KINGDOM HEARTS: DARK AND LIGHT
A Fan Fiction by: sore wa himitsu desu
~~~*~~~
You know, having my own computer doesn't help much when trying to update… ~_~
~~~*~~~
Here's a key to some things:
Stuff in this font is either description when someone is dreaming, a bit of flashback stuff, and Heartless talking.
Normal font is, of course, the main text and dialogue in the dream sequences.
'Thoughts are in those single quotation mark thingies.'
Enjoy~
~~~*~~~
DISCLAIMER: I dunno…do I have to do this in every chapter? Oo"
~~~*~~~
CHAPTER 01: SHADOWS
Two emerald green eyes opened and the bright sunny blue waters of Destiny Islands greeted him. A small sigh escaped his lips as he scanned the beach. He found no one. His gaze fell on the small island with the large paopu tree. He spotted a figure sitting on the large branch staring out into the ocean.
'There he is…'
Sora appeared the same fourteen-year-old kid from three years ago. Spiked brown hair lifted slightly in the sea breeze, and innocent crystal blue eyes stared out into the horizon where the sun fell. He never knew why Sora chose to appear in this form. He leaned against the thick base of the tree crossing his arms and staring out towards the sunset.
Got your butt kicked again?
He snorted. Sora smiled.
I see.
…and how about you? Have you decided to make my life easier and tell me where the hell you are?
The brown-haired boy gave no answer and Riku let out a low growl. It was always the same. Sora never told. The older youth gazed up irritably at his supposedly best friend. His annoyance tripled when he found the other boy smiling slightly.
What's so funny?
Nothing … I tried getting Kairi, but she's not asleep yet. She must be hanging out pretty late these days…
Riku narrowed his eyes. He was trying to change the subject again! He thoroughly resisted the urge to knock the small boy senseless.
Sora… There was a hint of impatience in Riku's voice. Sora continued smiling as if he did not notice the silver-haired boy's anger.Don't worry, Riku. Everything will be fine.
How… Riku had barely begun his question when the dream began to fade…~~~*~~~
"DAMN IT! SORA!" Riku shot up from his sleep. His right arm stretched out as if trying to catch the elusive boy, but only caught air and a slight throbbing pain from his sides. He let out a frustrated sigh, ignoring the stings, and dropped back onto his pillow. He laid there for a few moments before a feeling came upon him. Someone was watching him. That someone did not bother waiting for him to react and spoke in a neutral voice.
"You should be more careful and not push yourself too hard." Emerald green eyes glared at a girl with pale skin and jet-black hair sitting in a large cushioned chair a few feet from his bedside. Her amber-gold eyes fell on the bandages on Riku's arms and abdomen, then up, meeting the youth's gaze. "We have reached Etagivan."
Riku sat up and swung his legs over the bed's edge. In his three years of travel, Riku had heard several accounts on the land. Kingdom Hearts was divided into four quadrants, two of which pair up to form the two main nations: Ventric and Atyria. Ventric was the southernmost while Atyria took up the north. Etagivan was the main city of Ventric and served as the trade center of the southern nation.
'Much like Traverse Town…'
Riku tested his healing wounds; when satisfied that they would not pose a problem, he stood slowly and headed for the bathroom. The girl sat patiently on the chair as the youth washed up. He got out a few minutes later, pulling on a black shirt.
"Where are we meeting King Mickey?"
"Relic Square." The girl rose and her long, black coat rustled as she headed for the door.
"Seilem?" She stopped, her hand on the doorknob, and turned. Riku pulled on his coat and looked up a bit hesitantly, "Did you have any more visions?"
"No." The girl walked out. Riku let out a sigh as he took up his two Keyblades and followed.
~~~*~~~
Relic Square was an underground crossway beyond the iron door in the inn's bar. The people had used these passageways to traverse ever since the Heartless began invading the surface streets. Hardly anyone traveled the streets above anymore. The Heartless did not bother with the underground walkways. To them, it was a pleasurable though that humans feared them and did not travel the land above – their land.
