Recappy From the Last Chappy: The blonde faced forward and relaxed her face. The Cheshire Cat said that if you had a heart, you could use these gems to summon the person contained in them. She closed her eyes and her lip brushed against her finger. Hopefully, my incomplete and broken heart will be enough.
A multi-colored light emanated through the cracks of her fingers from the stone. A few feet away from her, smoke produced itself out of thin air. Some munny and lottery tickets rained among the smoke like confetti. A curvy figure could be made out in the center.
Hikari opened her eyes and smiled. "Granny!"
Chapter Twenty-eight: Search, Bind, and Lock
The Fifth Hokage Lady Tsunade stood erect in the midst of mysteriously present munny and lottery tickets as a gentle breeze disturbed her low-hanging pigtails and green shrug. Her sexy, strappy heels were shoulder-width apart, and she had one hand on her hip.
She looked young and beautiful; her voluptuous curves made Sora blush. Hikari called her "Granny," yet she could have been someone's attractive mother at the most.
Everyone but the blondes gawked. "G . . . granny"? How can someone who looks so young be—"GRANNY"?
Tsunade leered, pulled back her fist, and lunged. "Three years and that's how you greet me? I'm no one's granny!"
Hikari did not have the chance to dodge, so she braced herself and took the hit. She was sent flying back about thirty feet, tumbling across the surface and managing to stay on top of the water. When she stopped rolling, she lifted herself onto one knee and took a moment to recover.
"My ribs aren't broken, so I know you're not serious," she said with an embarrassed smile. ". . . Granny."
A shadow set over the others' eyes. Not serious? She hit you so hard you rolled over a dozen times!
The Lady Hokage smiled and shielded her eyes from the sun. "It's good to see you. Who are your friends?"
Hikari stood and returned to them. "The boy is Sora, the duck is Donald, the dog is Goofy, the redhead is Ariel, the girl with the purple hair is Isaribi, and the sea lion is Red XIII." When she neared them, her expression turned serious. "It's a long story, but . . . we need your help, Granny."
Briefly they explained the situation to her, and their plan to seal the Three-tailed Turtle inside Hikari. Tsunade listened and asked questions occasionally. Her expression was calculating, serious as she absorbed the information. She had her thumb on her chin and a finger covering her mouth.
When they finished, she lowered her hand, rested it on her hip, and spoke. "I'm telling you right away that I'm not sealing the Three-tailed Turtle inside anyone."
"But we—," started Hikari.
"The purpose of sealing Tailed Beasts in ninja was chiefly political; jinchuuriki were to be used as weapons, or deterrents. There is no need to do that here," the lady Hokage interrupted sternly. With a sly smile, she added, "Instead, we are going to seal the Three-tailed Turtle in another dimension."
She was met with perplexed stares.
"How many chakra users are there here?"
"Three; just you, Isaribi, and me."
"We need four. Do you have another gem like mine to summon someone with? Preferably someone with precise chakra control."
Hikari unhooked the Byakugan gem from her bracelet. "I have Neji Hyuuga. I think the surname speaks for itself."
The Hokage smiled. "Perfect. One of you summon him." She turned to the magic users. "I'll need the five of you to go find the Three-tailed Turtle, and lure it here. I'll take us some time to set up this jutsu, but the sooner we get it, the better."
"Yes, ma'am!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy saluted; Ariel and Red XIII subsequently nodded.
The gem to summon Neji was handed to Sora. The brunette followed Hikari's example somewhat; he closed his hand over the stone, brought it to his chest, and closed his eyes. As the gem started glowing, a small pool of light appeared a few feet away. That pool grew, the light brightened, and out of it sprang forth an adolescent male spinning rapidly inside a sphere of blue chakra. The spinning slowed, the light dimmed, and the chakra dissipated until all that was left was the young man in a combat stance.
Neji was a year older than Hikari at sixteen. He had light skin, lavender-white eyes, and long brown hair that he tied back in a ponytail. His Leaf headband covered his forehead, and his long bangs hung over the sides of his face. He wore a white shirt with loose sleeves and a fastener on the right side of his chest with matching pants, a dark grey apron tied around his waist, and black zori.
