Kingdom Hearts: Warriors of Light

Memories- Chapter 11

Kita woke with a jolt as her heart began to ache. It was the middle of the night in Olympus Coliseum. Kita and Ni-Ne Nite had to bunk together to make room for all the guys who came along for the trip. Kita rolled over and bumped Ni-Ne on accident. She was surprised to see Ni-Ne awake, starting almost lifelessly up into the sky above. "Hey, are you ok?" Kita asked groggily.

"You can feel him too can't you?" Ni-Ne asked, still staring off into space.

"Who?" Kita said feeling a little confused.

"Ansem…" Ni-Ne explained. "That pain in your heart. He's following us," Ni-Ne finished in almost a whisper.

"Wait, how did you know my heart was hurting?" Kita asked now a little freaked out by Ni-Ne's supernatural telepathic powers.

Ni-Ne slowly took her gaze off of the sky and looked deeply into Kita's eyes. "You've felt it before haven't you? The bond we share?" she asked seriously. "When I slit my wrist back home. I saw you jump. You could feel what I felt." Kita thought back to the event. It was true though she hadn't mentioned it to anyone. "My blood flows through your veins too," Ni-Ne explained.

Kita laid her head down on the bed to think. It wasn't her favorite subject, but obviously she couldn't hide it from Ni-Ne anymore. "So you felt that pain just now too?"

"Yes…" Ni-Ne answered. "I can sense that it is Ansem's anger. He knows we are out here to fight against him." Kita watched Ni-Ne speak with a dreamy look on her face.

Kita felt tears growing in her eyes. Her father wasn't easy to talk about. He was supposed to be her guardian and caregiver. Someone who would always be there for her and guide her in growing up. Yet, he had tried to kill her. He didn't love her. He used her. Sometimes Kita would have dreams about the days when her father had been a loving one. He wasn't always evil, but something had changed as Kita grew up. Her heart hardened along with his as she built up a wall around her heart to protect it from the world that would only turn against her. Tears started to roll down her cheek as she sat and remembered her past.

"I'm sorry," Ni-Ne said seeing Kita cry for the first time. Kita got out of bed without another word and ran away out into the Coliseum arena that was lit by the moon above. She fell to the ground and cried her eyes out, releasing pain from her heart. Only minutes later, someone came.

"Hey, it's ok," a voice said from a corner of the arena. It was Ti-Day who was apparently awake as well and had noticed Kita's mad dash. He ran over to comfort her and see what was the matter. He knelt down on the ground next to her and put his arm over her shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked, sounding sad himself.

Kita tried to wipe the tears away even though it was pointless by now. "N-n-nothing," Kita struggled to say through the tears.

"No, something is wrong," Ti-Day said firmly. He wasn't going to let Kita brush this off like it was nothing. "Tell me," he demanded of her.

"Ju-just thinking," Kita said. "I-I just don't un-understand what happened. My dad u-use to care a-about me."

"I see," Ti-Day said, catching on to what the problem was. Kita had often struggled with the subject in her life while growing up and seeing her father drift farther and farther away. "What about all those times I told you to be brave?"

"I tried!" Kita cried out. "It's a lot harder than y-you think."

"Oh really?" Ti-Day replied. "Both my parents died when I was only seven. Don't you think that was hard to live with?" Kita hung her head low. Ti-Day also knew what pain was all about. How he could deal with two losses and still be as bubbly and annoying as his always was, was a mystery. "Remember that time you and me snuck into Leon's house and took his boxers and hung them out on the castle balcony?"

Kita smiled. It was probably one of the stupidest, but funniest things she had ever let Ti-Day talk her into doing. Even then, Ansem use to laugh at their pranks.

"And how about that time we used all the dish soap from the kitchens to make a slip-n-slide down one of the hallways?" Ti-Day asked playfully.

Kita laughed this time. "And Leon came to yell at us and slipped and fell and knocked over every suit of armor," she finished the story.

"Yeah see, not everything was bad," Ti-Day tried to explain. "We had a great time. I guess you just have to accept what life throws at ya, you know?"

