Kingdom Hearts: The Trials of Light and Dark

A Light in the Rain production

Neki © Light of Heaven and Kitty Fetish

Reni Concept © Kitty Fetish

Reni © Black Rainy

Kingdom Hearts Characters and Concept © Square Enix and Disney

Final Fantasy Characters © Square Enix

All rights reserved.

Light: I have nothing to say.

Rainy: Really?

Light: Nope.

Rainy: Really really?

Light: Nadie

Rainy: Really really really?

Light: Neine.

Rainy: Really really really rea—

Light: Honestly!

Rainy: …Really rea—

Light: Chapter time!

-----

In all honesty, Neki didn't know why she was so angry with Riku. Under normal circumstances, she would have playfully punched his arm and glared at him. Maybe even gone so far as to threaten him with no kisses. Perhaps it was the adrenaline that had been running through her veins, or the aggravation she had been feeling prior due to his lack of responsibility of his actions.

Whatever the cause, there was one thing that Neki knew, and that she couldn't deny.

Something had been gravely wrong.

The look Riku had given her hadn't been one of surprise from the sudden voice raise, or at being punched. He didn't look at her playfully when he said she fought like a girl, and he hadn't looked worried when she had spilled what tears were left; She had all but cried them out over the now long gone but not forgotten problem concerning Reni.

That hadn't been her Riku.

It was almost as if someone else had gone in and tweak with his internal things. Changing the way he thought, acted and—dare she say it—felt. It was that annoyingly persistent thought that kept her pacing endlessly back and forth, knowing full well pacing was doing nothing but giving her a headache. Wondering about what had been his problem was the only thing going through her mind, and was the only thing that had been for the past seven and half hours.

Glancing at the clock, she righted her statement-eleven hours, twenty eight minutes, seven seconds, eight seconds, nine seconds, ten—Well you get the idea.

She forced herself to stand still. Taking a few deep breaths she muttered a simple phrase before pulling up a dark portal and leaving the strangely decorated room, one to get away from her thinking, and two to get away from her indescribable feeling of trouble brewing.

"I need another vacation."

-----

(Light Note: Okay, so I'm kind of going to change what happens in HT. It will be similar in that Oogie/Jack/Sally etc. will appear, but otherwise completely

different. Also I personally think that HT would smell like candy corn. But that's just me)

Reni hopped happily out of the gummy ship, twirling ballerina style and taking a much needed breath of the fresh, candy corn smelling air. Letting a small smile grace her lips, she threw out her hands and laughed gaily, spinning around in circles as her friend, her best animal/person/thing friend, and the duck

filed out, Sora watching her with a smile of his own.

"Hey!" Reni called back to him, "Sora, let's go have a look around!" She ran off after that, squealing and screaming in delight as she discovered the smallest quirk of the new world they had landed on. Shaking his head, Sora, Goofy, and Donald followed slowly behind.

"What's she so hyped up about?" Donald asked as he looked over his mummified Halloween Town self. Goofy shrugged, not particularly caring that he now looked like a dog version of Frankenstein.

Sora peered ahead to make sure he could still see said girl, "The probability of it being the fact that she looks like a demon doll is very high." Donald and Goofy answered with unison Oh's. Reni stood at the end of the alleyway, shaking to and fro on the balls of her feet like Neki had been prone to do when she was impatient or excited.

Reni, you see, was wearing a black ruffled skirt that had red bows and went down to mid thigh. Her shirt was a maroon tank top with black bows decking it, and her arm bands were black. She was also wearing black knee high boots that had red bows to pull the whole piece together. Her eyes had also changed to a bright red color that seemed to glow when she looked excited, like she did then. Her hair was also slightly darker.

"Sora!" She flagged him over quickly, then fled giddily through the gate, leading to a horrifically—in the good way—decorated courtyard. Reni spun yet again, taking in all the sights, and the people. Up ahead from them was a small group of people consisting on a exceedingly tall skeleton man, a woman who looked like she was sewn together, a small man in a wheelchair with the biggest head Reni had ever seen, and a short and stout man with a very tall hat and two different faces.

