Don't own Kingdom hearts or its characters no matter how much I wish I did.  Kiara is mine, ask before you use her and if I say yes make sure to give proper credit or what not.  On to story!

"That sounded like Aeris!" said Sora and stepped closer to Riku, unconsciously grabbing the other boy's hand.

"Hey!  Let go of me!" yelled Zidane. "Hands off my.."

They heard a loud thud off to their right where Zidane had been.

"What's going on!?" Kairi asked urgently.

Riku was knocked over by a blow to the face by a soft feathery object.  Sora and Kairi knelt and grouped around in the darkness for their companion.  They heard Leon's gunblade go off and then clatter to the ground.

"Leon!" Yuffie yelled. "Ahh!"

"What is going on?" Sora thought.  "We need some light."

As if on queue bright lights turned on high overhead.  Sora was temporarily blinded by the brightness of the white lights.  When his eyes adjusted he saw Riku a few feet back from where he was crouched wiping blood from his nose.  He turned back to where he had heard Yuffie scream.

"Oh my god," muttered Kairi and she helped Riku up.

Leon lay impaled by his own blade on the blue-black stone.  Yuffie was draped over his legs with her giant throwing star in her back.  A shadow heartless jumped on Aeris's mutilated and dismembered body.  Cid was on his knees leaning forward with his spear through his chest propping him up.  Blood pooled around them all.  Cloud was still upright though, he was chained against the far wall next to the dark throne but he was unconscious.  Zidane was curled up like a small child near the right wall of the small entrance hall.

"Where's Kiara?" wondered Riku and he killed the shadow.

Sora looked around and behind him.  High above the portal he saw her.  Kiara's large wings hung down completely and her head tilted back against the cold stone.  The most noticeable thing was Cloud's buster sword protruding form her stomach, nailing her to the wall and causing blood to flow down the wall.

"Who could have done this?" whispered Kairi.

"Me."

"I know that voice!" exclaimed Sora.

A figure materialized in the throne.  Two large black ears stuck out from its head like satellites.

"Mickey Mouse!"

"Yes, Mickey Mouse," he seethed.

"What did you do!?" yelled Riku.

"They were bothersome pests," Mickey said waving his hand.

"How dare you,' Sora glared.

"I didn't do anything Lord bastion didn't do in the past."

"What?" asked Kairi.

"Bastion slaughtered anyone who tried to steal his crown," clarified Mickey.

The gunblade in Leon's back and the weapon in Yuffie's popped out of their wounds and the wounds healed.  Mickey glared upward.

"Why won't you die!?" Mickey yelled and cast Thundaga on the winged creature but the electricity only danced in through her hair.  The current traveled into the wall and exploded, propelling Kiara and the giant sword away.  Kiara hit the ground hard on her stomach, forcing the sword the rest of the way through.  Cloud's weapon fell to the floor next to her.

"Kiara!" Kairi yelled and ran over to her.

Leon and Yuffie were now standing with their weapons in their hands instead of their backs.

"No!"

Mickey stood and sent fireballs at the two renewed fighters but the orbs bounced back at him.

"What the?"

A small green rabbit like creature with a red jewel in its forehead peeked from behind Leon's leg and disappeared.  (Carbuncle)

"Come, my new heartless.  Destroy these worms.  Except the silver haired boy.  We need him," said Mickey.

Five tall robust men came out of the other passageway into the room.  One went for Leon, one to Yuffie, one to Riku, and one to Kairi.

"A.. Ansem?" asked Yuffie.

"Yes," all five answered synchronously.  "This is my payment for helping the darkness."

Leon attacked the heartless in front of his but it caught his blade.

"Not so fast Squall," leered Ansem.  "Isn't it sad, that you'll have to change your name again?"

"What?"

"Well you failed to protect them once and became Leon, and now you've failed again," now only the one Ansem whispered in the brunette's ear. "Receive the darkness and you can save them.  Bring them back to life and protect them.  Isn't that what you want?  Small price to save their souls."

