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Kingdom Hearts: Dark Dawn	By : RotSeele Category: Kingdom Hearts > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 3169 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts. I do not make any money from this story.

Chapter List
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Twenty-Three - Lumina Cross

The world they arrived on next was a world caught in perpetual day, it seemed. Kaoru and Rinally exited the alleyway they had arrived in, staring up at the tall buildings and the myriad of flashing lights and glowing neon signs. The lights were so bright that they blocked out all signs of the stars and moon, giving the place an artificial feel. Kaoru shielded his eyes from a nearby neon sign to look up toward the sky, and was startled to see that there was no sky at all, but rather an opaque dome that stretched across the place. Rinally let out a low whistle.
“I’ve never seen a place like this.” Rin said.
“Me neither. I wonder where we are.” Kaoru moved a little further out onto the street, staring around at all the signs and staring at the dome above their heads. “I wonder if they’re trying to keep something out, or if they’re trying to keep something in.”
Rin followed his gaze and lifted her shoulders in a slight shrug. “Who knows? I bet you anything that we’ll find out. The other thing I wanna know is, where is everyone?”
Kaoru dropped his gaze from the dome and glanced around them. The street they had emerged onto was completely empty. Save for the buzzing of the neon signs and the other lights, it was completely quiet. There were no people in the shop windows, or sitting in the restaurants. There wasn’t even a sign of pedestrian traffic, or really, traffic of any kind.
He looked at Rinally. “Should we go looking?”
“I mean... I guess? If there are special rules to this world, I’d kinda like to know them. I don’t want to be discovered as being an off-worlder, do you?”
“I guess not. But this could be a world that has connections with others. Maybe there are even gummi ships that come here.”
“Maybe. We can hope. But our luck hasn’t been that good.”
Kaoru smiled slightly, agreeing. The last world they had ended up on had been a closed world that, according to their enemy, not even Sora had been to. There was no telling what kind of world they had ended up on now. Was it as advanced as their worlds had been? Or was it advanced, but still closed? Kaoru wondered what they were going to encounter when they finally found someone who lived here. They wandered down the street until they came to a large square. In the center of the square was a massive fountain, complete with ornate statuary of gods and goddesses and monsters all locked in battle with one another. Water splashed down the fountain in mockery of blood and tears, falling into the wide circular basin below. The basin, Kaoru noticed, was devoid of the usual things he thought he would find in every fountain - wish-making coins - and seemed too clean. The square was perhaps the darkest part of the city, lit only with soft lamps set in the fountain’s base, and like the rest of the place, it was empty.
A faint roar filled the air, though, coming from the other side of the square. Kaoru and Rinally glanced at each other, then sought a way through the square, following the noise. They emerged onto a grassy rise that led down into a bowl-shaped depression in the land. There was a great amphitheater set into the depression, complete with a large flat-topped stone that acted like a stage. Ringed around it were stadium-like seats, and filling those seats were hundreds of people. They threw their fists into the air and screamed, filling the amphitheater with thunderous noise.
On the stage stood a man dressed in a dark blue suit. His black hair had been slicked back, which made his face look severe and bony. A diadem made of silver encircled his head, which made him look washed out and pale. He pointed at another person on stage, behind him and out of Kaoru’s line of sight, shouting to be heard over the crowd, which continued to roar. Arrayed on the four corners of the stage were four broad-shouldered, heavily muscled men in full-plate armor and plumed helmets. They held a trident in one hand and a sword in the other. Their faces, Kaoru noticed, were utterly blank but their eyes were frozen and almost contemptuous. They didn’t move from their statuesque positions, except to move their eyes across the crowd if someone seemed to get too close to the stage and tighten their hands on their weapons.
“Is it a trial?” Rinally asked.
“Seems like a really weird trial if it is one.” Kaoru replied.
“Should we get closer?”
“And if we get caught?”
“We run.”
Kaoru couldn’t help the short laugh that escaped him. “All right. I don’t see how it could hurt, if we stay toward the back.”
Rin and Kaoru slowly made their way down the hill until they found an open spot near the back of the crowd. The roar was louder now, but they could at least see what was going on, even if they still couldn’t hear what the man on the stage was saying. Kaoru could now see the other person on stage, and he felt something in his chest tighten. He felt, acutely, the whisper of darkness against his mind, terribly strong and fighting to be acknowledged. He reached out and grabbed Rinally’s hand, earning a shocked look from her before it turned concerned. Then, when the person looked up at him and their eyes met, Kaoru felt a punch of raw power that left him feeling dizzy.