None of this strangeness was affecting our dear little Reni, Sora sourly noted as he eyed the guy in the wheelchair. A guy could get smashed from a head that big, "Hello! I'm Reni!" Blinking, Sora tore his gaze from the timorous woman, noticing instead that Reni had engaged said lady in a conversation, "What's your name?" The woman blinked and muttered a polite "Sally". Reni turned expectedly towards the skeleton man.

"I'm Jack Skellington! The Pumpkin King!" Jack said with a flourish, and bowed, only reaching the top of Reni's head, "How do you do?"

Reni gave him a big grin, "We're looking for a key hole!"

"A Key hole? Whatever for?" Reni shrugged and pointed over her shoulder at a gaping Sora.

"He's got to lock it I guess. Something about Heartless-blah, blah, blah. Details and all that." Reni beamed at her nonchalant-ness. Jack blinked, which caused Reni to blink, "Anyway, have you seen any key holes? Not normal ones, they have to be REALLY big. He's got a big key after all. Small ones wouldn't really work. Then again—"

So much for her being nonchalant.

Jack waved off her rambling, "I haven't seen of, nor heard of any large keyholes that don't actually need to be large. Sorry." Reni sighed and pouted slightly, "But if you'd like, you can stay for the Halloween Party." At that, Reni had already turned around and dropped to her knees, holding onto Sora's hands and begging to stay.

"Alright! Just get up! You're embarrassing me!" Reni happily complied and squealed happily, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Secretly he was going to say yes anyway, but he wouldn't have told Reni that. Fixing his gaze on Jack, he noticed that Jack was looking around frantically, "J—"

"SALLY HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!"

"—ack?" Sora's brows furrowed and he looked around as well, only to find then two short, not one, "Reni?!"

Donald and Goofy blinked then looked at each other, "Uh-oh…"

-----

(Light Note: I'M ALLOWED THE EMO!!! –squeals—You have been warned. –evil grin—)

Slow, methodical steps are taken to ensure the wall she's been successful at building doesn't fall.

Calm, even breaths are taken to keep her from screaming in agony.

Peaceful, hazy pictures are taken to distract her from the heart wrenching memories of days long gone.

Slow, calm, and peaceful.

The inside, however, is in turmoil.

Thoughts swirl thick like a mental vapor, suffocating her until she can barely hold herself together. All alone in her thoughts, though surrounded by hundreds, no one can touch her on the isolated island she's set herself on. Easily she could cast aside the troublesome thoughts for more pleasant ones. Simply smile, laugh, and tell everyone she's okay.

Why does she not then, you ask?

Because she's not fine. She's not okay.

And she's not one to lie.

So she walks, breaths, and tries not to cry as she sees the group of friends gathered around the spacious courtyard. She continues on, as she must endure if she is to see the end of this torment. The end of this pain. The end of this evil that has swept her away from the once happy, ignorant, blissful life she shared with her friends and family.

She must endure.

For if she does not, who shall?

Breath, her mind chastises her for her neglect to do so, Breath.

She does not hear though, for she does not care to listen. Much rather she would sit and watch with a ghost of a smile as the people continue with their little unimportant lives. And that is what she does. Not wanting to seem suspicious is the only reason behind the shuffling of her feet to and fro. Still she watches with the ghost smile. So peaceful, so blissful, so ignorant.

So unfair.

She idly wonders why her life can't be simple as it once had. Who's fault was it that led to the destruction of her home. Of her family. Of her blissful little life. Oh yeah. The Riku that's not her Riku.

The dam breaks, the tears flow free.

And she's gone.

-----

Reni opened her eyes to find herself in a damp, dark, and rather disgusting smelling dungeon looking room. Beside her was her newly acquainted friend… Sarah?

No.

Mary Sue?

Definitely not.

Snorkel?

Reni blinked at the path her mind was headed… Or lack there of.

"Sally?" The doll-like woman stirred, and Reni guessed that must've been the right answer, "Sally, please wake up!" Sally stirred once more, but refused to wake from the slumber that was her current state. Sighing, Reni tried to get up, but couldn't due to her wrists and ankles being bound behind her back, "Oh this is a perfect way to start off a world!" Grumbling, she settled herself to the damp, dark, and rather disgusting smelling dungeon floor.

