Fan Fiction / Crossover Fan Fiction / Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Chain of Hearts ❯ 03. The Dark Thief ( Chapter 3 )

CHAIN OF HEARTS

Emerald Princess of Vernea

NOTE FROM THE GREAT WILL OF THE AUTHORESS

Hazzah! Welcome to the third chapter of Chain of Hearts. As I mentioned in the previous chapter, this chapter also focuses on Nikhi. The next chapter will introduce the anime section more before we get into full swing. This is the basic battle (a sort of alternate version of Sora's battle against Darkside in Kingdom Hearts). Well, you've got to have action at some point, haven't you?

Part One: Straight Into The Heart

Chapter Three: The Dark Thief

Nikhi stared wide-eyed as the darker version of himself, also clad in the Thief outfit, uncoiled and stretched in front of him. The dark catboy slowly lifted his head and opened his dark, empty eyes, focusing directly on Nikhi. After a moment his eyes flared and flashed with red as he saw his lighter counterpart standing before him. He moved quickly as he reached behind him and drew the two sharp blades of the thief, holding them up in front of him in preparation for the inevitable battle.

Instantly Nikhi raised his own two blades and stood firm, ready to fight. He could feel the strange power surging through him from the sphere - the power of the thief. He had already seen some of its amazing power as he sped past the Dokugumon spawn, but this dark creature had the same power as he had.

He was totally unprepared as the dark version of him suddenly zipped forward at top speed, flicking its blades just as Nikhi had done to the Dokugumon spawn. Nikhi felt a flash of pain in his arm as the creature sped past (it didn't deserve to be called `human'), and a trickle of blood ran down his arm. Nikhi stared and gasped. He was so fast.

The shadow creature skidded to a stop and turned sharply to Nikhi. He tilted one of his blades so that Nikhi's blood ran slowly down the metal, until it dripped off the end and onto the floor. Nikhi held his arm with one hand, growling deeply beneath his breath. Then, ignoring the sharp pains in his arm, he held onto the blades and prepared to charge forward. Across the floor, the dark Nikhi prepared to do the same.

The two charged forward at the exact same time, and there was a loud clash as the four blades all connected with one another, followed by a bright flash of light. The two cats stood face to face, both with one arm raised and one arm lowered as they had pushed their weapons forward, even though now both weapons were caught in the blades of the other. It was now a test of strength as the two pushed hard against one another, waiting to see which one of them would give in first and pull back to allow the other to strike.

Nikhi felt a bead of sweat run down the side of his face as he stared into the dark and angry eyes of his shadow. His shadow self was almost expressionless as he stared back at him. Although his skin and his clothes were dark, he was pretty much identical to Nikhi in every possible way - even down to the teeth. And being so close to him made Nikhi's entire body go cold and freeze up, which was what gave his opponent the advantage to do what he did next.

The shadow creature suddenly pulled back, surprising Nikhi and making him lurch forward and fall off balance. While he was off guard the shadow creature quickly spun his elbow round and hit Nikhi square in the chest. Nikhi cried out as he was forced back onto the ground, his two blades falling from his hands and clattering onto the floor.

He lay there for a second or two as he tried to catch his breath, until he saw the shadow of the creature stand over him and hold the blades up. He was so much faster than Nikhi was, and much stronger. Nikhi couldn't stand a chance against him. The shadow creature glared down at him, and raised one of his blades high.

Use the power of the Thief.

Nikhi's eyes opened up wide as the sound of the voice appeared in his head once again, yet there was no sign of the woman anywhere. Just as the shadow creature was about to bring down one of the two sharp daggers down towards his chest, Nikhi felt a strange impulse in his body telling him to move back.

Then, seeming like automatic, Nikhi felt himself suddenly move almost completely of his own will. He flipped back quicker than the eye could see just in time to miss the dagger as it slammed into the ground where he had been lying. The ground cracked slightly as the blade dug into the almost invisible ground, and the shadow creature looked up.

The catboy was continuing to flip away from him, his body bending perfectly like an acrobat. As he moved away he grabbed the two daggers from the floor and finally turned upright, spinning the blades around in his hands before grasping them tightly and holding them out in front of him. Nikhi finally panted and began to catch his breath again. He could still feel the eager urge of the thief inside of him, excited and exhilarated in the thrill of the battle. By now even Nikhi was beginning to enjoy the thrill of battle, the adrenalin in his veins pumping him up. It was a cold feeling, but he liked it.

