KINGDOM HEARTS: DARK AND LIGHT
A Fan Fiction by: sore wa himitsu desu
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I saw the Another Side, Another Story [deep dive] trailer … SWEEEEEEEEEEET. =D
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DISCLAIMER: This thing's not as sweet … bleh.
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CHAPTER 04: PIECES
Grandmother Willow hissed and whipped her branches about as the cloaked figure stepped out from a black portal and onto the large stump in front of the tree. He did not feel threatened by the tree's antagonism, and his eyes, hardened and absent of light, gazed out from the shadowed depths of the charcoal black hood. The Heartless paid no mind to the newcomer and scurried about the base of the ancient tree, dodging the attacks of her snake-like branches. They seemed to play with the tree as they leapt in and out of the tree's attacking range. The cloaked figure gave the shadows a disgusted glare.
"Why did you guys bother with her?"
As one, the Heartless ceased their playing and diverted their attention to the shrouded figure. They swayed like small trees in the wind and their voices echoed each other as they spoke in their usual listless chatter.
Light Guardian…
…dear…
Lost…
Guardian … dear…
Lost dear…
The figure stared back at the suffering tree, and a Keyblade appeared from beneath his cloak. Black metal glowed with a dark blue light as the wielder lifted it to level with the tree's heart. Dark energy shot out and pierced the bark of the ancient tree. She screamed and whipped her branches towards the Keyblade wielder. A barrier stopped the attacks short and the figure gave the tree a dark glare, ignoring her shrieks. They lowered to a moaning wail as the Keyblade dug deeper into the darkness that had become Grandmother Willow's heart. Moments passed and the tree fell silent. Once more, it went through a metamorphosis as the black aura from the Keyblade worked through the tree's leaves and roots. The figure turned to the Heartless.
"Do not fail me … I want the Guardian."
Keyblade master?
Cursed Keyblades?
Keyblades…
"Lead Riku here and have the tree deal with him." The figure gave a sardonic smile. "Play with him like you always do…"
The Heartless watched as a black, misty portal opened and the hooded figure stepped in, disappearing into the darkness. Their dull eyes fixed on Grandmother Willow, and the ancient tree smirked menacingly at the shades. Her eyes glowed bright red, accenting the darkened bark, which pulsated with an eerie black-blue miasma. Large, black roots snaked through the glade, spreading outwards into the forest surrounding the tree spirit. She gazed at the Heartless through narrowed eyes, and her voice was low and threatening.
"Find the Guardian, little ones."
The Heartless cocked their heads as if pondering the old tree's words. Their whispery voices filled the glade, repeating Grandmother Willow's words in unison, and the shades scampered off in different directions – some heading south; others north, then east and west.
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Kairi! Riku!
"Sora!" Riku shot up, but grimaced as a great stinging pain came from his back. Two hands pushed him down gently as a soft voice came.
"Calm down, Riku."
"Sora?" The youth looked up, his eyes hopeful. For a brief moment, the cerulean blue eyes of his best friend greeted him. The image melted away and Seilem looked at the Keyblade Master through tired eyes. Riku turned away, but the seer reached up and made him look at her.
"Why did you run off like that?"
"Why are you bringing this up now?" Riku gave the girl an annoyed look. He did not want to see her – not after seeing his best friend disappear to god knows where.
"He's as stubborn as Sora…" Goofy came up behind Seilem, his lanky arms crossed over his armored chest. There was a slight twinkle in the Royal Guardian's dark eyes, but it disappeared before Riku could discern it.
"You overexerted yourself again, Riku." The youth shot Seilem another irritated look, but the seer smiled. "You make it a habit, but since we have the added aid from Donald and Goofy, I think it can be overlooked."
Riku was silent. Seilem did not smile often and whenever she did, it made him uneasy. It was not because of the scarcity of it. There was a semblance between Sora and Seilem whenever the seer smiled. It was a mean thought, but Riku did not want to see Seilem smiling; especially after the dream. Riku did not want his thoughts lingering on Sora or the dream. Goofy's words broke Riku's trail of thoughts.
"You work too hard." Goofy noted. "Like him…"
So much for not thinking about Sora….
Riku stared up, half annoyed, half puzzled, at the Royal Guardian, but Goofy's face was unreadable. It was like he wanted to find Sora in Riku, but something stopped him from doing so. Riku looked away. He could guess what was stopping Goofy, but he could not blame the dog. His weakness took away a lot of things. Despite that, he was given another chance to right wrongs. Riku knew he could not be Sora, and he did not wish to. Everyone had their own persona.
Riku's eyes traveled sideways and fell on his two Keyblades.