She closed her eyes and focused on bringing someone to help her. Some one. Any one.

Sora. Riku. Yuffie. Squall. Cloud. Somebody! She willed her heart to reach theirs.

Neki.

The door she hadn't noticed before opened, a shadow casting itself over her, and the laughter of someone she knew she wouldn't like filled the room. She focused on calling Neki to her. With all her heart, she needed Neki to come save her.

As the laughter died down, and the figures entered the room, Reni let her tears fall as she realized what she feared was most likely true.

"Oh, we're going to have fun with you little girl."

"Yeah! Oogie's got plans!"

"Big Plans!"

"Scary plans!"

"Oh be quiet you three! Can you see you're scaring the poor thing?"

Her eyes widened in fear as she was lifted from the ground and thrown over the shoulder of what Reni guessed to be Oogie. The tears spilled faster as she watched three little kids untie the stitches on Sally's limbs and throw her in a moving tub.

"Please! Just let me go!"

"Oh, I can't do that," Oogie chortled, "I got to use you as bait to drag that little Key boy here so I can exterminate him and Jack all in one fine swing."

Reni let out a strangled cry as she was shifted to the other shoulder so Oogie could open up a door, then throw her to the ground. Looking around, she found herself in a cage. In the middle of a really big Russian roulette spinner.

"Now stay there whilst I get busy with the preparations. Lock, Shock, Barrel; you three know what you need to do."

The bathtub with Sally and all her pieces tipped over, spilling the poor woman all across the cage. The three kids gave the sack like man a thumbs up and left via the walking bathtub, closing and locking the door behind them.

Only then, sitting on her knees—which are surely bruised by now—in a cage, with a surprisingly still sleeping Sally, all by herself mostly, did she allow herself to really cry, because deep down in her heart she knew.

Neki wasn't coming.

And really cry she did.

-----

Sora sighed in frustration, as a way to try and prevent the tears of desperation from leaking onto his face. Reni was nowhere! "Riku will kill me, and Neki will bring me back to kill me again!" He wailed miserably, more a warbled cry than a wail, but miserable nonetheless. They'd been at it for more than half the day and had yet to see any sign of the two kidnapees. Jack stood not too far off from his current position, deep in thought with his hand perched at his chin, and his other hand holding his elbow.

"There's only one person sneaky and evil enough to have pulled this off." Jack turned to face the group and instead found Sora ready to pummel him with the Keyblade.

"WHY DID YOU TELL US THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!?" Sora yelled at the tall dead man as Goofy and Donald held him back, half heartedly it seemed.

"Well I wasn't sure at first, but now I am. Oogie is behind this!" Jack held a fist into the air and started off towards a tall building without a word. The young teen blinked at his friends in confusion, but when they gave no signs of what to do, followed Jack to where ever he was going.

"Jack, who's Oogie?" Sora asked as he managed to catch up to his taller new friend. Jack stared down at Sora like he was insane. Sora lamented as he remembered it was the same look Neki would give him when he said to do something the 'easy' way.

Jack blinked and looked up at the road, "You really are from another world aren't you?" He didn't see Sora nod, but knew he did, so he continued, "Oogie is a horrible man. He likes to gamble and play rude, mean tricks on the people of Halloween Town."

"Like what?"

"Like putting their hands in warm water and making them pee themselves…"

The group of males shuddered at the thought.

"Among other things, he also wants to rule Halloween Town, but since that's my job, we hate each other. Or at least he hates me. I just think he's a douche." Sora blinked and stared up at the taller man.

"He made you wet yourself, didn't he?"

"HELL YEAH HE DID!!!"

Sora smacked his forehead with his hand and continued on behind the taller man, "I'm being led through a creepy town by a skeleton man to go save Reni from a guy who makes people pee themselves…Wait until Kairi hears this one…"

"Did I mention he's a sack of bugs?"

"Oh my god…"

-----

Neki looked around her for any sign of life, or death for that matter as she had toppled over a group of skeletons as she ran to whatever this place was. Taking in where she was, she realized it was a cemetery, "Oh lovely," she grumbled and sat down on the ground with a thump. She leaned against the fence and hung her head, tired but not, "I miss how it was…"

"Bark."