It was also clear that the other boy had felt the same thing, for his emerald green eyes widened and his body tensed.
Kaoru couldn’t help but stare at the boy on stage. If Kaoru was a scion of the light, then the boy on stage was pure darkness. Perhaps a year older than Kaoru, he had shoulder-length fire red hair and bright emerald eyes that focused and sharpened as he continued to stare at Kaoru. He wore blue jeans, a golden-yellow belt, a short-sleeved plain red shirt that was unbuttoned to display a solid black tank-top, and brown gloves. He had a silver pendant around his neck in the shape of a cross. His arms were behind his back, so Kaoru couldn’t tell if he was bound or not. But, kneeling like that, being pointed at like that, and with the roar of the crowd, Kaoru could infer that the boy wasn’t up there on stage being hailed as a hero.
“Kaoru?” Rinally whispered, her voice right by his ear so he could hear her. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head, his eyes never leaving the red-headed boy’s. He held tighter to Rin’s hand, hoping he wouldn’t fall down. “There’s something about that boy. He’s so full of darkness.”
Rinally looked from Kaoru to the boy on stage. He could tell right away that Rin couldn’t feel what he could. She couldn’t feel the pull of darkness, couldn’t feel that strange push-pull that light and darkness shared. But she believed him. That much he could see on her face. She gripped his hand back and pulled on him, drawing him back from the crowd and at last breaking his eye contact with the boy on stage. Kaoru looked over his shoulder at the boy, seeing those green eyes still riveted on him. It made him shiver.
The crowd roared at whatever the man in the suit and diadem was saying. Rinally put her hands on either side of Kaoru’s face and forced him to look at her. Her eyes roamed his face, as if trying to see if his sudden exposure to that darkness the boy exuded was going to lay him flat on his back as it had done on Belle’s world. Kaoru knew she was worried; if he was unable to use Guardian or defend himself, it would be up to her to protect them both. And they still weren’t sure what kind of world they were on. If this crowd was any indication of how these people treated someone who just might be different, then they weren’t safe here.
“I’m okay.” Kaoru said at last, pulling Rin’s hands away from his face. “I’m okay. I promise.”
Rin searched his face again, but she nodded. “If you start feeling the way you did on Belle’s world, you tell me. You tell me right away. Okay?”
“Okay.”
Someone in the crowd screamed.
Kaoru and Rinally spun to face the amphitheater, staring with wide eyes as the crowd began to panic, multiple voices raising to add to the confusion. Bright explosions scattered many people in the crowd, the concussive waves of the explosions throwing people to the ground. The man in the suit stared out at the crowd as if they were betraying him by screaming and fleeing, then turned to look at the redhead as if this was somehow his fault. The men in the armor turned as well, their weapons ready to both defend the man in the suit and attack whatever was coming at them.
The redheaded boy just grinned at the man in the suit. He surged to his feet and leaped backwards off the stage, bringing his arms before him by tucking his feet up and then pushing them down through the circle his arms made. He landed lightly on the balls of his feet, then yanked his hands free of the rope that had bound them. He ducked into the crowd and was gone. The man in the suit started pointing emphatically after him, screaming at the guards gathered around him. Then the man looked up toward Kaoru and Rinally, and his eyes went wide in shock. He grabbed the guard nearest him, forcing the man to turn around. He pointed at Kaoru and Rin, shouting into the guard’s ear. The guard, with his cold gaze, focused on Kaoru and Rin and readied his weapons, nodding. He started forward, like a hulking sentinel.
“Come on!” Kaoru grabbed Rin’s hand and pulled her with him as he turned around and broke into a flat run. With the crowd rushing around them, it was easy to get lost in the city, and it was easy to lose their pursuit. Kaoru led Rinally around corners and down alleys, getting deeper into the neon-lit city.
Behind, the sounds of explosions quieted into silence, but the city came to life with incredible noise. Sirens began to wail and bright lights from the dome above began to compete with the neon signs below. Kaoru and Rin ducked into a doorway of a building, pressing up as close to the door as they could to avoid a bright beam of light as it swept through the street they had been running down. When it passed, they began running again. Kaoru turned a corner and skidded to a stop, inhaling sharply as he nearly collided with the red-headed boy from earlier.
Rinally slammed into Kaoru’s back, giving a soft curse as she pushed herself back from him. “Kaoru, what-“ She stopped talking as she saw the red-head, just staring at him with wide eyes.