~*~
They sat outside a cave overlooking a stretch of forest. Nothing seemed happy or alive in the land. A dull gray mist blanketed the canopies. Seilem gave a sarcastic smile as she caught sight of several Heartless scurrying about the treetops. They seemed to care less about the two humans above them.
How hospitable of them to allow us to camp here. They have enough pleasure in knowing that they own the land.
Her amber-gold eyes met his. Her face betrayed no emotion, but her eyes glinted with an icy anger.
Kingdom Hearts has been in darkness since before I was born. I envy how you had the chance at seeing the sun…
~*~
Riku followed Seilem silently as the girl walked briskly, turning where needed, and then stopping before a door of dark wood. The knob was gold and the backing held the shape of a heart. A soft, friendly voice greeted the two as they walked into the dim room.
"Good to see you again, Riku." A cloaked figure turned and withdrew its hood. Mickey Mouse smiled warmly at the youth, but Riku frowned.
The King sighed, "Donald and Goofy are on their way here. Hopefully, they will have some information that could tell us Sora's whereabouts."
"A shame that they lost Sora…"
"It is not their fault." Mickey narrowed his dark eyes. Riku sat in one of the chairs and crossed his arms. Seilem gave the King a slight bow before taking a seat across from Riku. "…I was not expecting them to get separated from Sora … sometimes things do not go the way one wants."
"Obviously."
Don't worry, Riku. Everything will be fine.
Riku narrowed his eyes. How could everything be fine when the Heartless were still running about? The door to the room opened and two figures, one small and one tall, appeared. The youth took in the duck and the dog as they walked in, greeted their King, and sat down. Neither spoke a word until King Mickey asked the question.
"Any luck, guys?"
"There is a forest." Goofy answered, his voice seemed alien to Riku, who was used to the unintelligible cheerfulness it once held. It came out smoother and darker. "Up north. It is one of those realms that merged temporarily with this one."
"As long as the Heartless remain on it, we will have time to search for the Guardian there." Donald's voice still held its scratchy quality, but lacked the irritated tone it had had three years back. It seemed that these two lost all their cheer when Sora vanished three years ago. Riku felt somewhat sorry for the two Royal Guardians, but he still gave them a narrow-eyed glare.
"You talked about these Guardians before. Do they hold any information as to where Sora is?"
"It is a possibility, but apparently, the Heartless are after these Guardians." Mickey nodded. "Much like the Seven Maidens of Pure Heart, these Guardians might hold a power to reveal something. Perhaps, another Keyhole."
"I doubt that." Riku knew there was only one Keyhole that led to the Darkness.
"I do not think his Majesty is talking of the Keyhole to the Darkness, Riku." Seilem stared at the table before her, "Perhaps it is the opposite."
"A Keyhole to the Light?" Riku lifted an eyebrow. Donald and Goofy stared at the two, but exchanged no words. King Mickey seemed to agree.
"That may be it. The Heartless may want to destroy the Door to the Light before Sora gets to it."
"That is, if Sora is searching for it…" Riku narrowed his eyes. "I don't see why he chose to do it alone."
There was a bout of silence. Donald and Goofy did not like that prospect at all. Three years ago, they fought beside Sora for months; why would he go on without their help? Did he abandon them?
~~~*~~~
Kairi found herself in Hollow Bastion, and she walked down the silent halls peering about. Even with the Heartless gone, she felt wary of the old castle. It was likely because of the events that happened in it three years ago, but there was also the fact that she had spent most of her growing up at Destiny Islands. She reached the Castle Chapel, and a small sigh escaped her lips.
Kairi?
The auburn haired teen jumped a little and turned. Aerith gave Kairi a confused stare as she stood at the chapel's entrance.
Oh, hey, Aerith … what are you doing here?