Eyes shot up to see a floating ghost dog—well…floating—in front of her, "GAH!" Leaping up and onto the fence, she willed her eye to stop twitching. The ghost dog barked again, wagging its tail happily, "You aren't going to hurt me, are you?"

In response the dog barked again, then growled playfully. Neki hopped down, and looked at the tombstones, "Which one is yours?"

The dog zoomed over to a small one, hidden from view almost that said 'Zero' on it.

"Zero?" He woofed in glee, "Well, hey then Zero." Settling back into her earlier position she asked, "Can I dump all my worries onto you?" Zero whined and settled down next to her, "I'm taking that's a yes?" A bark.

"Well it all started when I was little living with my family on my home world…There was me, my mom, my dad, and my older brother and younger sister. For the first three years of my life, things were great. My mom would always make me cookies, and my dad always let me win when we played games. My sister wasn't old enough to do much, but she was the sweetest person and the best listener in the whole house. And my brother," here her voice broke, "My brother loved my unconditionally even though he was six years my senior, and never said anything when he had to baby-sit my sister and I. His friends would come over, and he'd still play with me more than them. When I told him I had a crush on Cloud, he told me not to get my hopes up in case things didn't work out. He protected us when—"

Zero looked up at her and crooned. She looked down at him and smiled.

"He protected us when the Heartless overran our neighborhood. He took us into the house and explained to me that Mom and Dad were already dead, and if he could save someone, anyone, it'd be me and Sissy. He went back outside with Daddy's katana that was only for show, and fought off as many as he could. I watched from the living room window. Sissy was next to me…I doubt she remembers though, she was so young… He lasted for a while. Held them off for a good while. Nobody was coming to help though. Everyone else was already gone."

"He tried his best, I know he did, but no one can last forever. They pinned him down on the ground and killed him...I think. I couldn't watch. I… I just grabbed Sissy by the hand and ran out the back. Put her into the basket on my bike. She was so small it was a perfect fit. I just rode after that. It's like anyone was walking around. Most people were gone. I pedaled as fast as I could to get away, but I started to get tired, and Sissy was hungry…She was crying something awful… I…I made it to the courtyard, and we were surrounded. Squall, Yuffie and Cloud came bursting through, picked us up, and kept running… I didn't register anything after that until we were in Ansem's study."

"The place was barricaded. I knew Ansem very well because Dad worked for him--not directly for him, but more of an affiliate. Daddy was one of the first to go…Ansem told us what the Heartless were, and why they were attacking us. He said that we were to live with him until we were old enough to leave, or the world was destroyed. Which ever came first. We stayed with him for two years. In that time, we began to grow, learn, and devise plans that were asinine and rather insane. Sissy followed me whole heartedly because I was really all she had left."

Drawing in a shaky breath, she looked down to see if Zero was following all this. He was looking back at her with sadness evident in his eyes. Neki was sure hers were mirror images.

"When I was four and Sissy was three, we finally met Mickey. He told us that we were special little girls, and that we should have died while I was riding my tricycle down the streets. He was confused thoroughly on why we didn't. I never did figure out either… Anyway, he said that we were to find a boy, and protect him. That he was very important to the rest of the worlds. Said he couldn't do it himself because he had other business to attend to. He was a king after all…He said he could help us find the general area though. And it was so that the next year after that was devoted to training us and making sure that we would be able to with stand anything. At such a young age, Aerith immediately disagreed and said that it wasn't right. I told her to be quiet and let us make our own decisions."

"We were taught magic by Merlin. How to fight by Squall. How to keep composure in the face of danger by Cloud. How to stay hidden by Yuffie. And how to keep to faith and hope by Aerith. I believe that was the most important lesson of all. The last one was taught to only me by Ansem. It was to be a leader, and how to make the right choices. He told me the right choices were to follow your heart, and no mission bonds should hold that back. I was never allowed to tell Sissy what he told me."

Zero floated up to eye level when Neki didn't continue. Here eyes were wide and her hand was at her chest where her heart was, "Reni!"

She was up and over the fence without a second thought.

