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Shadows of the Light	By : starcrossed Category: Kingdom Hearts > General Views: 925 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: It's kind of like Reese's chocolate cups, they are good and delicious but I don't own the rights to them. KH belongs to Square Enix and Disney. I make no profits from my work a ceiling tile falls in the background as one can tell.

Chapter List
- 1-Given Form
- 1
If you are curious, the
two names are because I am posting this on two different sites.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Shadows of
the Light

by

Starcrossed

Prologue

Given Form

“My
arrival here is natural
Into this world with tears and
crying;
What I have is not much, and poor at that,
Frail and
too quickly I have fallen from on high,
My death is sharp and
severe,
I do not know where I am going,
foul and stinking I
rot,
O, Jesus have mercy on me!”

–
English Translation for “Kinderly” by Mediaeval Baebes

An ominous
thick fog weaved in and out of the city park and the surrounding
apartments. What should have been a bustling metropolis was
unnaturally silent, not even the sounds of birds could be heard.
Nothing living seemed to nest in the city's ruins—the buildings
standing as mute sentinels to the horrors that must have befallen the
inhabitants. Not even plant life seemed to grow.

Suddenly the
mist swirled and shifted mysteriously, a form materialized that
wasn't there before. Draped in a heavy, black cloak, the figure took
a soft step forward, the dark leather boots thumping against the
cold, gray gravel. A hood covering the head, the shadowed face
surveyed the area. The feminine form continued to stride forward as
an eerie wind picked up blowing about a stream of dead leaves. The
wind grew strong enough for the form to grip the top of her hood, a
lacy gloved hand appearing from under the sleeve. As the wind passed
over the playground, the swing seats swayed hauntingly like there
were invisible children playing on it. They squeaked and whined to
the crisp air, crying out for company.

Halting in
mid-step, a strangely shaped staff emerged from the nothingness into
her other hand. Shifting into a fighting stance, the female
positioned the wooden staff at an angle so that one side was sticking
out from one of her shoulders. It laid across her back and she held
it with the opposite hand a little ways away from the other end.
Black portals appeared on the ground in front of the cloaked figure
and giant shadows appeared out of them.

Swinging her
staff in an arc, she preceded to smash through one behind her and in
front of her in a single, graceful step. Another shadow jumped at the
figure but an invisible force stopped it causing the attacker to
wiggle harmlessly in mid-air. She spun to face the floating shadow
and it was suddenly slammed into the ground by her weapon using an
over-handed blow. In a series of controlled circular moves, she was
able to hack through the crowd of heartless quickly and decisively.
As the last one shattered into a dark mist, she glanced around to
check for strays.

The figure
moved out of the fighting stance, but her muscles were still tense
under her cloak, ready for anything. Stepping forward, she
nevertheless kept her staff positioned along the back of her arm. It
was easier to return to a defensive/aggressive posture that way.

There was no
more resistance to impede the form as she made her way into the
city's streets. Cars were abandoned where their owners had left them.
One of the traffic lights continued to eerily blink red even though
there were no people to give such instruction to. As if by instinct,
the female teenager still looked both ways before crossing the road
and walked into the shadow of the mid-sized office building. Some of
it's side wall had crumbled down, so she had to side-step the rubble
and even climb over the bigger chunks.

She pressed
her hand against the next building's wall, repositioning one of the
torn sides of a poster. The red picture was faded and the dark words
weren't understandable. The language was completely different on this
world. The cloaked figured sighed, her head leaning downward.

There was a
noise—the scratching of cloth and crinkling of pebbles.

Spinning on
her heels, she shifted to look down the alley way with her weapon
poised to strike. A small form took refuge behind the dumpster,
whimpering softly. The female lowered her staff and held out a black
lacy gloved hand.

She didn't
know the language of this world but there were easier ways to
communicate than just words alone. Sensing the child's heart, she
lightly connected herself to it. Hearts had no barriers like cultures
and had only one true language that overcame those differences. While
her words would still be in her speech, what the other would hear
would be in his/her own and vise versa.

“Little
one,” she called out tenderly, her voice echoing off the dark
walls, “I will not hurt you.”

A small girl
with golden rimmed, green eyes peeked out from her hiding place but
made no movement to the other woman. She seemed scared of the
towering black form. The female sighed and used her hand to push back
her black hood.

Long green
hair with green-blue and green-yellow highlights flowed out as her
hands flicked the tresses out from under the cloak. Some of her hair
on the right side was pulled over the top of her head and pinned. Her
pale sandy skin created unusual shades of gray in the shadows of the
environment, giving her an nearly celestial appearance. Violet eyes
stared kindly at the child, once again her hand motioning to come
here as she kneeled down to appear less threatening.

