Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Kingdom Hearts. Only Hikari Uzumaki.

Chapter One: Glowing Yellow Eyes

**Darkness is but the absence of light. But there is no such thing as light being the absence of darkness. Even in light, shadows linger, meaning the darkness will never disappear. And even in the darkest dark, there is the glimmering star of light. Without the other, one cannot exist. Everyone walks with a shadow, forever attached. . . .**

Glowing yellow eyes stared back at themselves, partly shadowed by long, black bangs parted on the left side of the girl's scalp. The rest of her hair brushed her shoulder blades in light layers. In contrast, her skin was as pale as the moon. It now dripped with water she had splashed onto her face from the bathroom sink.

Glaring at herself, the teen grabbed a towel with the King of Disney Castle's emblem and wiped her mug. Her attire consisted of a dark red corset, or tube-top, with a single zipper down the front over a pink turtleneck made of fishnet that reached her elbows. The corset had a thin line of white and a thick one of the same color at the bottom.

At her waist, she had a small yellow apron, also with the King's emblem, and her kunai pouch, which was the width of her hips, would always be attached to her through the belt loops of her baggy, midnight blue pants in the back. Her shurikon holster wrapped around her right thigh. Her skateboard shoes were black.

Her name was Hikari Uzumaki.

Barking caught her attention, drawing her eyes to the doorway. A small white dog, with long ears and fur spiked in the back of his head, stood there, tail wagging. He had been named "Akamaru."

"I'm keeping Mickey waiting, aren't I?" Hikari asked, to which the dog barked again. "Right . . . better go see what he wants," she yawned. It was very early in the morning, after all, to where the moon was still in the sky. She proceeded out of her bathroom, into her room, and then into the colonnade.

In the colonnade, Hikari stretched as she walked, thankful for the small inside lanterns illuminating it. Akamaru also walked at her side. Light was customary in Disney Castle, however, she supposed; the spelled brooms, one of which walked by her, carrying two wooden pails, required no sleep, and serviced in cleaning the castle day and night.

At the end of the colonnade, she entered through a large wooden door into the Library. Books were only stocked on shelves on the opposite wall, there was a golden fireplace against the right wall, and there was a desk in the center of the room. His Majesty King Mickey, seemingly writing a letter, was seated at the desk. He bore the appearance of a mouse.

Hikari proceeded further inside, until she was in front of the desk, and bowed. "Your Majesty, good morning. You said last night you wanted to see me, this morning?" This early in the morning?

"Good morning, Hiki," replied the King. Hikari winced at the nickname; she hated it, always, but everyone else seemed to like calling her that. "Hold on a sec, I'll explain most everything once I finish writing this to Donald."

Hikari nodded and waited patiently, letting her eyes travel to the ceiling as she brought her hands together behind her and gently rocked on her heels.

Hikari performed the same action, only then her eyes overlooked the scene before her; a once peaceful village named Konoha. She could see creatures of darkness, known as Heartless, dotting the scene. In this instance, she was also waiting for her leader, superior, to divulge something to her.

She was the Fifth Hokage Lady Tsunade, a straw-blonde old woman with the appearance of a thirty-year-old or younger. Twilight colors from the sky at this time of day intermingled with the hazel in her eyes. Those warm colors did not match her icy stare as a Shadow disappeared into darkness in the distance.

"They've become stronger," came the distasteful words. Hikari did not have to question to whom Tsunade was referring; more Heartless had presented themselves. "It used to be that those monsters only came out at night . . . then they grew brave and ventured at this time, when shadows are long, but light still touches the Land of Shurikon and Kunai. Now, reports of daylight sightings are increasing."

"Yes . . .," muttered Hikari, "and there aren't enough shinobi to divide between missions and a thorough patrol for Heartless, isn't that right? So more non-shinobi citizens become Heartless . . . even stronger Heartless are made by the shinobi that are consumed by the darkness within their hearts."

Tsunade made a sound of agreement. "I have a bad feeling . . . I won at the slots today."

Hikari raised a brow with a minuscule smile, but continued to stare forward. "Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

Her superior also found minor amusement, bittersweet. "It's an omen. I never win. These times . . . for me to all of a sudden win must be a premonition of great change, and with the Heartless . . . I don't think it's good."

Now the girl looked at the Hokage. "Baa-chan . . . you shouldn't read too much into it. Not even you can lose 'em all." She hesitated, averting her eyes, and opened her mouth again. "Why are you telling me this?"