-----

(Light Note: MAJOR TIME SKIP DUE TO ME BEING LAZY!!!)

"SORA!"

"RENI!!"

Leaping into his arms, Reni hugged him around the neck, afraid to let go. He pulled her back and looked her up and down, "Are you okay?" She nodded and he tugged her back into the embrace, "Thank god…"

"Sora I was so scared that no one would come!" He gave her a look and shook his head.

"I'll always come to save you! You're like family, you know that." Together, they looked over and Jack and Sally, who were also hugging. Smiling, Sora said, "Makes me think of our two love birds, doesn't it?"

Reni nodded, "Yeah…"

"Reni?"

"What?"

"Are you sure you're okay? Seems like something's wrong to me." As Reni was about to speak, another body burst into the roulette table designed room. All present bodies turned to face the newcomer, but only two reacted.

"NEKI?!?"

There are many in depth ways to describe how Neki looked, but in short, she looked disheveled.

Reni was already at her, pulling the older girl out of the room as she desperately tried to get back in and see her younger brother. Throwing her up against the wall, the younger blonde glared, "SoNOW you come!"

"What do you mean, NOW I come?"

"I needed you a while ago! Instead I got Sora, Donald, and Goofy to save me. Answer me this; where were you?" Reni's face was red with anger, and she looked so much like Neki, "Where were you when I needed you?"

Neki opened her mouth to speak, but found that no sound would come, "I…"

"You what?"

Tears that she had thought all spent welled up inside her, fighting for freedom from her eyes, "I was thinking of them…" Reni's flash of anger grew.

"WHY?!? I'm the one that's here! They're gone. They left us. HE left us! I'm still here!!" Fumbling with her words now, Reni brushed at the tears falling down her face, "So why do you choose them overme?"

Neki blanked, "I didn't! I—"

"You've ALWAYS chosen someone else over me! You never want to be with me any more and I don't eve—"

"I COULD HAVE LEFT YOU!"

Reni stopped talking and looked up, "What?"

Neki's face was flushed as well, "I could have left you there and saved myself. But you were important to me. I chose YOU over myself. So don't give me any bull crap about never choosing you, and you being here, and them being gone. Because they were never really there to you. You don't remember her face. Or his. Or his. So who are you to say they're gone? Who are you to say something so asinine as I don't CARE about you?"

Reni took a step back as the tables turned.

"I will not stand by and let you talk like that about the family I loved the most. The family who loved and cherished me. The family who died for me. For you. For us! How can you be so cruel?" She paused long enough to let the words sink in, "You were right. Maybe you are heartless."

She left after that.

Reni didn't move until after the portal closed and Sora had come to see what the commotion was about. When she did move, it surprised Sora, and all who were behind him.

She screamed and punched the wall.

Sora called to her retreating form, "Reni?"

"What?"

"Neki…Neki is on the side of darkness…Isn't she?"

She stopped walking and turned to face him, tears still flowing freely down her face, which was scrunched up in anger, "And I'll make her pay for every second of it."

-----

The scream rang out throughout all of Hollow Bastion.

Ansem smiled under his cloak. It was time to pounce on his second prey. The girl who the Heartless wouldn't touch. His most important person. Waltzing up the stairs, he knocked lightly on the door, which was answered with a crash against the door. It swung open to reveal a red-faced girl with tear stains lining her cheeks and a chunk of wood from the dresser in her hand.

"Leave now before I kill you."

He shook his finger in a no-nonsense manor, which was received with an angry growl, "Tut, tut. Be nice now, or I'll just have to end your life instead." Another growl followed this. He turned on his heel and motioned with his hand for her to follow, "This way." Trudging behind, Neki swiped at her face, making herself look as okay as possible incase they came across Riku.

"I want to know something."

Ansem smiled cruelly, knowing full well she couldn't see it, "That might be?"

"What did you do to Riku?" He stopped and faced her, the hood pushed back enough to see his golden eyes full of surprise, "Oh. You thought I didn't know. Thought that I wouldn't notice? I'm in love with him. I notice everything." Fixing his form with a cold look, she ground out, "You will tell me what you did, and you will tell me now."