The child got
up and threw her little body at the cloaked figure, who caught her
and gently enveloped the youth in a warm embrace. The staff clattered
to the ground beside them. Sobbing and speaking rapidly, the dark
skinned girl's words were barely understandable. The teenager rubbed
her back tenderly, making soothing circular motions to try and calm
the youngster, who's whole tiny body was still shaking wildly. It
took a few moments for the small girl to finally relax and stop
crying.

Pulling the
little form from her body, the young lady with green hair smiled
kindly to her with their eyes meeting. Plucking stray pieces of stone
mortar from the long, wiry crimson hair gave her the chance to
properly look over the child. She was wearing mismatched clothes and
her shoes were untied (it didn't even look like she even tried to tie
them properly.) Her dark brown skin had a few scratches but overall,
other than looking hungry and dehydrated, she was fine.

Standing up,
her violet eyes glanced around at her surroundings. She needed to get
the little one to a safe location. The female form knew that the
child was watching her closely as she began plotting their next move.
Grabbing the staff, she rested it parallel along the back of one of
her arms. She picked up the child and cradled her on her hip with the
youngster naturally knowing to wrap her legs and arms around the
carrier body.

“My dear,”
started the female with green hair as she walked to the street corner
before stopping, “what is your name?”

Stunning
golden-edged green eyes blinked shyly up at her savior as she
unconsciously sucked at her thumb. She mumbled something but with the
finger in the mouth, the words became indistinguishable. The older
girl's lips twitched and she struggled not to laugh.

“I think
your thumb already knows your name, child.”

The little one
giggled softly, her eyes sparkling as she removed her finger from her
mouth. They traveled across the deserted street. The fog seemed
thinner now so that more abandon buildings could be seen in the
distance. By the time the pair reached the other side of the road,
the tiny girl's giggles had subsided.

“Neha,”
she whispered, barely audible. The cloaked form repeated the name a
couple of times, each subsequent time getting louder and more
confident. She grinned down at the bundle she was carrying, who
smiled back.

“What a
lovely name, Neha,” replied the teenager pleasantly.

Gazing around
her surroundings again, the older female searched for a safe haven to
protect the child while she finished her original objective. It was
too dangerous to take her with her but it wasn't exactly wise to
leave her unprotected here either. She didn't know this terrain well
but she was in luck with finding this native inhabitant.

“Do you know
of a safe shelter nearby?”

The tiny girl
nodded enthusiastically, her finger had already returned to her mouth
though her next words were still understandable. “Uh huh,”
she replied as she bounded down from the other's hold, “—'tis
where I've been staying since Mama left me there!”

Skipping a
little ways away from the older girl, she looked back and grinned,
motioning her to follow. Watching the child from behind as she lead
the way, the cloaked figure took up a large gait to keep up and
started using the staff as a walking stick. The strange, bleached
dirt that thinly layered the streets did little to muffle the dull
clink of the staff as it hit.

Neha seemed
to have forgotten all of her fears and happily chatted when she had
gotten tired of hopping ahead. She looked thrilled
just to have another person to speak with—whether her
companion would answer or not. The youth apparently went wandering
after everything went silent, searching for her mother.
However, that was evidently days ago. All this, the teenager was able
to piece together from the girl's ramblings and the environment
around them.

Their journey
was broken up by frequent attacks by a combination of gigas and
regular shadows. The child led them to a large office building that
looked in relatively good condition. Looking up at the tall structure
that was bordering on being a skyscraper, the green haired lady
sighed. She had an peculiar feeling in the pit of her stomach that
where Neha was taking them would be near or on the top floor. This
intuitive sense wasn't wrong.

Climbing up
the concrete steps and pulling the elegant glass doors open, the pair
entered the lobby. The opulent room was filled with stunning
furniture, dying plants and a beautiful mahogany receptionist's desk.
The lights were on, though one was flickering eerily at the far end.
A soft humming sound indicated that the heat was on, since the
temperature was warmer now. Both of these devices attested that the
electricity was still on by either an emergency power generator or
the city hadn't cut the lines.

Neha giggled
and ran over to the elevator, pressing the button to call it down.
The door beeped and opened immediately at her actions. Violet eyes
glancing around, the teenager didn't trust taking the metal cage when
they weren't certain the power wouldn't cut out half-way up. The
darker skinned girl pouted and crossed her arms as her savior made a
motion in the direction of the staircase. A single emerald eyebrow
raised in response and she repeated her action.

“But Da's
room is near the top!” whined Neha, “there must be a
gazillion steps to get
there!”