"You're right," Kita admitted. "Thanks Ti-Day. You always know how to make me feel better." Kita lobbed her arms around Ti-Day's neck into an aggressive hug, knocking him sideways.

"Hey you two, it's way past your bedtime!" came a voice in the shadows. It was Riku who had apparently been spying on Kita and Ti-Day the whole time. Kita gave him an evil glare in disgust. To think he was just hiding there all along while she balled her eyes out. "You should really think about going back to bed," Riku said as he looked at Kita, like it wasn't something she was thinking about doing.

Kita got up looking at Riku like he was some kind of joke. She had forgotten entirely about the state of her face drenched with tears. "Thanks again Ti-Day," she said as she then stormed away back to her room.

"Is she gonna be ok?" Riku asked Ti-Day very seriously.

"Yeah. Thanks for letting me know she was out here," Ti-Day thanked Riku as he too made his way back to bed. Riku turned his head to look back in the direction Kita had gone with a look of concern on his face. He was really worried about her, but assumed since she hadn't come running back, that she would be all right.

Kita slowly and tiredly made her way back to her room where Ni-Ne had managed to fall asleep again while she was gone. Kita plopped herself back down on the bed, exhausted. She closed her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

"Look daddy, I made you a heart out of paper!" Kita said holding up a little pink cutout in the shape of a heart.

"That's beautiful Kita," Ansem said taking the heart from his daughter. "I'll keep it with me all the time." Kita smiled at her dad as he pat her on the head. "You're so cute. Just like your mother."

"Was mommy pretty?" Kita asked curiously.

"The prettiest woman I've ever seen," Ansem explained. He had told this story to Kita countless times, but she seemed to like hearing it. "She had glowing pink eyes like yours and soft white hair,"

"Just like mine!" Kita asked in anticipation even though she already knew the answer.

"Yep, just like yours," Ansem said laughing.

"Do you miss mommy?" Kita asked innocently.

"Everyday," Ansem said sadly, but trying to stay cheerful for Kita's sake. At least having his daughter filled his heart with joy since his wife had gone away.

"Will we ever see her again?" Kita asked.

"I hope so," Ansem answered. "I hope with all my heart we do."

"I love you daddy!" Kita said giving him a big hug.

"I love you too Kita," Ansem said kissing Kita on the forehead.

The next morning, Kita was the last of the entire group to wake. Not only had she gotten up in the middle of the night, but she was one of the few who didn't get to take a nap on the way to Olympus Coliseum. She made her way to the kitchens to have breakfast with everyone else. Her eyes were badly swollen from crying so much.

"You gonna be all right?" Ti-Day asked, when Kita finally sat down in the kitchen. He had great concern written all over his face. Even though Ti-Day was usually one to take full advantage of a rough morning to irritate Kita, he knew better and used the chance to show he cared. Ni-Ne, who was seated on the other side of Kita, looked just as sympathetic as Ti-Day did towards Kita.

Sora looked at Kita with great confusion. He was unaware of the night's events. "Is everything ok?" he asked, trying to be nice.

"Yeah, I just had a dream about my father last night, that's all," Kita explained.

"Really?" Riku cut in. "You mean Ansem? The guy we're chasing?"

Kita looked as though she still hadn't forgiven Riku for his lack of concern last night when he had chose to stand back in the shadows and watch Kita suffer. "Yeah," she said in a snotty way.

Riku decided against taking the conversation any further before Kita was reared and ready to go chasing him around with her key blade again. He sat down and kept quite for the remainder of breakfast.

"I'm really sorry Kita," Hercules said, speaking for the first time this morning. "I know how hard it must be."

"You have no idea," Kita said sipping her tea. Breakfast for the most part was pretty quite. But after wards they all decided to use the Coliseum arena for some practice. It was good for getting their blood flowing and warming up their skills just incase anything unexpected came along.

While they were all busy fighting one on one, someone unexpectedly showed up. There was a great flash of blue light that nearly blinded everyone and caused Ni-Ne, Kita and Sora to fall to the ground.