The power inside was like another presence inside of him. It was the spirit of the thief residing in the sphere. As the voice had told him, both his spirit and the thief spirit were one right then. The thief's power and abilities were now his own. He could still feel the thief's excitement powering him up inside, and Nikhi liked that powerful feeling. Right then he gave up his fear and resistance to the new power he had, and embraced it as he charged forward towards his shadow alter ego, the blades in his hands flexing loosely as he prepared to strike.

The shadow creature was completely unprepared for the swiftness of the attack. Nikhi was merely a blur as he suddenly dashed forward. He zipped past just as fast, and the shadow creature didn't even have time to move. Seconds later Nikhi zipped past again, seeming to be even faster than before, and then zipped past his face again. He only caught a glimpse of Nikhi's eyes as he ran past that time. There was a fierce green glint in his grey eyes that was filled with the power lust of battle, before the look disappeared as Nikhi tore past.

As Nikhi ran past for the fifth time, the catboy skidded to a stop by digging in the sharp blades into the ground and turning round to face the shadow creature. His shadow self was standing there, his body frozen, and as Nikhi watched the shadow dropped the two blades onto the floor.

Moments later the shadow figure's body began to crack and split, breaking in the parts where Nikhi's blades had swiped through and cut him deep. The cuts spread across his arms and chest, opening up holes that peered through to the other side, right through him. From those holes came sparks of light that seemed to burn through him.

Nikhi stared in amazement, feeling the excitement of the thief beginning to die down now that the battle was over. The pendant around his neck then began to glow, the small jewel sparkling with a faint white light. A bright flash surrounded him, and Nikhi jumped back in surprise to find the sphere floating in front of him once again, his clothes now returning to normal as the power of the sphere left him. A strong pulling sensation suddenly began to tug at him and pull him forward towards the shadow creature, just as a dark shadow began to rise up around him.

The cloud caught Nikhi as he tried to fight the tugging sensation pulling at him, and Nikhi felt his feet suddenly sink about a foot into the darkness, making him lower than the shadow creature. Nikhi tried to pull away as the shadow reached out with its burning, quickly fading hands and grabbed the cat by his arms, holding him still and stopping him from struggling.

Remember, Nikhi… The balance of light and dark is a very delicate chain… When your fears overcome you, you will be swallowed by the darkness. Embrace your light… And save the Chain of Hearts.

Nikhi opened his mouth and tried to scream loudly, but no sounds came from his mouth. The shadow creature pulled up close to him, the fading of his body now close to his neck, and pressed his face up close to Nikhi's. Nikhi could see deep into the dark, empty eyes, and the sense of fear returned to him. One dark hand reached up and pressed against Nikhi's chest, and slowly sunk into his chest.

A cold chill ran through Nikhi's entire body as he froze solid, feeling the cold clutches around his heart tightening their grip around him. Not even the light of the pendant could comfort him now.

But don't worry. You are not alone. Your friends will be by your side. Good luck, Nikhi.

The last thing Nikhi saw as the shadows swept up around him and pulled him under, was the look of the shadow creature's terrifying dark face as it faded in front of him, its evil glare being the last thing to go. Then Nikhi's sight went blank.

Nikhi cautiously opened one eye, feeling strange and awkward after waking from the dream. All he could see was the dark shadow from his jacket covering his face, and the shadowed desk beneath him. There was just a tiny speck of light shining through the shadow, coming from his open window. Lifting his head slightly Nikhi could see that nighttime had already passed by, and the morning sun was now shining through onto his desk.

Uncurling his tail Nikhi groaned slightly, his body aching all over from its uncomfortable sleep against the desk. However, he felt as though he had never slept at all, and was just as tired as he was before… before the peculiar dream. Yet by now the dream was already beginning to fade in his mind, and the only image he couldn't shake off was the image of Makoto disappearing into the darkness, with only his pendant left behind.

Remembering that made Nikhi feel cold and tired all over again, and he put his head back down into the shadows of his jacket. He very nearly fell asleep again, when a small, faint shuffling noise behind him made him grunt quietly, a little sign to make the noise stop.

"Come on, sleepyhead. Are you gonna sleep throughout the whole day as well as the whole night?"

Nikhi's eyes snapped open as he jumped back in a fright. His movement swiped the poem off his desk and onto the floor, along with the pen that clattered onto the wooden floor. He moved so suddenly he very nearly fell out of his chair as well, and waved his arms madly in the air as he tried to balance himself. He grabbed onto the edge of his desk for dear life as the chair tilted back, and that somehow steadied him and stopped him from falling.

The catboy hung there for a moment or two, clutching onto the desk and panting heavily to catch his breath. He had been so startled, and it was only his cat-like reactions that stopped him from falling and breaking his neck. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end, his ears twitching back and to, to locate the source of the voice.