Any trace of humor drained itself from her right then. Her mind flitted around words to describe the task to be set, but only if an unwanted event occurred. "Your brother, your twin . . . Naruto has the Nine-tailed Fox sealed within him. The day you and him were born, Konoha was under siege by that Heartless, and part of the Land of Shurikon and Kunai was nearly encased in darkness before your father, the Fourth, saved us. But you know this. . . .

"It's possible that with the increasing amounts of Heartless in the village, and the fact that the seal harboring the Nine-tailed Fox is weakening; it seems to leak darkness out of Naruto more frequently . . . the events of twelve years ago might occur again."

Presently, her eyes were narrowed and she was still. She had not noticed when King Mickey was grasping for her attention. "Hiki? Hiki. Hikari!" A gloved hand waved in front of her face, obscuring her vision enough to break her out of her reverie and she watched as the King landed on his feet in front of her, after jumping. In comparison to her, he was quite short.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Mi—King Mickey, I er. . . . It's a little early, my mind must've dozed off," she explained sheepishly.

"It's alright, I've just gotta get going quickly." Hikari gave him a strange look. "C'mon, I'll explain on the way to the Gummi Hangar. You'll prob'ly come, too, if you want." He began walking towards the Library's exit, but stopped by a big yellow dog with a loose green collar around his neck to hand him a letter. Pluto took it in his mouth.

"Go to the Audience Chamber and give it to Donald in the morning. Will you do it for me, boy? That's a pal!" King Mickey directed as he patted Pluto. Then, he turned and signaled for Hikari to follow him.

She obeyed.

Hikari gave a small gasp as she snapped her eyes to Tsunade, mouth slightly agape. Terrible, terrible images flashed through her mind. "No . . . Naruto wouldn't let that happen. He wouldn't become a Heartless so easily—or give in to one . . . can't the seal be renewed; something?"

The Hokage shook her head sadly. "You've seen Naruto when the Fox begins taking over. He wouldn't be a Heartless, necessarily . . . but not his mind—maybe not even his heart—will be his own. Nothing about the seal can be done because those who know it have perished using it. The seals protecting his heart are much stronger, though . . . he'll be safe, if no one else."

She turned to Hikari and reached into her kunai pouch. From it, she obtained a slip of paper, which she handed to her subordinate genin. The kanji for "sit" was written on it. "It's complicated, but this seal should help suppress the Fox, but only after it has already been partly released, before the fourth tail shows itself. You're his sister, and if the Fox does take over, my hopes are that Naruto's heart will 'recognize' you, and you will be able to get close enough to put this on him.

"I've handed the note to jonin, as well. In case you don't make it."

The girl stared at the note with her yellow eyes and breathed through parted lips. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "This . . . this suppression couldn't work beforehand?"

Tsunade shook her head. "I told you, it's complicated. And the seal only has so much power . . . after the fourth tail is released, the Fox Heartless will be too strong, and we're all doomed. Do you understand the task set for you?"

"Yes. . . ." A heavy weight was on her shoulders.

Hikari and the King were soon in the courtyard; he had yet to provide an explanation for his peculiar behavior. Knowing there was something amiss, she stopped abruptly and addressed him in a less-than-regal manner. "Mickey . . . tell me what's going on. Why do you need a Gummi, where're you going—why the secrecy?"

Mickey stopped, too, and turned his head a little. "I explained it in my letter to Donald . . . but if you decide to come with me, I'll have to explain it to you, too."

She frowned. "To where?"

He turned to face her completely. "I'm not sure why, but stars have been blinkin' out, one by one, just like the big one that did the night you came here three years ago. After what you told me, about when the Heartless invaded your world, the same must be happening to those that blink out. . . . Disaster can't be far behind.

"I've gotta go check into it. I'm inviting you to come with me because those questions we've been having—I'm going to find some answers."

Hikari raised brows in piqued interest and crossed her arms. "How do you know you'll find answers?"

Mickey looked uneasy. "I know someone. I can't say much now, there's not a lot of time. . . ."

Hikari realized that the Sun was beginning to rise. Lowering a brow, she responded, "I see . . . and if I don't go with you?"

"I'm sending Donald and Goofy to Traverse Town. There's someone with a 'key' to our survival—there'll be a bit more about their mission in the letter." The King now looked more hurried as his eyes searched for early risers. "You'll be going to a lot of worlds—"

Hikari's eyes widened excitedly and she fisted, bringing her hands to her chest. "Okay! With all due respect, Mick—Your Majesty—I'll go with Donald and Goofy! If that means traveling worlds. . . ." Her eyes turned to the side. "Some . . . others from my home might've survived, elsewhere. And I want to help this 'key'-person. Plus, they'll be needing a mechanic—"

Mickey laughed. "You've never been excited before. You'll go with them, then. I still need a Gummi, though, can ya help with that?"

