Chapter Three

First Mission

The moon's velvet rays shone through the window on the girl sitting in the chair surrounded by men in armor. Her brown eyes roamed the large room. She was sitting in a cushy armchair in the center; a glowing chandelier was suspended above her. The room was of royalty, only set for royalty. The walls were painted peach, with a hint of red, and with a couple of oil panting here and there, surrounding the center of the room. Candle set on the wall burned with a glow eliminating the Dark room. The carpet was a lush red color and it seemed that her shoes sunk into the carpet itself.

She raised a hand pushing a loose strand of Brown hair behind her ear. She was absolutely bored. Yeah every once in a while she would have to watch someone try to brake into the castle looking for the princesses heart of legend, but that never lasted. She looked at the hundreds of guards lining the walls. Her fiancé had decided to let her have some 'free time'. Her fiancé the chief of this god-forsaken village ruled with an iron fist, but most of all ruled her. One of the princesses of heart, what the hell did that mean? She shook her head and leaned back letting out a long sigh.

Why was there always so much security around her? It's not like she was any importance to her fiancé. Hell, half the time he acted like she didn't exist.

Why does she care?

She sighed. She hated what she was, and all she wanted was a simple joyful life. Nothing but to do but be free. Free? What does that mean?

"Belle, are you okay."

She looked up to meet the eyes of the person who said her name and her other personal bodyguard. "Yeah I'm fine, Beast."

"If you say so." The brown haired teen said. He was twenty-one, a year older than she was, but he sure made her happy. He protected her from threatening people yes, whether it was workers he worked with or the people that hated her beyond reason, for no apparent reason. Gestan her fiancé may look like a hottie to some girls but he was cold and distant, and he was obsessed with her. While Beast was soft and gentle. They told her that her father had promised him her when they were fifteen if Gestan protected her until she was twenty-one. She shivered at the thought of being his. "Something wrong with my face?" he smirked.

A warm feeling crept up her body as his warm smile reached her eyes. "No not at all. I was just…just thinking."

"Riiight."

Another sense of warmth ran through her body from his grin that he threw her. She quickly turned to a cough that escaped from the line of guards standing around the room. She had almost forgotten about them… almost.

o0()0o

Yellow sneakers padded against the ground causing water to splash every where on the dark street. The figure walked stealthily graceful past the dreary building of the Beast's Castle. Gray and blue finger-less gloves adorned the stranger's hands and they swung lightly as he ran. He wore a white and black its black hood draped over his head concealing his brown hair. Beneath the outer layer, the teenager wore a red shirt. Baggy red shorts clad over his lean legs to just mid of his shines, the material creasing slightly with each stride. As he headed to do what he was assigned to do.

He stopped at the end of the road that led him to a barred gate. A guard on the other side looked at him questioningly before telling the teen off. A slight grin grazed his shadowed features he pulled down the hood. Two Sapphire eyes so bright that they felt like they could set you on fire peered through his messy brown bangs as he reached behind his back where a weapon of some sort was strapped. With one hand, the stranger drew it out from its sheath and slumber, revealing the sleekness of the blue blade. The blade looked almost normal, but nonetheless deadly. A silver hilt was clasped in his left hand as he brandished the blade.

"Boy, I told you to get the hell out of here. The castle isn't a place for kids like you to be roaming around at this hour." The guard piped also pulling out his sword.

The teen only smirked. "Out of my way, or else this Sword and I will make you." The stranger ran his right hand through his brown bangs trying to relieve tension. Man did he hate it when they didn't listen.

"You think you can do anything? Come and try you little piece of crap." The guard glanced at the weapon before returning his gaze to the teen in front of him. "If you know how to use that, shorty."

"Your mistake." The teen took another step closer.

The gate guard switched his weapon into his right hand raising it above his head, "Die!" he didn't get to swing his arms down before the blue-eyed teen sliced his throat and the gate behind him with one quick flick of his wrist. The dark liquid squirted onto his blue jacket. The guard stumbled back; gurgling for air and in doing so backed up into the alarm.

