Disclaimer: I do not own any characters/worlds depicted.
Authors Note: I'm going to be updating pretty quickly, I think, as the chapters are just pouring out of me. I think a review mentioned that this seems more FF7 then KH? I know it seems that way at the moment, but I'm trying to explain where all the FF characters came from, based on the games. Once the recollections are over,we will see some world hopping. Ok, just wanted to mention that.
Recollection iii
As much as I had wanted my story to end then, it did not. For that night, in the midst of my burning hometown, I fought my first battle.
I had run, full of fear and anger, towards the town center, for there was no where else for me to go. Fire cut off most of my escape routes, and at every street corner there appeared to be yet another wave of Dark, surging after me. All the time, I could hear my father's last words to me running through my head. It was like a kind of mantra, repeating endlessly, giving me strength.
'Your mother and I love you very much. Your mother and I love you very much. Your mother and I love you very much.
We'll hold them off for as long as we can. Go.'
It went on.
When I came to the town center, it seemed as if the earth had cracked open and spewed forth its vengeance to the world at my village. I was numb.
The dark creatures swarmed everywhere. I could not see a single human being alive. They looked up at me, perfectly synchronized.
There must have been thousands of them. All with eerie yellow eyes blinking as they noticed me. I knew I would never be able to defeat them, especially if the rumors where true and they killed with a single touch. I wished desperately to survive, I did not want to die, but then, who does?
Slowly, the hoard began to advance. I briefly wondered why all of them where coming, I did not know then that they were beings of pure hunger.
I had that one moment of instant clarity before everything erupted into chaos around me.
I must apologize, for the events that followed were a blur for me, but I shall try my best.
They swamped me. The same way they swamped my parents, like sharks diving in for blood. I moved back, then there was a flash of light, all around me. I could not see properly for a few moments, but I heard the rush of magic and the sounds of battle.
Someone then grabbed my shoulder, wrenching me back. I was running then, someone pulling me along frantically. I think I fainted then, I'm not sure for how long. A couple of minutes, maybe.
The next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake. My head is all fuzzy, but at least I could see.
It was Zagane-sensei.
It was healing magic that awakened me; I had seen it on his fingertips. He helped me stand and told me that we would have to fight our way out of the town. He pulled off his fighting gloves and gave them to me. I was surprised and tried to protest, but he only said he would be fine without them and started putting them on for me.
Sensei then asked me to remember the new wave of training we had started learning a month ago. I looked up, still slightly dazed. He had said:
'Physical strength alone will not defeat these creatures, you must use your spirit and your heart to prevail.'
And so we ran. I must have been running on only adrenaline at that stage. The streets seemed emptier now, somehow more haunting. Burning on silently, destroying all trace of the people whom once lived there.
The first battle came all too quickly. It felt like I was thrown headfirst into it. Sensei's battle gloves protected my hands, as I struggled to apply my newest lessons into practice.
The first creature got past Zagane-sensei, dodging his attack and heading straight towards me. I shouted, or screamed, and threw my fist at it. At the last minute, I remembered to focus my chi spirit down my arm and into my fist.
The thing reeled back, before being taken out by Sensei. It dissipated into nothingness. I glimpsed something shiny in its body before it dissolved completely. Zagane-sensei nodded quickly at me and we continued on.
We fought on like that. Sensei would tackle the creatures' head on, while I would stay a little to the side, picking off those who got through him. I learned to apply the force of my chi according to each strike. I had done this before briefly in training, but it was only here that I learned the true purpose of the technique.
When not fighting we ran, towards the mountains.
I believe it was only my grief and my rage that got me through. Sensei disagreed, he said it was the strength of my heart. And who am I to argue with him?
