No End In Sight Chapter 3: Memories and Bad News, a kingdom hearts fanfic

Sorry it's taken so long for me to update! I've had a lot of stuff going on lately, but I finally got the chapter finished.

:Disclaimer:

Akana: Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!
Leiko: She's excited. If you can't tell.
Akana: Well, DUH I'm excited! Kingdom Hearts 2 is coming out here in LaGrange on Saturday! And I'm totally going to beg dad to get it!
Leiko: Because he'll actually buy it for us.
Akana: ... Are you being sarcastic?
Leiko: No, of course not. Now, can we get on with this?
Akana: Oh, fine. We don't own anyone, unfortunately, but we may soon own Kingdom Hearts 2 the game! But none of the characters.

:End Disclaimer:

Enjoy the story!

Chapter 3: Memories and Bad News

.:Tara's Home, The Past:.

"Tara, hurry!" a woman said as she used her right hand to pull the fourteen-year-old girl along with her. The woman's hair was dark brown and waist-length. Her auburn colored dress that reached to her ankles fluttered behind her as she ran. She wore a white pendant around her neck that seemed to give off its own light: the very same pendant that Tara later received. In her left hand was a torch that lit up the night. Her soft brown eyes were kept focused on the path in the forest ahead.

Tara, wearing her black pants and shirt along with her swords on her back, stumbled along behind. "What about Dad?" she asked anxiously, glancing over her shoulder. "Will he be okay? What will happen to him and all the others?" She looked back ahead. "Mom, what will happen to us

Tara's mom was silent. When she did speak, it was in a strangled sort of voice laden with unshed tears. "I don't know. I just don't know."

Tara could feel the tears come to her eyes, but she forced them back down. She wouldn't cry. She would be strong, like her mom. She continuously told herself that everything would be fine, and that nothing would happen to her father or her friends. After all, her dad was far too strong a swordsman for those odd monsters to defeat, especially since the one who controlled them was a weak-looking, fifteen-year-old boy.

Suddenly, one of those monsters appeared in front of her mom. It was a small, hunched bundle of darkness with curved attenaes potruding from its head. Tara screamed, but her mom remained calm. She let go of Tara's hand and held her hand in front of her, palm facing the unknown being. "Firaga!" she shouted. A huge blast of fire completely engulfed the Shadow, and the two continued running as if nothing had happened.

It wasn't long before they reached their destination. A large cave loomed ahead of them, and it was into here that they ran. The cave split into many different branches, each dreary, cold, and dark. Tara's mom led her into the one fourth from the left, and their hurried footsteps echoed throughout the entire network of tunnels.

They soon came to a dead-end. They stopped, and the mom turned to her daughter. "Wait here," she said. "Those monsters shouldn't be able to find you here. If they do," she glanced at Tara's swords, "remember that they are easily slain by steel and magic." She smiled. "Your skills in both magic and swordsmanship are great. Always remember the lessons your father and I gave you about fighting, courage, and loyalty. Never lose hope, and never lose this." She lifted her necklace over her head and placed it gently around Tara's neck before handing her the torch. She then stood and started running in the direction they came.

"Wait!" Tara called. "Where are you going?"

She stopped and smiled over her shoulder. "To check on your father," she answered. She was about to start running again, but she heard the sound of footsteps and froze.

The footsteps grew louder and louder as the owner of them came closer and closer. Soon, a certain silver-haired, blue-eyed youth came into sight. He stopped a few yards from Tara's mom. It was hard to Tara to make him out in the gloom. "Where is it?" the boy asked. Though Tara didn't know it at the time, the deep voice didn't belong to the body which stood there.

Tara's mom gave him a deadly glare. "I don't know what you're talking about," she answered stonily.

"The pendant," he told her in a bored sort of voice. "Just hand it over and I might spare your life."

The mom spat. "I would never give something so precious to the likes of you!" she snarled.

