KINGDOM HEARTS

THE WANDERER


The Deep Jungle Pt.1


Cloud saw Zidane and Kuja already waiting in the throne room when he entered, and Morrdinn on his throne as usual. Sephiroth was also present off to the side, his sword resting at his side and a secretive smirk on his face. Cloud also saw a

a couple of people he did not recognize in the room. One was a girl dressed in a dark robe and a pair of hand-scythes at her side. She had shoulder length brunnette hair, and green eyes. Next to her was a man with dark brown hair and a quarter-staff across his back. His eyes were the color of fire.

"Ah Cloud, good of you to arrive." Morrdinn said.

"What do you want?" Cloud demanded coldly. The last time Morrdinn had called him it had gone rather poorly.

"Speak to him with respect!" The red-eyed man snarled.

Cloud felt dark urges rising up within him. How dare this whelp speak to him like that? But he pushed those thoughts away and said "Make me."

"Enough! We have important things to discuss, a mission of sorts." Morrdinn interrupted before a fight could start.

"I am not one of your order, my services are not yours to call upon!" Cloud said angrily.

"Indeed, we do not serve you." Kuja agreed.

Zidane leaned towards Kuja and whispered "Use the joke about the flying toilet, that should take care of this guy."

Sephiroth walked from his spot and said "I for one am quite interested to hear what Morrdinn has to say."

"All the more reason for me not to go along with it." Cloud replied.

"I think once you hear what i am offering you will change your mind. These two are both new additions to the order, and have yet to earn a place at the true Moenia, which is what i will give all who participate in this task." Morrdinn said calmly.

"In that case i'm all ears." Zidane said snapping to attention bettert than any soldier in any army.

"Fine." Cloud grudgingly acknowledged, Kuja merely nodded his head.

"Good, as you know the order of darkness seeks to destroy users of light. Many users of light banded together forming an order of light to counter our own order. As a result we have hung back, waiting for the time when we would have the

advantadge, but now our enemies have intruded on our territory in an effort to disrupt the dark network we use to travel. The conduit they seek to destroy is in the deep jungle, we are not sure how many they have sent. Sephiroth, being the most experienced among you, will lead your expidition into the deep jungle. Your task is to eliminate all members of the order of light. These two here are named Kirks, and Kayla. Go do this task, and the gates will open for you." Morrdinns

explained, then in a swirl of darkness they found themselves standing amongst the trees of a deep jungle.

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Upon arrival Sephiroth was quick to take command of the operation as he had been instructed. They had quickly set a perimeter around the clearing they had arrived in, then Cloud had been sent to scout the surrounding area with his wing,

to give them an overhead perspective.

He arrived back in the small camp to see Kurks and Zidane missing. "I sent them to scout at ground level." Sephiroth said while polishing his sword.

Cloud approached him and asked "Why did you betray Radiant Garden?" That one question had been eating away at him since Sephiroth had first told him of his betrayl. He needed an anwser or he felt like he might go insane.

"Does it matter?" Sephiroth asked carelessly.

"It does to me!" Cloud snapped angrily ignoring the looks Kayla and Kuja sent him.

Sephiroth smirked and said "Then maybe you will find out someday, untill then keep your mouth shut and do as i say."

Cloud grabbed his sword and swung it at Sephiroth's neck stopping it only an inch from impact. "Tellm me." Cloud said menacingly.

Sephiroth chuckled in amusement then stood and walked past Cloud who slowly lowered his blade to his side.

"So did you see anything of interest during your patrol?" Sephiroth asked.

"Just a tree house." Cloud growled back.

"Why don't you go investigate this tree house then?" Sephiroth asked.

With a growl Cloud extended his wing and took to the skies.

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It took only ten minutes for Cloud to reach the tree house. It looked very abondoned, and closer examination did nothing to make him think any different. He landed on the balcony and walked inside as his wing retreated back inside of him.

The inside was a mess, it looked like their had been a struggle years ago. There was a shattered barrel to one side, and several claw marks along the floor. He continued to examine the room seeing a badly damaged staircase leading to a second floor. A single leap lifted him onto the second floor where he instnatly recognized signs of habitation. A bedroll in the corner with a lamp next to it. A backpack had been set neatly against the wall, and it was all recent.

"I suppose i should report this." Cloud muttered, suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck tingled, and he whirled as a leapord lep from a support beam above him with a voilent slash of its claws forcing him to leap back. The beast sprang at

him the moment its paws struck the ground but Cloud drew his sword and broadsided the thing into the wall sending it crashing through the wooden planks and hurtling onto the net below, but before he could even think of pursuit he was grabbed off his feet and he heard the beating of a wing.

"You fall here servant of the darkness!!" A hard voice snarled behind him, he slammed an elbow behind him breaking free and whirling as his wing extended from his back. He saw a man wearing what was no doubt a SOLDIER uniform with two

large white angel wings sticking out of his right shoulder, their was a plain sword in his hand.

"Who are you?" Cloud asked in suprise.

"My name is Angeal, and i am the end of you!!!" The man declared, then with an incredible burst of speed and stabbed Cloud through the chest, then with a snarl he tossed the wounded youth into the jungle, and Cloud's eyes closed as the

he fell into a dark sleep.