I don't know. I was just wandering about and ended up here.
The chestnut-haired woman smiled.
How have you been, Princess?
Kairi scratched her head a little. She still felt a bit unsure about her being a princess. She did not feel like one. Aerith seemed to understand and giggled. Her laugh felt comforting in their current location. Kairi let out a heaving breath and boredom washed over her features.
Well, to be honest … I'm a bit bored.
Aerith gazed at the younger girl curiously.
Oh really?
I wish I could see you guys. I mean, it's fun training with Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie, but I wish there was some action going on here…
Aerith looked down, her green eyes filling with worry.
It may be … that your wish will come true.
What do you mean?
Sora's not with you at Destiny Islands … is he?
~~~*~~~
Riku and the others prepared themselves as they headed through Relic Square, past the inn's iron door, and towards the bolted main entrance. People huddled at the tables gave the group ominous stares as the four made their way towards the exit. The barkeep nodded silently as Riku passed, but made no move to stop the youth. He continued wiping glasses and tending to those who needed drinks. Without any hesitation, Riku pushed at the metal door, and the group walked outside.
The rain poured down and clouds covered the rising sun. The only light available was the few street lamps that dotted the street and neon signs posted over the doorways of some of the buildings. The group strode silently down the abandoned streets, and as the large, bar gates of the city came into view, so did several Heartless.
Dull gold eyes studied the four as their black bodies swayed. It seemed like a ritual. They either rose out of the ground or detached from the continuing shadows of the looming buildings. Then they stood and waited until the time was right to strike. Riku thought it annoying because this usually meant that he had to hear their stupid rants about…
…visitors…
Play?
No…
Our…
…place…
Trespassers.
Two Keyblades slid out as the Heartless leapt for the group. Screams emitted as the two weapons sliced through black bodies and more erupted when numerous Blizzaga spells showered upon the shadowed bodies.
Trespassers.
An ethereal bow appeared before Seilem and she shot several rounds of arrows of different elements at the foremost of the shadows.
Trespassers.
Goofy brandished a long sword along his shield as he wove between the Heartless, cutting through them as if they were nothing.
Trespassers.
Donald called on his usual spells: Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga, but healed the party whenever they appeared tired. The Heartless kept multiplying, but the fighters diminished more than what came at a time. Hateful hisses broke out and the shadows doubled up their effort.
TRESPASSERS!
Riku glared at the frustrated shades and stood as several leapt for him. Both Keyblades slammed into each other with a loud metallic clang. Sharp lavender light flooded the area, making the Heartless fall back. When it cleared, a single Keyblade swung out, catching nearby shadows. Painful shrieks erupted. As they faded away in a black mist, something white shot out and disappeared. Riku spun around and cut through several more Heartless as the others finished off theirs. The battle still dragged on as he continued hacking at the shades with the new Keyblade, but he felt his strength draining away.
Cursed … Key Master!!!
Never found…
…light … key…
Never found!
'Damn it…'
"ULTIMA!" A green-black cloud shot about the remaining Heartless and crushed them. As they disappeared, Riku's Keyblade separated. Someone caught him as a wave of dizziness came. Seilem pulled one of his arms over her shoulders. Riku tried shrugging the help off, but the dark haired girl gave him a warning look.
"I told you about overexerting yourself, Riku."
"Whatever."
Donald and Goofy regarded the two silently before the group continued out of the city. Few groups of Heartless attacked them along the way, but Donald and Goofy disposed of them. The rain lessened to a drizzle as they exited the city gates and entered the plains.
"Do we need to stop?"
Riku looked up and found Goofy staring at him. It unnerved him that the dog betrayed no emotion. His emerald-green eyes fell on several old scars that lined the Royal Guardian's face. He looked away.