He let out a mocking sigh. "I had hoped that I wouldn't be forced to resort to violence," he said. Yet, even as he said it, he was grinning at the thought of being able to kill yet another innocent person. "I will give you one last chance. Hand it over, or I will be forced to take it."

"Go ahead and try!" she shouted. She held up a hand and yelled, "Firaga!" A large blast of fire shot from her hand and headed towards the boy.

"Guardian, come forth!" he called. A black mass that was barely visible in the darkness came up from the shadows and floated in front of him. The dark Heartless took the damage from the attack, yet it seemed to be completely unharmed. It retreated back into the darkness once the attack was over, but if one looked carefully, he could the dim outline of it as it floated behind the boy.

"Impossible!" Tara's mother said, taken aback.

The boy grinned. "Have it your way," he said. In his right hand a dark, wicked-looking sword appeared. Armed with this, he attacked her.

Cursing, she leapt away from the attack. She heard Tara scream a warning and she turned around to find four Shadows leaping at her. She lifted both of her hands and, shouting another "Firaga", shot fire at them. They dropped onto the ground in mid-jump, dancing around insanely while trying to put the flames out. After a few moments of this, they finally just flopped onto the ground and disappeared.

Tara let the torch drop to the ground and pulled out her swords. She took a few steps towards the battle, but her mom glared at her. "Stay out of it," she commanded.

"But -- "

Her mother held out a hand and pointed her palm towards her daughter. "Stopga!" she shouted.

Tara felt her limbs seize up. She wanted to cry out, but even her mouth was frozen in place. Her body trembled as she tried to break free from her invisible bonds, but it was no use. She was trapped, and the only thing she could do was watch the battle.

The boy was right behind her mom now. Tara tried to yell out a warning, but in her paralyzed state, she couldn't. She didn't think it would've mattered even if she had been able to, anyway. The boy had already stabbed his sword threw her mom's stomach, smirking in malice.

Tara watched with horror as her mom slumped to the ground, eyes glazed and unseeing. The boy pulled the sword from her stomach, and she collapsed on the ground. He then advanced upon the girl, who was still held by the stop spell her mother cast. "Give it to me," he said in a low, menacing tone.

The pendant around her neck glowed brightly, even in the darkness of the cave. It was this that the boy was eyeing greedily. He held his sword, stained with blood, high above his head. Tara could only watch in horror as it came down towards her. She struggled against her bonds, but try as she might, she couldn't do a thing to get out of the way.

.:Traverse Town, The Present:.

Tara sat straight up, panting and breathing hard. She calmed down a little when she saw that she was in the Green Room of the Second District's hotel and not on her home world. Her hand automatically went up to her pendant. She ran her fingers over its smooth surface before swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked around the room in confusion. How'd I get here? she wondered. Her mind was still cloudy, but slowly she remembered what'd happened the night before. That's right... The Heartless attacked me, but Kairi and Sora saved me...

Her heart leapt. Sora had saved her! The Sora! She sprang out of bed and rushed over to the door that led to the red room. She put her hand on the handle, but stopped herself from turning it when she heard muffled voices from inside the room. She silently knelt down and pressed her ear against the door so she could hear better.

"Kairi, I want you to stay here," said a boy's voice. Tara vaguely recognized it as belonging to the one who saved her, Sora.

"No!" came Kairi's familiar determined voice. "If there really is a way to save him, then I want to help! He's my friend, too!"

"Riku told me to take care of you," Sora told her. "He wouldn't forgive me if I put you in that kind of danger, because I might not be able to protect you at all times."

Tara's eyes widened. That name, Riku... She remembered Kairi telling her about him, and she always wondered if it was the same boy who had come to her world. She sprang up and opened the door. "I'm coming," she stated firmly in a no-argument kind of voice.

Sora turned towards her, startled a bit. "Wha..?"

"I'm coming," she repeated. She looked at Kairi now. "Sora's probably right; it's too dangerous for you. You should stay here with Leon and the others. I'll be alright, though. I can fight and take care of myself. I'll find Riku for you, I promise."