He realized where he was and straightened; he noticed Tsunade and gave her a respectful nod. "Lady Hokage."
She returned the greeting. "Neji."
While Sora, Donald, Goofy, Ariel, and Red XIII left to do their part, Neji was briefed on the situation. Then, preparations for the Four Corner Barrier Seal began. Tsunade produced five scrolls and handed one to Hikari, Neji, and Isaribi. The fifth scroll was in the middle.
"There are three parts to this seal: 'search,' 'bind,' and 'lock.' Just follow my lead, and remain focused. Like I said, this requires great chakra control and concentration." She unrolled her scroll and placed it down in front of her. "For this part, you need a blood sample, like the Summoning Jutsu."
The four ninja bit their thumbs and drew them across the scroll, leaving a small line of blood behind. Tsunade performed a string of hand seals, and the others followed suit. The kanji that were on the scrolls glowed blue and extended to connect to one another. Around the fifth scroll, the writing formed a diamond shape with bisected corners. In the center, there was the kanji for "seal" in pink.
"Good. Everyone's concentrated? Then lift it—carefully."
The three subordinates complied. Along with the senior ninja, they lifted the markings directly off the page and the ground, their hands taking on the same blue glow. The space between the lines took on a light blue sheen, and the kanji in the center glowed pink. The center raised a little bit until the barrier resembled a small dome or large umbrella.
Slow and steady, they left the slab of land and walked on the surface of the water. They moved into open sea, where the Three-tailed Turtle was more likely to cross. Isaribi struggled to keep her concentration; she was not an official ninja, and her training was minimal, so her chakra control was not entirely refined—she barely had the precision to keep her corner of the jutsu up.
Isaribi abruptly fell into the water down to her ankles and yelled; she caught herself before she fell completely under and made the jutsu collapse. She trembled as she gathered her bearings, and Neji urged her to concentrate once more.
She nodded and lifted one foot at a time to climb out of her shallow submergence. Sweat accumulated at her temples and on the brows of everyone present. When they reached a wide enough area of open sea, they paused for a few moments.
Hikari's eyes never left the kanji at the top of the dome, having employed it as her focal point to aid her concentration. She addressed the lady Hokage. "Granny, are we really going to be able to capture the Three-tailed Turtle this way? It's huge, and this is pretty small. Shouldn't we cast a wider net?"
"I'm aware of that," she responded; being a former medical ninja, and the Fifth Hokage, this level of chakra precision came much more naturally to her, so she could regard Hikari without losing concentration. "The next step is to expand. The barrier will stretch if we all step back; the more in unison and symmetrically we move, the more stable it will be."
"Mm." They all nodded and stepped back, moving one foot at a time in uniform pace. Continuing to struggle a little with the perpetual movement, Isaribi's determined furrow in her brow deepened so she held onto her focus.
The area covered by their barrier was about the size of a high school football field when it displayed a reaction, and the party who pursued the Three-tailed Turtle surfaced outside of its radius. A large shadow manifested in the water, but did not extend passed the barrier's circumference; they had expanded it just enough.
"Alright. The Three-tailed Turtle is now bound within the confines of the barrier. The last step is to lower the barrier to the water's surface and commence sealing it away." She shifted to kneel. "On the count of—ugh!"
A green energy manifested around all four ninja and completely restricted their movement; everyone else was lifted from the water and found themselves in a similar situation, too. The only part of them they could fully move was their heads, but they could slightly shift their bodies, as if fighting rope.
Neji frowned. "What's this?"
Donald squawked. "Hey! What's the big idea?"
Hikari discontinued fighting the magic's hold, labeling it a futile situation, and twisted her head as far as it would go around her to try and find the source of the power. Could it be Ursula? But . . . we saw her vanish right before our eyes. . . .
