Chapter One: Xsirch: the Stranger
Noticing my hunger, I jogged downstairs. Nothing good in the fridge. Oh well, might as well get the group together. I dialed a number on his cell phone. "Hey, Pence, what's up?"
My friend, named Pence, replied over the noise of his stereo. "Hey Xsirch, I'm just chilling with Hayner here. Did you hear about his friend? She's pretty cute."
"I'll see about that when I get there." I looked out the window.
As I jogged down the city streets, I noticed a distinct absence of noise. Pure silence. I liked quiet as much as the next person, but something about the silence was oppressive. Why is it so silent? Twilight Town should always have some noise… I was intensely glad I had taken karate classes, even though when I put up my hood I looked so much like a serial killer that people were scared to mess with me. I was wearing a black and grey camouflage zippered sweater, dark grey jeans, black sneakers, white gloves that left my fingers bare, and a black and white camouflage headband with the name Xion on it. I assumed it was the brand name, but I just couldn't remember where I got it from.
I nearly rammed the door open to Pence's apartment. Pence was fiddling with his radio, while Hayner and a girl were talking animatedly while playing Call of Duty 4 co-op campaign.
"Seriously?" I asked as I sat down. "I keep on dying on this part. I wish I had the launcher; it's a pain taking out a chopper with small arms fire."
I notice the girl. I held out my hand. "I'm Xsirch. Also known as Talonflight by these weird people." I said jokingly. I turned my attention once more to the screen. "I wish I was in there."
"I'm kind of glad I'm not." Hayner said. "I don't have a death wish because I have never fired a gun in real life."
"Oh, by the way, have you guys heard about the new mod for Call of Duty?" Pence asked.
"Dude, EVERYONE knows about it. You've told us all at least five times." I teased. I looked outside. "Mind if I crash here for tonight? I'm too lazy to walk back home."
"Dude, you're the most in shape of any of us. You have no right to say you're too lazy." Pence laughed it off.
"Well, I'm gonna crash." I headed for Hayner's room, glancing back occasionally to look at Olette. I threw myself onto the bed, and tried to sleep.
They're good guys, my friends are… good guys… I fell into oblivion.
I started bolt upright. I flipped out of Hayner's bed and stood. I had been asleep for a mere half-hour, but I had just had a strange dream.
Weird. I thought. Shrugging it off, I went downstairs.
Pence and Olette watched as Hayner raised his foam bat to the air in a victory pose. Another teen with blue hair walked dejectedly away, dragging his foam bat with him.
"Ha-ha! I knew I was the best at Struggle!" Hayner shouted. Olette smiled.
"Way to go, Hayner!" Olette laughed.
"Yeah, you sure showed Kayo who is boss!" the Pence complimented. Hayner smirked and spun his foam bat.
"Hey guys!" I waved and caught up with them. "Trying to practice Struggle without me, huh?"
"Well, look who is it, fellas," another voice growled. Hayner and the rest of us turned to see a tall teenager with a black beanie cap on his head, some grey strands of hair, white jeans, and a matching vest with a blue muscle shirt beneath. Behind the teen was a large, muscular male with black hair, tan pants, and an orange shirt. Next to him was a girl with grey hair, menacing red eyes, tan jeans, and a purple shirt. Hayner's face was immediately disgusted upon their arrival.
"Seifer," I growled. The man in the beanie just returned with an even darker gaze.
"Xsirch, Hayner, Pence, and Olette," Seifer, the man in the beanie, responded, purposely pronouncing my name "zirch" instead of its normal "serk" sound. "What are you four doing in our sandlot?"
"Yeah, Seifer's right, y'know!" the large man reiterated.
"Trespassing," the girl added, emotionlessly. Pence just sighed, and Olette, put her hands on her hips.
"This is everybody's sandlot, Seifer!" I yelled at him. Seifer just grinned, getting a foam bat of his own out.
"Well, that's not very polite. After all, you can't talk to the head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee like that," Seifer chuckled. "Maybe a little Struggle will put you runts in your place."
"Fine! Bring it, Seifer!" Hayner growled, getting his own foam bat ready for combat. Pence and Olette moved back to the wooden benches to watch, while the large man and his female accomplice stayed where they were. Seifer and Hayner were the only two in the sandlot, with Seifer cockily pointing his foam bat at Hayner. Hayner had his foam bat in his right hand, spinning in a circle while lightly moving left to right on his feet, signaling his eagerness to battle.
"No." I held my arm out. "I'll do it."
"You're gonna lose to Seifer, y'know!" the man, Rai, shouted.
"Futile," the girl added on.
"You know, I might go easy on you if you get on your knees and beg for mercy," Seifer chuckled.
"Get real!" I growled, snatching Hayner's foam bat before charging at Seifer. Seifer jumped into the air, pointing his foam bat downwards.
"ISN'T THIS ROMANTIC!" Seifer shouted as he lunged in midair towards me. Hayner, with Pence and Olette cheering for me, gave me the thumbs up.
I blocked Seifer's hit, and began whaling on him profusely. I only needed to hit him six times, and he already gave up.
"Way to go, Xsirch!" Pence called. I turned and got a camera flash in my face.
"Hey!" I yelled. I was about to start chasing Pence to get my picture when a strange thing happened.
A white thing, human in shape at first glance, whisked in front of Pence, snatched his camera, and whisked away again, heading down the street.
"Hey!" I yelled. "After him!" We all charged down the street, even Seifer and his gang. I grabbed my skateboard from the street and skated after it. As expected, I outran the others. When I looked back, Seifer had stopped with his people, watching me disappear. Hayner was the only one of my group still running: Olet wasn't that fast and Pence was out of shape.
The strange white creature fled the town through a small hole in the wall just big enough for me to crawl through. I followed it into the woods. It emerged at the old mansion. The old mansion was a mansion that was far out in the woods. It had been there for as long as any of us could remember, in its dilapidated state. I walked cautiously up to it. I still carried my foam bat. If worst came to worst, I could defend myself with that. The white figure suddenly spoke in a strange voice.
"We have been waiting for you, master." The figure suddenly lashed out, giving me a cut on my hand. I swung my bat at it. The figure was pushed back, but it hadn't been hurt in the least. It continued to attempt to harm me, but my reflex's were faster then it's attacks. I managed to evade it. After attempting to retaliate with my foam bat, I realized that nothing I could do would harm that creature.
Suddenly, in a flash of technological digits and numbers, a huge key appeared in my hand. I tentatively touched the edge. It was razor sharp! The key was as big as a sword, and it had a large handle. It was black, in the shape of a pair of bat wings furling up to a semicircle of black spikes. I lifted it. This was a good weapon!
I lashed out at the white thing. The creature dodged nimbly. On my second try, however, I managed to strike it a heavy blow, and it disintegrated into nothing.
What was that? I asked myself. Suddenly, in a flash of light, the key/sword disappeared.
Weird… I thought. I grabbed Pence's camera and started walking back towards the town, baffled by what I had just encountered.