Chapter 2: Realizing Fate…For Now
The clouds swelled up and the partly cloudy sky turned dark and rainy. The feel of the blade was as if it was his life, so sharp, so cold, so ever blank. Every drop of rain, every water molecule, added sadness to him. The rattle of the rain against a surface were like memories that he was being forced to remember. Although he was sad, he felt unusually comfortable living alone like this, yet the emptiness saddened him. He stood on the rooftop, thinking why he was always forced to live alone. Tatsu let the darkness swallow him, because he didn't care. If the darkness is going to take him, it'll take him. His heart was strong, and it resulted in ruining his life. The loneliness didn't turn him evil, but stabbed him deeply. Only a little bit showed at the surface, but the deepest wounds never show, and will scar him for life, which is going to be forever. Ravenox and the other races of angels cannot die of old age. Humans need a certain spell, such as the one that Yuna casted on her friends and family, in order to live like this. To get the Eternal Spell from the angels, the human race must earn it by doing great things in life. Yuna was handed that spell after defeating Lexetor (or at least people thought she did), and she casted it on her friends, if they wanted to live forever. They had let themselves age, however, and wanted to live on the next level of life: adulthood. Being teenagers were fun, but they couldn't get the privileges they deserved (no, not drinking, if that's what you thought "privileges" were), so they allowed themselves to age.
The blade in his hand was cool, cold, and wet from the falling rain. Precipitation…fun for the kids, yet brings back memories. Memories of what he went through alone. All the things he went through changed him from the person he used to be as a young teenager. He used to be cool and collected and would always be the hero and would always help his sister out. He had love for his family and went through a normal childhood. At school, he was always the guy people would turn to for help, always the nice one. Although he was never a dedicated student, he was smart intellectually and academically. He's the guy you would think is the "playa" of the class if you saw him the first time, but he was cool and lived happily. It was that letter that made him turn to the bad. His father, Braska, had received a letter from the Spiran Army. Seeing this, his father ensured that Tatsu would become strong and defend the family, just in case he died. Tatsu left late at night, saying goodbye to his sister and sailed out to sea. Crashing on the lands of Murdoa, he met the legendary Ravenox, Seig, who agreed to train him extensively in the arts of fighting. Thus, Tatsu grew extremely powerful, mastering the blade, several fighting styles, gunning, inner and external power, stealth, et al. The odd thing is that he mastered these within half a year, and it would take a person their lifetime to master these things. The thing that changed his attitude and his personality was when he left to live somewhere else, in D.Lo, Destonox. In D.Lo, Tatsu was pushed and he pushed back, pushed so hard that the word spread. Ergo, Tatsu was standing in a room full of the wrong people with the wrong money. There were several types of people who had hired him. Mostly, they weregangsters who hired him for illegal gladiator fights underground. Tatsu had killed a lot of people during this period, leaving no trace and no clues behind. The anger swelled up inside him and he ended up killing the crooks, which was a turn for the worse. Finally, he just let time slip by, letting the anger and sorrow tear his soul into pieces. All he could do now was just reminisce and hope he could rewind the time.
Back to his training, Tatsu's blade moved laser fast, slicing through the rain with silence. The water streaked as the blade went around, going all 360 degrees. Cold. Just cold. The feel of the rain gave him the chills and the darkness inside him grew extensively. His eyes glowed under his hood as the blade spun and whirled. He was on the rooftop of his apartment he had bought. He didn't have enough money to get a ship to fly back to Besaid, and he had no idea where it was. Thinking of this, the blade trembled as he spun it and it slashed his left forearm, blood dripping out. Tatsu groaned with pain, although he couldn't feel it. All the angst, all the loneliness made him numb. He could only feel the pain inside, in his memories. He remembered Wakka and Lulu's son, Vidina, and how he and Rikku would take care of him whenever they worked or were busy. Vidina would always say to him, "You're the bestest unclest uncle ever, Uncle Tatsu!" He always called him and Rikku his uncle and auntie, because they were so close and spent so much time together. Tatsu remembered that one time when they went to the shopping mall and Vidina got lost, and Rikku made him go and find him, which took quite awhile. He sighed. These memories are overwhelming. He didn't care if his blood fell, as long as it was for a reason. Kneeling, he ran his wet gloved hand over the cut, seeing how serious it was. He stood back up and grabbed his blade, heading back into his apartment. Inside, he went straight to the bathroom, flipped on the light switch, and got the hydrogen peroxide, twisting the bottle open. He put his forearm over the sink and poured the peroxide over it. The peroxide burned and he grunted, feeling the pain this time. Sighing to the failure of this procedure, Tatsu just went straight to magic. He took off his glove and out his hand over the wound, focusing. There was a white light as it healed and after it was fully healed, Tatsu shook his arm and washed the remaining peroxide off. He stared into his eyes at the mirror. There was nothing in his eyes to see, but his mistakes staring back into him.