Light Key…
"The Heartless were talking about Sora…." Riku seemed nonchalant and Goofy and Seilem gave him an odd look.
See him…
See?
Light Key…
"The Light Key…." Riku narrowed his eyes as a hand gripped at the blanket covering him.
"Riku?"
"I want to be alone." Images of the dream flashed through Riku's mind, unwanted and unbidden. He laid back down, pulling the blanket over him. He felt Seilem and Goofy's gazes upon him, but he ignored them, and stared at the darkened wall before him. Moments passed by before Seilem and Goofy finally left. Riku heaved a sigh and closed his eyes. He saw nothing – only black.
Riku!
Riku's eyes snapped open, but he did not get up. Was that Sora? His voice was faint, but there was a hint of panic in it. Riku closed his eyes again, but sleep had washed away from his body. It was frustrating – he wanted to know if his friend was all right.
'No, stupid, of course he's not all right!'
Riku pushed up slowly. His back was sore, but he had had injuries worse than this. It was nothing a few more Cure spells could not fix. As the soothing magic of the spells worked at his injuries, Riku changed into his clothes. Sure, he was up and about, but that did not mean he was up for talking with Seilem or the others. If anything, he wanted to avoid the seer. He did not want to be reminded of Sora … at least for now. Riku took his Keyblades and summoned them away. He walked out of the hut he was in, and carefully avoiding any contact with the locals or his companions, headed for wherever he could have some time to think – alone. His small trek led him to a riverbank and there, he settled down, staring at the rushing waters.
~*~
Pocahontas sat at the river's edge with Meeko at her side. The small raccoon busied himself with his reflection in the flowing waters. He chattered happily as he reached down from time to time to touch his "twin." The Indian Maiden smiled at this, but it was not enough to ease the anxiety growing in her mind.
She was wary about the Shadows ever since they began to roam the forest. Now that they had done something to Grandmother Willow, her worries increased. She was also concerned about the silver-haired boy she had found at the glade. He was injured gravely while trying to protect her.
Pocahontas let out a sigh. If she had not jumped to conclusions and suspected him, he would not have gotten hurt. Despite that, she could not help remembering what he had said to her while they fled the glade.
You're the Guardian?!
Her dark eyes narrowed in confusion. Why had the boy said that?
A low buzzing came and a flash of bright teal-green passed the maiden's vision. Pocahontas held out her hand and a little hummingbird hovered near her outstretched finger. The little bird seemed curious at his human friend's distress.
"I am fine, Flit." Pocahontas smiled. "Did you see Grandmother Willow?"
Flit buzzed about in an awkward manner – the Shadows must have hurt Grandmother Willow. Pocahontas' smile wavered and her shoulders slumped. Was there any hope for stopping the Shadows? She did not know, but perhaps the mysterious youth could help. When they were fleeing the glade, the boy had warded off the Shadows with his weapons. She could ask the boy if he could help Grandmother Willow and stop the Shadows…
"Pocahontas?" The Indian maiden looked up and found her childhood friend, Nakoma, walking up to her. The girl was short and svelte, but held a strong presence with her tomboyish features and piercing dark eyes. Her stride was proud and purposeful as she approached Pocahontas. Pocahontas noticed the worried look on her friend's face and knew what was coming. Nakoma regarded her best friend with an accusatory glare. "You went out again, did you? Even with all those Shadows, you still wander the forest!"
"Nakoma…" Pocahontas held up a hand, trying to explain, but Nakoma shook her head.
"Pocahontas, it's dangerous! Your father was worried! I was worried! What if you ran into the Shadows? What would you do?"
"Well, I didn't … it's not like…" Pocahontas could not argue. Nakoma was right, and if that silver-haired boy was not there to help her, the Shadows would have killed her. She did not know why she kept on with her daily visits to Grandmother Willow, but it always helped her; especially with the dreams she started seeing every night since the arrival of the Shadows. Grandmother Willow knew that those dreams carried an ominous meaning.
Nakoma noticed Pocahontas' troubled look and sighed. "I'm sorry … I didn't mean to shout at you."
"It's all right. You were concerned and I was foolish to have placed myself in danger." Pocahontas placed a hand on her friend's shoulder and smiled. "You're my best friend … you have every right to be angry with me."
"Just don't wander off alone again. I don't want to lose anymore loved ones … okay?" Nakoma's eyes shone with tears, but she held them back. All Pocahontas could do was offer her friend condolences, but it did not change the fact that Nakoma's father and brother were dead. They had gone hunting one day, and were attacked by the Shadows. Only one managed to live long enough to tell the tale. That was when the villagers first became fully aware of the Shadows in the forest.
Pocahontas nodded.
