Author's Note-I am sooo sorry that I haven't posted in awhile! But I've made this chapter extra long to make up for it, so please just read and review and please don't kill me!

P.S.-I do not own Kingdom Hearts.

"Kairi, remember! Remember what I said! Whatever happens, I'll always be with you!"

"I told you before, I don't remember."

"Every heart returns to darkness!"

"I fell into darkness...and couldn't find the light."

"And there is darkness...within every heart..."

"Open the door! Lead me into everlasting darkness!"

"I have nothing to fear. I control the Heartless now."

"You're stupid!"

"Seeker of darkness."

"A princess?"

"You can take her to Neverland some time."

"One who knows nothing can understand nothing..."

"This ship runs on happy faces!"

"That's one funny face!"

"For now..."

"No heart, no see friends."

"You've just got to believe."

"True darkness!"

"The keyblade chooses its master, and it chose you."

"Tough luck."

"I never asked for this."

"So, we just have easily ended up somewhere else."

"Riku!"

"Don't worry. There will always be a door to the light."

"Sora!"

"The princess's heart is responding...Kairi's heart rests within you!"

"Don't worry, Sora... This time, I'll protect you..."

"An island surrounded by water... To a heart seeking freedom, it is but a prison. So he chose to open his heart to darkness..."

"Riku!"

"Take care of her..."

Voices. What...where...

The boy sat up and looked around. He ran a hand through unruly, spiky brown hair and looked around. It was dark. It was dark everywhere.

But what puzzled him was...those voices... Who did they belong to? Everything...it all sounded familiar...but he couldn't remember a thing.

Sora. Was his name...Sora?

He wasn't sure, but he was sure about one thing. He stood up and walked to a thin line of light that was in the doorway as something appeared in his hand. Some kind of...weapon?

He closed his eyes, then opened them again. Yes, he was sure about one thing as he lifted the object over his head.

He wasn't going to stay in this darkness.

He wanted out of here.

-----

Taro jumped out of the way of the spiked wheels, just barely dodging. These weapons...what were they called again? Wind and fire wheels. Oh yeah.

This guy's fast. Faster than I made him out to be. Taro thought. His eyes widened as one of the blades slashed the front of his shirt open. I can't keep this up. I'm going to have to go on the offensive. But where? Where is his weak spot?

He jumped out of the way of another blade and looked down. There! He jumped back one more time and landed in a crouch. This should be enough to stop him in his tracks! He thought as he used his keyblade to slash across his opponent's shins. At the same time, Chaos slashed him across the back. Taro's eyes widened as the blade, expecting pain as he dropped to his knees. True, it did hurt, but only faintly, like with the cut on his forehead. What...?

As for Chaos's wound...

Chaos did grimace. And he did stop.

But he didn't drop to the ground like Taro expected.

Taro straightened. Chaos smirked. "Foolish boy. You cannot win. It was a good effort though. Now..." he said, advancing on the boy. "Come with me..."

Taro climbed to his feet and backed away. "No! Never!" he shot back. The hell?! That cut should've taken anyone or anything down! This guy ain't human! Taro thought. He stopped, eyes wide, and turned to see the flames blazing behind his back. "Oh no..."

"Well, it looks like you're trapped. You have two options: surrender or be burned to ashes in the flames. Take your pick."

Taro glanced back at the flames again. "How annoying..." he grumbled. Then he smirked weakly and thought, Oh well. The hell with it. Fry now, fray later. Guess I'll choose now so that I can't help them. To Chaos, he said, "Well, if I really must choose, I think I'll choose the fire!"

With that, he leapt back into the flames.

"No, you fool! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Chaos yelled, a hand extending to reach for the boy.

Taro flinched but...what? He only felt a slight warmth of what surely was intense flames. An illusion? No. If it was then Chaos wouldn't of freaked.

Then it is real. But I can barely feel it. Nor can I feel the wound on my back. Okay now, something is seriously wrong. Taro thought, growing concerned as he looked around. But what was more, the fire wasn't even calling any damage to him. He was grateful for that, but still...