The girl stared at him blankly, and then nodded, closing her mouth over the grin she had worn so her lips touched in a straight face. She blinked away slightly wide eyes. As the King turned around and headed toward the entrance to the Gummi Hangar in the center of the Courtyard, she followed, scratching the back of her head.

Excited, he had said? She sighed, placing her left hand over where her heart should be and looked with eyes shadowed by lowered lashes. It was strange, what memories did to one. She remembered so well, having her heart, that it would sometimes feel as if she actually did.

"Donald,

Sorry to rush off without saying goodbye, but there's big trouble brewin'. Not sure why, but stars have been blinkin' out, one by one. And that means disaster can't be far behind. I hate to leave you all but I've gotta go check into it.

There's someone with a 'key'—the key to our survival. So I need you and Goofy to find him, and stick with him, got it?

We need that key or we're doomed! So go to Traverse Town and find Leon. He'll point you in the right direction.

P.S. If Hiki didn't leave with me, she'll go with you, too.

P.P. S. Would you apologize to Minnie for me?

Thanks, Pal."

"Oh dear!" Daisy exclaimed. "What could this mean?" She was a white duck wearing a small tiara, and a refined purple dress with a high, wide collar and a V-neck. Long eyelashes extended from her large, blue eyes.

Not far, Hikari sat on top of the Library's desk, cross-legged. She had a rag in one hand and a kunai knife, which she was polishing, in the other. "I, think it means the King, and then Donald, Goofy, and I are going on a mission—," she blew on the knife; checked cleanliness, "—to save the worlds."

Daisy put her hands on her hips, ready to say something, but then the queen spoke. "It means we'll just have to trust the king." The female mouse's gloved hands were folded on the skirt of her pink dress.

Hikari shrugged a shoulder as she checked her reflection in the knife. "Yeah, that too."

"Gawrsh, I sure hope he's alright," Goofy said. He was a tall, dog-like figure and King Mickey's most loyal Court Knight. Two gargantuan teeth always protruded from his mouth.

"Of course he is. Those stars, other worlds, have the problem."

The court Magician, Donald Duck, squawked at the girl. "Do you have to comment on everything?" She answered affirmatively, turning the duck's white feathers red beneath his wizard hat. He only glared at her, however, and then turned to Queen Minnie cordially. "Your Highness, don't worry. We'll find the king, and this 'key.'"

"Thank you," Queen Minnie said, "all of you."

Hikari hopped off the desk, replacing the kunai in her pouch. With the thumb of the hand that carried the rag, she scratched her hairline. "No problemo, Your Highness." She walked over to Goofy and slumped an arm over his shoulder. "If you don't mind, though, we'd better go ASAP, if we want to find him soon!"

The queen stepped forward, "Hold on one minute. I want him to accompany you."

"Who?" the girl questioned impatiently.

"Over here!" a voice called. There was movement in Hikari's peripheral vision, drawing her eyes to where she had been sitting previously. Near the edge of the desk, a cricket dressed in a coat, red vest, top hat and loafers was jumping up and down. A small red umbrella, suitable to his size, was held in his hand.

"Cricket's the name, Jiminy Cricket."

"Okay, cool, talking cricket. 'Jiminy.'" Hikari removed her arm from Goofy and walked toward the desk. Jiminy hopped onto the offered hand. "Now can we go? Akamaru, come boy!" The white dog perked up from his laying position and followed Hikari ro the door. "I'll get the Chipmunks and prepare the Gummi!"

She, Jiminy, and Akamaru were gone, leaving the others to watch in awe, aside from Goofy. He did not seem surprised. "Maybe we ought to get going, Donald," he said. "The sooner we go, the sooner we find King Mickey, and that 'key.'"

Donald scowled at the door with crossed arms, but nodded. Him and Hikari seemed to have a talent for rubbing each other the wrong way; partly because of her lack of respect.

"So, Jiminy, your world disappeared, too?" Hikari asked as they made their way to the Gummi Garage.

"It was terrible! We were scattered," the cricket answered from atop her head. "And as far as I can see, I'm the only one that made it to this castle."

"Same here, except Akamaru." The dog barked. "Yeah, boy . . . maybe we'll find him. Kiba, Naruto . . . maybe." If his heart hasn't already been released to the darkness. . . .