What are you looking at, you disgraceful warrior…What have you done to help? Nothing. Just killing. Killing the wrong people.
He felt his anger rush inside him again. There was no way to wash the memories away. They lingered forever inside him. He never knew that he would turn out to be like this; a person who kills for nothing but money. Now all the skill he had turned him into a sorrowful person, full of regret and angst. Tatsu tightened his fist, cracking his fingers one by one. Controlling his anger, he loosened his fist, looking down depressingly with a sigh. Why can't he get over his memories? They were too unforgettable, too sad, too painful. He couldn't just shake his head and forget. Those memories were recorded in his head, and played over and over and over and over again for so many years. Finally remembering something, he looked up at the mirror again. The bar. He wanted to pay Tifa a visit after so long, ever since she saved his life. He cracked his neck and walked out the bathroom, grabbing his coat. Looking outside, Tatsu saw the sun shining bright with partly cloudy skies. How long had he been in the bathroom? The ground was a little bit wet but most of the water dried up. He had been in the bathroom for quite awhile, thinking his day away. Slipping his jacket on, Tatsu pulled on his gloves and picked up his guns on the table. The guns were from that one time where Rikku took him to the gun shop near her house. The guns were worth a fortune, and Tatsu bought them. That was when he had money, money that he got from the fighting tournaments in Besaid. Shaking his head full of memories, Tatsu grabbed his blade as well and slipped it in its sheath, hanging it on his shoulder by the strap across his chest. The blade hung down to where Tatsu could get it by pulling forward from his right arm. When he pulled out the blade, the sharp part would point towards the bottom, on the bottom side of his right hand. Tightening his boots, he stomped and walked slowly out the door. As he walked out the building, he went to the bottom level parking lot, and jumped on his motorcycle. He put on his helmet. The face covering was so dark that no one could see, only when his eyes glowed. The bike was large and bulky, with a jet black look. The bike reversed (yes, reversed by itself) and Tatsu drove it outside, heading towards the7thHeaven bar, across town. The bike sped through, water splashing as it ran through the streets. Tatsu suddenly stopped, the bike drifting a long distance (For those who don't know, a drift is when a vehicle with wheels skids a certain angle. This method is used to slide along corners or for other uses). As soon as it stopped, Tatsu removed his helmet and looked at the church that stood before him. Can the religious save him form these terrible memories? He got off his bike, the bottom of his coat waving, and walked toward the entrance. As he stepped inside, he walked down the middle, his footsteps echoing on the floor. He stared up at the cross signs and the mosaics on the walls. A priest waited at the other end of the church.
"How may I help you today, young man?" he looked into Tatsu's eyes. "Any problems that you have?"
Tatsu raised an eyebrow, standing below the podium where the priest spoke from.
"How can you tell?" Tatsu asked the priest with a pained look.
"I know that look. You're not the only one who had that look, although you look as if your condition is worse than the last visitor." he answered, stepping down from the podium and stood in front of Tatsu. "You have a problem you can't get over, am I correct?"
Tatsu glanced around, thinking why anyone would come here. Maybe it was a mistake.
"I have…sinned too much…" Tatsu said with embarrassment, looking away from the priest.
The priest smiled at Tatsu, knowing that he was hiding embarrassment. "I know, Tatsumaru."
Tatsu's eyes sparked up at him, surprised to hear his name, yet didn't show it.
"Hmph, so you are people of God." he paused, thinking about his questions that he had about himself. "Was…was I meant to live a life like this? Was I born to kill? Am I supposed to live in sorrow, having no sense of happiness whatsoever?" he said, staring down with a bit of confusion in his unanswered questions. He had always wondered why his life was so imperfect. He did understand the fact that no one is perfect, but Tatsu wondered why his life was horrible, full of sorrow, disappointment, violence, and regret.
The priest had a troubled look on his face. He had never seen a Ravenox so sad before. "I'm sorry to say so, but I don't know. You are meant to not just kill, but for a reason. You are meant to determine the fate of this world. Others have done so, but yours is by far the most difficult. If you wish to turn from this path, you shall be exiled from civilization, till the day you die, which is never, am I right?"
