and soaked her clothes. Ami's skin itself was glowing white as she walked towards the enemy, her Keyblade changed into a form Nara had never seen before. Her normally straight hair seemed to float, but they formed curls instead.

"Ami!" Nara called out for her as she hit the same level. It took a second delay, but the girl turned to her. Nara's breath caught.

The bright blue eyes she knew had transformed into gold, her pupils faded over.

Nara continued towards her, aware that the enemy team had used the chance to escape. "Ami! It's me!" The girl stared blankly at her, and Nara was unsure if she even recognised her. "It's Nara, please, come back to us!"

As Nara reached her, the Keyblade and the strange presence vanished, leaving the small girl to fall against her. Nara wrapped her arms tightly around her, whispering encouraging words and promising safety as the girl fell asleep. Nara raised her head to the booth, her eyes locking with Kyo's.

What had happened?

"Please, tell her when she wakes up."

Nara smiled back at the princess while Kyo only nodded, shifting Ami in his arms.

It was the next day, and things had finally started to settle down. The two had learned that Ami had pushed back the enemy, and in wounding him released the spell that had the princess, Miya, trapped. Sai was unsure of how he had gotten there, but when he woke up, Miya had been crying in front of him, and Ami had been fighting back with questioning strength.

The two had told the King and Miya they wished to return to where they were from, even though the girl had not woken up. Eldon was unsure and didn't like the idea, but he agreed, as long as they were able to say goodbye when the time came.

"We will, Your Majesties." Nara said, bowing to them as she would bow to royalty on her World. She took the small box from the Princess, deciding not to argue about the gift. Ami wouldn't be happy, not wanting something in return, but she'll face that when the girl woke. "We will make sure she gets this, and knows about your gratitude."

They said their final goodbyes, and headed for the Gummi Ship. Nara moved quickly, and Kyo didn't question her. Ami would be able to rest properly in Traverse Town, and it would be easier for the two to protect her there.

Nara also knew the only one she could question about what had happened was Leon. If anyone would know, it was him.

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