The night was its darkest, a sky blackened by grey clouds and stars, completely eclipsed. As had become custom, solely a few brave souls ventured into the streets at their own expense, for the Heartless were always plentiful when the Sun was down; particularly on this night.

The pudgy, four-legged, animalistic Shadows with antennae and tiny claws, the most common form, were also the most extinguished. It was a blessing that the Heartless most plentiful was also the weakest.

Stronger Heartless scoured Konoha, as well. Almost as popular as the Shadows, floating Heartless with dark faces, a straw hat with an extended point, and colored robes, invaded. Red Nocturnes, Yellow Operas, Blue Rhapsodies, and Green Requiems; they attacked with magic, though the Green Requiems actually healed fellow Heartless instead of taking the offensive. Nocturnes released fire, Operas shocked with lightning, and Rhapsodies froze with ice.

Little did the Land of Shurikon and Kunai know, those Heartless were only the beginning.

Hikari Uzumaki could not sleep. She lie in her bed, blanket drawn up to her ribs with the exception of her left arm, which rested on her pillow above her head. Her eyes were tired, and wanted to close, but she could only bring herself to blink every so often. The girl turned over and sighed, seeming to look far away. Then, she reached onto her bedside table, grabbed the seal she had obtained from Tsunade that day, and returned to laying on her back, bringing her other arm from under the blanket.

"Naruto. . . . Hm. Could my brother, really do this?"

Fearsome images flashed through her mind of Naruto, when the Nine-Tailed Fox had begun taking over him in the past. Those had only been in times in which he experienced great, negative emotion, like anger. His eyes would begin to glow yellow, and darkness would bubble from his skin, coating him and then extending into his first tail. As each tail appeared, he grew more feral.

Hikari wondered how Tsunade thought Naruto would allow her to get close enough to slap the tag on him when he was the Fox. There had been an instance in which he had injured his long time crush, Haruno Sakura, when in that form. And in these times, when there was much more darkness to influence him.

She sighed again and dropped her hands, looking at the ceiling again. Next she shook her head and pulled herself from underneath her sheets to sit on the edge with her face in her hands. Please don't let it come to this, she pleaded.

A storm was under way, outside, when she lifted her head. She could see it on the other side of her window; an angry, terrible mass of—she could not depict the substance. It did not look like an ordinary storm, what with the colors of red, deep violet, pure black, and white sparks not necessarily electric.

Lines formed on Hikari's brow as she ran to the window, seal still in hand, and stared out it with parted lips. Her eyes first looked at the sky, but then she looked at the streets; her and Naruto's apartment was on the second floor, so she had a good view of the gigantic horde of Heartless parading about. Her breath caught as she mentally cursed and ran from the window, out of her room. There were new Heartless breeds down there!

The run through the hallway was a short one, and she slid into the wall at the end when she did not stop herself soon enough at the door just before it. She opened the door, finding a bedroom with clothes, scrolls, training dummies, and other items strewn across the floor. A censor would have his work cut out for him if he were to monitor the words rushing through her mind as she slammed the door, ran back to her room, found her shurikon holster and kunai pouch, and sprinted outside, kunai ready.

Outside was a veritable maelstrom of massive, acherontic potency. A small whirlpool began churning in her stomach. I have to find Naruto.

To her left stood a group of Heartless; new ones she had never seen before, bigger ones. One type hid behind a shield that bore a fierce dog's face with three glowing yellow eyes. The Heartless itself, a Defender, was large, bulky, and seemed to wear blue and purple armor.

An airborne Heartless was the Wyvern, which looked like a bird of prey. The color of the feathers was a dull red-orange, with a purple tinge, it had large, sharp talons, and it looked to have teeth instead of a beak. Hikari did not like the look of either of them, nor of a third new kind shaped like a large shurikon standing on one point. The latter hopped up, threw itself at her, but she dodged and threw a kunai at it. It seemed like it was damaged, but it did not disappear in one strike like the Shadows, Nocturnes, Operas, Rhapsodies, and Requiems did.

Hikari swallowed and dodged as more Shurikon Stars whizzed by her and the Defenders began shooting fire through the fangs of their shields. The Wyverns swooped in, and to dodge she soon had to do some fancy acrobatics, and formed a sign with her hands. Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Ten clones of herself appeared in a cloud of smoke. Each one of them tried to avoid being hit, so as not to poof away, and brought out some form of ninja tool. One formed a string of handsigns, brought a loop made by her pointer finger and thumb to her lips, and released four small fireballs. Two wyverns and a Shurikon Star were hit and disappeared into clouds of darkness, releasing a captive heart, each. Four shurikon, when the flame extinguished, were shown to have landed in the dirt. Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!

