A/N: Okay, hello peoples, this is the fourth chapter of my story, glad to have you all back!
Roxy: Hey, when do I come in?
Reese (me): In a little while, it's only the fourth chapter… probably in about three chapters….
Roxy: Aww… okay then. May as well tell the readers… Reese's putting in oc's based on some of her friends. Rosy, Emmy, and Tay will also have characters too…
Reese: There may be some random oc's too… but yah… Oh, and a new character is introduced in this chapter…
Roxy: Axel!
Reese: Where?
Roxy: Okay, so anyways, onto the disclaimer, Reese does not own Kingdom Hearts or any of it's characters, cause if she did… Let's just move on… Well, anyways, read and enjoy. Don't forget to comment!
Reese: I'll give you a cookie!
Echo: A kingdom hearts fan fiction
Chapter 4- Green Eyes
Part 1
Tai's pov
Fear racked through me as I stare into her cloudy eyes. Her once beautiful face now lay scared, blood running down the side of her head, her jaw unhinged. Its red eyes glisten through the dark, my sister limp in its arms. My lip curls with sheer anger. A blood-chilling scream echoed through the alley… and I notice it's not just her, but me too.
I had almost reached her when the dark thing held her head in it's hands. My throat clogged with fear as I watched it crack my sister's skull against the brick walls.
My throat is already sore from the screaming this thing has drawn… and my arms tremble with cold. My arm has fallen to my side, the brick discarded. The… thing tosses my sister to the floor, and I growl, almost like dog… I don't know what to do. Andrea stirs, but the… I want to say… it's a Neoshadow… it ignores her movements.
It slowly wades through the mud like it had all the time in the world… and it's now an arm's length away.
Andrea's pov
The first thing I feel, is pain. My head hurts like someone's repeatedly stabbing it with a blunt object. My limbs tremble as I try to heave myself from the soft, wet ground, but I can't… I'm too weak…
My sight is blurry as I look up from muddy ground, I can only see faint silhouettes from where I lay, almost folded in on myself. My heart thundered in my ears and I taste blood. My blood... my mind is reeling, trying to find any possible solution.
The pain is unbearable, and it's welling up in my chest, threatening to overflow into a sob. There's nothing more I want to do than get out of here. There's the sound of a struggle not far off, and quite frankly, it's freaking me out… Whatever "me" is…
I feel like I'm blind, because I can only hear sounds. They keep away from me for the most part, but one time they got too close, and I had to roll away, but something latched onto my leg. I didn't cry out of pain, but shock… It's nails hurt… When whatever-it-is lets go, I reel backward, and a second shot of pain races through the back of my skull, and I wince. What's happening? The question repeats.
I feel weak, and vulnerable, as I lay there, covered from head-to-toe in mud, unable to even lift myself from the ground. I peer through the fog in my vision, trying to see if I recognized the forms of the two at war… and suddenly there's a break in my vision. Not in present tense, but in memory… and I get a clear picture of the creature before my sight fails. I shudder. I remember this creature... its eyes amidst the darkness. I scrunched mine closed, struggling to remember... but I can't remember... Then I remember a child, and I look to see his silent silhouette amongst the mud... Did I know him...? My gaze snaps forward as I hear a snarl of the fiend.
I'm going to die...
DARKNESS...
I'm spread out over the muddy ground like a bloody sheet. Everything is too loud, even my own heart beat... The earth is jostled, reminding me of the meteorites. I rise to my knees, groping along the ground, because I cannot tell if my eyes are open... or not. I'm thrown off balance when another meteorite hits, and I'm forced into a quicker retreat. I'm crawling as quickly as I can as the malodorous stench steadily increases. I quicken my pace, running into trash bins long since discarded. I bump into a dumpster, which widens a wound, and I'm beckoned to give into the pain.
My hands brush against an aluminum fence, and I almost loose hope. I find a weak link and notice a trench has all ready been dug. I slide under easily, and collapse on the other side.
I wake to find that the sky has quieted for the time being. I blink my eyes and realize that my vision is somewhat better. My body is aching, and I feeling as though I am close to death, but for some reason, that I cannot comprehend, I stand and I walk into the blanket of trees.