He shook his head. Can't worry about that right now. I should go and get Sora while I still have the chance. With that, he sped through the flames to the door. He stopped to see a dark figure rushing at him. He only had time to get his keyblades to appear and put them up to block the spiked wheels. Chaos stood before him, strangely unaffected by the flames as well.

"What are you?!" Taro demanded.

"I was about to ask you the same thing, kid." Chaos replied.

"..." Taro jumped back as his keyblades disappeared, then turned and did a handspring that carried him into the circle, into the area that was bare of flames. As he landed, one of the wheels followed him and out of the flames and hit his legs, knocking his feet out from under him.

Chaos leapt over him and caught the wheel in midair, then landed gracefully before him. Grinning, he lifted up one of the wheels, ready to bring it down upon the boy. Taro lowered his head in defeat; he knew he had been beat. Chaos brought the wheel down...

Enough!

The blade stopped only a millimeter from the boy's head.

Taro noticed the wheel being lifted again, then tossed away as the other one clattered to the concrete. He backed up a bit, then stood up slowly as Chaos dropped to his knees, his hands clutching both sides of his head, which was lowered. His eyes were shut tightly. He looked like he was fighting a battle with himself-and losing.

"Um..." Taro started, but he was cut off by the red-haired warrior.

"No...no! Get out, get out, GET OUT!" Chaos screamed. The scream echoed throughout the empty city. Taro could only but watch, wondering what on earth was going on. The flames died down, hyper-speed.

Then Chaos, still tensed, opened his eyes. He grimaced, then smiled. A sad, thankful, tired, relieved smile. And then he spoke two words that Taro had least expected the redhead to say...

"Kill me."

Taro's eyes widened. What was this change in the man? A trap?

"A demon." Chaos said, as if reading his thoughts. "A demon possesses me. My name is-was-Minamoto Tranquility...I think...yes, yes it was. I have...helped to take the hearts of thousands of innocent people...against my own will... Your parents...your sister...strangers... And the girl...Sa-Sakura, I think...is soon to be among them, I think..."

Taro's look grew more surprised, but then frowned in utter seriousness as his keyblades reappeared in his hands. "Where is she? Who is behind all of this?!"

"I...I know not where she is... Please, hurry... Just kill me now... Quickly...!" Chaos begged. "I cannot...hold off this demon much longer...!"

Taro frowned and nodded, raising his keyblades. But as he did, he froze. No...no, this was wrong! He couldn't...kill a person... Even if they were begging for death, he couldn't kill someone...

But...he helped destroy my family and friends! I have to kill him! But...no... Mom, Dad, what would you do?! Taro thought. His father would kill him without a second thought. Aku Soku Zan-Slay evil immediately, that was his motto. And his mother...

But he didn't do it! Why should he be killed for another one's crimes?! It isn't fair! It isn't right! His conscience screamed.

Chaos looked back up. "What are you waiting for?! Kill me now!"

"I...I can't..."

"What?! Of course you can! You're the dual wielder!" Chaos shouted, slight panic and despair apparent in his eyes now.

"I am so sick of everyone thinking I can do everything just because I swing around two stinkin blades! I've had it! I don't want this! I'm Kimoto Taro of Twilight Town, age sixteen, a NORMAL highschool kid!" Taro shouted angrily.

"Just hurry up and kill me before I kill you! You don't really...have a choice..."

"Yeah? Then kill me. Because I'm not going to kill an actual person. I'm not going to kill you. I won't stain these hands with blood." Taro said, turning and walking to the door. Before he reached it though, an ivory blade-as opposed to his obsidian one-sliced through the door, splitting the lock as well.

The doors swung open and Sora walked calmly out.

There was a long silence as the two boys stared at each other, both practically twins. Finally Taro spoke up. "...Are you...Sor-"

"Look out!" Sora exclaimed as he leapt in front of Taro and knocked the spiked wheel off to the side with his keyblade. Taro turned to see Chaos now standing. The homicidal look in his eyes had returned, proving that the demon had won once again.

