The Strongest Heart
Hi! It's me again, the Undead Warrior! This story seems to be going along pretty well, but it takes me forever to update! I've got a lot of work at school, you know? Anyway, this chapter flips back away from Destiny Islands to Hollow Bastion. Enjoy! Oh yeah, I'd love to hear your reviews so, R&R! Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters (but don't I wish I did!). However the plot is copyright to me!
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Cloud stared at the polished wood that his elbows were resting on, deep in thought.He was sitting at a table in the corner of Hollow Bastion's extensive library, underneath the stairs. The light that streamed through a beautiful window that looked out onto the courtyard made beautiful and intricate patterns on the table and floor. Everything was so quiet and still. He supposed it might make some people uneasy, but sometimes, when he just needed to get away from it all, he came here. Sometimes his lone wolf nature kicked in, and he felt an irrepressible need to be alone with his thoughts. The library was perfect for this sort of thing.
Ever since they had returned to Hollow Bastion after Ansem's defeat, everyone had been working hard to rebuild Hollow Bastion. Cloud and Squall had worn themselves out restoring the castle's outside, taking down the huge Heartless crest, or touching up some of the places that had been left to ruin when the darkness had taken over. Cloud ached constantly, as he was sure Squall did, and the second his head hit the pillow he was asleep at night. Thanks to Aerith, beautiful lush flowers, and healthy grass had begun to fill the castle's courtyard and added new life to the streets. Yuffie had reluctantly gone to work cleaning the inside of the castle, whining constantly about how her job was the hardest. Cloud had to admit, she was doing a good job. Between the four of them, the influence of darkness had all but disappeared from this world. But the most encouraging sign of improvement was the fact that people were beginning to come back to the castle and its city. They had come slowly at first, but then more and more had come. Merchants set up their shops, businesses had begun to spring up, and families and built homes for themselves. In all aspects, Hollow Bastion was making a drastic turn for the better.
But Cloud just wasn't happy. The others, even Squall, smiled and laughed, intoxicated by their sucess. They were happy to return to the home of their childhood. Not Cloud. The castle wasn't the same without Ansem. He had always looked up to Ansem, and Ansem had treated him like a close friend. Ansem had been his mentor, his confident. Why had he turned to the darkness? Why was life so unfair?
Cloud lifted his head up at the creak of the upstairs library door swinging open. He pushed back his chair, taking pains to be as silent as possible. He stood up and slipped quietly up the stairs. He hid behind one of the bookcases then looked around the edge, carefully, quietly.
"Who are you?" he asked, after seeing who it was that had walked into the library. The man turned towards the young, spiky-haired warrior, who had stepped out from behind the bookshelf. He didn't look formidable to Cloud. He was older than Cloud, but it was hard to tell his real age. He had hair as black as a mooonless night, and blue-green eyes. He was taller than Cloud, maybe about 5'9 or 6'0. He was dressed in solid black, with with a shirt with long black sleeves and black jeans. To top off his dark costume, he wore a black cloak with the hood down.
"Who are you?" he asked calmly, as though it was not unusual for people to walk inivited into someone else's library.
The question caught Cloud off his guard. "What do you mean, who am I?" he asked slowly.
"Exactly what I said." the older man answered.
Cloud sighed. This was going to be an interestiong conversation. "You answer me first." he said. "After all, I'm not the one trepassing here!"
"Fair enough." the stranger agreed. "May we sit down first? I've had a very long journey to get here and I'm weary."
Cloud nodded, and soon they were seated at opposite ends of the table that Cloud had been sitting at a few moments before. The stranger absentmindedly ran his fingers across the table's smooth surface, cleared his throat, and began.
"I am Dorian, one of the few remaining Elders."
"Elders?" Cloud broke in. "What are they?"
"It's not suprising you haven't heard of us. Once we were a prosperous people, until a king who thought only of his own personal gain, threw us into a war that all but destroyed us. The few of us that survived seperated and went to find the ones with the pices of light."
"Pieces of light?" Cloud broke in again.
"Yes. The ones with the hearts who cannot be broken. Darkness cannot touch their hearts unless, of course, they willingly gave up the light, exchanging it for darkness."
'It's gotta be Aerith' thought Cloud. "How do you find them? I mean, how do you know who has the light and who doesn't?"
"It's just a feeling you get from someone. We Elders have stronger senses. A sixth sense, almost. We are able to more acutely feel the strength of the heart, its pain, happiness, well, you get the picture." Dorian smiled at Cloud.
"So why did you come here?" Cloud leaned foward, interested in the Elder's reply.
"We have reason to believe that one of you may of the hearts that cannot be overcome by darkness." the Elder answered.
"Who?" Cloud asked.
"You." _______________________________________________________________________
Hope you liked the chapter! I really think that this story is turning out well. Please R&R!