"I won't…"
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Cloud stood near the large bedroom window, which overlooked the courtyard he and Leon fought the new Heartless in. His mind lingered on the battle. The Heartless kept repeating the word "Guardian."
Why were the Heartless calling Leon a Guardian? What was a Guardian?
"Light … Guardian…" Mako-blue eyes grew distant. The fight played in a loop as another pondering thought came: why did the Heartless stray from taking his heart? Every time he saw the battle in his mind, he kept seeing the Heartless swarm around him, clawing at his body. It was a perfect opportunity, but the Heartless did not take it. Cloud reached up and rubbed against the bandages that covered most of his torso unconsciously. The Heartless had changed, not only because they were stronger – they had grown out of their primal hunger for other people's hearts. They seemed more methodical and organized. It was like they wanted him out of the way before moving in for the prize.
"Are you all right, Cloud?" The blond snapped out of his thoughts, turning towards the sound of Aerith's voice. The Cetra gave a concerned look before resting a slender-fingered hand upon the ex-SOLDIER's shoulder. Cloud grasped the small limb within his own and turned back towards the window. Aerith followed his gaze and her eyes saddened. "Leon's gone."
"Yeah…"
"I hope you don't blame yourself."
"I don't … it's just…" Cloud shook his head. "The Heartless took Leon for a reason … because he's a Light Guardian."
"Light Guardian?" Aerith's voice held question to it.
"I don't know what that means … but the Heartless were bent on capturing the Light Guardian." Cloud narrowed his eyes. "They didn't take my heart or continue attacking the Bastion."
"Which is good…" Cloud looked down and met the verdant green eyes of the Ancient. She smiled up at him. "I don't want to lose you or my home again."
Aerith was relieved, but like Cloud, could not help wondering why the Heartless ignored attacking the castle and seeking out hearts. How had these evolved Heartless overcome their hunger for people's hearts? What plans did they have? She hoped Leon was all right – wherever he was. What would the castle do now that their leader was gone?
Aerith leaned against Cloud, her eyes staring out to the courtyard.
"What do we do now?"
~*~
Yuffie retreated to the library after her talk with Aerith and Cloud. She found Cid lounging in a large chair and decided to impart onto the engineer the situation at hand. Cid took in the news calmly, adjusting the piece of straw in his mouth every now and then. It annoyed the young ninja that the blond captain seemed nonchalant about the situation. After she finished with her story, she paced about the area, thinking up reasons and plans: Why had the Heartless taken Leon? How would they go about saving him? Could they save him?
Cid crossed his arms, and his face contorted into an irate countenance. His azure gaze took in the pacing form of Yuffie and his frown deepened.
"Do you mind?! It's annoying when you do that, kid."
"Ugh! I'm NOT a kid, you big geezer!" Yuffie huffed and stomped towards the engineer. "Leon is gone!"
"Yeah, we covered that much already … so what?"
"How can you say that?! What if those Heartless come back?! Without Leon we…"
Cid interrupted the ninja. "We'll fight and hold out. Leon or no, we're not letting those damn shades claim our home again!"
Yuffie jumped back at the exclamation and blinked. She blurted out things without thinking – typical. She smirked, rubbing the back of her neck. She knew Cid cared, but the old guy could at least be more open about it. She blew at her bangs. What was it with guys and feelings?
"Do you think we can find him?" Yuffie asked, her voice hopeful. Cid gave the girl a deadpan stare then shrugged.
"Sure … if you can find a needle in a haystack…"
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I'll be here…
Why…?
I'll be 'waiting' … here…
For what?
Squall…
I'll be waiting … for you … so….
If you could come…
You'll find me.
I promise.
I'm here, Squall.
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Seilem and Goofy sat with Chief Powhatten in one of the larger lodges in the village. He was a strong man – a veteran warrior and prime model for the young braves of the village. Yet, the man had a soft aura about him, as his deep brown eyes gazed upon the two visitors. He was curious about where Seilem and the others came from and the seer told the chief everything: about Kingdom Hearts, the Keyblades, the Key to the Light, and most importantly, about the Heartless. Powhatten wanted to know how and why the Shadows were coming to the forests. Seilem explained that the Heartless were seeking out the Guardian of this realm, and what was hard for Powhatten to accept was that the Guardian was his daughter.
"I cannot believe it … why my daughter?" Powhatten shook his head.
"We will protect her, Chief. Whatever the Heartless are up to, we will not let them succeed." Goofy's voice seemed cold and nonchalant, but the underlying care was apparent. Powhatten smiled and nodded.
"I thank you, Warrior Goofy, and you, Seer Seilem. If there is anything I can do to help, please, do not hesitate to ask. I have many warriors that will lend aid."