"No, we don't." Riku pushed off from Seilem and walked on his own, though a bit shakily. "Keep going. The day's just started…"
~~~*~~~
Sunlight bathed the room, and the calls of gulls drifted to her ears as she sat up. She was slightly baffled with her dream. It has been three years since she last saw Sora – well, in a corporeal form, and from her talk with Aerith, the wait may be a bit longer. Her shoulders slumped as a sigh escaped her lips. Her eyes fell on the clock on the side table and widened. "Oh no!"
Blankets flew about along with a good many things as she rushed about the room to get ready. After slipping on a pair of Capri shorts and a lavender tank top, she made her way down the stairs and towards the front door. Her mom stopped her, though.
"So, where are we rushing off to?"
"To meet my friends…"
"Without breakfast? It would be brunch by now anyway … you've taken up a bad habit in sleeping in, young lady."
"Mom…"
"Don't 'Mom' me; I bet your room is still a wreck as well, hm?"
"It's not…" Kairi stared between the door and her foster mother, who did not seem at all convinced. She let out a groan and went back upstairs. Her mother smiled with approval and continued with her cooking.
"After you're done, you should at least eat a meal before going out."
She grumbled under her breath, and her violet eyes took in the carnage. Clothes littered the floor along with papers and shoes. Her bed was unmade, and some of the things she was going to take on the "adventure" sat in a pile at the end of the bed. She gave a sad smile. Ever since she came to Destiny Islands and became friends with Sora and Riku, they always talked of going off to other worlds and exploring. She felt a slight pang of guilt about that. Sometimes she blamed herself for the events that had passed, and why Sora and Riku were out there fighting, unable to come home. Maybe if she had never come to Destiny Islands, things would…
She sighed, '…they would have turned out exactly the same, but probably worse…'
Her fingers wrapped around the hilt of a wooden sword that Sora and Riku made for her. Well, Sora started the project and shaped the sword, and Riku pitched in by doing a bit of "fine tuning" on it (Translation: Sora couldn't carve for crap … but let's praise him for giving the effort, eh?). She smiled and took a few practice swings. When the two boys came back, she was going to give them a good run for their money. Tidus was not exactly Riku in terms of swordsmanship, but he was a great teacher.
A light laugh came, 'Just you wait, boys … I'll teach you guys for making me wait this long!'
Swing…
CRASH!
Kairi stared at the vase she knocked down from her dresser. 'Uh … oh…'
"Kairi?" The auburn haired girl turned at the sound of her mother's voice, "You all right up there?"
"Uh … yeah mom! Just … uh…"
"Making more of a mess in your room, I know, I know…" Kairi rolled her eyes as she heard her mother mumbling something about teens and messes, while continuing with her cooking.
~~~*~~~
Three pairs of eyes turned towards the auburn haired teen running towards them from the docks.
"Hey, Kairi!"
"Kairi!"
"What took you so long, Kairi?!" Selphie gave the girl a mock-scolding glare as she placed her hands on her hips. Kairi gave an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, guys. My mom made me clean up my room…" The other three teens stared at each other for a moment before Tidus crossed his arms.
"Right, Kairi … you with a messy room?"
"What? I really did have a messy room…" Kairi crossed her arms as well. Selphie giggled.
"She's telling the truth you know? I've seen it … looks like a hurricane went through it."
"Hey! I'm not THAT messy! What about you?"
"What about it?" The two girls stuck their tongues out at each other.
"All right, all right…" Tidus held up his hands. Wakka shook his head. "Let's just get to it, okay?"
"Get to what?" Kairi stared at the other teens questioningly.
"Come on…" Selphie grabbed Kairi's arm and the group walked towards the Secret Place.
~~~*~~~
Seilem narrowed her golden eyes as she stared out across the plains. Images flashed through her mind – a war. She had read about the Wars of long ago, but had not known that it reached the southern lands. She looked northward, where Atyria lay. The once-flourishing kingdom suffered the full brunt of the Wars and was now but a memory. No one traveled to the northern lands anymore. To them, Atyria was lost.
"Seilem?"