A sinister female voice cut through the air to them. "I can't let you go through with this pitiful sealing jutsu of yours. Banishment of a Tailed Beast would be a rather unforgiveable hindrance."
One of the small slabs of land lifted itself into the air, and a burst of chartreuse flame rose from its center. In wisps of darkness, a horned woman in dark robes and carrying a scepter stepped out. Her scarlet lips were curled in a dark smile as she looked at Sora.
The brunette's eyes widened as an unwell feeling rose in his stomach. Somehow, he felt he knew this woman's identity. "Wait a second. . . . Are you . . . Maleficent?"
She reacted with a complacent smirk. "We finally meet, O Keybearer. Dear Riku has told me so much about you." She raised her scepter and summoned two Pirate Heartless. "I did not come to visit, however. Heartless! Seize that girl!"
Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Red XIII each reacted and struggled once more against the force constricting them, believing she meant Hikari. But the Heartless moved passed her to Isaribi. They took the purple-haired girl by her arms and dragged her away from her corner of the barrier, kicking and screaming; the magic still inflicting everyone else was no longer at play with her.
Goofy voiced the question that crossed the others' minds. "Is Isaribi a princess?"
Maleficent laughed as she looked down on the little girl. "Absolutely not! This little sea monster's heart is ripe with darkness. After all, she spent years at the side of my colleague, Ursula the sea witch." She raised her staff. "A quality befitting of a container for a tailed beast, wouldn't you agree? Hnhnhn."
Isaribi screamed in protest and tried to break free again. Tears welled in her eyes. "No! Don't! I don't—I don't want to be a monster anymore!" she sobbed. "Please!"
Hikari's eyes widened and she spoke urgently in Isaribi's defense. "Wait, stop! Don't put it in her. We already decided that if anyone was going to become a jinchuuriki, it would be me! You and the Akatsuki were after me already, right now you have me. Don't take her!"
The dark sorceress turned the blonde's way and stared with intense irritation. "Cease your pitiful groveling. I do not take orders from you! You have been far from useful or even interesting to me since you overcame heartlessness. If I were to do anything to you at this point, it would be eliminate you."
The blonde narrowed her eyes questioningly; sweat dampened the hair at her temples and her brow. Huh? But . . . that completely contradicts what Kakuzu said! What . . . does that mean?
"I owe you no explanations," continued the villainess, and she turned her attention to Isaribi again. She raised her staff and both arms, thus allowing her robes to hang from her like the wings of a dragon. The wind picked up around them and the orb of her scepter radiated with a bright green glow.
Maleficent's cackle mixed with Isaribi's cries. "I am giving you a marvelous gift, child! The power of a jinchuuriki, the power of darkness is greater than any other power! Don't forget to say 'thank you' when I am finished!"
A dark energy encased Isaribi's chest as a similar energy appeared under the water's depths, around the Three-tailed Turtle. The corner of the barrier where Isaribi had been left an opening for a rapid flow of darkness and red chakra, encircled by seals colored of Maleficent's magic, to surge forth and pierce through Isaribi's chest.
The girl arched her back and screamed in agony. As darkness and chakra continually fed her chest, she suffered violent tremors, like she was being electrocuted. Her eyes bulged a little and her pupils constricted. Her veins started to pop out on her skin, and her hair was soaked with sweat. Her face reddened, like she was starting to run a fever.
Everyone else could only helplessly watch in horror. The stream looked like it would never end, no matter how quickly it surged. Hikari had to look away when her curse mark stung with sympathy; she had undergone similar feelings of pain when Orochimaru bit her.
After many long minutes, the stream finally ran its course and Isaribi had the Three-tailed Turtle in her—in chakra form. The dark energy around her chest collapsed in on itself, but the green energy remained directly over her chest, forming the mark of the seal. It glowed brighter one second and then faded the next.
Isaribi's eyes deadened. As they started to close, eye-bags started to form, like she had not slept in days. Her hair had shaken free of her ponytails. She was perspiring heavily, and inhaled a few shaky, deep breaths. She started to lower her head, and fainted.
