OSHIMA PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
A PROJECT BY R.W.A.P.
BASED ON POPULAR SERIES SUCH AS KINGDOM HEARTS, FINAL FANTASY, NARUTO, THE LAST AIRBENDER, STAR OCEAN, ETC.
SHADOWED HEARTS
REQUIEM
-Chapter One-
Samantha turned on her heels and spun around, slashing her blades at the target dummies around her. She dashed forward, dove, tuck and tumbled into range of her next opponent and brought her weapons to bear, blocking the assault and pushing it back, using her momentum to drive it into the ground. Sam recovered herself, and turned just in time to block another strike from behind her. She recognized her attacker, a man in his mid-twenties, and a scar running through his right eye and down his face. The man smiled, and forced Sam back into the open, and readied his blade.
"Don't forget to check your surroundings," the man said. Sam nodded, and recovered herself.
"I won't," she replied, "and I'm not going to lose this time, old man!" The man laughed, and touched his left hand to the face of his blade, which now glowed lightly, flames appearing at the hilt.
"Then I guess it's time we turn up the heat, Sam." The man had dark brown hair parted to the left side, and wore a red and tan sleeveless jacket over a black shirt with deep yellow accents. His sword, a single-edged three-and-a-half foot blade, bristled with heat and fire while being prepared for its next salvo. Determination resounded from within his crimson red and deep hazel eyes, and he grinned as Sam charged at him with both blades dragging across the ground with such intensity that bright, heavy sparks were emanating from the contact.
Sam finally came within reach and slashed at her teacher, whom stepped to the side and swung his elbow at Sam's back, playfully knocking her forward. Sam rolled and struck back, attempting to sweep him off his feet. The man stuck his blade into the ground to block the strike, and leaped over her, a slight grin on his face. Sam retaliated as soon as he landed, blades at the ready. The two, equal footed on the ground, exchanged powerful blows with one another, the metallic clang of the blades connecting with each other resounding throughout the training room, the sparks emanating from each point of contact illuminating the darkness around them. Just before the man was able to gain the upper hand, Sam quickly swung upward with both weapons to throw him off his guard. But the man once again stepped to the side, barely dodging the attack, and leapt backward, recovering his stance in the battle.
"You're too predictable," he laughed. The man turned and brought his weapon to bear, swinging it outward and unleashing a blazing wall of fire that raged its way toward Sam. Sam spun her blades in hand, throwing her arms out behind her and summoned her strength. Beads of sweat dripped down her face and neck, as the wall of flames blasted closer to her with severe intensity. Sam tracked the inferno as it drew near, and for a split second, glimpsed a weak point in its structure. She gripped her blades and swung both of them in front of her in a cross-like fashion as the wall of flames connected, and broke through, with steely resolve, unharmed and unscathed. The man appeared impressed, a slight smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"Nice work, Sam," the man said, "but I think we're done for today." With a toothy grin, Sam sheathed her weapons in their respective containers, holstered to her hip. She approached her teacher, whose blade disappeared in a brilliant flash of fire and light, and threw a punch at his right arm.
"Getting better, aren't I?" She laughed, excited from their concluded sparring match. "Almost had me with Flametongue again, but I told you I'd get through it this time!" Sam said happily as she brushed a bit of smoldering ash off of her shoulders and arms. The man crossed his arms, and smiled back.
"You are, but you still need to slow down a little and analyze your surroundings, your opponent, and your own capabilities as a fighter, Sam," The man said, "Resolve may help you get through tough situations like they did today, but every battle is different. You'll need more than just guts and brainpower to get through," he turned to the doorway leading out to a courtyard, where a woman in blue leaned against the frame as she waited for the man and Sam to conclude their training.
"You need to really believe, hon." The woman said.
The three walked out of the training room and into the courtyard. "Nice work in there, Sam. You really put up a good fight with Ko-kun this time around." The woman said, her long, red-orange hair gleaming in the sunlight. She stood slightly shorter than the man, and wore a bright blue battle jacket, kahki-colored pants and light blue boots. "Keep it up, and you'll be ready to join up with the Dawn organization like Koharu and I did when we were your age."