These forests are familiar. I feel like I've traveled through them before... My vision flickers from time to time, but still, I proceed.
Darkness shrouds me as I stumble between trees, my steps barely muffled by the undergrowth. I feel like I'm being watched... I don't know how to explain the feeling... I breathe deeply, trying to calm myself.
Fallen pieces of mist rushed between the trees like water, my presence disrupting their paths, like a rock protruding the surface of water. My legs begin to shake, and I grow weary as time draws on. I trip on a protruding root, and nearly fall flat on my face. I'm breathing heavily, and I begin to realize I've fallen by a river. I feel the cold water piercing my skin, and through lashes, I can see the water steadily turn red. I slowly slide forward until my face is so close to the shallow stream, my nose almost brushing the surface. I rise to my knees, and splash water onto my face. I shiver from the cold, goose bumps erupting on my arms, and I shake as I reach for the hem of my shoulder-shirt. I slip it off, leaving me with a tank-top. My head is pounding, and my temperature feels like a hot flame.
I lay the tan cloth in the cold water, and I can see clumps of mud slipping off before I fold it up and tie it around my head. I almost jump at the cool relief, and I sigh. I force myself to my feet.
I'm shaking uncontrollably, and I swear that I can see every vein in my purple legs. I trip over a hidden root, and as I fall, the mist puffs like smoke. I sit there, the frosted plants brushing against my skin, my breath puffing, and I'm shaking like a trapped bird's wing beat.
I hug my legs and rock back and forth. I don't ever remember it ever being this cold... I shiver as I rest my head against my knees, my shirt wrapped around my head sliding out of place. The red stained cloth slipped into my view.
... I should be dead... but I'm not. I shook violently as a gust of wind swept through the forest. Why am I not dead...? I rub my arms, crusted in dry mud, mud as black as my tank top. Tears slip down my murky cheeks... How had all of this happened? More tears came as I was rocked by the wind.
I smell death is close now...
I pulled the stained shirt from my head. The shirt is still damp, either from blood or from the river, I don't know. I had to yank it onto my body. I rested my head on my knees and waited...
The skies had been silent for what seemed to be hours, so I nearly jumped out of my skin when to earth was rattled by a meteorite, and the sky filled with the sounds of its kin's shrieks. I look up from my knees, staring into the fire-red sky... I jump as the ground is shaken yet again. I crawl to my knees, and quickly rise from the frosted ground.
I stop mid-step as I realize that the trees are dead, scorched black, their leaves ashes. The smell of smoke seeps into my nose, and I feel like I'm suffocating.
The forest is burning... Again? I begin to run, hard.
I crash through the undergrowth, firelight reaching the corners of my vision.
By now, I was on all fours. The smoke was seeping into my lungs, so I crawled as closely to the ground as I could. The sweat makes my face feel runny, where did all of this mud come from again...?
I cough, feeling as though I'm hacking up a fir ball. My throat is burning from ash and the dry air brings tears to my eyes. I collapse in the dirt, and the only thing that gets me scrambling to my feet is the crack of fire...
I have to grope along the ground for I cannot see anything, clearly, that is... everything's just like... a meshed, mangled... it looks like soup for crying out loud! My fingers brush against outcropping roots, plants I can't see, and I bump into a tree, and just my luck, I then fall into nettles... I jump back, my hand stinging. It'll go away... hopefully...
I lean back on my heels, the sound of fire in the back of my mind. I probably look like I crawled out of a rabbit hole... Instinctively, I run my fingers through my messy, uneven hair...
Pcheeew!
Meteorites... damn it! I hear it hit the forest floor, tearing through the rocky soil...
Pcheeew!
Damned rocks!
I can hear the trees snapping... with ease like that of a toothpick snapping between one's fingers. But a lot louder...
Pcheeew!
I'm sprayed with earth as a near by tree topples over... What if I get trapped? My heart is beating so loud in my eardrums, that if I didn't know better, I would have thought thatwas making the earth rattle...
I try not to let my knees drag in the dirt because I can feel myself all ready slowing down. The threat the fire poses keeps me going.
Just keep moving, keep moving, keep moving...
