Author's Note: Here's the re-write of Key of Destruction!... I hope it was worth the wait…
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts. It is owned by Square Enix, Disney, and Tetsuya Nomura.
Claimer: I DO own this fan-fiction, the OC's, original worlds, and the plot. Please do not use any of them without my consent.
And a very big thank you to my wonderful beta reader, Wings of Avalon!
Enjoy the story! :D
-TG:KoD-
Chapter One:
The Return of Darkness
There was only one way to describe the scene before her: complete and utter pandemonium. Hikari ran through the crowds of panicked people, her mind trained on finding her twin brother, Hikaru. In all her sixteen years of life, Hikari had never seen chaos, but now, experiencing it firsthand, it frightened her. She had to fight down the urge to help the people as she passed by them. Preserving the peace and happiness of the people was what she lived for, so seeing them in such disarray made Hikari feel extremely guilty. She had to keep telling herself that their distress was not her fault; it was the fault of the attacking Darklings.
Hikari looked up from the cobblestone road, her ice blue eyes finding the castle in the black fog that had settled over the town. She took solace in seeing the white heart shaped moon that was still in the sky directly above the castle. The gothic style castle had to have been thousands of years old, but its pristine white stone had been kept beautiful ever since it was first built. Only now, in the dark haze that seemed to be swallowing the world, the castle looked grayed and ugly. But the heart shaped moon above the castle still shone its brilliant light, the darkness not at all eclipsing it.
Hikari had to bring her attention back to the ground as she almost tripped on the hem of her white corset styled gown. She had long since discarded her white heeled shoes because it was too hard to run in them. Her raven black hair had been pulled up into an elegant bun, decorated with pearls, but in her haste her hair had escaped from the confines of the bun which now loosely flowed midway down her back.
The girl couldn't brush off the feeling that someone was waiting for her. Someone dark. Someone she hoped she would never meet. Ever since the attack, the attack that caused the swarming darkness, she had felt like someone was calling to her. Challenging her. The challenger was dark, that much was obvious, and they were probably the same person who started the attack. There was only one person who could unleash this much darkness in so little time, but he had been locked away inside Kingdom Hearts one thousand years ago. There was no way he would be able to do this from his prison, assuming he was still in it. The thought that he would escape frightened Hikari. All the worlds would be in grave danger if he had. That's why she had to find her brother, he would know if he escaped. Hikaru knew everything. It was one of the perks of being king of Keepers Kingdom.
Hikari was now near the castle gates, which led into the courtyard. The gates were wide open, allowing the throngs of panicked people to pour into it, into the protection of the castle. Hikari was about to enter, when a sort of psychotic cackling echoed in her thoughts.
She stopped dead in her tracks, a horrified expression on her face. No one else seemed to have heard it.
"What?" She whispered, before the voice pierced her mind again.
Why don't we play a little game? If you win, I'll tell you something interesting.
"Who are you?" Hikari hissed. She knew she wasn't just hearing things; someone was calling to her.
Ah, it wouldn't be a game if I told you now, would it? the voice teased.
Hikari gritted her teeth. "What is this 'game'?"
It is really quite simple. You find me before time runs out. And don't worry: I'm staying in one place. The voice cackled again. If you follow your intuition, you should finish quickly. You have five minutes.
Then the voice was gone, replaced by a strange pulling sensation on her mind. So now she just ran blindly, letting her mind guide her to whomever -whatever- was calling her. She knew it was probably going to be a horrible trap, seeing as the thing calling to her was of pure darkness, but at the moment, she really didn't care. She just wanted to know what was going on.
Hikari pushed her way through the crowds of frightened people, stumbling occasionally, but she managed to work her way to the castle's entrance. She pushed open the wonderfully crafted double doors, not sparing a single moment as she continued to follow the strange pull in her mind. She dashed through the stately halls; her familiarity with the castle's winding maze of corridors only helped her haste.
