Chapter one, It's you!

Believe in U

nozomu MONO subete te ni shite mo

Still lovin'

Can't stop lovin' U

NO NO NO...

Translation:

believe in you

even if I gain everything I wanted

still lovin'

can't stop lovin' U

no no no...

(Tattoo Kiss by r.o.r/s

"I didn't know that saving the worlds would have such dull but painful result. I don't know exactly how long it's been and I'm too lazy to go back to my entries and look, but I've been having a hard time getting by day to day all by myself with no one I know or want to get to know. It's very dark and gloomy here, a perfect place for the main mansion of the very large Nightblaze family. I've been hiding from them since I ran into one guy, they don't like what we did too much and they've been out to either kill me or lock me since. I still have my gummi ship and it's gotten pretty big, so as soon as I'm able to, if I ever can, I'm getting out of here as fast as I..." A loud boom interrupts Brooke and if followed by a slightly softer thud. "What the hell?"

Audio Journal of Brooke Nightblaze

I ran as fast as I could, tripping on my own feet a few times before I saw the charred hole in the ground. I slowed down a few feet away and walked up to it, my brow furrowed and my hand near a dagger I had strapped to my waist. In the center on the hole was a black lump of something or another. I was just at the edge when the lump popped and a hatch opened, revealing the back of whoever or whatever was in the little capsule. I pulled out the dagger and slid into the hole, holding it to the strange person's back. "State your business here." I ordered, poking the tip at their back. "Whoa, oh, yeah, I'm here to find a friend." I blinked, the voice was familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. Pulling the dagger away from his back I waited for him to get out, curious as to who it could be. He stood up, his back still facing me, but never less my eyes widened at his long, silver hair. He whirled around and we both stared at each other in shock until he pointed at me with his mouth wide open, uttering a disbelieving "You?" and I tackled him immediately afterward screaming, "It's you!"

We began catching up and I learned that Ryu had spent our time apart learning about the darkness and researching theoretical ways to defeat it completely, who's been involved with it, and the like. He had really found out allot and we were having a wonderful conversation until he asked what I had been doing. I felt my smile tremble, but I managed to keep it plastered onto my face. What was I supposed to tell him? That there was a really big, really powerful family out to kill me? That I've been living at the graveyard and trying my hardest to stay alive on the "food" they have here which is usually a nasty green slop. "Me? I've been just existing." I said, hey it may be vague, but at least it wasn't a lie. "Fun, fun, this place has always been so gloomy. But I was thinking we could head to Traverse Town, stock up and see if we could give it a shot, defeating the darkness and all." Ryu said and I nodded, grabbing him by the hand and dragging him off to where I had my ship hidden, which was a difficult task due to everything being dead. As soon as I opened the ships living area door a ear-splitting, high pitched scream echoed in the area and immediately Ryu had his huge sword drawn and I had my keyblade in my hand. I nodded pointed to where the scream came from and we took off, running up to a scene of a blonde girl getting attacked by a large horde of heartless that were new to me. They were imp-like and so skinny they seemed anorexic. "Ewww... what are those things and why is it every time I see you I have to rescue someone?" I asked, and Ryu laughed, charging at it and swinging his sword at them. Instead of the usually slice and poof, the creatures dematerialized, particles in the place of the flesh that Ryu was supposed to be cutting through. Ryu frowned, jumping back and I bit my lip as all ten of the creatures were focused on us. "I don't think this'll be too easy." I mumbled, taking note that they could break up and form back together. "Elementum ut gelu totus. glacies!" I pronounced clearly, sending a powerful ice spell at one of the creatures and as it started decomposing itself the particles froze, dropping to the dirt in a shower of ice. "As I thought, physical attacks have no effect, but spells easily wipe them out." I mumbled to Ryu and he nodded, backing off a bit so I could cast the spell in a broader area. "Now lets get rid of the rest of 'em." Were my thoughts as I took a deep breath and began reciting the spell. "A perpes hiberna , gelu ut perussi totus in pervenio permafrost!" As soon as "frost" escaped my lips a gust of freezing, icy wind blew at the nine remaining creatures, freezing their decomposed bodies, making it seem like we were in the middle of a hail storm. I smirked to myself and glanced back at Ryu, who seemed a bit more than a little amazed with how much stronger my spells had gotten. The two of us looked around for the girl that was getting attacked and was glad when we saw a blonde- haired girl step out from behind a dead tree. "Wow... than you so much." She said, waking over and I sung my keyblade over my shoulder before it disappeared, turning into the little charm I always had on one on my belt loops and smiled. "No problem! I'm Brooke." I said before glancing over at Ryu who was staring in no particular direction. "Oh, and I'm Ryu." He said, smiling, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Nice to meet you, I'm Rikku!" The girl chimed happily, smiling brightly. "So what brings great fighters like you two here?" Rikku asked, and I laughed. "Ryu came to find me, we were heading to Traverse Town before we came to help you." "Really! Do you think I could go with!" She exclaimed immediately after I finished. "Yeah sure, just head onto that ship over there," I said, pausing to point "We'll be right with you, but I need to talk to Ryu first." Rikku nodded and walked off to my ship and I turned to Ryu as soon as she was out of ear-shot. "Ryu, what's up with you? You started acting weird all the sudden." I said and he glanced towards me before sighing and looking up at the forever back/ gray sky. "It's those creatures, the nithlings, I know who sent them. He's Phoenix, he had tod me that-"

Yay suspense! This was completely written in first person because I only wanted the narration for the prologue since that was a shortened version of one out of four different fanfictions for Brooke. Brooke's spells are different than the games for reasons that will tie into the story line later. Reviews and encouragement are aways nice. w

XOXO Machiko. 3

Translations: "Elementum ut gelu totus. glacies!"- "Element that chills all, ice!"

"A perpes hiberna , gelu ut perussi totus in pervenio permafrost!"- "A never ending winter, the cold that consumes all in reach, permafrost!"

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, nor do I own any characters mentioned except Brooke, Mika/Blair, Aiko, Kurenai, and the characters that have to do with their childhood/ distant past that are not listed as Final Fantasy or Kingdom Hearts property. (Family, childhood friends, ect.) The characters other than the previously listed are property of several people of whom I have the consent to use their names and images. I also do not own r.o.r/s or their song Tattoo Kiss.