I do not own any of the FFX Characters.
Prelude: Cherry Blossoms and Death.
The wind blew gracefully through the cherry trees causing many blossoms to fill the air as they charmingly floated to the ground. The only sound that filled the courtyard of the small temple was the sound of a wooden practice sword moving gracefully yet forcefully through the air in the hands of its owner, who stood under the cherry tree. Sweat dripped from her slender yet strong bare arms as she lifted the sword above her head and brought it forcefully down again. Cherry blossoms stuck to her sweat covered bare skin at it glistened in the morning sunlight. A strip of cloth was tied around her head so that it covered her eyes, her long dark brown hair swayed with the slightest of movements her body made.
"Reimei!" an old yet gentle voice called form the porch of the house that stood in the courtyard. There on the porch stood a wise old woman with a smile on her face as she watched her granddaughter train. The young lady stopped and turned around as she gracefully removed the blindfold to reveal two amethyst colored eyes. She smiled at her elder, Kiyoraka. "Yes, senpai." Reimei answered softly.
"Young Ryuu is very sick. His friends found him near the entrance of the Caverns of the Lost." Kiyoraka said her voice was serious now and filled with worry. Without out a second though Reimei put down the wooden practice sword and picked up the katana that was leaning against the cherry tree. She then followed her elder as they left the temple and headed for the village. As they walked down the long path Reimei looked over at her grandma and smiled lightly and then looked out at the land that strech out in front of her. For twenty-one years she had lived in this land. She can remember very little about her father, he was a very skilled samurai and that he disappeared when she was only 4 years old. Her mother was the priestess of the temple as was her grandma and great grandma and so on. They, the women of her family where gifted with great spiritual powers and each one inherited the title of priestess once they came of age… except Reimei. When she came of age, her powers never came so her mother remained the priestess. For a long time afterward the people of the village would whisper about why she did not inherited. They said it was because of her father, who appeared one day out of nowhere wearing strange clothing and covered in blood. She shook her head ridding herself of the memories that had crept up.
"I was watching you as you trained earlier…Your father would be very proud I think. You inherited his swordsman sprit and skill." Kiyoraka said not looking back at her granddaughter.
"Maybe…though why did I not inherit my mother's spiritual powers….if only I had maybe…" she began to say before her elder turned around a slapped her across the face. Reimei held her reddened check as she looked at her grandmother, amethyst eyes wide with shock for a brief moment before returning to normal.
"Thank you, senpai." She said as they continued there journey to the village.
It took them about thirty-minutes to reach there destination. A group of villager greeted them as they reached the small house. They separated as a woman came running out of the house.
"Priestess! Thank the gods you are here."
"Take me too young Ryuu." Kiyoraka said, her voice was calm and collected.
"This way," Ryuu's mother said and then led the two into the house. Ryuu, a young boy around the age of 14, lay and the bed covered in a cold sweat. Kiyoraka knelt down beside the bed and placed her hand on the young child's forehead.
"Just as I thought, he has been touched but the Demons poison."
Reimei stood next to her grandmother watching her closely. She could sense something was not right but she did not know what it was. Then without a second thought she grabbed her grandmother's shoulder and pushed her back away from the boy. Everyone in the room gasped in horror and the boy slowly rose from the bed, a demonic aura permeating from every inch of his body. He lunged at Kiyoraka with his newly grown claws and teeth but he was stopped but Reimei as she used the still sheathed katana as a shield to hold off the boy.
"Ryuu! Ryuu! What is happening to my boy!" the lady shouted as her husband held her back as she tried to run to her child.
"It is the work of the demons poison, though I have never seen it this strong before." Kiyoraka said as one of the villagers helped her to her feet. She waved the villager away, then closed her eyes and placed her arms straight out in front of her with her palms facing her granddaughter and the demon poised boy and began to softly chant.
Meanwhile, Reimei was beginning to loss her footing as the demonic strength of the boy began to push her back. She was not going to be able to hold him back much longer. She was about to yell for everyone to run when she saw a blinding white light emanate from behind her. Her eyes opened wide in horror as they both where engulfed in the light. When the light was gone Ryuu's body turned back to normal and he fell to the floor unconscious. Reimei caught the boy before he hit the ground and held him close until his mother came and took him out of her arms. Reimei did not move nor did she turn around when very gasped in horror as Kiyoraka's lifeless body fell to the ground.