-Undead Warrior
Hi! It's me again, the Undead Warrior! This story seems to be going along pretty well, but it takes me forever to update! I've got a lot of work at school, you know? Anyway, this chapter flips back away from Destiny Islands to Hollow Bastion. Enjoy! Oh yeah, I'd love to hear your reviews so, R&R! Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters (but don't I wish I did!). However the plot is copyright to me!
_______________________________________________________________________
Cloud stared at the polished wood that his elbows were resting on, deep in thought.He was sitting at a table in the corner of Hollow Bastion's extensive library, underneath the stairs. The light that streamed through a beautiful window that looked out onto the courtyard made beautiful and intricate patterns on the table and floor. Everything was so quiet and still. He supposed it might make some people uneasy, but sometimes, when he just needed to get away from it all, he came here. Sometimes his lone wolf nature kicked in, and he felt an irrepressible need to be alone with his thoughts. The library was perfect for this sort of thing.
Ever since they had returned to Hollow Bastion after Ansem's defeat, everyone had been working hard to rebuild Hollow Bastion. Cloud and Squall had worn themselves out restoring the castle's outside, taking down the huge Heartless crest, or touching up some of the places that had been left to ruin when the darkness had taken over. Cloud ached constantly, as he was sure Squall did, and the second his head hit the pillow he was asleep at night. Thanks to Aerith, beautiful lush flowers, and healthy grass had begun to fill the castle's courtyard and added new life to the streets. Yuffie had reluctantly gone to work cleaning the inside of the castle, whining constantly about how her job was the hardest. Cloud had to admit, she was doing a good job. Between the four of them, the influence of darkness had all but disappeared from this world. But the most encouraging sign of improvement was the fact that people were beginning to come back to the castle and its city. They had come slowly at first, but then more and more had come. Merchants set up their shops, businesses had begun to spring up, and families and built homes for themselves. In all aspects, Hollow Bastion was making a drastic turn for the better.
But Cloud just wasn't happy. The others, even Squall, smiled and laughed, intoxicated by their sucess. They were happy to return to the home of their childhood. Not Cloud. The castle wasn't the same without Ansem. He had always looked up to Ansem, and Ansem had treated him like a close friend. Ansem had been his mentor, his confident. Why had he turned to the darkness? Why was life so unfair?
Cloud lifted his head up at the creak of the upstairs library door swinging open. He pushed back his chair, taking pains to be as silent as possible. He stood up and slipped quietly up the stairs. He hid behind one of the bookcases then looked around the edge, carefully, quietly.
"Who are you?" he asked, after seeing who it was that had walked into the library. The man turned towards the young, spiky-haired warrior, who had stepped out from behind the bookshelf. He didn't look formidable to Cloud. He was older than Cloud, but it was hard to tell his real age. He had hair as black as a mooonless night, and blue-green eyes. He was taller than Cloud, maybe about 5'9 or 6'0. He was dressed in solid black, with with a shirt with long black sleeves and black jeans. To top off his dark costume, he wore a black cloak with the hood down.
"Who are you?" he asked calmly, as though it was not unusual for people to walk inivited into someone else's library.
The question caught Cloud off his guard. "What do you mean, who am I?" he asked slowly.
"Exactly what I said." the older man answered.
Cloud sighed. This was going to be an interestiong conversation. "You answer me first." he said. "After all, I'm not the one trepassing here!"
"Fair enough." the stranger agreed. "May we sit down first? I've had a very long journey to get here and I'm weary."
Cloud nodded, and soon they were seated at opposite ends of the table that Cloud had been sitting at a few moments before. The stranger absentmindedly ran his fingers across the table's smooth surface, cleared his throat, and began.
"I am Dorian, one of the few remaining Elders."
"Elders?" Cloud broke in. "What are they?"
"It's not suprising you haven't heard of us. Once we were a prosperous people, until a king who thought only of his own personal gain, threw us into a war that all but destroyed us. The few of us that survived seperated and went to find the ones with the pices of light."
"Pieces of light?" Cloud broke in again.
"Yes. The ones with the hearts who cannot be broken. Darkness cannot touch their hearts unless, of course, they willingly gave up the light, exchanging it for darkness."
'It's gotta be Aerith' thought Cloud. "How do you find them? I mean, how do you know who has the light and who doesn't?"
"It's just a feeling you get from someone. We Elders have stronger senses. A sixth sense, almost. We are able to more acutely feel the strength of the heart, its pain, happiness, well, you get the picture." Dorian smiled at Cloud.
"So why did you come here?" Cloud leaned foward, interested in the Elder's reply.
"We have reason to believe that one of you may of the hearts that cannot be overcome by darkness." the Elder answered.
"Who?" Cloud asked.
"You." _______________________________________________________________________
Hope you liked the chapter! I really think that this story is turning out well. Please R&R!
-Undead Warrior