"Crap." With lightning speed the boy was darting across the flat land of the castle's yard setting off more alarms as he ran.

o0()0o

Belle jumped as the loud ringing sounded outside. She should be used to that by now, almost every month someone was after the princesses heart. She balled her fist clenching the fabric of her white skirt. Every time this happened, someone wound up dead, and no matter who it was she never could stand watching Beast kill another, even if she hated them she could never stand seeing another die.

"Belle stay close," Beast said drawing his gray bladed sword.

The brown haired girl just stayed put in her seat some how this time felt different. She closed her eyes and forced herself to relax, it didn't work. She let her senses stay focused on her surroundings instead and waited. There were loud footsteps outside and she could just hear the fighting occurring and the life spilling out from people. The more she heard the sicker she felt.

It seemed the fighting had moved quickly closer and she could almost feel everyone in the room tense. Now footsteps had moved into the hall right out side the room she was currently in. she heard men yelling out in paining agony and the sound of liquid splashing over the walls. Her eyelids remained closed if not tighter. It seemed that death was very near and Beast knew it also as he tensed too.

The guards drew their swords and drew towards the door. "It sounds like an army." One of the guards said. After a moment the screaming and pounding of feet stopped and everyone began relaxing and pulling from the door. But no sooner than they got a good distance the double marble doors swung opened to reveal a blood soaked teen.

Beast noted how he looked five years younger than himself or possibly even younger. Was this the killer? He didn't look much of a challenge, and yet, he had made his way through all the line of defenses without a scratch.

Suddenly one of the guards began to snicker at the teen. The assassin's blue eyes flickered over at the one making the fun. "Don't tell me. This kid, short stuff, was responsible for killing all our men outside. What a joke, go back to your hill of dirt and go play in the sand."

"Why is everyone afraid to die?" the brown haired teen asked coldly. That only made the guard and the rest of the men burst into laugher with the exception of the assassin, Beast, and Belle. Belle sat as still as a stone, waiting, wondering what the killer would do. She still didn't open her eyes in fear of what would come next and it did.

The guard that had spoken and that began laughing along with the others began to choke up blood and fell to the ground bleeding to death from the new gash in his throat. Belle sensed what was happening and screw her eyelids to shut tighter if possible as the laughter died.

"Y-you'll regret that! You have ten seconds to d-drop that weapon a-and d-do as we s-said or else we'll at-." The new guard fell instantly as the teen shot forward lodging the tip of his blade into the guard's throat.

The teen pulled out his blade from the man's throat shaking his head as he watched the body drop. "You all are afraid of death. How weak. How can you call yourselves ninjas?"

He took a step then another then another until he began to run at the guards. The sound of metal hitting metal rang through the room. Blood splattered every where. Belle covered her ears tightly to block the sound of death from her. Beast stood next to his princess watching his comrades fall to their deaths by the hands of an twenty-year-old. He got ready to protect taking a fighting stance. He noticed the weapon the assassin was using and took a deep breath. 'What the?'

Soon, everything was dead silent and Belle could sense the hard Sapphire eyes on her. She could sense the death around her as a chill ran down her spine. Everyone was dead.

The stranger moved closer and closer towards them. Both blades clinking as their owners tightened their grips on the weapons. "You have keyblade inside you." Beast's voice was heard. "You bear kingdom hearts don't you? Why are you doing this? The person that keeps the kingdom hearts is supposed to protect the princesses. Especially the Key Master or the fifth horseman."

"I don't know what you are talking about kingdom hearts or the Keyblade. And to answer the last questions it is none of your concern to why I am doing this."

"I see it doesn't matter. After today you won't be the Keyblade's wielder any more."

"It is my job to take her. Step out of the way or you'll lose more than her."

Beast smirked. "Not if I can help it."

Both fighters charged at each other, weapons at their side and ready to deliver a kill. Metal clashed with metal and sparks broke free between the friction. They both pulled away and charged again, both equally matched, so it seemed. Beast's blade caught his opponent's and slid down to make an upper cut, but the assassin saw it coming and forced Beast's Scar away quickly. They continued to clash and all the while, Belle prayed they would stop.

