Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. Kingdom Hearts is owned by Square. I only own Akara and the world of Tabonia.

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Chapter 3

Flight

"What! Why can't I leave? I've finished training at the top of my classes! I am supposed to be able to leave and visit family now!" Akara yelled at the monk.

"You cannot leave because you know the most about the Heartless, and with the growing threat of the Heartless, we need all monks here. I know the rules as well as you do, and I'm sorry I have to restrain you like this."

Akara turned away and marched toward her room.

"You won't keep me caged forever. I'll find a way out."

She slammed her door.

The monk sighed. "Carmi, get me Jaki."

"Yes, sir."

Carmi hurried away toward the town. When she returned, a worn-out and older Jaki was running behind her.

"This way, ma'am," Carmi said as she motioned to the Great Hall, and then hurried off toward the training pavilions.

When Jaki was seated the monk started to talk.

"I'm sorry I had to call you like this, but I have some questions. Akara has been acting all... strange lately. She says she wants to explore, go to new places, find out who her parents were, try to find her friends. But she knows that we cannot leave this place. This is the only world we know. She can't have come from another world, can she?"

"I know, it is unusual. But haven't you noticed that she is different? Naming just a few, she owns things, like her pendant and fan, made from materials alien to our world. Her hair, it is silver, unlike all of ours, which is black or dark brown. Her eyes, a mixture of gold and red, while ours are brown, hazel, or black. And another thing, have you ever noticed her scar? I examined it, nine years ago, and I took some for sampling during her regular visits. You know that I have been taking Heartless remains and studying them, too, right? They seem to be made of the same material, almost of pure darkness. But now that she has matured, the scar seems to be blending in better."

"I've noticed all of those things, but I haven't put them in extreme notice."

"Kylia found her wandering in the market, nine years ago. You know that Kylia can See people, don't you? She saw a great potential in Akara, and that was only when she was seven. I don't even want to think what could happen if her power went out of hand. It is extremely possible that she could be from another world."

"Do you think that she is... a Heartless?"

"No."

"How am I supposed to control her? Her urges are strong and I don't know if I can hold her down any longer."

"Let her go."

"What?!"

"Let her go," Jaki repeated.

"But, you said that we needed every fighter. And her knowledge..."

"We will survive. She has told me all she knows. But it's weird. When she came here, she said she heard it from her father. But now she doesn't even know who her father was. Maybe she's losing her memory?"

"Maybe..."

"Why must they do this?"

Akara paced around her room. Her things were scattered around in a messy manner.

"I'll just have to leave. It's as simple as that."

Nothing's that simple.

Akara had been hearing voices since she had come in to the guild. When she was younger, she had thought it was ghosts. Now she knew otherwise. It was probably just a figment of her imagination, filling the emptiness of not having any friends. She grabbed her pack that she had first brought here with her, and stuffed in an extra change of clothes, her fan, and various other things that she would need. She grabbed her magical staff when she heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"Akara, I..." the monk said, opening the door to Akara's room.

Akara quickly whapped him on the head and rendered him unconscious.

"Sorry."

She quickly dodged around the monks running around in a frenzy, trying to get to their classes, and passed Jaki on the way.

"Oh, Akara, I wanted to speak with-"

"Sorry, gotta go. Bye!"

Akara quickly used a bit more magic to quicken her pace and ran away.

"You..." finished Jaki.

Akara stood on the edge on a cliff, overlooking the endless ocean. Gulls flew off into the distance, and a light breeze gently blew.

"The ocean..."

Akara had never seen the ocean. Oh, yes, she had seen pictures in books and such, but she had never seen it's true endless glory.

Underneath the calm surface rides a raging current.

"Huh?"

The voice was louder now, more commanding.

I thought it'd take forever to get you out of that place. I've been waiting a long time for you, Akara.

Akara looked around starting to get nervous. She held her staff tighter, and the blade that appeared in times of danger, appeared.

"Where are you? What do you want with me?"

I am nowhere, and everywhere.

The voice echoed around Akara, making her even more nervous than she already was.

"What?"

I am...

A small, glowing girl in a white dress appeared, smiling widely. She laughed.

"Man, I just love that trick! You should've seen your face!"

"Who are you?" asked Akara.

"I don't have a name."

"Then what are you?"

"I am what you would've been if you had stayed at home!"

"What? Then that means you know where my home is! Can you show me?"

"Yes, on two conditions. You give me a name, and I get to come with you."

"But it's going to probably be dangerous."

"That's why I want to come! Anyway, you'll probably need my help. The Heartless there are pretty strong."

"What? Then let's go!" Akara said as she ran off toward where she left her ship.

"Wait! You still need to give me a name!"

"It's... Kila!"

"Thanks."

Kila disappeared into a small dot of light, and followed Akara.