Final Fantasy II : The Twilight ReignChapter 4 : The village of Drox

"When I was twelve I lived in a small village known as Drox…" Torrin interrupts him. "Drox? You mean the capital?" Seto sighs a little. "This was before Naturai came to power… He is actually a year younger than I am… He was my best friend…"

7 years earlier

The sky was dark over the small desert town. The young orphans were all inside of the small shelter made out of clay and mud. The three oldest; Seto, a young boy studying alchemy and the books of magi in secret. Naturai, a strong leader but only with support from Seto. And finally Kira, a young girl who was "in love" with Naturai. They all lived in the small shelter with other orphans.

"Seto! Are you ready for our race?" Seto shakes his head a little. "Those Chocobo are wild… We shouldn't…" Naturai smacks Seto's back. "Come on! Don't be a coward Seto!" Kira runs up to the boys. "Maybe he has a point Naturai, they look vicious…" Naturai turns to Kira. "Please, do not worry love, you will have your man to yourself when I win against the coward…" Seto looks down at his clenched fist, wanting to hit Naturai with all of his might.

"Fine… We'll race…" Naturai walks out, followed by all of the others. Kira walks to Seto quietly. "You don't have to do this Seto… He's just trying to show off to the young ones…" He shakes his head. "He's gone too far Kira… I can't let him do this anymore… The only reason he's so powerful is because of me, I shouldn't have let it get to his head… I have to finish what I started…" Seto starts to walk but Kira grabs his hand, pulling him into her, their lips entangled in a warm embrace. "K… Kira…" She touches his lips with her finger.

"Go Seto…" Seto stands for a moment until he runs out to the Chocobo. His Chocobo is sleek and black, his talon's are large, more than full grown. Seto walks to the Chocobo and looks into it's eyes. The Chocobo senses the confidence in him and lets him on.

"Heh, that Chocobo look's weak…" Naturai is on a large blonde Chocobo with blue eyes. "What are the stakes of this race…" Naturai looks at him with anger, but grows a smirk vicariously. "Well, if I win, you have to leave this town forever, go into the desert and live like a nomad…" Seto glares at him furiously. "And If I win?" Naturai laughs a little. "Well, since you obviously won't win, I guess I'll offer my power, my Chocobo, and Kira…" Seto's eyes widened. "Fine, let's do this…"

Seto and Naturai wait for the man between them to yell the word. "Ready? Set?" Their eyes clash with such force it's almost palpable. "GO!" A large cloud of dust bursts up as they rush out. Nobody sees them as they go further and further in the desert. Without warning Naturai's Chocobo trips on a large claw sticking out of the ground. Seto stops quickly. "Naturai!" He looks around through the dust and in front of him lies a large scorpion holding Naturai.

"Get out of here Seto!" Naturai is thrown onto the sand, a large stinger about to pierce his chest. Seto closes his eyes and hears a voice. Suddenly, he appears in limbo. "You don't realize this… But you are special…" Seto looks around to try to find the person but nowhere is he found. "You have great potential… And without thought you started to read our books… Very impressive… Remember page 15..." Seto's eyes open and the claw is about to go through Naturai. "PROTECT!" Seto points his hand at Naturai as a large barrier blocks the stinger. The scorpion turns to Seto quickly as he starts to run. The scorpion, still chasing Seto, throws a rock towards him.

"PROTECT!" He uses it once more, the rock crumbling to the ground in front of him. Naturai's eyes open as he sees the scorpion. "Seto… You idiot…" The Chocobo Naturai used was still alive. He get's on it and races to the finish line as Seto fights the scorpion.

The scorpion's arm is injured from the debris of the rock. Seto's body is in pain from the use of the magic. Another thrust of the scorpions tail almost into his chest, again Seto uses protect, this time it's not as strong and almost hits him. Seto begins running again, trying not to be killed by the scorpion. Meanwhile, Naturai rides in, a wound from the claw on his arm. "Naturai made it guys! HE WON!" Everyone claps loudly for him. "Seto cheated and tried to hurt my Chocobo and me with a knife!"

Seto dodges a few shots from the large claws. "Remember… Page 2..." The voice is in his mind once more as he concentrates. The scorpions mouth is open as it screeches. He holds his hands on his ears because of the loud noise. "Page 2..." The voice won't leave him until finally, "AHHH!" Seto's eyes turn red and look onto the scorpion, the screech still as loud as ever. Somehow, a large black katana is formed in his hand. "Be silenced foul creature…" In a flash, he is behind the scorpion.

The scorpion stops screeching and slides, half of his body cut by the blade. The Chocobo rushes to his side and lets him on. His eyes turn back to normal as he goes to the finish line. He is welcomed by a mob of angry children led by Naturai. "There he is! The man who cheated in a race!" He jumps off of his Chocobo and walks to Naturai. "Where's that little knife you stabbed me with Seto?"

"Why are you lying Naturai, I thought we were friends…" He smirked with Kira at his side. Seto sighed a little. "Fine… If it has to be like this… I will just leave…" Seto gets on his Chocobo. "Are you going to let him go? KILL HIM!" Seto's eyes widen as they throw rocks and glass at him. Seto tries to avoid everything but get's hit in the fore head with a rock. He rushes into the desert, a black katana on his side.

"You're an ass hole Naturai…" Kira's voice was shrill and worrisome. "Get back inside Kira, and stay with the kids…" He get's on a Chocobo with a bow and arrow. He rushes towards the direction Seto went. He catches up with Seto and shoots an arrow into his arm. "AH!" Seto jumps off of his Chocobo and pulls the arrow out. Naturai jumps down to be at eye level. "You wouldn't have won anyway Seto!" When Naturai walks to him, Seto shakes his head. "A bit hurt Seto? A bit of an injury thei-" He is interrupted by a punch to the jaw. Naturai falls on the ground, spitting up blood and a tooth. "Why did you hit me!" Seto began kicking his side roughly.

"I saved you! I protected you! I hooked you up with Kira… And you became leader because of me! And then you shun me, you renounce any and all friendship with me… You shoot me with an arrow after I save you from a scorpion!" He grabs the large dark katana as Naturai tries to crawl away from him. "You wouldn't kill me would you! You don't have the courage!" Seto's eyes fix on his chest, the katana poking where his heart is.

"I don't have the courage… Coming from somebody who ran from a scorpion… When I faced it with my life, AND YOURS!" Seto slices his chest, a large scar where his heart is. "AH! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! I'LL LET YOU BACK IN I SWEAR!" Seto laughs almost like a lunatic. "I don't want to be there, I'll find a new home… Who needs a broken civilization… Good luck in the desert coward…" Seto get's on the Chocobo and rides away into the desert.

Present day

"I don't believe you, there's no way that someone like you would have known Naturai." Torrin has disbelief as Dast walks out of the shadow. "So you do have a past… Who would have thought…" Seto turns to her and shakes his head. "No, not anymore…" She pokes his nose. "And what about this Kira girl hmm?" He turns away as Dast sticks her tongue out. "I'm just teasing, so what happened between that and when you met Uro?"

"Well, I was going to continue but I got interrupted by you!" She sits next to Torrin and they listen carefully to his words. "Well, after about a year of traveling the desert, I found a group of nomads who took me in. They were known as the skent gang, they rode Chocobo and stole from the trains…"