Author's Note:
(This is my first attempt at writing a KH fic, but this is not my first attempt at writing period. I've been writing about 4 years now, and some of the first really lacked in detail. I've since gone back and redone most of them and am currently in the process of redoing the others. For this fic, I followed Rem-chan's example of first making an outline of the story, which REALLY helps. Thank you Rem-chan!! Your fics are great!
Griff, Tasha, and the Isle of Reanai are of my creation, but you have my permission to use them in your own fics, should you so desire. I do not claim the rights to Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy, or any other Square game. Enjoy!)
Chapter One
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The sun sank slowly beneath the horizon, painting the sky vermilion and gold. The subtle breeze wafted its way down the beach as the waves slowly broke over the shore. Laying on the sand, his eyes closed, was an eighteen-year-old youth by the name of Gideon Lombardi, also known as Griff, due to his fondness for the mythical Hippogriff, a creature with the body of a horse, and the head and wings of an eagle. His normally shoulder-length, raven-dark hair had been tied back in a small ponytail, for the purpose of cooling his neck. The water played a soothing melody in his ears, and he slowly began to drift into a light sleep. His peace was soon interrupted by the sound of giggling above him. Griff opened his grayish-green eyes, and found himself staring into the sapphire orbs that belonged to Tasha Aurin, a year younger than he, and the girl he loved deeply. She knew it, too. After she had arrived on the Isle of Reanai two years prior, he had been the one to show her around. He was her first friend, and it quickly grew into much more. Brandt, the only village on Reanai, was small. However, it had been steadily increasing in size for three years, and showed no signs of slowing anytime soon. Tasha smiled down at Griff, before suddenly dumping a bucket of water on his head. "Hey!" the young man sputtered. He quickly sat up and turned around, ready to give Tasha what was coming to her, but she was already running away, occasionally turning to smile at him and laugh. Griff smiled also. Getting to his feet, he gave chase, each step kicking sand into the air behind him as he ran.
Tasha ran around a thick copse of trees, and Griff, in an attempt to cut her off, leapt into the trees. Jumping over numerous ferns, he followed her giggling and came out the other side, tackling her to the sand, both laughing. He rolled over so that he was laying partially on top of her, their bodies heaving with laughter. Tasha lifted her head just enough for her lips to briefly meet his. Trying to shake sand out of hair just as dark as Griff's, she turned her head to look at the horizon. "We're missing the sunset," she said, smiling. Griff smiled back. "There'll be another one tomorrow." He kissed her again, and she returned it, closing her eyes. What the two of them failed to notice, was that slowly, a bright object began to streak through the atmosphere.
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"Your Highness! Come quick!"
The urgency in Daisy's voice quickly brought Minnie Mouse outside of her castle, running hurriedly over to Daisy's side. "What is it, Daisy?" Minnie asked. She then followed Daisy's gaze to the night sky, where Daisy had her finger pointed to a faint star almost directly overhead. The star glimmered brightly, then suddenly went dim for a moment, brightening again before it slowly started to fade. Minnie gasped. "Oh, no..." she whispered.
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Griff rolled off of Tasha, laying beside her on the sand, both of them staring up at the stars. Tasha sighed and laid her head on Griff's bare and slightly muscled chest, his shirt on the ground nearby. "Wow," she whispered, gazing at the falling meteor. "Nice, huh?" Griff replied. "Bet you this kind of thing happens only once every hundred years or so..." Tasha sat up, straightening her shirt and trying her best to brush and shake the sand out. In the distance, thunder rumbled. "We'd better get inside," she said softly. Griff crawled and picked up his shirt, shaking the sand out before finally putting it on. By this time, forks of lightning danced across the horizon, and the two began to hurry off the beach and into the village, the storm drawing closer. Tasha's home was just inside the gates, and Griff walked her to the door. With a good-night kiss, she went inside. As her door closed, Griff looked up to the sky. The moon was quickly disappearing, as if something were throwing a thick veil over it, taking away the light. Griff turned from Tasha's hut and raced down the street a ways until he reached his own, a small, rounded hut on stilts, with a set of stairs leading to the door. The storm was upon them, and, as ferocious as it sounded, there was no wind, no rain, only noise and lightning. Griff climbed the stairs two at a time, and threw himself inside. Having seen numerous storms all his life, there was something about this one that bothered him. He couldn't place the feeling that kept nagging at him, like something was very wrong. He lay down on his cot and stared at the ceiling, trying his best not to think about the weather. He had been told once by the village elder, that if you worry too much, you'll end up without any hair very early in life. Griff sat up and stared out the window, at the inky blackness beyond. From the corner of his eye, something moved, like a shadow. He looked at it, and a pair of eerie, yellow eyes looked right back.