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

Raising a graceful brow, she questioned, "And why not?"

"If I do, then you'll try to save him."

"Gee, I wonder why." Glaring at him with all the malice she could muster, she uttered a final sentence, "You will not win against the light." She turned and left him, not caring that she was supposed to be following him someplace. One could not trust the man anyone. Any bargain met with him would surely turn sour for you win or lose.

Besides, she had another fish to fry.

"MALEFICENT!"

"Why do you scream so, child?"

Neki summoned her bladed staff and broke it apart, aiming one half at the woman's throat and the other poised to defend, "It's time to end this." The witch raised her brow at the younger girl.

"Are you forgetting who you are loyal to?"

"Are you forgetting loyalties are just a formality until a better opportunity comes along?"

Maleficent laughed, "You would have made a wonderful ruler."

"I frankly don't care."

Summoning her own staff, Maleficent fixed her with a deadly look, "Then let us finish this."

"Let's."

With a scream, she threw the half aimed at the witch's throat up, intending to impale her head with it, but Maleficent jumped back. With a flick of her wrist, she pulled it back and rushed at her, swinging the other end in a circle over her head. She tossed it, again aiming for the hag's face, but it was again dodged. Pulling the half back, she reattached it, and decided to attack her like so. She charged again and slashed upward, happily marking Maleficent's face. Bringing the other half around, she managed to make a gash in Maleficent's stomach.

Jumping back, she readied herself for another attack, "How dare you destroy people's homes for your own power!" Neki lunged forward and stabbed Maleficent through the leg. Tugging it free, she leapt back in time to avoid being decapitated by fire.

"Because power is worth anything!" Maleficent shot back and let loose another barrage of spells. Neki dodged them easily by leaping onto the wall and jumping behind her, from where she slashed at the tendons on Maleficent's ankles.

"Power leads to chaos!"

Her eerie laughter filled the room as she fell into a lump on the ground, both of Neki's blades pinning her neck down, "I know! Isn't it wonderful?" The space between her neck and the blades shortened.

"No. Chaos is what has led to the ruin of my home. The killing of my family. The loss of my sister's love. The man who makes me feel special. The people who care about me. Chaos has destroyed all that was once held dear. You bring this chaos. If you are killed, the chaos is no more. And so, I end your life."

The ringing of blades colliding against each other echoed. A thin line of blood appeared on the side of Neki's wrists. Her staff was lying forlorn on the floor. Maleficent was slowly standing, her wicked smile plastered to her face.

"We can't have you doing that," Shivers ran up her spine as a chillingly familiar voice whispered in her ear. Electric jolts followed the touch of a black clad hand she knew too well. His form against hers was something not easily forgotten.

Riku was holding her back.

"Riku, what are you doing?" She squeaked in pain as his grip tightened, "Riku…"

"How you say his name," Riku's voice murmured, enticing another shiver on her part, "it is as if you are speaking to a lover." Neki could feel her face flush, "But that is not so. You still hold the fragrance of a pure maiden. How is it you can create such feelings to arise from this boy?" The informal usage he was using finally clicked in Neki's mind. She wrenched herself away, her heavy breathing nothing to do with her battle just earlier.

"Riku—"

"Again! You say it again as if speaking to someone you have been with." Her exhaustion finally let her notice the other voice speaking in time with Riku's. Deep, masculine, knowing, evil.

"Ansem…"

Riku's face contorted into a grin, his brow raised in amusement, "So you've noticed." He reached for her, his fingers interlocking with hers and pulled her to him, "Why don't I let you join your lover in the depths of darkness where you cannot ruin my plans?" Neki was, for the second time in her life, enveloped in the glowing green light, Riku's arms wrapped around her, whispering in her ear that'd it'd be all right.

But it was all wrong.

And then it was all gone.

-----

Light: End chapter.

Rainy: YAY!

Light: I must admit, it took me a lot longer than I would have hoped, but over all I'm happy.

Rainy: I'm happy too!

Light: Well I bid you later, so you can start your chapter and not be bored!

Rainy: I GO! –runs to computer—

Light: See ya'll

Next authoress: Black Rainy

Remaining chapters: 2

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