The girl looked up and found the others several feet ahead. They waited until she caught up. Donald dropped back and walked beside her while Goofy and Riku traveled ahead.
"Another vision?"
"Yes – a war."
"Do you think…"
"No, it was one of the past, but I won't be surprised if another breaks out sooner or later."
"What is there to fight for? There's only darkness." Donald's icy blue eyes glared at nothing in particular. Seilem offered him a sad smile.
"Darkness, yes, but to reclaim the Light, we must fight."
"Yes, fight and fight and fight…" The duck gave a disgusted look as he shifted his staff about. "It didn't end with Ansem."
"This Ansem was not the first who sought answers of the Darkness. Others who were curious and weak against the Darkness did so before him. Thus Darkness continues leaking into Kingdom Hearts." Seilem sighed. "We find the Heart of Light and open the door to the Light. To do so, we must fight."
As if on cue, black, dog-like Heartless rose from the shades of trees and surrounded the small group. Their blood-red eyes glared at them as giant claws scraped at the grass below. Low growls emitted as the group readied their weapons. They all leapt for the group at once. Donald lifted his staff up.
"HOLY!" Bright bursts of white light streamed out and tore into the bodies of two dogs. Goofy was there as they fell to finish them off with a double slash. Howls erupted from the others as Seilem and Riku destroyed their half. More dogs appeared. Riku gripped his two Keyblades and glared at the black canines.
"Great…" A dull pain came from his sides. His stance wavered and the dogs leapt for him. 'Damn…'
Several ice-tinged arrows shot into the dogs, disturbing their attacks. Riku recovered enough to take out one of the nearby beasts. Goofy was at his side when two more charged for the silver-haired teen. The Royal Guardian swung his long sword, but it missed and the dogs continued, oblivious to the sharp-edged shield following up. His tornado attack ripped through the pair. Riku called up a Cura as a dog bounded for him. He slashed at it with both Keyblades and it disappeared in a loud howl. Then something sharp dug into his back.
"Riku!" Goofy tackled the large dog and both tumbled off Riku as the teen fell. Seilem ran to his side and called up some Curaga spells. The silver-haired youth let out a string of curses as he struggled to get up.
"Damn … it…" Riku rose slowly and clutched his Keyblades. Seilem grasped one of his arms.
"No, Riku…" The black-haired girl cast him a warning glare, "Not in this condition."
More dogs replaced the ones defeated and surrounded the four. Seilem stood in front of the group with her eyes closed. She brought her hands together, forming a triangular shape. A subtle aura surrounded her body and as she opened her eyes, a portal opened before her. A group of lionesses exited out led by one with light tan fur and sea green eyes. They nodded towards the girl in greeting.
"Thank you, Nala." Seilem smiled. The lionesses charged for the Heartless as the group headed away from the fight.
~~~*~~~
The glade stood silent as she rowed up to the large, extending roots of an old tree. She climbed out of the boat, her movements graceful and light like a cat, and lifted herself up onto a spacious stump. She stood quietly before the main trunk of the rustling tree, and soon the bark twisted and turned, forming an image of an old woman. The tree spirit smiled though her beady black eyes looked worried.
"Pocahontas … you should not be wandering about."
"I know, Grandmother Willow, but…"
"Another dream?"
Pocahontas nodded and sat down cross-legged and stared up at the ancient tree, "It was the strange dream … that I keep seeing lately."
"Oh?"
"I was on a rock cliff looking to the sun when suddenly, storm clouds rushed in covering the sun's light. It became cold and the green began to wither away…"
"Odd…" Grandmother Willow gave a thoughtful look.
"I've been thinking about it…" Pocahontas gazed down finding her raccoon companion, Meeko, scurrying about the lower base. She looked back up, "Do you think this dream is connected to what has been happening in the forest?"
The wizened face sighed, "Perhaps…"
~~~*~~~
Reviews are awesome. =)