Kingdom Hearts: Warriors of Light

Heartless Hybrid - Chapter 8

Kita, Ti-Day and Ni-Ne Nite made their way back to Halloween Town Square to meet up with Jack. Kita couldn't help but feel embarrassed by Ti-Day who looked like a love sick puppy drooling all over himself from goggling at Ni-Ne. Kita wasn't a hundred percent positive Ni-Ne was aware of this strange behavior or not. She kept her head looking straightforward and stayed silent for the most part. The way her brown choppy, layered hair swayed in the wind as she walked made her look like some sort of heroine on her way to war.

Soon enough the trio was back in the Town Square where Jack stood proud and tall probably glad to see they had all come back in one piece. "Ni-Ne, good to see you've met Ti-Day and Kita," Jack said happily. He was mistaken to think that Ni-Ne was 'happy' to see them. She still kept up a pretty tough, uninterested attitude. Or perhaps she was just very disturbed by Ti-Day's goofball behavior.

"Ti-Day, you're creeping me out, so I'm sure you're creeping Ni-Ne out too," Kita said trying to snap Ti-Day out of his stare. "Girls don't really like to be stared at by a guy who lets his mouth hang open looking stupid like that." Ti-Day seemed to get the point and with a little blush took his gaze off of Ni-Ne as she lead the way into the lab. Kita and Ti-Day followed and Jack brought up the rear.

Once they were all inside, Jack started to offer snacks. He held out a tray of dried up spiders and juicy bat wings. Kita and Ti-Day backed away, completely grossed out by the though of eating such disgusting things. Ni-Ne on the other hand took one of the spiders in her hand and ripped the top half off with her teeth and swallowed. This time Kita and Ti-Day's mouth were hanging open in shock. Ni-Ne simply gave the pair a glare continuing to finish eating the spider. She then looked up at Jack who was looking at Kita and Ti-Day's stares with confusion.

"I have some other things if you'd like," Jack said feeling bad Kita and Ti-Day didn't have something to snack on. "Lets see, worms wart, frogs breath, boar eyes-,"

"No thanks, I think we're good," Ti-Day interrupted just to make Jack stop listing such gross foods.

"If you insist," Jack said with a smile.

"If I may, why did you need to see me again?" Ni-Ne said feeling as though Kita and Ti-Day hadn't come to taste foreign world dishes.

"I have a question," Ti-Day spoke up. "Ni-Ne, are you single?"

Kita literally fell right out of her chair. "I can't believe you," she said to the floor she was now face planting. Ti-Day clearly could never keep a straightforward mind. Kita got up off the floor and slapped Ti-Day upside the head. "Can we stay focused here, PLEASE?"

"Fine," Ti-Day said looking like he had missed his chance at dating a celebrity.

"Anyway," Kita said trying to get back to the matter. "King Mickey wanted us to come here to ask you some things. He needs all the info he can get. You kinda play a roll in all that's been happening lately."

"I would think Kita, that you already know," Ni-Ne said.

"Well, not everything," Kita said. "What are you? Where did you come from?"

"I can only answer one of those questions," Ni-Ne said. "I am a Heartless Hybrid. Half human, half heartless. How, I don't know. But I'm also a witch. Magic is a specialty of mine. And as for where I came from, I really have no idea."

"It's true that not even I have been able to figure it out," Jack interrupted. "I found her when she was little. No one around but a child who I actually thought was dead at first…"

"Care to enlighten?" Kita said curious to know more.

"Well she was asleep. Her skin tone was so pale, almost blue. Half of her face, down her neck and one shoulder on her left side looked as though she had been slashed. It was as if her skin was torn off, bleeding some black bubbling liquid."

"The blood of a heartless," Ni-Ne said looking straight at Kita. Kita felt a little tense. It was as an uncomfortable subject for her as it was for Ni-Ne. That horrible day when Ansem succeeded at getting to his prize, Kita and Ni-Ne would surely never forget.

"Wah, back up," Ti-Day said. "Blood of a heartless?"

Without a word Ni-Ne took a knife from the table the snack tray was sitting on and slit her wrist with it. Ti-Day jumped back a little grossed out. Kita jerked feeling a sharp pain in the veins in her arm. Somehow her blood was connected to Ni-Ne's. Black blood began to ooze out of Ni-Ne's wrist. Instead of merely falling to the floor the blood took the shape of a heartless. "Holy cow," Ti-Day said in bewilderment. He slowly stood up keeping his eye on the heartless, magical staff in hand. Ni-Ne sat staring at him with her glowing light purple eyes. She didn't seem alarmed at all that the heartless was bouncing around in front of her. Finally after a minute or so she took her crescent key blade and thrust it through the heartless's head destroying it.