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I know this is just a dream, and I … I'd like to think of it that way, but I can't. Dreams like this … they're always telling us something, you know?
Riku narrowed his eyes. What was that dream telling them? Was Sora already in danger? He did not want to think it so, but whatever came out of that door in the Secret Place looked like something from the Dark.
Had the Heartless found him? It was a possibility…
He did not like the fact that the Heartless had found their way into the dreams he and Kairi – and possibly, Sora – had. That could also be a sign. Riku growled. Everything was pointing in the wrong way. He did not want to have these hopeless thoughts, but everything was shaded around him – he had no clue what was going on with Sora, or where the boy could be. He did not want to be stuck looking for Sora, but he could not leave his friend be. If it took him another three or five years to find that damn boy then so be it. It was all for a good cause. If Sora opened the door to the light, Kingdom Hearts would be filled with light and the Heartless would go away.
Riku would not give up anyway. He and Sora had grown up together. The spunky, brown-haired kid was like a little brother (albeit a stubborn and obnoxious one, but that was what most younger siblings tend to be). Nothing would veer Riku from his search.
Riku sighed. Everything boiled down to Sora. No matter how hard he tried not to think about his best friend, all his thoughts wound up back to the elusive Key to the Light. If Sora would have opened his mouth earlier about any troubles, then Riku would not be worrying so much. Even if Sora told him, he would still worry, but at least he would have an idea on what was wrong. Or at least, he hoped he did, but that was not the case. Riku had no clue what was going on with Sora, and now that he got sucked into a door that led to god knows where, Riku was not sure if he could find out.
"Damn it, Sora … why do you have to be so stubborn!"
"Who is Sora?"
Riku jumped and turned. He took in the dark hair and eyes of the young Indian maiden, and immediately recognized her. She was the one he had met at the glade.
"You're … Pocahontas, right?"
The maiden nodded and sat beside the Keyblade Master, gazing at the running waters of the river. Riku did as well and the two sat in silence.
"Riku … correct?" Riku nodded and looked up. Pocahontas held a concerned and guilty look. "I want to apologize for earlier, you surprised me and…"
"It's nothing. I'm a stranger to your world, so it's not a surprise that you'd be suspicious of me."
"I know, but…"
"Don't worry about it … I've had injuries far worse than this." Pocahontas' eyes widened at what he said and Riku smiled. "Being a Keyblade Master, I get into quite a lot of fights."
"Keyblade?" Pocahontas gave a thoughtful look then straightened. "Oh, those weapons you used against the Shadows?"
"Yeah … they're generally the most effective against the Heartless."
"Why did they come here?" Pocahontas frowned. "They cause much trouble…"
"That's what they usually do, but they're here because they want you." The Indian maiden gave the silver-haired youth a worried look. Riku continued. "You're a Guardian – a Light Guardian, to be exact – and apparently, the Heartless are going about gathering these Guardians."
"Why?" Pocahontas shifted nervously. The fact that the Shadows were after her was not comforting. She could be putting her people in danger and she did not like that. She did not want to see her father or Nakoma hurt. Riku noticed her distress and gave her a sympathetic look.
"Hey, don't worry … we'll do what we can to protect you and the others."
"Thank you." Pocahontas smiled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You have a strong heart, Riku. Never ignore it, listen to what it says … it will never lead you astray."
Riku stared at the Indian maiden silently. He was puzzled by her statement. A strong heart – him? Sora kept pushing that fact on him as well, but the guilt was still there. He was the one who gave into the darkness all so easily.
…but you conquered over that darkness and accepted the light again.
Quit that, Sora … it's bull…
Riku … sometimes you can be such a negative bum.
Whatever.
Riku closed his eyes and sighed.
'Where are you, Sora?'
Unbeknownst by the Keyblade Master, several dull gold eyes watched his every move from across the riverbank. Excited whispers echoed throughout the woods and more Heartless gathered and spread, surrounding the village. More murmurs ran through the ranks of the shades as they debated about what to do with the Keyblade wielder. He was a large threat, but their Master said to let the old tree take care of the Keyblade wielder.
The Heartless studied the silver-haired youth and they remembered…
…dear…
…lost…
Dear.
Light … Key.
If the Heartless had mouths, they would have smiled menacingly.
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I apologize for such a long wait and for posting only one chapter after all that time (guh!). I guess you guys can expect the next installment in a month or so, being that I'm making that a habitual posting schedule. ~_~ I just don't have the time to whip out a chapter every week or so … I'll do that when I'm inspired, but with all the projects going on and whatnot, I just get veered away from my muses. E-he.
Reviews are always awesome, so review away~ =^.^=