Chapter three, more action the ch.2, lots more. The same old, same old, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or anything affiliated with it.

Chapter Three:

Sora was slightly startled when he woke up. He could hear voices farther down the hall, but they were too far to have woken him. A little annoyed at waking up at nothing, Sora settled in the bed and tried to go back to sleep. Thinking for a moment on the No Body-Heartless problem. The more he thought about it, the more he got confused and frustrated.

How was he supposed to be a Hero, albeit not exactly a wanted one, when he was helping bad-guy while destroying the other? He was the Key Bearer, he was supposed to know they answer to this, and it was his problem, his concern, other then Donald and Goofy he hadn't told any of the others. He wanted a certain answer, or at least a possible one, before he brought a crushing blow down on people he considered friends.

The Nasty annoying part of him, a new part, he would later realize. Mocked him by saying this is war, it's all crushing and why you care whether they get one more problem is stupid. Let them work out an answer.

The idea was tempting, but Sora couldn't do that. Not to his friends, they helped him enough as it was. Besides, it was a problem for the key-bearer, and he should work it out on his own.

Fine. Whatever. And with that his sense of rebellion went back into it's dark little corner, and Sora felt like himself again. Though he was still thoroughly annoyed.

(Zaetyne)

Zaetyne got bored when Dusk fell, and slipped off, hoping to find something worth her time to chase down. Not finding anything right away, she paused beside a foundation to collect water in her shadow-covered hand and lap it thinking.

The heartless hadn't minded her. She was only one in there thousands. Zaetyne thought, using her human thinking skills, which unlike many of the things that had her walking in the daylight world sometime ago, hadn't faded or been lost completely. Who she had been was gone. What she'd done was gone, but she knew the Heartless and she understood that the blade the boy carried around was dangerous to them.

It was also something she despised. Why she didn't know, but it brought to mind a very strong loathing. Something she nearly choked on every time he'd used it. But he hadn't called it lately. There were no Heartless; they may risk one of whatever Zaetyne was. But two? They didn't like those odds. Mindless as the heartless were they were still living creatures who felt pain and the lose of many of their soldiers, so two very powerful predators gave even them something to think twice about.

That was bad. Zaetyne's predator mind picked up. She needed the heartless to live at least partially awake. The fewer of them she got, the more and more tired. Eventually she fell asleep, she didn't know how long, time was as lost as who she had been. Though she somehow remembered her name.

Zaetyne almost didn't notice the steps as something closed in on her. In no mood to play hide-and-seek she remained where she was, calming lapping water from her hand. She didn't think like that often. This was why; it distracted her from her surroundings.

"There you are."

There she was, hmm. Zaetyne made a small noise, almost scoffing. This person didn't know her, but she must look enough like that boy when he'd turned into whatever it was they were to be mistaken for him. But People, in General, lacked any kind of skill at telling things they weren't used to apart.

"I've been looking for you all day."

Zaetyne hissed softly. Oh, get on with it.

She was more then ready when the blade appeared. It was bigger and heavier looking then she liked and quickly decided that it would be best to avoid those. She learned once that horses have sharp and heavy hooves that could leave her panting senselessly on the ground for hours. It had taken getting kicked by one, directly on the head, but she'd learned to be leery of heavy things.

She crouched down, one arm held partially behind her and partially out to the side, elbow moving freely and her claws clenching every now and again. This was how she fought, tooth and Claw. Something made her think she had fought differently once, but how and why were lost, and she wasn't certain if this feeling were true or not.

Again distracted by her human mind, she was almost hit. The Blade had a farther reached then she liked to think. But instinct made her lash out, Claws, like polished Onyx, cutting through cloth easily, the ripping noise loud in the sudden quiet.

He staggered but righted himself. He hadn't been wounded. No Zaetyne was simply hoping to get him to leave her alone. She had bigger things to worry about.

Oddly Zaetyne almost never bothered with humans. Why she still didn't know. She knew their blood was better then the Heartless's Ichor. But something prevented that, an annoying little begging that people be left alone.

A begged that eventually reminded her that people attacked, and getting attacked hurt. It made sense, so the rest of her mind left it at that.

Being more careful now, the person circled, his eyes were almost dark blue, but more vivid, and Zaetyne wondered if she'd seen them before. But dismissed it. She should be at least, trying to take this person seriously.