Though she couldn't see them, she knew that one of them will lose and one of them will die. The brown-haired teen kept his stoic face as he kept his eyes locked with Beast's. Before the older boy knew what was coming, the assassin switched hands and pushed hard with his right hand, throwing Beast off balance. During the unbalanced confusion, the killer took his chance and delivered a quick plunge for Beast's stomach. At the last moment, the silver knight moved out of the way, but the blue blade caught his side.

His blood poured from his newly inflicted wound as he leapt away holding a hand to the new injury. As the Dark liquid continued to pool onto the floor, between Beast's gloved fingers, his eyesight began to waver to darkness, but he wouldn't let himself pass out. Not when his love needed his protection. Forcing his hand away, Beast did his best to show no pain grasping the hilt of Scar and push himself up from his knees. The assassin shook his head nonchalantly.

He swung the Keyblade into a fighting position again as Beast came at him. The assassin blocked each blow Beast sent swiftly. Now that his opponent was weakened, the assassin took the upper hand, and delivered a deadly combo, sending his opponent out of commission. Beast gasped and tried to stand from his knees, but his body gave way and he collapsed back to his knees.

The assassin tuned his attention away from the injured and faced Belle and peered at her closed eyes with a little smile. She heard Beast gasp in pain. Her eyes snapped opened and time seemed to slow right there between them. She was surprised to find herself staring into the eyes of a teenager no older than she was. So he was the one who was causing all this trouble.

He was the one after her. She shivered at the thought of someone her age would have done this. She peeled her brown eyes away from the pools infront of her. Her attention caught by the bloodied body of her bodyguard on the ground with his sword a distance away not shining gray. She was on her feet and beside him in an instant.

"B-!" she tried to shake him but got nothing.

"He's not going to die. I spared his life because he was brave to protect what was his. Though it was useless, he deserves to live."

"I-!" she glared at the intruder.

His eyes shot to her. "As for you…" his steps came, closer and closer to her once more. His hand caught her wrist before she had a chance to run. "You have to come with me. I need to bring you away from this place." The last thing she saw before everything went black was the beautiful face of the assassin.

He knelt down by her body as she fainted. He cocked his head to the side examining the girl's body.

"This mission was to save her from her fiancé not kill her and her body guard, idiot." Sora looked up to see Kairi glaring at him along with Riku.

"She's not dead, and either is the body guard."

"You used aero to stop the pain and knock her out quickly and stopiga so he wouldn't feel the pain either." Cloud began to rub his chin. "Very good use of mana." He unsheathed his sword and stabbed it in the ground. "I think you three are ready."

"For what?" all three of them asked.

"Riku, displayed speed I have never seen before.

"Kairi, healed all the guys that Sora injured with out there being any deaths.

"And Sora showed unlimited amount of stamina and speed through out the castle." He pulled his sword out of the ground and sheathed it back. "I think you are ready for the Chuunin exams coming this Friday."

"What!" Kairi yelled shocked.

"Now you tell us?" Riku asked calmly.

Sora stood off to the side wondering what Beast was talking about. 'Fifth horse man? Keyblade Master? What the hell is going on? The fifth horseman was said to be the out cast of the four horse man of apocalypse because he didn't agree with the evil deeds they were committing. The Keyblade master was the protector of Kingdom hearts and the princesses of hearts. Two different legends. What the hell was he talking about?'

"You coming sore ass?" Riku yelled from the door as Kairi held his hand to yank him to leave Sora.

"Yeah silver shit." Sora began to head towards the door. "Wait! Did you say Chuunin Exams!" Sora asked as he ran after them.

A/N:

Final Thought from Sora:

Chuunin Exams already, I knew we were good but not this good.

Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Sora): I do not claim any rights to Kingdom Hearts I or II or the characters associated with the game/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Disney and Square Enix. I do offer my thanks to them for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

War Slayer