Maleficent smirked and let the bottom of her staff touch rock again. She appeared to have hardly broken a sweat, despite using so much power.
Those who were not a part of the barrier jutsu began struggling once more against the magic that restrained them, bloodlust in their eyes; Sora was the sole exception, feeling an uncharacteristic dejection instead of the fiery spirit that would drive him to overcome his restraints.
His eyes were dark, and he hung his head. Why can't I . . . save anyone?
The Mistress of All Evil turned her attention to her captives. "Now . . . what do I do with you . . . ?" Humorously, she eyed Donald and Goofy. "Hnhn, I've heard dog is quite a decadent treat . . . and I do love roast duck. . . ." Her eyes fell on Sora and his Keyblade. "Ah, I know. . . . I will have you show me the whereabouts of the Keyhole."
She raised her free hand either to free Sora or cast additional magic, but she was distracted by a slip of paper that fluttered toward her and covered the orb. Plenty more sheets rose from the water, somehow unaffected by the wetness, and encased both the sorceress and her staff. They were like thousands of large petals carried by the wind, though their manipulator was invisible. The magic holding everyone was disabled, and those who were in the air fell back into the water.
Rage marked the sorceress's countenance, before it was covered by paper; only her mouth was left uncovered. The paper immobilized her. "Konan!"
Said Akatsuki member appeared in the corner of the barrier previously occupied by Isaribi. She upheld the jutsu in her place and moved Maleficent from her levitating rock (which subsequently fell back into place) to the inside of the barrier, causing another reaction.
Without prompting, the four shinobi crouched to touch the bottom of the barrier to the water and enacted the third step, "Lock," which filled it with light. There was a burst of green flame and screams of anger. The corners of the barrier left their hands and converged to one point, creating a sphere that collapsed in on itself. It shrank, and shrank, until it was completely gone, and there was a flash of kanji for "seal" that quickly disappeared.
The Heartless restraining the new jinchuuriki disappeared in corridors of darkness. Before Isaribi would fall into the water, Konan's paper wrapped around her like a cocoon, covering everything except her face and keeping her aloft.
Light enshrouded Tsunade and Neji; their availability as summons had run its course. The Hokage—who had been about to tell the Akatsuki member off—clicked her tongue, averted her eyes, and cursed while the Hyuuga frowned deeply; they both dissolved in light.
Hundreds of slips of paper hung in the empty space surrounding Hikari, Ariel, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Red XIII, threatening to capture them at any moment. They were all on the defensive (except Sora); Donald held his staff in front of him, ready to cast fire or wind magic; Goofy, in his turtle form, was ready to withdraw into his shell; Red XIII prepared his time magic; Ariel had her hands raised to perform magic; and Hikari had her hands close to one another to perform jutsu.
They took turns between watching the paper and watching Konan.
"Who are you?" Donald asked, narrowing his eyes at a specific paper that crossed in front of him; he followed it with his staff.
Goofy continued for him. "Are you the leader of the A-cats-key?"
"'Akatsuki,'" Red XIII corrected.
"Oh, right. Thank you, Red XIII," Goofy chuckled; then he turned serious. "Are you the leader of the Akatsuki?"
She regarded him without expression. "No. That's Pain. My name is Konan."
"Why did you do away with Maleficent?" asked the red sea lion. "Weren't she and the Akatsuki allies?"
"I don't question orders," was her simple reply.
"Are you going to try taking me, too?" Hikari asked, warily watching the paper and waiting for them to start attacking her. "We've already had a hand in three Akatsuki members' deaths. You should leave Isaribi and go before you become the fourth."
"Not this time." She recalled the excess slips of paper and gathered them behind her back in the shape of wings. She raised Isaribi to her waist. "You aren't my assignment, Hikari Uzumaki. You're Riku's." She opened a Corridor of Darkness behind her. "You should watch your back."
"But why?" Hikari cried in vain.
Without speaking another word, Konan took Isaribi with her in the Corridor of Darkness and quickly closed it behind her, barring from being followed.