The sense of guidance in her head led her to a door that brought her to a rarely used tower. Hikari hesitated a moment, her face laced with uncertainty, but she forced all feelings of cowardice deep into her heart, replacing it with an expression of confidence and bravery. She didn't care if she was walking into a trap, where no one knew where she was and certainly wouldn't be able to help her if things turned for the worst.
She really didn't care.
Without a second thought, Hikari threw the old wooden door open and started to ascend the winding stone steps in a fast, but steady, pace.
When she reached the top Hikari looked around, noticing that the pull in her mind had vanished. She was in the right place, but where was her challenger? Looking around again, Hikari took note of the room's features. The room was fairly large, and perfectly round, and there was no ceiling, only the tipped wooden roof, the multiple support beams making a fitting home for birds. There was a small balcony to her left, offering a perfect view of the heart shaped moon in the hazy, dark sky. The room was empty, save for a few rotting crates.
Hikari moved forward slowly, uncertain. She continued to take small steps until she was in the center of the tower, looking around once more. "Hello?"
"Ah, Princess Hikari Akira Kami, I thought you would never speak."
Hikari jumped at the sudden voice, hearing the malice it carried. She quickly spun around, just in time to see a man emerge from the shadows. Upon seeing the man, a shiver ran up her spine. His entire being was teeming with pure darkness. It was apparent that there wasn't a single speck of light within him. Hikari was certain who he was before he even said his name. He was Hikari's complete opposite, as her being carried only light. He had escaped his prison, and the worlds were doomed.
"Kuragari…"
Kuragari was a frightening looking man, appearing to be thirty years old; his cold, glowing red eyes being his creepiest feature. His skin was sickly pale, like he had never seen the sun. His long hair was white, his bangs hanging in parts of his face. He wore a black leather coat, the hem billowing to his ankles, the collar flipped up to brush against his cheek, and it was left open to expose his well toned chest and stomach. Around his waist was a black leather belt with a white skull buckle. His pants were a deep black and tucked into a pair of black boots with white trim.
Kuragari smiled a sick, twisted smile that made Hikari take a step back in unease. This man was a psychopath if there ever was one.
"Did you enjoy our game?" Kuragari asked, his twisted smile widening. "You won, so I assume you did. Hmm, Hikari?"
Hikari clenched her fists in anger. "Just tell me what it is you want."
"That should be quite obvious." Kuragari started walking toward Hikari, so she quickly stepped aside, watching as Kuragari continued toward the balcony, ogling at the heart shaped moon. "I want Kingdom Hearts."
Hikari felt her heart freeze in fear, her entire body going ridged from shock. The situation had just gone in a totally catastrophic direction.
"With it I can exact my revenge." Kuragari turned toward Hikari, his face unreadable, but his red eyes seemed to be filled with pain, like an extreme sorrow that still plagued his memory. Seeing that, Hikari suddenly felt like there was a reason for his antics, that they weren't just blind madness. But what that reason was, Hikari hadn't the slightest clue.
"Revenge for what?" Hikari couldn't help but ask. She was curious.
Kuragari smirked, and then turned his attention back to Kingdom Hearts, "All in good time, Hikari." He raised his hand, palm facing toward Kingdom Hearts. A black orb formed in his palm, gaining energy until it was bigger than his hand, then he launched it right at Kingdom Hearts. The dark orb started swarming around Kingdom Hearts, and Hikari realized what that orb was doing.
"NO!" she yelled, wisps of light gathering around her hand, forming what looked like a key-shaped sword. When the light cleared, Hikari held a dazzling Keyblade. The blade was thin – able to slice through just about anything, probably – it was a shining white gold, and at the tip of the blade was a white gold heart. The hilt was in the shape of a heart, thick in the part where the heart curved and thin at the tip of the heart, and it was a beautiful yellow gold. The blade sprouted from between the curves of the heart, and the keychain hung from the tip of the heart, composed of a white gold chain and a diamond heart at the end.
