Kingdom Hearts

The Wanderer

Chapter One

The Fall

Cloud rushed down the hall's of the Radiant garden palace, his blood red cape flapping behind him casting dark ominous shadows over the wall and floor. A large crashing sound came from outside

as Cloud drew his massive bandage wrapped sword. He dashed out onto the balcony looking down over the nearby town. What he saw horrified him, shocking him into silence so deep

that it was painful to the ears.

A swarm of shadow was crawling up the walls of the castle, more shadow had overrun the town hiding it from veiw. "What the..." Cloud asked in a stunned silence.

This was'nt posiible, was it? Cloud did not know the anwser, it seemed real, the sound of battle below in the courtyard sounded real.

He looked down to see his comrade, Leon, swinging his gunblade in wide powerful arks decimating these thing one after another. He looked tired, real tired.

Cloud raised his sword overhead and threw himself from the balcony sailing towards the courtyar, his cape flapping giving him a dangerous and frightening look as he glared down at his targets.

Leon looked up spotting him, a look of releif swept across his face, then he turned back to the fight.

Cloud came down on the things with a powerful swing that cleaved three of them in half as if they were not even there. Now that Cloud was right next to them he could observe them closely,

small black bodies with large bobbly heads and massive glowing yellow eyes.

He brought his sword up and around beating them back again and again. "Glad to see could make it." Leon said in mid swing. Cloud said nothing, opting instead to bring his blade crashing down

upon his enemies with brutal power shattering the stone ground beneath them, sending them flying every which way like rag dolls. "What's going on?" Cloud asked as he cleaved through

the next wave of these things. Leon raised his blade and grunted, chanelling his energy forming it almost like a sheath around his weapon, tripling its length and width,

Then he swung wide cutting through six of the little black creatures.

"Do'nt know, these things came out of nowhere, Sephiroth said he was gonna hold them off until we could evacuate." Leon spat angrily. Cloud nodded before asking "Where's Aeiris?"

As he swung his blade down over his shoulder.

Leon dispatched another five with a single swing before the energy fizzled out and he fell to one knee, exhasted. In a second Cloud was in front of him swinging his blade in a powerful ark

tearing through all those foolish enough to try an attack.

"Aeiris is with Cid and Yuffie, they're getting the ship ready for a hasty retreat.

Cloud stiffened in alarm as a giant of a black thingy rose from the ground bringing its fist upon them with tremendous power.

Cloud whirled grabbing Leon and jumping away in one fluid movement as the fist smashed into the ground, smashing the stone like glass sending it spraying outwards riding

a shockwave that knocked Cloud even further back. Cloud knew he could not defend Leon and fight this thing off at the same time. So he ran, knowing that the creatures would now

be free to flood the whole castle. He hated himself then, for not fighting to the end for his home. But he reminded himself, his freinds mattered to, Defending the place

was pointless, if you could not defend the people.

He ran through a door leading into a grand entrway with twisting stair cases on either side. He slammed the door shut behind him and helped Leon to his feet.

"You alright?" Cloud asked breifly. Leon nodded as he managed to keep his footing. "I'll live." He said. Cloud nodded, when a loud BANG echoed through the room as the door seemed to budge.

Cloud turned towards the door, spreading his feet to shoulder width and lowering his blade into a forward gaurd in the middle of the stance. "Go to the others, i'll be fine." Cloud said sternly.

Leon looked at him. "GO! You're to tired to be of any help right now, go to the others." Cloud said more aggresively. Leon nodded as he admitted "You're right. I'll go, but you had better not

die because of it." Leon then turned and left the room, going up the stairs and down the hall.

A second BANG came as whatever was hitting the door did it again. Then the door was knocked from its hinges sailing across the room coming to a rest at Cloud's feet.

The giant thing from before tore through the doorway sending bits of rubble everywhere with a deafening crash as parts of the ceiling fell in.

Cloud knew this was not going to be easy, he was'nt even entirely xure he could win.

The creature raised a giant fist and swung down at Cloud who jumped backwards onto the balcony up the stairs. The fist drove into the floor crushing through it sending a spray of dust and rubble

outwards as a large crater formed in the middle of the room, the vibrations would have knocked Cloud off his feet except he had already leapt for the things head.

With a single powerful chop the things head fell away, then it dissipated in mass of shadow. Cloud stood there sword poised looking towards the door waiting for a swarm of the small

ones to round the corner and attack. They did not come. For a moment Cloud allowed himself to beleive that they had retreated.

Then three more of the giants rose from the ground around him. "This could get ugly real quick." Cloud murmered to himself. Around their feet were pools of liquid shadow which began

forming into an army of the smaller ones.

Cloud backed away slowly knowing he could not win, at least not by himself. The smaller ones jumped at him, only to be slaghtered by his massive sword as it carved the air.

Then he rushed forward chaneling his energy, then his speed increased ten fold, sending him flying past the first giant, his blade carving right through its left foot.

Energy flared around him as he shot towards the second shoulder his blade slicing its arm off.

He angled his blade for a thrust and smashed right through the third giants chest landing lightly on his feet, turning to veiw the giants.

What he saw horrified him. Trails of shadow were just finishing the process of re-attatching the first ones foot, were in the middle of re-attatching the seconds arm, and closing the gap in the thirds

chest.

They turned on him as the healing finished, each raising its fist for a mighty strike. Cloud stepped back, and cussed as he realized he was now backed into a corner.

No where to run, no way to escape these oncoming blows. Then a silver blur tore all of them in half width-wise, then length wise, in about a second.

The giants dissipated like the first one had, and standing behind where they had once been was Sephiroth. Cloud looked at him in amazement. According to Leon

Sephiroth had gone missing fighting these things, so how was he here now, alive.

"Sephiroth! How...how.." Cloud was at a loss for words. "How am i still alive, Cloud." Sephiroth offered. Cloud merely nodded.

"Because i did not fight them, i let them in." Cloud could not beleive what he was hearing, Sephiroth may have had a reputation as a cold-hearted jackass, but surely he would'nt betray

his home.

"This place is doomed now, even now the heartless are entering through a hidden enterance i showed them." Sephiroth said, cruelly twisting each word until it sounded like poison.

"Why?" Cloud asked as the room shook. Sephiroth did not anwser. Instead he declared "We shall meet again." Then he raised a hand, a pulsating sphere of darkness

forming on it. Cloud roared hatefuly and charged swinging his weapon overhead. Sephiroth smirked, then unleashed his attack upon Cloud.

But instead of hurting him it wrapped around him fizzling and popping as Cloud struggled feircely. "Only the darkness can save you now." Sephiroth said as he flared his wing behind him.

The darkness pulled Cloud into the floor, ripping and tearing at him until he could stand it no longer.

In a rush he opened his heart to the surrounding darkness, and everything went black.

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Authors note: Ok what do you all think? Like it? Hate it? Please reveiw and let me know.