My arms are shaking when I bump against a metal gate. I can tell the bars have rusted, so I'm scared of the possibility that I could get cut. The meteorites hit... a wall? Sending debris into the air, I flinch at the sound of impact, and that's when I notice the screams. I can hear the fire breathing behind me, the heat so close... the cracking and spark of trees... Stupid forest fires… I yell at myself to run.
I push against the gate with my shoulder and am surprised when I hear the gate unlatch. It swings forward, leaving me behind. I'm shaking as I rise to my feet, slowly testing my strength.
I walk down a paved pathway, trying to stay in a straight line as much as possible, holding my arms out from my sides. I can barely feel my legs, so I'm afraid that I'll fall.
A shadow falls over me, and I know I'm close to the building. I think it's a building... or maybe... just a wall? No, there wouldn't be a paved pathway... I spread my arms out before me, so that I may not smack into something. My legs give in, and I have to crawl the rest of the way. My fingers brush against a smooth wooden... door? I rest my head on the surface, breathing heavily.
I should be dead... shouldn't I?
The meteorites are falling faster... 1,2,3... 4... 5,6,7,8...
I can smell smoke arriving as fog; but still, I just sit there...
13... 14, 15, 16... 17,18... 19... 20, 21, 22, 23, 24... They almost sound like fireworks...
... Then a firework hits too close...
I'm thrown against the door, and I hear it crack from the sheer force of the impact. I'm soundlessly screaming as I'm propped on the door, holding my penetrated leg. The smell of charred flesh and fire is so overwhelming that I slip to the ground.
More… blood...
DARKNESS...
Part 2
A blade…
I shifted only slightly, and pain shot down my leg. I groaned, swallowing screams of agony.
I had a blade…
I patted my pockets, trying to shift least as possible.
Where?
A snarl fled my lips, and I screamed with anger when I find the empty sheath.
Death has never been merciful… So why would I expect it too take pity on me, and free me from my pain?
I began to cry with disappointment. Maybe I had only imagined it… I sighed with anger. I leaned against the wall, my eyes closed in surrender.
This isn't how I planned to die…
More tears sprang from my eyes. Have you no will for life anymore…? You aren't dead yet…
I sighed with a sob. "You aren't dead yet…" I could barely hear my voice above the crying skies and the screams of people on the other side of the wall.
I groan, I ache, I feel stiff, and I know… if there's any possibility of survival, I'll be crippled for life. I'll never heal… I fear that I won't have knowledge of anything…
It's weird… I feel like I'm forgetting something really important…
"Something important…" Like your own name?
My name…
I'm jostled again as the meteorites don't cease.
My name… think…
I grunt with frustration, and hug my knees. I sigh, and lean my head against the wall in defeat.
It'd be nice to remember my name… before I pass… Death will be a sweet escape…
I think I hear the hoof beats of Lord Death's steed, but I see an immense darkness, and I'm swallowed by it…
I find myself in the presence of a dark shadow… a soft hum in my ears, which acts as a lullaby. I sigh deeply, and slowly open my eyes… There's a grey haze, and I wonder if that's just the work of my eyes. Then the question pops into my head… Who am I…?
Or a spirit…? Passed conscience…? Am I… dead?
No… So come back into the light…
A door appears, emitting a bright light, shattering shadow.
I recoil and cover my eyes. But light is so… bright… darkness is more calming.
Fine… have it your way…
The door begins to fade, shading into darkness, and when it's almost gone… I call out, my voice quavering, the tone of second-thought.
The light is now but a small pulse, seeming to linger. I step into the light…
Third Person
A tall figure in a dark robe lingered in the shade. He trekked across the dead forest floor, having come back from looking for survivors. He was too late. Breath coming in white fogs, he entered the light of fire, which climbed the outer wall of the second district. There, he quickly opened the low-lying gate, and ran across the paved path way. There, his shadow fell upon a young woman, some nineteen years old. She looked up at him, eyes almost at a close. Auburn bangs falling over her eyes she slipped further to the floor. She was a thin build, not too tall, but not extremely short.
The man in the black cloak bend over, and picked the woman off the ground with ease. He glanced at her injures. She, who was badly wounded, would need aid, and fast. The man looked at the door, shattered into five pieces. Noticing the debris caused by meteorites, he got the gist of what happened, but for further information, she would have to be questioned when she awoke.