Not wasting a moment, Hikari gripped the handle with both hands and charged for Kuragari. Apparently, the man was ready for this, as he reacted quickly. With his free hand, Kuragari aimed at Hikari, and swinging his hand in a wide arc, black flames erupted from Kuragari's fingers and flew toward Hikari. Hikari brought her Keyblade up to protect herself from the flames, not slowing down. Her blade sliced through the fire, creating a large V, but Hikari wasn't able to withstand the force of the attack. She was thrown backwards, hitting the stone wall, her head snapped against it causing her to cry out in pain. Hikari slid to the floor, lying in a crumpled heap, her Keyblade disappearing in a shower of light.
Hikari tried to blink away the blurriness in her eyes, but she was failing miserably. She could just barely make out Kuragari's dark silhouette on the balcony, watching as Kingdom Hearts disappeared in a portal of darkness.
Hikari made a whimper of dismay, knowing that there was nothing she could do.
Kuragari turned to Hikari, looking smug. He strode over to the fallen girl, kneeling next to her and brushing a few strands of black hair from her face. He gazed into her foggy ice blue eyes, smirking. "This is where the real game begins, Hikari, and I plan on winning."
Hikari moaned brokenly as her consciousness started to give way, her vision steadily darkening, trying to pull her into the blissful realm of sleep. The last thing Hikari saw before losing consciousness was Kuragari vanish into a Corridor of Darkness, then all went black.
-TG:KoD-
When Hikari woke, she was aware of one thing only: her head hurt like hell. She groaned, trying to sit up, only to have someone gently push her back down onto the bed she was in and tell her something in a hushed voice. Opening her eyes, Hikari's vision swam in and out of focus for a moment, clearing to reveal her twin brother's concerned face hovering over her.
"Hikaru…?" Hikari whispered groggily.
Hikaru smiled, lighting up his ice blue eyes. His raven black hair was slicked back to better reveal his eyes. Normally Hikaru would've been wearing his crown, but he never did in the presence of his beloved sister. It was a way of showing that even though Hikaru was the king, he was first and foremost Hikari's twin brother and nothing as trivial as a high court position could come between their bond.
"Are you alright?" Hikaru asked.
Hikari nodded, wincing from the sharp pain that coursed through her head. Seeing his sister's pain, Hikaru pulled out a blue bottle, and taking great care, he lifted Hikari's head into a drinkable position and leveled the rim of the bottle to her lips and coaxed her into drinking before tipping it, letting the liquid run into her mouth. The bottle's contents trickled down Hikari's throat, the bitter taste causing her to wrinkle her nose and cough slightly, but soon she felt a refreshing cool sweep through her body, reducing the sharp pain in her head to a bearable throb.
Hikaru took the bottle and placed it on a bedside table, then helped his twin sit up. Hikari leaned against the head board, a large, fluffy pillow cushioning her back. After confirming that she was in her own bedroom, Hikari looked down at her lap to finger the blanket covering her. She noticed that someone had changed her into a white nightgown, and she cocked her eyebrow. She wasn't surprised. It was just a little weird to think that someone had changed her while she was unconscious.
"The guards found you unconscious in the high tower. What exactly were you doing up there?" Hikaru asked as he sat on the side of the bed, facing his sister. "…Did you see what happened to Kingdom Hearts?" he added as an afterthought.
By the look on Hikaru's face, Hikari knew that he was dying to know what had happened. She had no idea how he would take to the knowledge that Kuragari had escaped and taken Kingdom Hearts, but he had to know. Taking a deep breath, she told him. "Kuragari escaped with the Darklings and he took Kingdom Hearts."
Hikaru stiffened, clenching his teeth. She had been blunt, yes, but at least now he knew.
"How is that even possible?" Hikaru whispered, seething. "He's been imprisoned in Kingdom Hearts for one thousand years. He should not have been able to escape!"
"He said he wanted revenge, and I'm guessing that his determination is what gave him the strength to break out." Hikari said. "Revenge is a very powerful feeling, especially for someone with as black a heart as him."