"Tranquility!" Taro cried.

Chaos smirked. "Humans... They're so weak. Tranquility is gone, the fool." Chaos took a step forward. "And soon...you will be as well. I will take the both of you back to my master, Silence."

"Bastard." Taro snarled. His eyes widened and he gasped as he suddenly felt a sharp, bladed point enter his back. The blade! Chaos must have anticipated Sora to knock the wheel away! The blade must have boomeranged! But more excruciatingly, he thought he could feel the tip of it pierce his heart. He felt himself falling, then someone catching him and taking out the blade, then turning him over. Through the darkening red haze he barely saw the spiky-haired boy. The boy raised some kind of large, bladed key... Keyblade...?

"Heal!" the boy yelled. The words echoed through Taro's mind as he felt some kind of warmth surround him. Warmth that didn't...seem real. That boy...who was he? Was it...himself? No, impossible. He was here...wasn't he? Was it...Sora...? Yes, yes, that was it. That had to be it. Sora...

-----

Sora removed the bladed wheel and grimaced as the blonde boy's blood began pouring over his hands. Sora shook the blonde almost frantically, not wanting this boy to die, not wanting to be left alone in this place without a clue where he was, barely even knowing who he was. "Wake up...c'mon, please wake up..." he begged. No answer. Sora knew that the boy was dying-he could see it and feel it. With the answerless reply, he stood up and raised his blade. "Heal!" he cried. He didn't know where that had come from, but he knew, somewhere deep down in his heart, that it would work.

And it did.

He watched as a green light shimmered round the boy and the wounds begin to heal slightly. Trying this spell a couple more times, the wounds became fully healed and he could literally see the boy being brought back to life. But he wasn't waking up...! And this red-haired man was only coming nearer and nearer...

No way I'm fighting this guy... Sora thought, taking a step back. At least, not alone, not now...I'm not ready yet... Glancing down at the blonde, he made up his mind.

"...C'mon..." He said, slinging the boy over his shoulder, then turning and running as fast as he could out of the courtyard and down unfamiliar streets.

"After them!" he heard the man yell behind him. Sora glanced back to see black and silver, all rising up from the ground like demons, like from some kind of nightmare or something... With that sight for motivation, he sped up.

Then suddenly, from out of nowhere, a hand shot out and snatched his arm, yanking him and the boy into a house. "...Are you okay...?" a young, feminine voice asked. Sora looked over to see a red-haired girl with green eyes (though some of her short hair was brushed over one eye) wearing a school uniform and at least a year or two older than him staring back at him with what looked like a look of genuine concern on her face.

"...Who are you...?" Sora asked.

The girl blinked, then nodded and bowed in greeting. "Oh! My name is Tam." She straightened. "Nice to meet you." she said, almost cheerfully as she stuck out a hand.

Sora sweatdropped and shook her hand, then pulled the door shut behind him and locked it. "I'm Sora... Are you the only one left in this town besides us?" he asked.

Tam nodded. "Those Heartless monsters came in and killed everyone; or at least made them disappear. I am the only one left."

Sora nodded sympathetically but frowned. Strange. He heard no hint of sadness, no touch of remorse. Then again, I don't feel very sad, either. Scared, yeah. Confused, yeah. Sad, no. I guess it's because I don't really know anybody here. Hey, maybe she's like me...! Sora thought. He set the boy down on a nearby couch and watched out the window at the wave of monsters that passed by. What exactly is going on...?

Author's Note-Like I said before, I am so sorry I haven't posted for so long. My internet has been down for practically two weeks, and it's all thanks to that stupid Charter! ...But never to fear, because we're getting BellSouth! And soon, too. So I will be posting soon. And yes, I have written a lot, so hopefully now that won't delay my posts either. By the way, I'm debating whether or not to put a few anime characters in here or not. I might. Hm... Well, anyways, please review. Ja ne!