Sam nodded, a happy grin on her face. She turned to Koharu, her teacher, who stretched his arm around until he heard a satisfying pop. "The Dawn organization, did you really help them stop an army of monsters from destroying the worlds?" Interest peaked in her hazel and green eyes.
Koharu smiled and looked to the woman at his side, "It used to be called Anti-XIII, but that was a long time ago. Riku and I didn't sign up at first because we didn't have a choice. It was something we were roped into." He strode over to a lone bench sitting next to a large oaken tree, and sat down. Riku joined walked behind him and place her hands on his shoulders, and began to rub.
"This secret group known as the New Organization, which rose from the ashes of another called Vangaurd, was running around collecting sources of power to seize control of the Worlds. One of these huge sources of power was a collective of two particular groups of an ancient species," Koharu paused, flexing his right hand, which remained bandaged for many years.
"Those were the World Wyrms, right?" Sam asked, sitting on the ground in front of the two with her legs crossed. Koharu nodded.
"There were two groups consisting of five World Wyrms each. The Chromatics, which were an archaic, dark and very mean bunch of dragons that stood for chaos and power; and the Metallics, a group of dragons that were regal, and honorable, who stood for order and peace in the Worlds," Riku replied, continuing to massage Koharu's shoulders, sore from the battle. "Koharu's father took steps to protect the worlds by systematically sealing away the World Wyrms within specially selected individuals. One of which was Koharu here," she said.
Koharu touched at the scar that went through his right eye, "I was just a child, when Ryuma was sealed within me. This red eye you see here doesn't belong to me. I lost mine while trying to protect Riku and myself from those N.O. creeps." Sam tweaked her head to the side, trying to comprehend.
"Ryuma, which one was that?" she asked, inquisitively. Koharu chuckled, "I'll give you three guesses." His crimson red eye began to glow red with energy. Sam laughed, finally reaching an understanding. "Ah, so that's why you've always been so tough on me, huh?"
"No, that's just the old Oshima lineage trait, Sam." Koharu smiled, the energy from within his eye subsiding. "My old man was like that with me, too. And for good reason."
"So, back to the New Organizaiton," Sam returned, "why is it that they were able to get as far as they did in the past?"
"It turned out that the World Wyrms weren't the only source of power available to the N.O.," Riku said, "There were the Aeons, the Lifestream, and tons of others. One of the greatest sources of power that they had set their eyes on, and almost got ahold of, was the Heart of all Worlds."
Sam's eyes widened, "Kingdom Hearts." Koharu nodded, and stood up, the wear relieved from his face.
"Tazune would forsake the lives of the Worlds and their people just to grasp at that level of power. We were lucky to have been able to stop him then, Sam." He said, staring off into the unending sunset on the horizon. "Riku and I got together with other members from Anti-XIII and founded the Dawn organization," he said, watching the long, whispy clouds stretch peacefully overhead in the orange and blue sky, "we realized that someone had to step up and protect the Worlds from dangers like what we had faced and what the members of Vangaurd had faced long before. Every world out there deserves to live to see the sunset in their skies, and wake up in the morning to do it again. Dawn keeps and the hope that darkness tries to take away." Sam sat, watching her teacher's movements, and contemplated the lesson.
"So no matter what darkness falls on the Worlds, Dawn is there to keep it away, right?" she asked one last question for the night. Koharu chuckled.
"You can't always escape the shadows in the night and in our hearts, Sam. You can only keep hoping, and keep preparing for whatever the dark throws at you. And even then, anything could happen."
Koharu's words hung on the setting sun that illuminated Twilight Town, the evening bells sounding in the distance, protected behind the bustling businesses, villages, and the tall brick wall encircling the entire town. With the sun setting, night began to fall upon the world, although unable to breach through the protective barriers set in place long ago.