"Well, what are we going to do about this? You've heard the stories about him. He's insane. He isn't going to listen to reason."
Hikari thought about that for a moment. It was true; Kuragari was known to be a warped and sadistic maniac – you never knew what he was thinking until it was too late. Hikari thought back to that sad, empty expression in his eyes. She knew that Kuragari was dead set on getting his revenge, whatever it was for, and he wasn't going to rest until he was satisfied.
"Hikaru, I don't think there is way to reason with him." Hikari said. "The only thing we can do is destroy him or imprison him again, and I have to do it soon. Very soon."
Hikaru looked up, a questioning look on his face. "But, Hikari…"
"I know the risks, and I'm willing to take them." Hikari said, determination lacing her voice. "I can't just sit here knowing that he's out there, Hikaru, I just can't."
"…What are you planning to do?" Hikaru asked hesitantly. He really didn't want his sister to leave the safety of their home world, fearing that she would never come back, but he knew that countless people would suffer if she stayed. He was torn between keeping his sister safe or keeping the worlds safe. Couldn't she just let the Keyblade bearers take care of it? They had done so well the last two times… that was a selfish thought, but Hikaru just wanted Hikari to be safe.
Hikari tilted her head back to look at the ceiling, trying to think of what to do. She couldn't just go by herself, that would be suicide, plus Hikaru would never let her go alone. She could bring a few guards with her… no, no that would never work… she needed someone who was used to fighting massive amounts of darkness, someone who was unconditionally loyal to the light, someone who knew the worlds… someone who wielded a Keyblade.
"The Keyblade bearers…" Hikari whispered.
"What?"
"Hikaru, I need to get the help of the Keyblade bearers!"
-TG:KoD-
Hikari shut the door to her room, taking a deep breath as she started walking down the grand hall. It had been an hour since Hikari convinced her brother to let her go to Destiny Islands, and in that hour she had prepared herself for her adventure. She had changed into more suitable attire, as well. Hikari now wore a white halter-top, tan shorts, and white sneakers. It was a simple outfit, but Hikari wasn't one for complexity, so it suited her just fine.
Hikari twirled a few strands of her raven black hair in her fingers, feeling a bit odd not having it up. She had contemplated pulling it up into a messy bun, but she decided to leave it down. It felt more natural.
She heard soft footsteps following her, then an equally soft and wise voice spoke her name. "Hikari."
Hikari turn to find an elderly woman standing behind her, a kind, knowing smile on her aged face. Hikari recognized her immediately.
"Grandmother." Hikari smiled, her love for the woman saturating her voice.
Himiko Kami was a tall woman, her old age not at all hindering her posture – though she did possess a walking cane. Her once golden blond hair had completely grayed; nevertheless, it still shined radiantly. Her green eyes seemed to hold a deep wisdom, which was to be expected from a former queen. All in all, Himiko was an odd mixture of wisdom and elegance.
"Hikari, how is your head feeling?" Himiko took a few carefully placed steps toward Hikari and laid her wrinkled hand atop her head, feeling for any bumps.
"I'm fine, Grandmother. It doesn't hurt anymore."
"Oh, well that's good." Himiko removed her hand, her smile never faltering, and reached into a pouch around her thin waist. "There is something I want to give you." After rummaging a little, Himiko pulled something out and cupped it in her hands, not allowing Hikari to see it. "This belonged to your mother… she wanted you to have it. I was just waiting for the perfect moment to give it to you. What better time than going on your first adventure, hmm?"
Himiko uncovered the object, revealing it to be a diamond necklace, the diamond cut into the shape of a heart and the chain a beautiful white gold. Hikari gazed at the necklace, reaching a hand out to touch it, but Himiko motioned for her to turn around. "Now, let me put it on you."