"Yikes, be careful. Have you been on the caffeine again, or is your sugar level too high as usual?"

Again Nikhi jumped, although this time he was better prepared for the sound. Whilst still clinging onto the desk he turned his head towards the window. He stared for a moment, before a big smile of relief spread across his face as he saw the person, their body silhouetted by the morning sunlight, perched on his windowsill.

"Makoto!" the boy exclaimed.

A gentle smile appeared on Makoto's fair-skinned face, his green eyes almost sparkling in the morning light. He also seemed surprised by Nikhi's relieved expression when he saw him, but he was pleased by the reaction.

"Who else would appear in your bedroom window?" Makoto asked, as though it was the most obvious question in the whole world. He swerved his legs round and sat down on the windowsill, holding onto the wooden frames so he wouldn't fall. When he was steady he looked at Nikhi again, still smiling. "Hey, what's wrong with you? You look so… weird."

Nikhi shook his head, ignoring the ache in his neck. "Sorry," he said, blushing slightly. "I was just… I guess I was just happy to see you. That's all."

Seeing Makoto sitting there made Nikhi remember more of his strange dream during the night. The way Makoto had looked at him sadly when the dark cloud swept up and took him away - Nikhi almost felt sad himself, but the relief to see him sitting there overrode that. Instinctively Nikhi reached up and felt his neck, as though expecting to feel the pendant still lying there. His neck was bare, and as he looked upon his lover he saw the pendant resting against Makoto's white shirt, as it should be. Nikhi couldn't help but give a sigh of relief. Everything was as it ought to be.

"Makoto…"

The catboy stared at Makoto for a few seconds more, until his heart began to pound madly in his chest as a sudden desperation began to well in him. The dream, whatever it was, had made Nikhi almost believe that Makoto had been taken away from him, and that thought scared him.

Before Makoto could protest or say anything, Nikhi suddenly released the desk and fell down onto the floor, but he didn't stay there. The moment he landed he kicked up his heels and leaped across the floor towards his lover, throwing his arms around him. His arms fell around Makoto's neck and clamped on tight, their faces brushing past one another as Nikhi caught him up in a tight embrace, just to make sure that he was really, really there.

The force of the charge made Makoto lose his hold on the window frame and he fell back off the sill and out of the window. Nikhi came with him, holding him tight, and together they fell down from Nikhi's window and down towards the grass that surrounded Nikhi's house. They landed with a heavy thud onto the ground, with Nikhi lying on top of Makoto, his arms still draped around him.

"Ow…"

"I'm so glad," Nikhi said, his voice muffled through Makoto's shirt. He tightened his grip and buried his face deep in his lover's shirt. "I am so glad that you're all right, Maki."

Makoto blinked. "Of course I'm all right," he said. He was used to many of Nikhi's strange, sugar-crazed antics by now. "Although I must admit that making someone fall out of a window isn't the best way to make sure that they're all right, you know?"

Nikhi lifted his head and looked into Makoto's eyes, and he suddenly realised just how idiotic he was behaving. Of course Makoto would be all right - it had only been a bad dream after all. A terrible, terrifying dream that wasn't real. He carefully let go of Makoto and quickly slid off Makoto, his face going a shade of red that didn't suit his silver hair.

Makoto sat up beside him, groaning at the pain in his arms and back from the fall. He saw Nikhi looking sheepish in front of him and smiled. He reached out and put a single, clawed hand against the boy's cheek. Nikhi gasped a little at the touch of Makoto's cool hand against his warm cheek, and for a moment he was reminded of the cold touch of the woman from his dream, before she quickly vanished from his memory again. Instead Nikhi grabbed onto Makoto's hand and held it close to his face, wanting to feel its warmth.

"You really shouldn't let your imagination carry you off, you know," Makoto advised Nikhi. "It could get you into trouble."

"It wasn't my fault!" Nikhi protested, almost angrily. "I was trying to write a love letter for you - and I mean `trying' because it wasn't going to well, and I made countless attempts and all - but I guess I started daydreaming and fell asleep, you know, and suddenly I just ended up in this really weird dream. First I saw you disappear into some weird dark cloud on the shore and then I ended up in some weird castle with all these weirdly dressed people, and then that place was destroyed by another cloud. Then I ended up in a really dark place with some woman offering me all these powers, and then I had to fight these weird spider creatures, and then a dark version of me - although it wasn't really me - and I had to fight him. Then after that we were both kinda sucked up into some weird kind of - "

He was interrupted suddenly by Makoto, who suddenly leaned forward and pulled Nikhi close to him, pressing his lips against Nikhi's. This, of course, shut Nikhi up instantly - it always did. Nikhi often got carried away with himself, and it always took a quick shock to snap him out of it. The two stayed connected for a moment, before Makoto pulled away, leaving Nikhi stunned.