Leon looked at the ground and then at the others who were in similar states of thought.  All probably given similar offers.

"No," the five companions said and began fighting.

Cid was now up as well and defended Kairi and the un-moving Kiara who was still some how healing their wounds every time they got one.  The Ansems however where too powerful and even though their bodies stayed in good condition their energy was fast depleting.  Soon the six were chained along the wall opposite Cloud who was watching them all sadly.

"What do you want from us!?" screamed Kairi.

"Now that my victory is assured I'll tell you," replied Mickey.

"Five years ago Maleficent told me the heir to Hollow Bastion still lived and that the knowledge of who it was was locked inside Kingdom Hearts.  So I went in search of it and had Donald and Goofy find the key to the door.  I wasn't expecting to be locked in Kingdom Hearts for five years, but I don't regret not escaping.  For while I was in there I learned a lot, and I met Ansem."

"What's all this have to do with us?  It sounds like you just have some beef with Kairi," said Riku.

"Trust me this involves you," Mickey grinned. "In return for the secrets to the darkness I promised Ansem a corporeal heartless form which you see before you.  Then he told me how to rid myself of the darkness to keep the throne.  To do that I need the hearts of the King's guards."

"And how would you know who they are?" asked Leon.

"Silver hair and green eyes."

"So you're saying Riku was Bastion's body guard?  He can't be, I've known him all my life."

"Not him in specific.  His father, the father the three share."

"So know Kiara and Riku are related?" wondered Yuffie.

"Yes.  Their father sacrificed himself to stall Maleficent's armies while Bastion sealed Kingdom Hearts.  He had the purest heart of any man that ever lived.  Donald!  Goofy!  Bring the third."

Donald and Goofy pulled a cart in, on it lie Sephiroth.  Cloud's glowing blue eyes followed the procession worriedly.

"Sora looked around, "Now I get it, the heartless weren't the ones who stole Riku's heart, you did it."

"And I would have gotten all of it if it weren't for her," Mickey growled.  "After Riku lost consciousness he could no longer protect his heart, but then you all came along and I had to cooperate otherwise you'd grow suspicious.  The heartless could have brought the rest of it but the sister showed up."

"So what now?" asked Riku solemnly.

"I'll find away to extract the rest of you heart and then take hers," replied Mickey.  "Donald, Goofy, get rid of those."

"Yes sir!"

Sora and the others watched the duck push Aeris and all her pieces down a hole next to the throne and Goofy dragged Zidane by the tail over and dropped him in as well.  Kairi started to cry more.  Her sobs stopped abruptly when a pulse of energy washed over them.  It came from Kiara.

"What's going on?" yelled Mickey.  "You, Ansem number.. which ever one you are, make it stop!"

One of the Ansems walked toward Kiara and was promptly cleaved in half by a giant seven foot long sword.

"A person's heart resides in all its friends.  You can't take it until they've given it away," said Cloud looking at Sephiroth with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Sephiroth stepped next to Kiara and stared at Mickey.  Kiara was instantly on her hands and feet, baring her fangs at her enemies.  The blood pouring from her wound stopped with a touch from Sephiroth.  Kiara didn't look like she used to.  Her body was still human except for her head which was fox like and she how had a silver tail.  Fur had also sprouted from her skin.

"This would have been a nice thing to know about Ansem," said Mickey.

"Yes it would have," snapped Ansem as all of him stepped back.

Donald cowered behind the throne.

"On come on Donald.  Are you a man or a mouse?" asked Goofy.

Donald looked at Mickey, "If I say mouse will you bee insulted?"

"Yes!  Now get out there!"

Kiara growled louder and Sephiroth placed his hand on her head, "Hush Kitsune."

Kiara sat dog-like and rubbed her head against Sephiroth's hand.

"So she's the one who took after their mother.  I was wondering which of you it'd be," said Ansem. "Hey, you two good for nothings, get them."