Kaoru couldn’t help but stare at the boy standing in front of him. He was a few inches taller than Kaoru and had a little more muscle on him than Kaoru did. The boy’s green eyes were narrowed as they met Kaoru’s blue ones, and for a second, Kaoru thought he was going to be punched. Then the redhead reached out and took hold of Kaoru’s wrist, yanking on him.
“This way.” said the redhead, his voice a little deeper than Kaoru’s. He pulled on Kaoru’s wrist, leading him and Rin down the street and toward an alley at the end. They ducked down it just as another search light spread out through the street.
The redhead ran full tilt toward a wall at the end of the alley. He didn’t give Kaoru a chance to dig in his heels and stop them; he simply yanked on Kaoru’s wrist and dove with him through the wall. Kaoru yelled as he dropped a few feet onto a pile of cardboard boxes and plastic trash bags, bouncing twice before coming to a rest. Rin landed on top of him with a yelp. She pushed herself up, looking down at him.
“Kaoru! Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yeah.” he gasped. “I’m okay.”
She stared at him for a minute, then whirled around to face the redhead, who stood only a few feet away, watching them. Kaoru couldn’t be sure if it was the apathetic way the redhead regarded her, or if Rinally simply lost control of her temper, but she jumped to her feet and grabbed the other boy by his red shirt, hauling him down to her level.
“Who the hell do you think you are?!” she shouted at him. He merely blinked, one eyebrow raising as if the answer should be obvious to her. “You can’t just kidnap people like that! You could’ve gotten us killed! What the hell was going on back there? Why were you on display like that?” She shook him. “Say something!”
The redhead gripped Rin’s wrists and pried her hands off him. His eyes slid from Rinally to Kaoru. “Who are you?”
“Hey!” Rin snapped. “I’m talking to you! Don’t act like I’m not here!”
The redhead continued to ignore her. “Who are you?” he asked Kaoru again.
“My name is Kaoru.” Kaoru got to his feet, reaching for Rin to pull her away from the redhead and restrain her before she really did lose her temper and lay the other boy flat. “This is my friend, Rinally. Who are you? What’s going on? Why were you up on that stage like that? Who was that guy?”
The redhead’s eyes narrowed. “You annoy me, and I don’t know why. Yet. You feel... bright.” He reached out to grip Kaoru’s chin, tilting his head back and then from side to side, as if he were examining him. “I felt it. This searing heat against my mind. I know it’s your fault.”
Rin shoved the redhead back from Kaoru and stepped between them, glaring. “He asked you some questions, jerk! Answer them!”
The redhead looked at Rinally so coldly that Kaoru was amazed she didn’t turn into a block of ice. Then he dismissed her with a flick of the eyes, once more focusing on Kaoru. Wisely, or perhaps unwisely, Kaoru let go of Rin. Her arm cocked back and before the redhead realized what she intended, Rinally punched the other boy square in the mouth. His head snapped back and he stumbled backwards, nearly falling down. Kaoru watched, stunned and confused, as black flooded the whites of the redhead’s eyes, and his green irises turned a butter-yellow. Heartless eyes. His chest tightened as he felt a sudden surge of darkness, an intense cold that pressed hard against his mind, powerful and focused. He reacted on instinct, reaching out to grab Rin by her shoulder and pull her behind him, putting himself between her and the redhead. He then placed his open palm against the redhead’s chest, as if stopping him before he could lunge at Rin. He only gave the lightest bit of pressure, feeling his own light surge and rise to answer the darkness coming from the other boy.
Those Heartless eyes stared at him, wide and confused rather than scared, and then slowly the black and gold faded away to white and green. The redhead straightened, staring down at Kaoru. They were so close to one another now, close enough that Kaoru could see that the other boy’s eyes weren’t fully emerald, but green with tiny brown flecks around his pupil. Kaoru felt his heart begin to beat faster, and a strange flash of hot/cold went through him.
“Who are you?” the redhead whispered, his deep voice awed and confused.
Kaoru swallowed hard. “Who are you?”
The redhead stepped back at last. Kaoru felt the darkness recede, but it only went as far away as the redhead himself was. Oddly enough, Kaoru didn’t feel dizzy this time, and he didn’t feel like he was going to collapse because of the opposing power. The redhead’s eyes flicked to Rin, then back to Kaoru. “I’m Kai.” he said at last. A heartbeat passed. Two. Then, “It’s not safe here. We’ve escaped for now, but it won’t be long before they come looking in this tunnel.”