"Tara…"

Tara smiled at Kairi, and then looked back towards Sora. "Well?" she asked. "What do you say?"

What could he say? He knew that she wasn't actually asking a question. She was going to come with him, even if she had to sneak on his gummy ship. All he could do was sigh and submit. "Fine…" he said. "You can come with me… But you've got to stay close so I can protect you!"

Tara couldn't help. She let out a small laugh. "I don't need protection," she told him. "I'll be just fine on my own. So, where to first?"

"First," Sora answered, "we go see Leon."

Sora led the group of three. Kairi followed him, and Tara stayed behind, keeping an eye out for Heartless.

Tara could barely contain her excitement as they walked to the small house in the Second District. Her heartbeat sped up with every step she took, and it was hard to keep the grin from her face. Leon, Aerith, Yuffie, Cid… I'm finally going to see you all again!

They got there, and Sora opened the door to reveal the familiar sight of their friends. Cid was talking about gummy ships, and it was obvious that he was boring everyone in the room. Yuffie was sitting on the table like always with her legs swinging over the side, trying to think of something to do to pass the time. Aerith, however, was sitting politely in her chair, pretending to listen to him. Two people that Tara hadn't met until last night, the dog-like knight and the duck-like mage, were also in there. The duck was arguing with Cid about the best way to arrange the gummy pieces, and the dog was just scratching his head and trying not to get too confused.

"Hey, where's Leon?" Sora asked.

Yuffie looked up. "Y'mean Squall?" she asked casually, smirking. She knew that he hated it when she called him that. "He's in that secret underground waterway. Why?"

"I just need to talk to him about something," Sora answered.

Yuffie shrugged slightly, and then looked behind him and Kairi and Tara. "Hey, you two are here, too!" She waved cheerfully.

Aerith stared at Sora for a few minutes. "What is it that you need to talk about?" she asked. "Perhaps we could help you two find some answers and explanations."

Yuffie glanced over her shoulder at Cid, Donald, and Goofy. "What's she's trying to say," she explained, "is 'Can we come too? Pleeeeeeeeeease?'"

Tara grinned. They were just like she remembered them… Aerith always was the one who never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings. She was far too well-mannered for that sort of thing. Yuffie, however, really didn't seem to care. She was just a bundle of energy who spoke her mind, no matter what.

"Well, what are waiting for?" Kairi asked, eyes sparkling. "Let's go!" She turned and started walking. Yuffie slid off the table and Aerith stood up calmly. The two followed Kairi, and Tara followed them. Sora turned towards the door as well, but stopped and looked over his shoulder at Donald and Goofy.

"Um... guys?"

"No, there should be cannons on the bottom of the gummy ship!" Donald quacked. "That's thte only way to get the Heartless ships that are below you!"

"What about the ones up top!" Cid countered. "The cannons should be up there, protecting the ship from attacks from above!"

"Why not just put them on the sides?" Goofy suggested. "Or on both the top and the bottom?"

Cid and Donald stopped to consider this for a moment, but then shook their heads. "Nah!" they both responded at the same time. They went back to arguing, and Sora just shook his head and followed the rest out.

"What?" Leon gave Sora a stern, hard look.

"It's true," he said, giving a confirming nod. "Ansem's back, and he's after more than just the power of the Heartless. I still don't know what, though."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Aerith asked, disbelief written all over her face. "There's no way you could be mistaken?"

Sora shook his head. "I saw him," he answered. "He was on one of the other worlds. I tried fighting him, but he escaped." Sora clenched his fists in anger, remembering how his best friend Riku had been used by Ansem two years ago.

"This is horrible!" Yuffie wailed. "What if he finds this power he's looking for! What will happen then!"

"He's the reason the Heartless are back, isn't he?" Kairi asked, her voice trembling. "Sora, you... you have to make him pay for what he's done!"

While the others were all talking and reacting to the news, Tara just leaned against the wall of the cave, feeling numb. Ansem... she thought. She closed her eyes and remembered what'd happened on the day her world disappeared.