Ariel's eyes were wide, confused, and troubled. "What . . . just happened?"
After the Akatsuki's victory, Donald transformed Hikari back into a mermaid, doing her the courtesy of saving her the humiliation of starfish patches and providing her the seaweed and fishnet version she had devised.
Nearly forgotten, the trident was found lying on one of the slabs of land near where Ursula had vanished. Ariel took responsibility for its care and carried it with her all the way back to Triton's palace, only to be redirected by her father to her grotto. The sea king told her the Keyhole was hidden within, and with the trident, she could reveal it for Sora to seal.
In front of the crest where the crystal trident fit, Ariel floated at the side of the trident and pointed its forked end toward the crest. Taking on a bright yellow glow, the trident levitated out of her hands and gently spun in place.
The trident and the crest resonated with one another. The water directly in front of the crest came to an apparent boil and glowed with a bright white light. Afore the curtain of bubbles, a glass window formed out of the light with a Keyhole in the center.
Sora's dejection had perpetuated, and he lingered by the perimeter of the grotto like a wallflower. He did not appear to have noticed the appearance of the Keyhole, and the presence of the Keyblade in his hand felt so natural to him he did not take note of its coming without his summoning it.
Hikari nudged him with her elbow and he lifted his head. Expressionless, he swam in front of the Keyhole, lifted the Keyblade, and let it perform its duty. The Keyblade shot a beam of light connecting it to the Keyhole and locked it. Even when the light beam and the Keyhole disappeared, he kept the Keyblade raised.
Usually when he heard that "click," he felt satisfied. It meant that their work in that world was done, all was resolved, and it usually meant that they had "won." It usually meant they had defeated a villain, a Heartless, or found resolution to conflict.
Yet he could only think of Kairi, Alice, Gaara and Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Isaribi. He had sealed six Keyholes, but failed to save six people, one of them being a very important person who, from what he heard from Riku, may have lost her heart and the others having been captured by the enemy.
He was a failure. Even his successes were not his; they were the Keyblade's. It did all the work, and he was simply the dummy carrying it.
Ariel broke the somber silence by approaching Sora. The trident had been set aside so her unoccupied hands fidgeted a little; her voice also sounded tentative. "Tell me, Sora. Your world. What's it like?"
Sora reacted a little, and dismissed the Keyblade, but he was not out of his funk. "Oh, about that. . . . Sorry for lying to you."
She chuckled. "It's okay." Whimsically, she swam up toward the skylight. "Besides, if you can travel to other worlds, maybe I can, too. So many places I want to see, I know I'll get their someday." The light of the sun shining through the sea glittered in her dreamer's blue eyes as she reached out. "I'll find a way, somehow. I'm sure of it."
By the entrance of the grotto, Sebastian was lamenting her resolve. "Well, if you find it, leave me out of it."
Hikari swam up to Ariel's side. "As much as we'd like to help you realize that dream, our journey isn't over. You saw what happened to Isaribi. Now that the Keyhole's sealed, we have to go. Tell Triton we said goodbye and get back to the palace safely."
She nodded. "I will. Thank you—," she looked down at everyone, "—all of you—for helping me get the trident back and stop Ursula." Her eyes fell on Sora, to whom gratitude presently fell on deaf ears as he was absorbed in his own mind. "I hope Sora cheers up soon."
"No worries," the blonde replied. "He usually bounces back pretty quick."
The gang all returned to the Gummi Ship and reverted to their original forms. Their muscles were so fatigued from excessive swimming, they found it hard to move without experiencing pain; pain that was slightly alleviated with the consumption of hi-potions.
Sora went straight to the back of the Gummi and his bunk while Donald, Goofy, and Red XIII raided the kitchen, absolutely ravenous. Hikari, though also hungry, sat in the pilot's seat to determine their next destination first. Jiminy stood on the dash.
The kunoichi pointed at an unidentified world close to Atlantica. "Well, I guess this one would be next logical world to visit."
Then, Chip and Dale's countenances appeared on the screen. "There's another tournament being held at the Coliseum tomorrow!" said the former.