"Heh, I wasn't scared," Ti-Day said, slowly sitting down again with a nervous laugh.

"Sure," Kita said rolling her eyes. "I guess this whole heartless from the blood thing is the real reason my father wanted you to come to Hallow Bastion."

"He got what he wanted," Ni-Ne said. "I'm sure he knows more about my blood than I do. He told me he only wanted it to breed heartless."

"Yeah, unfortunately I was his first test subject," Kita said as though it was no big deal. "He started kidnapping people from our world and testing on them. I don't even want to know how many died."

Ti-Day was silent through this whole conversation. He wasn't fully filled in about all that had happened between them. All he knew was that after that night at the ball Kita seemed to be missing. When weeks later she had shown up again, he had never been so relieved to know she was alive. "Ni-Ne, if you knew Kita, they why did you fight us out there?" Ti-Day asked, the most serious question he had yet.

"I just have a hard time trusting people," Ni-Ne said as though it was obvious. "How would you feel if someone invited you to another world just to use you?"

"Umm, pretty bad I guess," Ti-Day said.

"I want to be nice. I want people to like me," Ni-Ne said, her voice drifting dreamily. "I hate seeing people get hurt. Used… I look at myself in the mirror and I see a heartless staring back at me. If I don't fight, I can't keep people away where they'll be safe. Away from me."

"Don't say that," Ti-Day stood up for her. "I'll stand by you no matter what. I'm not afraid. I'd rather show you I care by standing by you than running away, no matter how bad it may seem."

"You're on our side now, whether you acknowledge it or not," Kita explained. "If you're against Ansem, you're with us." Ni-Ne stayed silent. She looked unsure, still a little untrustworthy of the others. Ni-Ne turned to look at a tattoo on her shoulder. It was the heart-shaped symbol of the heartless.

"This tattoo is supposedly the only thing that keeps me from turning full heartless on anyone, but how well it works, I don't know," Ni-Ne said. "Aren't you afraid of me?" she asked looking up at Kita and Ti-Day with a sad look in her eyes.

"No," Kita said firmly. "I'm not afraid of anything." Ni-Ne looked at Kita feeling as though what she had said wasn't completely true. She then shifted her eyes to Ti-Day.

"I'm not afraid," Ti-Day said in the most serious tone. He locked eyes with Ni-Ne wanted her to believe him.

"See Ni-Ne," Jack interrupted the moment. "These two traveled far to come and help you. You're never alone. I took you in when you were little. I'm not afraid of you." Ni-Ne stared at the floor in deep thought. Kita and Ti-Day hadn't left or given into the fact that Ni-Ne was half heartless. They showed no sign of fear. They only persisted in fighting for what they believed.

"I think you're right…" she whispered softly, lifting her head to look at Ti-Day, Kita and Jack. She slowly smiled at them all.

"Ni-Ne, go with them," Jack said encouragingly. "Maybe you'll find the answers to the questions of your past," he said patting Ni-Ne on the head. He pulled her into a hug, like a loving father would hug his child.

"We'll travel to other worlds together! You'll meet new people. Make new friends. Like us!" Ti-Day said hanging his arm around Kita's neck as she smiled.

"Alright, I'll go with you," Ni-Ne said sounding her happiest yet. "Under one condition. Promise me you'll always be honest and not use me like Ansem did."

Kita could see in Ni-Ne's eyes that she was still a bit worried, leaving her home to venture with a couple she barely knew. "Of course, Ni-Ne. We can keep your promise," Kita said assuring Ni-Ne.

Ti-Day took Ni-Ne's hand sweetly, "But seriously, are you single?"

Kita felt her blood stared to boil and screamed at Ti-Day. "TI-DAY, THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO ASK SOMEONE FOR A DATE!"

Ni-Ne watched them argued and cracked a smile and started to laugh heartily. Jack was glad to see Ni-Ne happy and laughing. "Fifteen years it's been and I haven't seen Ni-Ne smile since she was five," Jack said. "Trying to make you laugh and smile was hard for me, but you laughed at my jokes. Remember?"

Ni-Ne looked up at Jack and smiled, "Yes, I do remember Papa Jack."