Tatsu kept staring down. Maybe his life was meant for this. Not for love. Not for paradise. He finally realized it a bit. All this time, he was just being prepared for something.
"What is the threat that will come upon us, father?" he asked the priest, seeing his troubled look.
"The only advice I give you is to look into yourself. There, you'll see the threat that comes upon the people." the priest answered.
"So…what do I do?" Tatsu asked with confusion.
"You must go to wherever you are planning to go now. Go on, son. Spread your wings and fly. May God be with you." the priest put his hands on Tatsu's shoulders and nodded, signaling for him to leave. Tatsu nodded back with understanding and walked out the church, his footsteps echoing yet again.
So…a new bad guy? Wonder who it is. Whoever it is, I must act quick. No time for shenanigans now. Did he mean to "go somewhere" as in to go to the bar? Hmm…
Hopping on the bike and slipping his helmet on, Tatsu looked down the street, seeing several innocent people just walking, living life. He knew now. He was not meant to live like that. He was meant to be defending lives. All the killing was just basic training, although it still haunted him. Sighing, Tatsu squeezed the handlebars with a bit of frustration at his own life. His knuckles cracked and the bike zoomed across the cloudy-sunny streets of Ridgar.
The Celsius flew across lands in Spira, getting closer to the destination. Rikku looked outside at the forest that they flew over. It looked peaceful. The birds chirped, the animals roamed, the fish jumped out of streams. It was so opposite to Tatsu. He was never free-roaming like she was. He would never go out unless he absolutely had to, or when he was in the mood. All his life, he was cornered, forced inside a life he couldn't get away from. Only she would be able to free him, and she did so, a few times. She leant on the wall, just staring down outside the window, thinking of him. Yuna sat in the seat across from the wall, seeing how uneasy Rikku had become. This was so unlike her. She was never so sad like this. Yuna was always used to Rikku's energetic, bouncy attitude, which kept the Gullwings on their toes, but now, Rikku seemed so heartbroken and sad. Tatsu was the only person who she ever loved. With great concern, Yuna stood up slowly, walking towards Rikku. Putting a comforting hand on her shoulder, Rikku gave out a tiny gasp.
"Rikku…are you…okay?" Yuna tried to ask her.
Rikku bit her lip. "I'm alright, Yunie. I'm just a little troubled."
"About what?" Yuna tried to look into her eyes.
Staring back at Yuna's mismatched eyes for the moment, Rikku turned and looked away.
"Maybe I was a little excited. Maybe I jumped to conclusions, you know? It's probably not Tatsu, anyways. I was stupid to have you gather the Gullwings for nothing."
Yuna sighed and thought for a moment. "You know what kept me going to find Tidus? You, Rikku. You and Paine kept my hopes up, and Tatsu ended up helping us find him. I know how it feels. It feels as if they'll never return. Ever. I'm not going to let you give up, Rikku. He's my brother, and you love him. Don't let doubt stop you." Yuna explained to her, sighing.
"I-I know, Yunie." Rikku said, trying to choke back a sob. She couldn't help but cry. Her voice trembled and tears began to form in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Rikku. We'll find him. I just know it." Yuna said with a comforting voice. Rikku started to calm down and her sobs began to silence slowly as Yuna looked into her eyes. She knew that Yuna would keep her going, and that she needed to be strong. Seeing Yuna's calming look reminded her of Tatsu's comforting hug. Rikku remembered when she cried because of her memories of her childhood when her father had left for awhile to fight an enemy. Tatsu held her in a strong embrace and simply told her, "What are you crying about? There's no need to cry. I'm here now, no more nightmares. You got me, Rikku."
"Rikku, all you gotta do is keep your hopes up and have fun, just like the old days. You, me, Paine, and the Gullwings. We need your energy." Yuna said to her after awhile.
Rikku nodded with understanding and went to her cabin at the other end of the ship. She walked slowly, still trying to ease herself from these growing pains. Flopping on her back, Rikku thought about the past again. She had always been the cute one, the odd perky girl on the Gullwings who kept things going. It was just so hard, thinking of how she lost Tatsu and just going back to her old ways. Sighing with frustration, Rikku shut her eyes and drifted to sleep.