"Better?" he asked.

Nikhi slowly nodded his head. "Yeah," he said. He blushed again and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry. I guess I kinda got carried away again."

"You certainly did," said Makoto. "But it was just a dream. You don't need to worry about dreams."

"I know…" Nikhi admitted, turning his head away. "But it really scared me. I thought I lost you, Maki."

"Hey!"

Nikhi and Makoto both looked up to the sound of giggles and laughter coming from the end of the garden. Standing just outside the garden were a group of catboys and catgirls - well, three boys and two girls. The boys were Kit, Alloran and Dani, and the girls were Faria and Mishi. Nikhi knew Kit and Alloran very well - in fact they were an item themselves, and had been for almost as long as Nikhi and Makoto. He didn't know Dani and Mishi that well. In fact all he knew about Dani was that he spent his days chasing Faria.

Kit was the one who had called out to them. He was leaning against the fence shaking his striped black and white hair at the two catboys still sitting on the ground.

"Honestly, you guys… don't you ever quit?" he asked.

Nikhi's grey eyes flared up a little. He liked Kit, but there was always a competition between them. "And what about you and Alloran?" he demanded.

Kit Rave ran a hand through his striped hair and shook his head again. "Well, I'm not the one making people fall out of windows." Nikhi continued to glare at Kit, until the slightly older catboy looked up with a cheerful smile on his face. "Anyway, we're all heading to the arcades to use the DDR machine. It's still 3-0, Nikhi. Are you coming?"

"Of course I am!" Nikhi exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I'm not going to lose to you again, Kit!"

"Hey, whatever, Nikhi," Faria replied. "Someday or another you're going to learn that no one, and I mean NO ONE, can beat Kit on DDR." She walked over to Kit and leaned adoringly against his shoulder, despite the evil glances she received from Alloran. "I mean, come on," she said. "Kit is part of the Rave family. They're legends. You could never beat Kit."

"That still won't stop me from trying!" Nikhi said, now more determined than ever. He ran over to the group and jumped over the fence, and spun round to face Kit. "I'm gonna take your crown, Kit Rave!"

"That's the spirit, Nikhi!" Dani piped up.

Nikhi nodded, and then turned to Makoto. "Are you coming too, Maki?" he asked.

At that point Makoto was still sitting on the grass of Nikhi's front lawn. He had his head down to look at the ground, deep in thought. As Nikhi spoke to him he looked up.

"Sure," he said, although he still seemed to be lost in thought.

Nikhi tilted his head. "You okay?" he asked.

Makoto nodded. "Yes," he said.

Alloran sniggered. "You were thinking again, weren't you?" he asked. He quickly slid over to Kit, slyly pushing Faria away from him, and draped his arms over Kit's shoulders. Alloran was the older of the two, but Kit somehow seemed to be the more dominant at times. "You really gotta stop thinking, Makoto."

"Yeah, thinking damages the brain," Kit added with a smirk, tapping his head.

Dani turned to Faria. "You'd think, with him being with Nikhi and all, that Makoto would have lightened up a little," he whispered quietly.

"Maybe Nikhi's sunny disposition hasn't rubbed off on him yet," Faria replied, just as quietly.

"Hey! Leave Maki-kun alone!" Nikhi said, meaning Kit and Alloran's teasing. He ran back over to Makoto and looped his arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. "If my Maki wants to think, then let him think." He nuzzled his head against Makoto's chest. "I think he looks adorable when he thinks."

Moments later the group left Nikhi's garden and quickly ran off down the street towards the arcades, which were in the middle of town. Only Makoto remained behind for a second or two more, watching the group of cats running off ahead of him.

Nikhi was running in the lead of the group, with Kit close behind him. The two were always competing with each other, but it was a friendly competition.

Makoto then carefully reached up and wrapped his fingers around the chain of his pendant, lifting it up so that he could see into the jewel encased in it. He could see the many-mirrored reflections through it, with the many images of Nikhi looking back at him. Makoto's black ears twitched suddenly and he turned to look behind him, feeling sure that he had heard some kind of noise. But there was nothing there - the streets were empty.

He let the pendant fall back onto his chest and began to run after the others, who were quickly pulling away from him. He probably just imagined the noise.

Probably.