Kingdom Hearts

The Wanderer

Chapter Four

Hunting The Dark

The dark network was the same way Cloud remembered it, dark cold and unpleasant. Though he was pleased to discover that he had a little more control over his movements than last time.

"It's because you went to a different world." Zargahn's voice cut through the silence. "You again?" Cloud asked.

"Yes me again." Zargahn replied. It upset Cloud to learn that Zargahn still used the same mocking tone as last time. "What did you mean when you said it was because i had been to a different world?"

He asked.

A sigh came, before "You really are clueless are'nt you, how pathetic you are." Cloud growled low in his throat letting Zargahn know he was not playing around. "Very well, i'll tell you, though how

you failed to figure it out yourself is a mystery to me. Everytime you visit a world that you have not been to before you're wing feeds off the darkness of that world. Now you should know that

this process does'nt make the wing more powerful, it can only be as powerful as it's weilders darkness. Instead it gives you access to more of its power than before."

Cloud frowned, that would explain a few things. He had noticed that ever since his landing on agrabah he had been faster, stronger, and the power to fly had come to him as well.

"Interesting, so the more i travel the more powerful i am." Cloud muttered. "NO! Were you not listening!? The more you travel the more power you can use, it's already there just inaccessible."

Zargahn snapped.

"One more thing, who is Xeron?" Cloud asked. He had been wanting to know that for awhile now. A pause came, followed by a low chuckle. "He is one of my order of darkness, quite a voilent fellow.

I was wondering if you would see him." Zargahn said thoughtfully. "Wait, you mean you knew he was there, and that he might attack me?!?" Cloud shouted in a rage.

"Yesss, in fact i was the one who told him to attack you if he saw you, you see as the overlord of the order of darkness i need to defend my territory, that is the darkness in all worlds which makes

the dark network possible. You are not inside my order yet you use the dark network, which makes you a threat to it, and what threatens the dark network threatens me." Zargahn explained.

Cloud had more that he wanted to ask, but before he could he arrived at his destination. In a swirl of pink smoke Cloud dropped down into a room with a bed, fireplace, and table.

On the table were two bottles, one with a red lable, the other blue. A small door lay at the end of the room, very small.

Cloud looked around himself for a moment trying to orientate himself with the surroundings. He walked to the table observing the bottles. Written on one was the word shrink. On the other was the word grow.

He looked breifly towards the tiny door, which seemed to be the only way out of the room. "Alright, i'll try it, but i know i'll regret it." Cloud said taking a swig. A flash of light filled his vision, then he could

see again, except the room had gotten very huge, or had he gotten really small? Either way he walked over to the door which seemed to be the right size for him now and grabbed the handle.

"OWWWWW!!!! Do'nt do that it hurts!" The door yelled, using its keywhole as a mouth. "Open up." Cloud demanded. "Ask nicely." The door said. Cloud drove his darkness to the back of his mind,

a technique that also drove his wing back inside of him.

"Please open." Cloud said, this time a bit more politely. "Fine." The door said in annoyance as it swung open. Cloud walked through and found himself in a sort of garden. The door closed behind him.

"The first thing he saw were cards as tall as he was with faces and weapons, scattered around. Several of them seemed to have been cut into several peices with surgical percision.

The rest had throwing knives sticking out of them. Cloud's eyes narrowed. "So Xeron at least was here, and it looks like he was'nt alone." Thought Cloud.

He walked out into a grassy courtyard with the sun shining down on him. It felt unwelcome indeed, no doubt a result of the darkness pouring through him. Even more of these card people lay scattered around,

though here there were signs of battle. "YOU THERE, YOU"RE UNDER ARREST FOR KILLING MY GAURDS!!!! TROOPS, OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!!!" Cloud turned toward the shouter and saw it to be

a large plump woman in a ridiculous outfit. Accamponying her were over a dozen of the cards, only these ones were alive well and charging him weapons raised.

Cloud drew his sword in less then a second swinging it wide causing the cards to stop and take a few steps back. "Attack me again, and you will regret it." Cloud said in the most menacing tone he could muster.

It must've been pretty good because the cards stepped further back. "FOOLS!! ARREST HIM OR ITS OFF WITH ALL YOU"RE HEADS!!!!!" The ugly woman shouted furiously.

Cloud turned darkening eyes upon her as he allowed his darkness to flood through him. Orange crackling bolts of energy ran up and down his body as he held his sword at the ready.

The cards nervously moved closer, though they were careful to stay out of range of his sword.

Time to go for intimidation in the extreme. He summoned his wing in a surge of crackling bolts of dark orange power that was strong enough to raise a small breeze.

As he did this he gave a menacing chuckle. The cards turned tale and ran leaving the woman staring stupidly. So she was'nt impressed yet eh? He focused like he had in agrabah,

and lifted into the air with more energy bolts racing around his body.

The woman finally got the hint and ran, Cloud chasing after sword poised to strike. He had no intention of actually hurting her, but he wanted to be sure he had made his point.

Her terrified screams told him he had, thus he landed but kept his wing out. If Xeron was here he was going to need the wing to live.

Suddenly a whistling sound came through the air and Cloud threw himself back just before a katana stabbed up to the hilt into the ground where he had just been. Cloud's eyes shot up to

see a white blur running along the surface the hedge that surrounded the courtyard. It lunged at him a silver blur racing for his heart, he swung his sword up and deflected a second katana forcing his

attacker to jump backwards.

He landed next to his other katana and yanked it from the ground. He was dressed in a white ninja outfit, only without the hood. "Who are you, and why are attacking me?!" Cloud demanded.

"I am Vorrin of the order of darkness, and i have no reason to tell you why im attacking you. Still, you are quite good to have defended my hit, but then again you are one of the shadow angels."

Vorrin stated cryptically.

"What do you mean, a shadow angel?" Cloud asked. Suprise crossed Vorrin's face as he asked "You do'nt know!? Hm, regardless you are strong, just as Xeron said." Vorrin said rubbing his chin.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as he shouted "TELL ME!!!!" Vorrin stood sheathing his blades as he said "If you want to know more then go to twilight town." With that Vorrin vanished into the dark network

leaving a thoroughly confused Cloud behind.