More shadows appeared, each one staring directly at him, then they slowly began to take shape. The eyes rose from the shadows, forming rounded heads with zigzagged antennae, short arms, a small body, and stumpy legs. The shadows and he stared at each other for a moment, then the shadows moved all at once, quickly converging on him. Griff raised his hands in a defensive posture, and threw a punch at the first to come within range. He connected solidly, and the creature fell backward into a few of its comrades. Looking to his right, at the foot of his cot, was a long box. Turning his attention back to the shadows, he aimed a kick right to the head of the nearest, and sent it flying backward. Griff dove for the box, and found it firmly locked. Cursing under his breath, he turned back to face the shadows, which were almost within reach of his legs. Grabbing one, Griff raised it over his head and used the unfortunate creature to swat away a large number of them before bringing it down hard on the wooden box. The container splintered at one end, and the shadow in his hands disintegrated, as if made of dust. Reaching into the box, he pulled out a weapon that looked very much like a staff, with blades on the end that curved in opposite directions. Gripping his swallow firmly in his hands, the young man faced the shadows once more. When they came within striking-distance, he attacked, striking low with his weapon in a long arc from right to left. Four shadows disappeared, having been cut neatly in half. More of them approached, and Griff spun around, using his momentum to cleave half a dozen more. Even before they fully vanished, more began to appear. Thinking quickly, Griff made a dash out the door, leaping down the steps and landing hard, taking the air from his lungs. Standing up, he looked back at his hut. Shadows began spilling out the door. Looking to his right, toward the village center, he saw more shadows appearing in the street. They advanced quickly, running awkwardly on their stubby legs. Griff prepared for battle, when a scream pierced the air, coming from behind him.
Tasha!
Griff spun on his heels and ran in the direction of the village gates.
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Tasha pressed herself against the back wall of her hut. Her father Vek stood in front of her with a sword drawn, as if daring the group of shadows that stood before them to come closer. All at once, the shadows sprung, leaping onto Vek and forcing him to the floor. "Daddy!" Tasha screamed. The man cried out as a bright light began to glow on his chest. A red light emerged and hovered in the air above him. At that moment, the door flew open, and Griff appeared in the doorway. Looking down, the youth's eyes widened. "Vek!" he shouted, trying to pry the mass of creatures off of the older man. Vek was barely able to lift his head to acknowledge him. "Griff, get Tasha out of here!" Tasha shook her head. "Daddy, no!" Almost immediately, the red light vanished, as if something had snatched it from existence. Vek's eyes rolled into his head, and he went limp. "Daddy!!" Tasha lunged for her fallen father, only to be pulled back by Griff. "There's nothing we can do now," he said calmly. "C'mon. We've got to get out of here!" The shadows that had attacked Vek had now turned their heads toward the two of them. Wrapping one arm around Tasha's waist, Griff made a break for the door. Tasha was unable to take her eyes off of her father, even as the shadows began to move in. She beat at Griff's arm, struggling to be let go, but Griff held her tight. The shadows began to emerge from every nook and cranny around them. Taking Tasha firmly by the hand, Griff broke into a run, heading for the docks. Up ahead, their hope bobbed in the water, still tied to the pier. Griff ran faster, with Tasha on his heels. A dark shape burst upward from the sand, and Griff fell backward, landing hard on his rump.
The form that now confronted them was different from the ones that they had been running from. This one was large, three times Griff's size, and more muscular. It had no other features, save for its eyes, two yellow orbs that seemed to peer straight into Griff's soul. In a heartbeat, the battle ensued. Griff held his weapon tightly as he ran forward, jumping into the air, while using the momentum of a swallow swing to add power to his assault. The first cut hit home, and Griff followed up with a thrust, a swipe, and an upward hack. Tasha concentrated on the smaller shadows that had come up behind them to cut off their escape. Although she had no weapon, Tasha held her own, sending a downward kick to the head of the closest shadow, and a jab to another. Her attacks seemingly had no effect, however. Griff landed and began hacking at the creature's legs. The monster raised a giant fist, and brought it down hard, knocking Griff a good ten feet sideways. The young man groaned, sat up from his landing site in the sand, and shook his head clear of dizziness. Standing back up, he ran toward the creature once again, except that the monster had now grown to twice its original size. Griff stopped, and stared at the beast. It raised its arms high above its head, and smashed them into the ground, sending dirt and bright light everywhere. The last thing Griff saw was Tasha's worried face, the girl running to him even as he lost consciousness.
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(Whoa. Bad news for Griff, huh? Wonder what's gonna happen next? Don't worry. I'll try to have a new chapter up every day or so. Unfortunately, they probably won't have very good names. Oh, well. ^_^;;)