The latter continued. "Yup, and it looks like it'll be the last one for a while."
"We did say we'd take care of Hades during the next tournament. . . ."
"Yes, you did," Jiminy piped up, taking out his journal. "I have it written right here in my journal, mm-hmm. Hades always acts during a tournament, so it's best to catch him then. We have to go to the Coliseum."
She nodded. "Mm. Well, Mr. Junior Hero will be happy. He loves participating in tournaments." She touched Olympus Coliseum on the map's screen, highlighting it in purple. Prior to activating the warp, however, she stood. "We'll leave in a little bit. First thing's first: food."
Jiminy hopped up onto her shoulder and rode her to the kitchen.
Back in Hollow Bastion, the leader of the Akatsuki and his largely taciturn partner met in the castle's grand hall. Isaribi, still unconscious and wrapped in paper, lied on the floor.
The ceiling was high and curved. The floor was covered in a long blue carpet with a deep burgundy color around the edges and a Heartless emblem in the center. Cauldrons with silver bottoms, gold basins, and spikes at the rim lined the rug near the walls, nine on each side. The sole light in the room came from gentle blue flame in fourteen of the cauldrons.
Next to each cauldron, inside the wall, were closet-sized glass cases. The openings were shaped like irregular pentagons. Each of them were tall enough for even extremely tall persons, though not so wide to comfortably accommodate someone too far beyond average build.
Most of the cases housed persons in sleep stasis; these were the only cases that were closed and had lit cauldrons in front of them. On the left side, seven of the nine cases were occupied by beautiful maidens, including Alice, Jasmine, and Pocahontas; they were lined up in order of when they were caught. On the other side, jinchuuriki filled the cases in order of the number of tails possessed by the bijuu they carried; Gaara was in the first case, Yuugito in the second, and Naruto slept in the ninth.
Konan raised Isaribi from the floor and directed her to the third case. She twisted her upright, backed her inside the case, and let her lean against the back as the slips of paper fell away from her form and returned to the Akatsuki female.
The cauldron in front of Isaribi's case lit up with blue flame, and a sheet of glass appeared in front of her; she stood upright.
"Good work, Konan," Pain said.
She regarded him in non-verbal acceptance.
A vehement burst of green flame at the end of the hall, at the foot of some stairs, interrupted the moment. The two Akatsuki whipped around toward the source, but their faces were as expressionless as ever. Behind the flame stood Maleficent, but her body was translucent; she was only able to send some of her power.
Her eyes burned with rage. "You poor, simple fools. You thought you could do away with ME! Me, the Mistress of ALL EVIL?"
"And it appears we have succeeded," Pain answered. "You would be here if you could return; your magic only allowed you a transmission." He lowered his head very slightly when the hologram nearly disappeared. "And even that will only be temporary."
Her eyes widened, and her pupils and irises were smoldering black circles on her sclera. "My return is imminent. Kingdom Hearts will be mine! I will have my revenge against you, as well as the Keybearer and his lackeys!"
Almost before she finished her words, the hologram was consumed in flame and disappeared, creating a flash of green that briefly filled the room. The dark sorceress's sinister laughter lingered in the grand hall, echoing until it dwindled to a decrescendo.
Pain and Konan were unfazed; their gazes were perpetually passive.
End of Chapter Thirty-eight
Next Time in When Darkness Turns to Light! Chapter Thirty-nine: A Reason to Smile
He was something of a spectacle, wearing a great degree of makeup for a man—colored purple, no less. Roughly eighteen years old, he stood tall over Donald at 175 centimeters. His eyes were small, black, and beady. His hair was short, a little spiky, and brown. He wore a black full-body suit, black fingerless gloves, black zori, and bandages around his ankles. He had three scrolls attached to his back.
An angry expression created wrinkles in his violet makeup as he held Donald by the collar. "Say that again, you mutated chicken!"
Donald flailed and quacked irately. "I'm a DUCK! You want a piece of me!"
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