.:Tara's Home, The Past:.

Suddenly, an invisible force stopped his hand. He was straining to move, but he couldn't. Something in his eyes changed. "No," he muttered, his eyes closed now. "No! I won't... I won't let you harm another person!" This voice... It was different from the one that had been talking. It seemed to suit the body more. "Stop using me, Ansem!"

The old, deep voice took over once more. "Shut up, insolent boy!" he snarled.

Tara was confused, to say the least. What was going on? Why was he talking to himself? Was this boy possessed by something or perhaps someone? That name, Ansem... Tara buried the name inside her memory.

There was obviously an internal struggle. Finally, the boy opened his eyes. They were filled with a determined but strained light. "Get out of here!" he told her. "Run, now! You have to escape!"

Tara could feel her muscles start to loosen up as the spell began to wear away. She flexed her jaw muscles as a test, then croaked out, "But... I can't just leave you... You need my help..."

"Just go! I can't hold him back much longer..." For an instant, his eyes flashed back to those cold, empty eyes. Then they were normal once more. "Leave!"

"But -- "

"I said GO!

The force of his words was enough to get her moving. Her leg muscles were working almost properly once more, and so she stumbled around the boy and ran back towards the opening of the cave. Behind her, she heard the clatter of a sword, and she knew the boy was still fighting -- and perhaps even winning -- against this Ansem person. Good luck, she thought, though she knew it wouldn't help him.

She ran out of the cave and into the night air. It was only when she was outside that she realized what she really wanted -- no, had -- to do: go back in and help that boy. She didn't know quite how she'd do it, but she knew she wanted to save him. She turned and was about to head back into the cave when she saw something black rise from the ground. Was it another of those demons that had attacked her and her mom?

Tara drew her swords instinctively and set her feet apart in a fighting stance. She was shaking in fear and her palms were sweaty, but she acted as though it were nothing. It's just like the forest animals I hunt around here, she told herself reassuringly. It's nothing different. Yet she still couldn't erase the nervousness.

As the thing took shape, she recognized it as that odd human-like beast that the boy had called "Guardian". It reached a long, wispy hand towards her. She swallowed her lump of fear and swiped at it with her swords. It recoiled, letting out a hissing sort of sound. Did that mean that it was afraid of her?

Her pendant was still glowing. It was soon obvious to her that this is what the Guardian was trying to get, but she refused to let the beast have it. Knowing that it was afraid of her gave her some measure of courage, and she attacked it with her blades again; however, it simply danced away.

These careful maneuvers were repeated again and again. Tara soon grew frustrated, though, and her attacks became increasingly foolish and reckless. The Guardian saw this and chose to take advantage of her in her blind rage. It kept dodging each attack, all the while luring her back into the cave. The cave held darkness untouched by any moon's light, and so it was the perfect place for it. Also, she would soon tire, being that she was only a mortal, and this would be the perfect opportunity to attack.

The cave's darkness surrounded her, but Tara didn't realize it. She continuously swung her sword around like a bumbling fool, not at all like someone who'd been trained for five years by the best swordsman in the country, her father.

The Guardian's plan was working. The further they went into the cave, the stronger it became and the more tired Tara became. She finally understood it's plan, but it was far too late for her to do anything. She'd backed herself into a corner. All she could do was fight back and pray for safety.

The Guardian became bold enough to let one of her attacks hit. It blocked with its arm and was hardly affected by the blow. Tara could swear she saw it smirking as it blocked a few more of her attacks. Finally, it reached out once more for the pendant. Tara tried in vain to attack it with her swords, but it brushed off the blows.

Suddenly, a bright light filled the entire cave. Tara closed her eyes and brought her arms in front of her to shield herself from the light. She could somehow feel a warmth that contrasted with the coldness of the cave around her, but she didn't know where it came from.

That light, she thought. It's coming from the pendant... I was saved?

When the light faded, she was in a strange town. A nearby sign had bright letters that spelled out, Traverse Town.