Chapter 2

Confusion in Traverse Town

Yes! I have finally posted the second chapter! Once again, no flamers please! I will accept constructive critcism though.

Usugi's face was set in look of worry and dismay. She realized that the enlarged shadow had two advantages. One, its size and obvious strength, and two, it had many smaller shadows swarming around its feet. While Usugi was awaiting her forthcoming doom, the sword began to sluggishly stir in her right hand.

The sword, as if acting of its own accord, lunged toward the miniscule shadows slashing at them wildly. Unfortunately for Usugi, she was not able to let go of the sword and was forced to stumble after it. It continued to defeat the smaller shadows until the giant one was the only one left still looming above her. The blade led Usugi up to the shadows large Medusa like head and struck into its temple. Just as her weapon pierced the pitch black flesh of the giant, there was a bright flash of light followed by darkness.

Usugi awoke, what seemed to be, hours later with the sword still grasped tightly in her right hand. As she was getting up she felt something at her waist. She looked to down to see a black scabbard, dangling at her waist. It was a simple, dark colored scabbard which was tied to one of her belt loops with smooth, red string. As Usugi was about to put her blade into the scabbard she stopped when something caught her eye. She looked up to see numerous large buildings and bright signs that labeled many different shops. Usugi wandered aimlessly through the streets, so many questions without answers floating in and out of her mind. While walking through the dimly lit streets she came across a small building which was tagged with a sign that said "Accessories".

She walked slowly into the shop to notice someone at the front counter. It was a blonde haired, middle aged man that was sitting in an office chair with his boots propped up on the counter. He looked to be soundly asleep and had a magazine that read "Gummi Monthly" covering his face. Every few seconds he would stir and mumble a few meaningless phrases under his breath. Usugi slowly approached him with great caution as if she were to make the smallest noise she would trigger a large nuclear explosion. Usugi finally reached the counter and poked one of the man's brown, grease splotched boots. "Um, excuse me." she whispered, trying to get his attention. The man squirmed a bit but nothing else. "Excuse me." she repeated a bit louder. Once again the man did not stir. By this point Usugi's patience was running out. She looked over at a small fire place to notice a fire poker and a black kettle.

Usugi put on an evil grin, picked up the fire poker, and hit against the kettle. As the fire poker struck the kettle, there was a large crash which made the man tumble out of the chair and fall onto the floor. The man quickly rose revealing a whiskered face and a small wooden toothpick that hung out the side of his mouth. As the man stood straight up he shook his fist and shouted "I told you I paid the bill last month you god damned sharks! Can't you just leave me in peace you bastards?" He then realized that it of course was Usugi and not even close to a bill collector. "Oh great, another one." he mumbled, shaking his head.

"Well I'm not exactly glad to see you either!" Usugi stated, giving him a stern glare. "As I was saying gramps," she said as she continued "where exactly are we?"

"First of all it's Cid, not gramps. Call me that again and you'll be outta' here and back out in that storm before you can say 'Orichalcum'" the man replied while sweeping a few metal shavings off of his grease-splotched shirt. "Second of all, this town is Traverse Town. It's place where all the people who have escaped from their destroyed worlds gather. I guess you could say it's kinda' like a sanctuary of sorts." He pulled a small, oily rag out of his back pocket and began to polish his aviator goggles.

As soon as Cid finished his sentence Usugi went into a panic "OhmygodI'msoconfused! Idon'tknowwheremyfamilyisoranyoneelseandIhardlyknowhereIamasitisandIdon'thaveafreakin'clueastowhat'mgoingtodonextand AAAAHHHH!" She screeched at the top of her lungs, flailing her arms franticly about in a fury of pure confusion.

"It's okay! You can calm down now!" Cid said in an urgent tone. "If it's any consolation there's a kid with the same problem." Usugi stopped to stare at him, looking as though she woken up from a deep sleep with numerous tangles in her waist long hair. Cid took a deep breath of relief and continued with his explanation. "If I'm not mistaken he was here just a few moments ago. He should still be floating around town here somewhere." he stated scratching his head and the toothpick in his mouth bobbing rhythmically up and down.

"Thanks Mister Cid!" said Usugi cheerfully, leaving no traces of the insane incident that occurred moments ago. "Oh, and gramps," she added as she walked out the door "Eh heh...er...I'm...um...sorry about the kettle." Usugi said apologetically, motioning towards the remains of a cast iron kettle that lay in the fire place embers. As soon as the last word left her lips she was gone and the accessory shop was once again empty all except for a slightly confused Cid.

Usugi stood outside the door to Cid's shop, gazing up at the bright sky. She looked up at the stars expecting to see a familiar constellation or two. The search was to no avail. No matter how hard she looked, to her, it would still look like a jumble of numerous white dots. Usugi tried to concentrate on one of them that she thought was the North Star, but as soon as she glared at it for a few moments it slowly began to flicker and become dimmer and dimmer. Eventually it went out all together. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head to make sure it wasn't some sort of delirium causing these images. Even though she almost shook her head off of her shoulders and rubbed her eyes out of her sockets a spot of darkness still remained in the place where the star was.

Usugi once again set her sights downward, starting her search for the boy Cid had mentioned. Just as she looked towards the stone walkway she saw a pool of gloomy liquid from which shadows ushered forth. A few slashes here, and a few slashes there soon dismissed them all. Usugi was given a few moments of glory until she heard the sound of clicking boot heels behind her.

If you are of the darkness why do they attack you?" said a voice from behind her. She whirled around, almost falling flat on her face, with sword In hand. Before her was a man dressed in black. His face had an almost white pallor and his brown hair was spiked to the side. He was clad in boots with exterior steel toes and a black jacket with a red symbol and fur collar. The man made a slow advance towards Usugi from out of the shadows. "If this is a trick it isn't a very good one." He said, looking down at her with a condescending glare that seemed to just say 'I'm better than you'.

"Is it you that's just crazy, or is this whole place just a giant mental institution?" Usugi replied. She returned a stare to him except this one seemed to say some thing more along the lines of 'You're just a freakin' stuck up psycho aren't you?'

"The blade you hold is only be wielded by those of the dark." Commented the man," Its very destiny is to destroy those of the light." He now began to circle like a vulture around Usugi, almost as if looking to kill her in the most expedient way possible.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Usugi questioned persistently. Her light gray eyes slowly followed the man in black until he came to a halt.

"It is none of your concern," he began, "Just hand over the sword and no harm will come to you." The man reached out his hand in an expectant manner. A few moments of silence passed and Usugi picked up her sword, ready for battle.