"What's the big idea!" Donald shouted as he prepared his magic staff for striking. Everyone looked in the direction the big blue light had come from.

"HADES!" Hercules shouted recognizing at once who it was.

"That's right squirt," Hades, the god of the underworld said, making sure everyone else knew. "How's come I wasn't invited to your little party Herc?"

Hercules looked furious. He made his way forward as if to protect the others. "What are you doing here!" he asked angrily.

"I brought a surprise for you," Hades said sounding devilish. "Ta da!" From behind him charged a man with blond hair and a huge fighting sword. Hercules was caught off guard and stumbled back. "HA HA HA!" Hades laughed in victory as he waited to see Hercules sliced to bits. The blond haired man looked pure evil himself as he took his first swing at Hercules.

"STOP!" Ni-Ne shouted holding up her key blade and casting the time spell. The blond haired man was frozen in time. Hercules almost fainted. He had been spared by a mere fraction of a second. Hades eyed Ni-Ne who had just foiled his little plan, but Ni-Ne stared back, not even the least bit scared of him.

Kita came running over to Hercules, but when she got there, she was more interested in the blond haired man. "Cloud?" She said staring at the frozen figure. Ti-Day had run over as well. Kita pulled Hercules out of harms way since he was too stunned to move on his own.

"Release!" Ti-Day shouted as the blonde haired man unfroze and sliced down into the ground so hard he split the stone. "Cloud?" Ti-Day asked.

"Ti-Day?" Cloud said, a bit confused. "Kita?" he said turning to see Kita, who was standing nearby as well. "How did you guys get here?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Ti-Day said. "But if you must know, we're here helping the Key Blade Master."

"He's here?" Cloud asked. Sora stepped forward yielding the Kingdom Key Blade. "I see." Hades looked outraged at the fact that his plan was failing more and more as each minute passed. His henchman who he had hired to kill Hercules was now making chitchat with his friends, forgetting completely why he was there in the first place.

"Excuse me, but we had a deal here!" Hades said, now flaming in bright blue fire. Hercules ran up behind Hades after regaining his composure and punched him so hard he was sent flying into the sky. Eventually he disappeared in a little puff of smoke.

"Sorry about that before," Cloud said to Hercules. "That guy's been going on and on about trying to kill you, but I think I see who's the real bad guy. Any friend of Kita and Ti-Day is a friend of mine."

"Well, what are you doing here?" Kita asked. "The last time I saw you was probably at the Hallow Bastion Ball. That was ages ago."

"Well, you kinda disappeared yourself," Cloud said. "I left cause I thought you ran away."

"It wasn't her fault," Ti-Day interjected. "It was Ansem's fault." Ti-Day felt he had to stick up for Kita since she had just had a rough enough night and shouldn't let Cloud rub it back in. "It's not important now."

"I guess," Cloud said. "I need to get a move on. I hate staying in one place for too long."

"Will you help us?" Ni-Ne asked quietly walking right in front of Cloud causing him to make a sudden stop.

"And you are?" Cloud asked.

"Ni-Ne Nite, the Heartless Hybrid," Ni-Ne explained. "If you're really friends with Kita and Ti-Day, then you should help us find Ansem."

"I work alone, got it?" Cloud said sternly.

"Please Cloud," Kita said giving him puppy dog eyes.

"If I see him I'll give him a good beat down," Cloud said. "But I'm not traveling in your little kid party." Cloud was considerably older than everyone in the group and not much of a people person. He made his way to the arena's exit. "Take care of that Key Blade Master will ya? He's our only hope." And with that, Cloud made his exit.

"How do you all know this guy?" Riku asked.

"He's my distant cousin," Kita explained.

"Ah, I can see the resemblance. That stiff attitude and everything," Riku said jokingly. Kita spun around and slammed Riku in the head with her key blade, this time actually getting him. She laughed and ran behind Ti-Day to use him as a shield. Ti-Day smiled just to see Kita having fun again.