The grass was endless, stretching to wherever your eyes can see, and beyond. They had finally reached Kingdom Hearts, where they hoped to find King Mickey along with Riku. Sora, Donald, and Goofy marched towards the gates proudly. Slowly, the gates opened themselves with a creaking sound. Sora's face was confident that he'll find Riku. Stepping inside, along with Donald and Goofy at his side, Sora caught everyone's attention as he walked through. His past adventure had been so reckless. Destroying Ansem, the hooded fighters, and the heartless. He made several friends, but lost them, however, in the chain of memories. His friends that he had made were people such as Leon (Squall Leonhart), Yuffie, Aerith, and others. There was only one person who hadn't forgotten him. A guy slightly older than him named Zeon. They had become good friends, but separated as soon as the heartless spread. With much hope, Sora hopes to find his friends, Riku and Zeon, here. After he finds them, he will search for Kairi, hoping that she is safe and sound at the Destiny Islands. Noticing his sudden silence, Donald wondered what was troubling Sora. Goofy just seemed to stare off into space, happy to be at home. Sora's heart was thumping out of his chest. What if Riku couldn't be found here? With no other choice, Sora hoped that he would find his friend here. As they stepped into the door to the king's hall, Sora looked at his friends, with a slight nod, and twisted the door open. There was carpet that stretched about over a hundred feet from the door, leading to the throne of the king, Mickey. At his first sight, Sora saw Riku. Riku was in the middle of a conversation with the king and heard the door open and glanced over to who it was. He immediately recognized the face from that far of a distance. Sora sprinted the whole way and leaped to give Riku a hug. Riku's eyes widened and his heart skipped as he scooted out of the way, leaving Sora to bite the dust hard. Sora groaned, and lied on the ground on his back, trying to get his vision back online. Finally, his blurry vision saw Riku and his hand held out to him.
"Sorry, Sora. I'm straight." Riku said to him, seeing his dazed look.
Sora groaned again and Riku helped him up. After Sora was back to normal, he spoke back. "I'm sure you are. Riku, it's really you. How long has it been? 4 years? Man, long time no see."
Riku sighed and looked around the room. "Yup. Four long years, and you finally found me. All we need to do now is to leave back to the islands, although it's not easy. Kairi should be waiting for us there. Let's go now, with haste."
"Woah, Riku." Sora stopped right in front of him. "We can't go until the king says so. And I need a rest, too. I went all this way, man, and I'm exhausted. Jeez, can't you slow down? I've already went a million miles."
"King Mickey and I have already arranged some things for your arrival, Sora. He's waiting outside for us. Just a million and one more." Riku sounded confident in returning home, but it was all too soon. Mickey came storming into the room full of anger, with Donald and Goofy following him. It looked like they had already greeted each other. Sora caught him, walking fast.
"Oh, Sora. There you are." the king began, approaching Sora with a bit of anger in his voice. "It seems that your little friend Kairi has moved on to other lands away from the islands. This looks like the work of Kadaj, Loz, and Yazoo, the three sons of Sephiroth. Not really sons, but clones. Darn it! We need to take care of this now! Sora and Riku, Donald, Goofy, and I are coming with you. We leave in a few hours."
As soon as the king turned around to leave, Sora stopped him. "No, King Mickey. You and your friends have done more than enough. Me and Riku will take it from here, unless he wants to stay as well. I will find Kairi myself." he said. It all went so fast. Sora reunited with Riku, along with Donald and Goofy reuniting with Mickey, and already there's another journey on the horizon. Sora then turned to his friends, seeing their sad look.
"Sorry, guys. I have to take it from here. Kairi needs me." Sora tried to explain, seeing them nod with hidden sadness.
"Hey, you're not going anywhere without me." Riku spoke up, having their attention snap to him. "Sorry, Sora, but even if Kairi's your "girlfriend" I have to stick around as well, to keep you two from trouble, which I do know will occur."
Sora sighed and looked away for awhile. Can he trust Riku after all he did? Well, he did help close the door to Kingdom Hearts. Riku was Sora's best friend, ever since they were children. It was until the heartless had attacked when Riku turned to the dark side. But now, Riku was as normal as ever. Just them two looking for Kairi. After that, they could return back to home sweet home on the Destiny Islands. After thinking it through, Sora turned back to Riku.
"Just don't do anything dumb like you did when you joined Ansem." Sora spoke in a serious and cautious tone. Riku nodded with understanding. No way will he ever join the dark side ever again. No way in hell.
"Yeah, I was really stupid, but I swear on my life I won't do it again. I would rather die than to join the dark side." Riku swore to his friend. Sora nodded then turned to Mickey.
"Where do we go to reach Kairi, Mickey?"