Hikari nodded, turning so her back was to her grandmother. Hikari moved her hair up so Himiko could latch the necklace around her neck, letting her long hair drop when she felt its unfamiliar weight hang from her neck. Hikari wrapped her fingers around the diamond heart, lifting it to her eye level, letting the light from a nearby arch window hit it, making the precious stone sparkle. Hikari felt a small, solemn smile form on her lips. She barely remembered her mother, as she was very little when her mother and father died, but, strangely enough, she never felt like they were gone. Maybe it was because she was too young to understand the concept of death, or maybe it was because she hadn't yet grasped the fact that she was never going to see her parents again.
Himiko noticed a few tears sliding from Hikari's eyes, so she embraced her granddaughter lovingly. "Your parents loved you, Hikari. Never forget that. They will always protect you and give you guidance." Himiko pulled away from Hikari, keeping her hands on the girl's shoulders. She wiped away Hikari's tears with her thumb, smiling encouragingly at her granddaughter. "But I highly doubt you need it."
"Thank you…" Hikari's voice was small, barely above a whisper, but the two uttered words were filled with emotion.
Himiko cupped Hikari's cheek, bringing the girl's head up so she could see her face. "Now, I think it's time we got going. You will want plenty of time to say goodbye to your brother."
Hikari nodded, and turning around, she started walking down the corridor. Himiko stood with a solemn expression. She knew the perils her granddaughter was about to face, but she was forbidden to tell her. She could only hope that Hikari and the Keyblade bearers would be able to overcome the darkness…but even then, the survival of everyone wasn't foreseen. There was always heartache in the end.
"Be very careful…"
Hikari stopped, having heard her grandmother's uttered words. She didn't turn around. She didn't want to see the worry that was expressed in Himiko's eyes. "I will… I promise…" Hikari whispered, then ran the rest of the way down the hall, disappearing around the corner, leaving Himiko behind.
Hikari didn't stop running until she was near the castle entrance. Hikari leaned over, placing her palms on her knees to catch her breath. After a moment of harsh breathing, Hikari stood upright. She gazed through the open double oak doors, seeing Hikaru and some guards in the courtyard, waiting for her. Hikari looked down at the diamond heart lying innocently on her chest and smiled earnestly. She was very happy to have a piece of her mother with her, even if it was just a necklace.
Hikari returned her gaze to the doors, her determination renewed. She made her way into the courtyard, her head held high and her resolve expressed in her steps, the stone stairs not affecting her zeal. She stopped in front of Hikaru, looking into his worried face, even the guards around him looked worried. Great, was everyone worried about her?
Hikari sighed dejectedly. "Hikaru, I'll be fine. Stop worrying."
"How can you be so sure of that? You've never been off this world before, Hikari. You have no idea what's out there."
"Hikaru, I may not know what the other worlds are like, but the Keyblade bearers do. Besides, they started out just as clueless as me, so I'll be perfectly fine."
Hikaru seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Yeah… you're right…" he finally said, still looking a little unsure.
Hikari leaned over and tilted her head a bit so she could catch Hikaru's down cast eyes. "I'll be fine."
Hikaru looked up, and Hikari straightened. Hikaru nodded curtly, smiling optimistically. Hikari walked past him, into the center of the courtyard, tuning around to face him. "Goodbye, Hikaru… be sure to take care of Grandmother."
Hikaru nodded. "I will."
Hikari smiled and turned toward the castle gates, the strong breeze from the lake throwing her long raven hair around. Hikari took a deep breath, preparing herself. She summoned her Keyblade, Divine Light, and aimed it at an empty area of the courtyard. A long, thin beam of blue light shot from the Keyblade's tip and formed a portal of swirling blue, white, and black.
Without looking back, Hikari ran through the portal, letting it close behind her. She was going to defeat Kuragari and the Darklings if it was the last thing she did, and Heaven help whoever got in her way.
Hikari was ready, and destiny was ready to dump all its cruelties.
Author's Note: My sister pointed out that this chapter was similar to the book/movie The Princess and the Goblin… which is kinda funny cause I used to love that movie when I was little. Guess I remembered it subconsciously XD
Now… reviews, anyone? They're my only paycheck, y'know!