“Gazillion?”
echoed the lady, laughing softly as she walked toward the staircase
door with her staff reverberating harshly on the marble floor on
every stride. She shook her head, amusement twinkling in her violet
eyes. The girl's pout faded from her young face and she grinned
sheepishly.

“Ya hu,
gazillion!”

“I
hardly think they could fit that many
steps into this building,” the female replied. Neha rejoined
her, the youth easily ducking under the other's arms as she pushed
the thick wooden door open. Surveying the winding staircase, the
cloaked figure briefly considered the possibility that there was that
many steps. Her ward stared up with her mouth slightly open. The
disbelief of them actually climbing all the way up was apparent on
her face. Softly smiling, the lady moved closer to the first stair
step and griped the metal railing with her right hand before turning
to look at the crimson haired girl.

The teenager wasn't going to force the child to do anything she
didn't want to do. She could easily secure the lobby for the time
being but it still wasn't the safest location. Higher off the ground
gave protection from the shadows, which were evidently more abundant
in this world.

“Every
journey, each adventure,” her savior revealed as she put a foot
down on the stairs, “begins with a single step. Will you travel
with me?” She returned her unusual staff to its place in a
different plane. Holding out her left hand to the girl, she waited
for her to grasp it. “Adventures are always better with
company.”

Neha, after a few moments, accepted the offered hand meekly.
They trekked upwards, the sound of their footsteps resonated around
the small area. After a couple of flights, the teenager noticed her
companion getting tired and preceded to carry her on her back. By the
time they reached the floor that the office was on, she was convinced
that she needed to exercise more. With the child pointing the way,
the pair traveled down the corridor and into the office.

Reasonably sized, the office was moderately decorated. A metal
work desk was ladened with a computer and many piles of papers. The
office chair was black and high back. File cabinets lined the side
wall. A large cork bulletin board on the back was littered with not
just work articles but family photographs and crayon artwork. There
was a make-sift bed of blankets and pillows on the far wall, along
with a large backpack that once held food but now was filled with
trash.

Neha clambered down from her carrier and bounced over to the
blankets, laying down with a large sigh. Whispering the enchantment
words softly, the emerald haired lady started setting up tiny magical
items around the room that she removed from her left pocket. This
created a defensive barrier against all of the heartless species they
had encountered. When she had placed all of them, the objects
generated a glowing blue light.

“I
need you to stay here inside this room,” said the older female,
turning to look at her ward. “I will return for you.” The
child once more threw herself at her protector. She began to cry
again.

“Momma
said the same thing!” she wailed.

Softly massaging the back of Neha with one hand, the cloaked
female reached into her right pocket. Pulling out a small purple
star-shaped charm on a long silver chain, she held it out before the
girl's face. Green eyes rimmed with gold watched, mesmerized by the
object. The older girl smiled at the response and pressed the charm
into her companion's tiny hands.

“This
was given to me,” she explained as the dark skinned girl stared
at her with surprise, “I do expect to come back and get it.”

Nodding, Neha hugged the item close to her heart as they
parted. Her nervous eyes watched her protector leave the office. The
older female retraced her path back to the stairs. Glancing down, she
swung over the guard rails and jumped, quickly dropping her way to
the bottom floor. Leaving the building, she took note of its location
and the surrounding structures so she could return there. When the
figure felt like she had throughly memorized the area, she continued
on with her original mission.

Combat with the heartless began to occur constantly, with the
aggressors becoming more numerous, she kept her staff with her at all
times. The female could sense the darkness twisting throughout the
metropolis, strengthening rapidly. Nervously, she picked up her
pace—she still hadn't been able to locate her target. Strolling
through a particularly thick patch of fog, the green haired teenager
could hardly see her hand when she glanced down. Calmly, she pressed
on until she had emerged from it. At first, the figure had thought
she had wandered into another park with how suddenly the buildings
dropped off.

And felt her breathe leave her body.

No, she had arrived at the edge of a crater that
shouldn't be there.

After the initial shock had warn off, she arranged her staff
across her back. This made it easier as she ran down into the
depression. A determined expression covered her pale face. Her
emerald hair fluttering behind her form as she clambered over the
stone ruins. She had found her target.

A middle-aged man was working on a strange machine in the
center of the pit. He wore a brown bandanna over his greasy, messy
black hair. Torn jeans covered his legs while a green camouflage,
long-sleeved over-shirt and black tank top covered his chest. His
dark brown boots were military style. A large machete was tied across
his back. Muttering to himself, he scratched his dirty chin as he
studied his product.

“Why,”
began the man in a strange drawl as the cloaked figure entered
hearing range. He turned to surveyed her with sinister orange eyes.
“if it isn't a gray warden. You are far too late.”

“Pankajit,”
uttered the teenager, “your actions cannot go without
retribution. I come for your judgment.”