This time when Charged, she simply stood up to her full height, not much really, and put on hand on the blade forcing it the other way, to the apparent shock of the person, and dragging her other hand up and long the persons side. This time the person did not get back up.

He wasn't dead, no danger of that, Zaetyne that stubborn little voice. But he wasn't going to attack her again anytime soon. No. That had been what she set out to do and that's what she did. Still she felt almost compelled to stay. Something rising on her mind, trying to work it's self into words she hadn't used in a long time, she wasn't certain she could again.

"Get him out before it's too late."

The voice, small, whispery quiet, and breathless sounded, Startled Zaetyne and she crouched almost flat on the ground, hissing, before realizing it had been hers. The words she said already forgotten and sensing Heartless, Zaetyne left the wounded person and bounded off. These would not get away; if she were successful it would be her first meal in days.

(Sora)

He was having that dream again. The one he'd had the day before. Only this time, he was facing Heartless not Donald, which made more sense. Several of the small ones had shown up in a semi-circle, but they seemed hesitate to attack and when he hissed they all jumped around like a bunch of grasshoppers.

Watching them for a moment more, He jumped intended to get one that was quickly abandoned by its fellows. It tried to run in the weird way they did, but was not fast enough. It soon lay pinned beneath him.

Before he could do anything to it, pain as sharp as a hot knife, sliced through a back leg and he spun around, forgetting the heartless which still lay there, too stupid to realize it's moment to escape was right there. He stood facing another like him. Though she, oddly he knew it was a she, had a strong salty, coppery smell of something stronger then Ichor.

She hissed. This was her Territory, her hunting ground. He was trespassing.

Feeling threatened and deciding that he could take this new threat, all he did was fall into a crouch and hiss back.

She made a small noise. He didn't like it and, jumped, only to be flattened when she simply stood up, and hopped. Quickly spinning, he dislodged her, and spun around managed to catch her arm on one of his claws.

He paid for the strike when she latched onto his side, claws digging painfully, and would not let go. She had endurance if nothing else. Struggling to be let go of, and fighting down a rising cry that he did not want her to hear, he tried again to dislodge her, swiping at her head, this time, he managed to hit her, and she tumbled momentarily dazed. She shook that off and looked at him, hissing.

He realized he could not or would not move. She'd gotten him good and he lay in a growing puddle of his own blood. Ignoring him, she turned to the heartless and several had vanished and she clean her claws of all their ichor, very, very pleased with herself and quite content after a meal.

"Sora… can you hear me?"

"Huh…ah, yeah," he blinked, how had he gotten outside again? Oh right, he'd gone for a walk, unable to sleep and unwilling to face his friends and act short with them twice in one night.

Like it matters. Their nothing to you. Oh. So his mean voice was back, to hit him while he was down, was that how it worked.

"I thought you were dead, looks like that heartless Donald was talking about attacked again, twice, left Cloud not happy, and barely awake. Found him this morning. He got fixed up, and blacked out. He's still out of it." Yuffie didn't sound too concerned, but she was worried that Cloud had been badly hurt.

"Why am I still outside?"

"Oh, that, honestly, I didn't want to move you until Merlin fixed you up and then it seemed like a good idea. It's noisy back at Merlin's, lots of people arguing and trying to work out what it was that got you two. How Cloud's still out of it is beyond me."

Sora sat up, stiff but grateful for at least a blanket.

"Did you see what it was?"

"No. I don't remember even coming this far. I was only going to go a little ways from Merlin's." Sora rubbed his head and wondered just what had happened. "But Cloud was gone all day wasn't he? Look for that thing."

"Apparently he found it, or it found him. I'm guessing that after running into both of you it's at least hurt."

"Maybe." Sora rubbed his head. "I think I'd remember a fight."

Still, something was bugging him. Why all of a sudden was he having gaps in his memory. Was the Organization messing around with his memories again? IF so, then other people would be affected. So that wasn't it. Another puzzles to think about.

"I think we should go back." Sora suggested.

His nasty side didn't comment. Sora was just as happy. He didn't fell like being a pain in the rear to his friends. Not today.

Twilight Keeper

So far so good. As for Zaetyne I'll keep who she was secret for a little longer.