The sun hid itself behind a cloud as Reimei stood over her grandmother's grave. The cherry blossoms seemed to dance around her as she stood there. She has yet to morn or shed a tear. It had been two days since she had past and Reimei had finally made up her mind. She clutched the katana in her hand tightly as she turned and left the grave. It was not until she was exiting the town that anyone saw her.
"Miss Reimei, you know that road leads to the Caverns of the Lost." the villagers face suddenly filled with horror once her notice that she had the katana with her and not her practice sword. "You not going there are you? It is dangerous you could be…"
"Killed…So what…I am going to end this here and now. First my father, then my mother, and now my grandmother, no more…I will not let that place cause any more death. I'm going to destroy that cavern and what ever lives in it." Reimei said before beginning to walk away again.
"But Miss Reimei…" he began before stopping as she turned around and looked him dead in the eyes and then disappearing into the forest. Him stood there rooted to the spot I total shock of what he saw in her eyes. The normal kind caring amethyst depths had been replaced with bloodlust and a gut retching sadness.
The young lady walked through the forest along the road, her hair was tied up into a ponytail swayed with ever step she took. A huge gust of wind came as she stopped at the entrance of the Cavern. The darkness in side the cavern seemed to swallow everything alive around it. The air itself seemed to die as she entered the cavern. She walked deeper and deeper in to the cave. The darkness seemed to go on forever until she finally reached the inner camber.
"It has been a long time since a guest has visited me with such a murderous intent." A mysterious voice spoke out of the darkness and laughed. "I believe it was seventeen years ago if I am remembering correctly." The voice laughed again as Reimei's eyes widened in shock.
"Where is my father?" her voice was soft but forceful as she spoke. Her eyes where now hidden from view as a dark shadow appeared over her face. Her hand gripped the katana that hung off her waste, ready to draw it and any second.
The demon did not respond, only lashed out of the darkness with what appeared to be a snake. Reimei easily dodged it and severed the snake's head from the rest of the demon with out even opening her eyes. The now headless extremity smashed into the girl throwing her against one of the cave walls. Reimei hit the wall with a sickening thud. A small trail of blood flowed down her chin from her mouth which she quickly wiped away as she slowly stood up again, holding her ribs with her free hand and faced the darkness as another huge snake charged at her. She slammed into the wall once again, but this time with a force the shook the cavern. It's open mouth pinning her to the cave wall. She coughed up more blood as one of the fangs pierced her one side. Her sheathed katana was the only thing preventing the snake's fang from sinking deeper into her body.
"Is that all you have little one…I thought that I would be able to have a little fun before I …" The demon in the darkness began but stopped when the snake that held Reimei to the wall was cut in two. She fell to the ground clutching her side as blood flowed from the fresh wound. 'I can't die yet. Not until I kill this thing with my own to hands.' Reimei thought to herself as she slowly got to her feet. Her vision was beginning to blur as she fought to keep her eyes open.
The cave slowly began to collapse from the force of her hitting the wall the second time. She took one more deep breath and then drew her katana and charged into the darkness just as the cave collapsed around them.
Outside the Caven's of the Lost a group of men from the village just arrived outside.
"Are you positive that she came here Jin?"
"Yes… she had the same look in her eyes that her father did the day he disappeared…damn it, I should have stopped her."
"There was no way you could have. You know how suborn she can be when she puts her mind to something." One of the villagers said with a little laugh.
" Ya, remember the time wh…." Another villager began to say when the entrance of the cavern collapsed and was sealed shut. The villagers stared in horror at the rubble. About a minute passed before anyone spoke again.
"…Well…at least she did what she said she was going to do…"
"…but at what cost…" Jin added sadly as they all looked turned around and left back to the village.
'It is so dark…and cold…I wander how long I have been falling…maybe am I dead…' Reimei thought as she fell through the darkness. Her lifeblood still slowly flowed out of the wounds. Her amethyst eyes where closed tight as she continued to fall. Her eyes slowly opened as a familiar sent invaded her senses. Cherry blossoms seemed to appear out of nowhere and began to swirl softly around her. A bright light appeared below her as she fell into it.
Authors Notes:
This is my first FFX fic so advice is welcome and so are constructive criticisms. Please no flames though.
Anyway hope you injoyed the first chap. I have know idea when the second will be up.
oh and before I forget thank you to Aishi- Cc for reading it over for me.