The man laughed at her statement, his deep baritone voice
echoing eerily in the crater. He clutched his stomach. Shadow
heartless appeared around him like bodyguards, they made no attempt
to attack him. Their black antennae twitching unnaturally.

“Foolish,
warden,” replied Pankajit when his laughter died down. “I
have done nothing that isn't found in nature itself. The weak must
die so that the strongest may live.”

“All
the power in existence cannot bring your daughter and wife back,”
divulged the gray warden as she took a step forward.

His surprise at her answer quickly faded into rage. He set
his jaw and his eyes narrowed. Pointing his finger at her angrily, he
accused the female of not understanding. She raised an emerald
eyebrow in response.

“Your
feelings or reasons are irrelevant. The fact is, you knowingly caused
this massacre,” she asserted, taking another step forward.
Observing him closely, she devised her attack strategy on the amount
of darkness existing in his heart. “Facts do not stop existing
because they are ignored. You may be able to disregard the innocents'
screams for justice but I am here insure that they are answered.”

Pankajit pulled out his machete and growled menacingly at
her. More heartless appeared around the pair, squirming with
anticipation. Both of them moved into aggressive stance with the man
shifting back and forth on his feet. He started to say something but
the gray warden interrupted him.

“And
I'm definitely not
here for a monologue,” persisted the female as she summoned
fire into her hand. One of the heartless beside him flung itself at
her, the long claws striking out dangerously. It was met by fire and
exploded. The rest of the shadows preceded to attack, as if they were
trying to get revenge for their falling comrade.

“Pankajit
Adev, for consciously and deliberately sacrificing the innocent
civilians of this metropolis to gain the power of darkness, this gray
warden sentences you to death.”

~ ~
~ ~

Metallic pipes of assorted sizes threaded the tall, gray
walls, providing power to the mechanisms and other necessities in the
unusual shaped room. From the entryway, the room began small before
opening up into a larger area. Air vents were spaced sporadically
around the room. There was a niche on the far wall where a data
encrypting device hung over a raised platform that was layered
slightly to create little stairs. The floor was made of uneven
blue-gray stones with thick pale mortar.

The computer screens located in the far corner bathed the
small metal room in a soft blue light. They were stacked one on top
of the other, each a very odd geometric shape. Data blinked across
the different screens before being filed away for later access by the
user. A large, complex keyboard was divided into multiple rows on
either side of an uncomfortable looking chair. The computer machine
continually hummed and would beep at varying intervals.

DiZ typed diligently at the keyboard in front of him, his
single uncovered eye darting across all the screens. Sitting down,
his form was dwarfed by the cloaked figure that stood beside him. An
airy tinkling sound and soft footsteps echoed faintly from the area
beyond caused the dark figure to turn and walk over to the entrance.
The door slid open to reveal the emerald haired teenager, with the
little girl asleep in her arms. Barely stealing a glance at the new
comer, DiZ continued to work at the computer.

Balancing a small bag slung across her back, she stumbled
slightly before walking into the unusual room. She was surprised at
the man that greeted her at the door, noticing how much taller he
was. Studying his form, the gray warden knew who it was, just didn't
want to believe it.

“Were
you able to get him?” the girl asked softly.

The cloaked male nodded and she sighed, shaking her head.
Long tresses of emerald green waved around her body with her gentle
violet eyes locked onto his face. Taking a breath in, he started to
say something but was interrupted.

“Another
pet for your collection?” questioned the older man harshly from
over at the computer.

Blinking, the female stared at DiZ, confused, until she
realized he was talking about the child she held in her arms. She
glanced lovingly down at the girl, who was sucking her thumb again.
Deciding to ignore his comment, she walked over to the bandaged man
and, with some maneuvering, she deposited the bag at his feet.

“The
materials you requested,” she stated coldly before turning to
leave.

“Cassiel,”
whispered the cloaked figure, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop
her. His face was shadowed by the hood, but she didn't need to see
his face to know what his expression. She realized who it was, no
matter his appearance. However, her mind couldn't help but see
someone else entirely, someone that wasn't even the person that
resided in the body now.

“It's
fine,” Cassiel replied soothingly, though both distinguished it
wasn't fine. “I need to get her settled.” She jerked her
head in the direction of the sleeping child. He nodded, his hand
dropping to his side. Strolling through the entryway, she turned and
grinned brightly at the male. “Thanks, teacher.” The gray
warden teased just as the door hissed shut.

~ ~
~ ~

Okay.
So thats the prologue. Woot. Oh and the chapter name comes from the
beginning of KH.

Power sleeps within
you.

If you give
it form.
- 1
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Shadows of the Light