“Is there somewhere safe we can go?” Kaoru asked.
“And will you answer our questions when we get there?” Rin asked, a slight bit of attitude in her voice.
Kai was still for a minute, then he nodded. “Yes, I’ll take you there, and yes, I’ll answer whatever you want, if you answer my questions.” He lifted a hand and pointed at Rin. “And don’t hit me again. Kaoru won’t be able to stop me next time.”
Rin stuck her tongue out at Kai. “If you’d stop being such a dick, I wouldn’t hit you.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed at her, but he apparently thought better than pursuing the argument and fight that was obviously building between them. He gestured for them to follow, then spun on his heel and started down the tunnel. Kaoru and Rin followed behind him, keeping silent as they walked. Kaoru knew that Rin was fuming, but he was grateful that she wasn’t saying anything. The darkness within Kai was incredibly powerful. Kaoru doubted that, in a real fight, he’d be able to survive against him. It had only been through the surprise they both had had that he’d been able to stop Kai from attacking Rin.
Kai led them through the tunnel for a long while, past mounds of trash and boarded-up chutes. Finally, they arrived at a chute that had graffiti spray-painted over the boards that blocked it. Kai pulled at two boards, revealing a handle that he used to open the door that the boards actually were. He stood back and gestured for them to go in first. Kaoru gently pushed Rin ahead of him, then followed her in. Kai brought up the rear and closed the door firmly behind them, immersing them all in darkness.
“I can’t see.” Rin said.
“Can’t risk a light.” Kai replied. Without a word, he slipped his hand into Kaoru’s. “I’ll lead you.”
Kaoru took hold of Rin’s hand when Kai tugged on his, and they walked together in a linked human chain through the darkness with Kai in the lead. Kaoru was grateful for the darkness, only because it hid the fact that his cheeks were turning bright red. It wasn’t like he hadn’t held hands with another boy before - he’d once held hands with Hiromu when they were going through a haunted house attraction one year - but for some reason, Kai was different. There was that pull of... something. The attraction of light to darkness, maybe. The two forces couldn’t exist without each other, and if there was someone who existed like Kaoru did - someone who was sensitive to light, who could see the light in other people - there should exist his exact opposite. Someone who was sensitive to darkness, someone who could see or sense the darkness in other people.
Kaoru looked toward where Kai’s back would be, had he been able to see it. Did Kai feel the same things that he was feeling? Already he could tell that Kai had a caustic personality. He wanted what he wanted when he wanted it, and didn’t take challenge well. He wanted to be dominant. Kaoru doubted Kai had met anyone like Rin, who was a dominant personality herself, or like Kaoru, who was mostly laid back but had quite the temper when pushed. He also doubted Kai had ever had the chance to be so close to someone who radiated Light like he radiated Darkness.
The tunnel eventually began to brighten. First it began as the lightening of the shadows, a steady gradient that allowed their eyes to adjust. As soon as they became able to see, Kai released Kaoru’s hand. He stepped down a small staircase, then stopped to turn back and look at Kaoru and Rinally. They stepped down and joined Kai on a ledge that overlooked a tent-city. There were people standing among the tents, all young kids ranging in age from about four or five to Kai’s age and maybe a little older. They all looked up at Kai and his guests with mixed expressions, as if they were unsure if they should flee and hide or greet the two strangers.
Kai held up a hand, as if he were silencing the kids, despite the fact that they were already quiet. “They’re with me.” he said. “This is Kaoru and Rinally.”
There was a tentative “Welcome!” that chorused from the group below, but no one dared move a muscle until Kai had led Kaoru and Rin down into the tent-city and then out of sight. Kaoru looked around the tent they were in, noting the dark tones in the curtains and pillows that made up the decorations and sleeping space. There was very little in the way of personal effects, except for a worn photograph that Kai quickly grabbed and stuffed under a nearby pillow. He gestured for them to sit, and they did so. He sat in front of them and braced his hands on his knees.
Rin raised her hand. “Is there any chance of getting something to eat before we start trading inquisitions?”
Kai’s lips twitched, but Kaoru couldn’t tell if it was from contempt or his attempt to keep from smiling. He nodded and rose. “I’ll get something. It won’t be much, but it’ll fill you up. I suppose you want something to drink too.”
Rin gave him her best razor sharp icy smile. “That would be greatly appreciated.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed at her, and he all but stormed out of the tent, leaving Kaoru and Rin by themselves.
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Kingdom Hearts: Dark Dawn