She next left her clones to attempt ridding of those Heartless and continued running, keeping an eye out for more. There were too many to attempt extinguishing before being attacked first, and she did not know how much more time she had, thus she decided to be defensive.

Soon, she came across three Large bodies; tall, fat Heartless with purple vests, purple cuffs, and white hats, two of them swung their arms, aiming to hit the lone man they surrounded, and the other thumped its gut, breaking into a waddle-sprint for Hikari. She eluded the Large Body by running right, and formed a string of signs using her hands. Like the clone she had created before, she brought her hand to her mouth, but instead of four small fireballs, she released a giant one, just the size of the Heartless.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu! It was hit, faltered, but did not disappear until she followed up with two shurikon.

The girl checked back to where she had seen the other two Large Bodies just in time to see the last one be dispatched by the man that had been surrounded. There was the chirping of one thousand birds that dwindled with the lightning in his hand and hearts were released. "Chidori."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Hikari called to him. He was twenty-nine years old with silver, lopsided, spiky hair and covered his face below his eyes with blue cloth. A Konoha hitaiate was askew on his forehead, hiding his left eye. In the traditional jonin outfit for Konoha, he wore the forest green flak jacket, long-sleeved navy blue shirt, and pants the same blue tucked into bandages on his shins that went into his zori. There were metal plates on his blue, fingerless gloves.

"Hikari?" He was not truthfully her teacher, but she called him so simply because he was Naruto's. She found it quite unnerving how passive he seemed, since points of emotion were concealed.

The girl nodded and asked hopefully, "Have you seen Naruto?"

"No. He wasn't home?"

She shook her head earnestly. "Kakashi-sensei, you don't really think he could—"

"Whether I think so or not, it's better to be safe than sorry," he said quickly, cutting her off. "He was probably training. We'll find him, maybe before it's too late."

"Maybe?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes. I can't say for certain if we will make it or not," he answered as-a-matter-of-factedly.

"You're not very optimistic, are you?"

"No, but I'm not pessimistic, either." The only visible eye closed in a curve that led one to believe he smiled. Hikari blinked and looked at him blankly. Then, a building by them collapsed, bursting with an incalculable amount of Shadows; they nearly snapped their necks regarding it.

"We'd better get going," she said breathlessly, and began running again.

Presently, Hikari shook the memory from her mind. She, Jiminy, Donald, and Goofy were seated in the cockpit, her piloting the Gummi Rocket, and outside the windshield was the vastness of space, dotted with stars and other, far away worlds. It came to her realization that she should pay attention to her current surroundings since Heartless Gummies sometimes harassed voyagers.

For their journey, she had rid herself of the apron. Donald was also dressed in an outfit that did not make one guess him to be an other-worldly Court Magician; Goofy also did not appear to be a knight. The only clue to their true home was Goofy's shield, as the King's Emblem adorned it, but the chances of them being recognized as foreign by the weapon was slim, as it could simply be construe as decoration, not symbolism for one's loyalty.

The reason for the concern was that, if recognized, they would meddling in the affairs of other worlds. It was imperative that the group stay wary of protecting the world order. Hikari found that rule to be a little asinine, since the disappearances of worlds made for uncontrollable immigration, thereby already jeopardizing world "order" to where being recognized as foreign would not be very grand of a deal, but said nothing.

Goofy squinted at something outside the Gummi, screwing up his face in concentration. Then, he slid to the edge of his seat and pointed in one swift movement. "Look! A star's goin' out!"

Everyone followed his finger and saw the star flicker before disappearing. Hikari narrowed her eyes, and Donald said, "We'd better hurry!"

The girl nodded and agreed, pressing a button in front of her that hastened speed.

End of Chapter One

Next Time on When Darkness Turns to Light! Chapter Two: More Manifest Than Memory

"You . . . found a boy?" she asked curiously. He sat, slumped, in an unconscious state. His hair, of which there was a lot, was dark brown and spiked. Baggy red shorts matched his shirt and a dark blue, short white-sleeved hoodie stayed unzipped, showing a crown medallion. In a hand covered with a white, fingerless glove, he held a sword that looked like a key.

Hikari's jaw dropped. "You found the 'key!'"

Hope you enjoyed! God bless you :)