Donald and Goofy approached the two but the moment they got too close Kiara was back up and growling.

"Nice fox demon girl, nice kitty," cooed Donald. "Goofy, try barking at it."

"I don' know.."

"Just do it."

"She's not a cat you idiots," murmured Cloud.

Goofy started barking.  He soon found the tip of a long sword at his throat.

"Gulp..  Now Sepheeroth don't you think that's a little harsh?"

"No."

"Come on Ansem, do your job," ordered Mickey.

The four Ansems surrounded the pair and stood just out side Masamune's reach.  With one step and a swing however two of the Ansems disappeared and a third was being torn up by the flying fox demon.  The fourth shimmered away.  Cloud had now managed to wriggle out of his chains and was in the process of freeing the others.

"I guess when you want something done right you have to do it yourself," Mickey huffed and dark energy began to swirl around him.

"We've gotta protect Kairi," said Leon.

"We can leave that to them," Sora gestured to Sephiroth and Kiara.  "It's their job isn't it?"

"I'm going after Aeris and Zidane.  Stay alive alright?" said Yuffie and sprinted to the hole and jumped in.

"Kairi, stand behind them," said Cloud and pushed the girl to ward Sephiroth.

Mickey dashed at Kairi during her fifteen foot crossing between groups.  All protective parties dove on the mouse to stop him.  They piled on Mickey and did their best to hold him down.  Though with one twirl Mickey flung them all to the out skirts of the room and ran at Kairi again.  Kiara ran and grabbed hold of Mickey's foot with her sharp teeth, tripping him and allowing the others to recover and attack.

"Kairi!" yelled Sora.

Their assault stopped and everyone looked at Kairi.  Ansem held the auburn haired girl back with a knife to her throat.

"It's about time," frowned Mickey and patted some dust off his clothes.

"Naïve mouse.  I'm not doing this for you.  Once the princess is dead I'll kill you and the heartless will rule all worlds!" he drew the short blade across Kairi's neck and pushed her forward.  Sora caught her and Kiara leapt up and flew down at Ansem.

While the fox girl kept the silver haired enemy busy the others turned on Mickey again.

"No!  I will succeed!" Mickey exclaimed and lashed out.  Black rays shot from the mouse and burned away anything they touched, which included flesh.

"Kairi!" Sora looked down at the girl cradled in his lap.

"I'm fine," Kairi brought her hands to her throat where a small amount of blood had seeped out before the wound had closed.  "A little wigged out though."

Kiara started to rush her battle, realizing Mickey was possibly stronger than her companions could handle, but Ansem was proving to be just as difficult.

"How can a mouse be so powerful?" thought Sora, watching his friends fight.  "Is this the power of Darkness?"

Sephiroth and Cloud had to bow out of the fight because their weapons were to large to be used safely.  They stepped back just in time to see Kiara dive at Ansem's back and see him turn and run his sword through Kiara's chest.  Cloud and Sephiroth dashed at Ansem and he flung Kiara off his weapon.  Kiara skidded back on two feetand found her animalistic features gone.  She placed a hand over the horizontal slit in the lower half of her ribcage.  She began to hyperventilate from the lack of oxygen and fell to her knees.  Mickey let out a burst of energy and knocked his assailants away.  Then he ran t oKiara and pushed her over.  The winged girl had fallen unconscious while she sat and could put forth no resistance.

"No yelled Riku as Mickey stabbed Kiara.

Kiara's wings shrank into her back as Mickey's key blade began to glow.  The light traveled from the blade into its wielder and faded.

"Was that…" Kairi stopped.

"I think so," replied Sora.

The combatants recovered from their shocked states and charged.  Sora and Kairi grabbed Riku though before he entered the fray.

"What are you doing?" protested Riku and tried to pull away.

"You've got to be careful or he'll steal you heart too," said Kairi.

"He already did," Riku glared and ran off.