He broke down the rest of the door, and headed into the second district.
Andrea's pov
Life returns to me, and it's not long before I hear the worldly noises of agony. My senses slowly return, heightened as if I had taken a long nap… It's a long while still, before I realize I am being carried… I feel a warm pulse flooding every tissue, every vein in my body, but my crippled leg pinches in pain.
I almost cry out, but I feel healing, that I'm regaining strength with every minute. I hear steady breathing, whoever is taking care of me, is doing so with ease… I stir in his grasp, giving him notice that I am very much alive.
He shifts me slightly and I gasp in pain. I have half a mind to smack him, but then I fear he'll drop me, and where would be then?
On the ground perhaps?
I scoff softly, perhaps…
I peak out the corner of my eye, and I soon wish I hadn't. I don't recognize where we are, and everything is so bright. I cringe. It seems as though we're walking on the face of the sun… But that's a little over exaggerated…
What I can hear is like the echoes bouncing off of a cave's walls. They're unclear, and I just about think I'm going deft too, but then there's a breakthrough… I want to recoil at the intensity of it, the lick of fire seeming too loud, too threatening. The screams are penetrating, capable of driving one into insanity. I cover my ears out of sheer wish to escape…
The voices are more pitchier than I remember; let alone how loud it is now, and the meteorites ever streaking the skies. His pace has quickened, along with the fluttering beat of his heart…
It's not until too late when I can feel his footing slip. I scream as we crash onto concrete. I'm thrown out of his reach, and my leg is hurting like flesh being scorched, and I fear that it'll for sure have to be amputated… I scream at the mere thought of it.
I can feel the street quivering under my breast, shaking from the rampage of terrified people… then it hits me. Why are they so scared…?
Well… the possibility of their world being destroyed, their lives along with it, and probably what they're most concerned about right now, is that they'll be eaten alive by whatever is chasing them… Do you have it memorized?
Sure…
Am I really having a conversation with myself?
Yup… for like… the past hour or so…
Shut up.
I can do that.
I grumble, "I'm going insane…" Although… I already am… hmph.
I want to call out for him, but I can't get my mouth to operate correctly. I run my hands through my hair, and my heartbeat makes me shake. I have to get out of here… but… I can't walk…
I try to rise, but my broken, torn leg won't let me. I cry out with frustration, melting onto the road. I turn my head to the skies, and wish I could see them, watch the break of dawn one last time…
A tear slips down my cheek, listening to the constant screams, and I'm scared. Has all abandoned me…? I wipe the tears from my eyes, incapable to do anything else. Again, I see an immense darkness… and I can recall nothing more…
I am nothing but a spirit, locked in a conscious realm, looking through someone else's eyes. I have to blink several times, for this one is blind, and I am not used to it. I peer through them as though they are open windows…
I can see a world of pain, fire and death. It reeks of darkness, it grips this world so tightly, it'll soon be no more… There isn't much left, the houses are now burned to ash, tongues of fire still lingering. There are still people, some defending, some fleeing… there are even more who are dead, their carcasses left to burn in darkness's wake… The dark creatures perpetually pool from their portals of darkness, preying on all that's left.
I can feel the pain in this one, I feel her tears as if they were my own. I want to look into her past, but it is foggy, and unclear… how much pain could one human being possibly hold?
As if driven by some overpowering force, this one gets to her feet… and runs to their aid…
"Hobbles" is more like it…
I watch within her as she finally reaches them… but my vision fades, and I fall into darkness… The last thing I could see, was a pair of emerald green eyes. I close my own, and grip the memory of those green eyes tightly. I give into the darkness, and I... slowly... pass... Pass into sleep...
A/N: Gosh… this took forever! This will probably be one of the longest chapters I put up, but anyways, please review, I beg of you! Well, any ways, g2g.
Roxy: And with that, this chapter comes to a close. Wait… hey, I thought you said Axel was introduced in this chapter.
Reese: Sorta kinda, well, according to the title, I did have green eyes in it…
Roxy: I guess so… And without further ado, we bid thee good-bye!