Post by Hayate on Oct 18, 2006 20:11:59 GMT -5
Chapter 3: Orion
Shiro rushes over to Disney Castle in his Gummi Ship, constantly cursing himself for leaving Ayane the way he did. His immense anger almost causes him to crash-land on the palace.
Shiro (sigh) “That was close!”
Disembarking from the ship, Shiro’s feet land in the center of the courtyard, which was only one of the many sites throughout the castle that was destroyed by whoever, or whatever, had ambushed Xavi and the party he was with. Shiro takes a hold of his collar and prepares to speak, but then remembered Ayane and decided to let it go. He would’ve had to think of a way to repay her for his actions. Shiro walks cautiously around the courtyard and makes his way into one of the colonnade, also in ruins.
Shiro “Oh, man… What could’ve done this?”
Xavi “Ohhh… Shiro…”
Xavi was on the ground, his clothes in shreds, with a broken-off piece of wall marble crushing his lower body.
Shiro “Xavi!”
Shiro lifts the marble off of Xavi and kneels down by him.
Shiro “Are you alright?”
Xavi “I’ve…been better…”
Shiro “What happened here?”
Xavi “An army of Darklings…attacked us… They were no match for us… That is, until he showed up…”
Shiro “He? He who?”
Xavi (cough) “He called himself…Orion…”
Shiro “Orion? Who’s that?”
Xavi “…”
Shiro “Xavi? Xavi! XAVI! …Dammit. Out cold…”
Shiro didn’t have a choice. He takes a hold of his collar apprehensively.
Shiro “…Ayane? Ayane, are you there?”
…There was no answer.
Shiro “Oh, man… I’m really sorry, Ayane…”
…Still no answer.
Shiro “…”
Ayane “Are you really?”
Shiro “Ayane! I was afraid you’d never speak to me again.”
Ayane “Well, I guess you didn’t have much of a choice.”
Shiro “I still feel bad about it, though…”
Ayane “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll think of some way to repay me!”
Shiro “Heh. Okay. So where to from here?”
Ayane “I’m picking up signs of life coming from the audience chamber.”
Shiro “Bingo!”
Without hesitation, Shiro runs down the colonnade, passing by the mass amounts of devastation. Sooner or later, he stops in front of a great door, larger than all the others. Shiro looks up and practically falls over attempting to see how high it towers.
Shiro “Man!! How the hell am I supposed to open this!?”
Ayane “There seems to be a unique security system on it. I’ll try to crack it… Got it! You have to knock in a certain sequence. First, knock twice, wait about 1 second, then knock another three times.”
Shiro “Hmm… Like this?”
Shiro knocks on the immense wall twice with his left fist, pauses for one second as Ayane had instructed, then knocks on it another three times with the same fist. Only a small portion of the door, at the bottom-left corner, had creaked open.
***If you played Kingdom Hearts and have a good memory, you’ll remember that Donald opened the door to the audience chamber this same way in the opening movie.***
Shiro “What a strange door…”
Ayane “Shiro, look!”
Glancing around the audience chamber, Shiro gasps at the horrific sight. The room was even more devastated than the outside, nearly 2 dozen first-class Keyblade masters lay unconscious on the ground. Nearby, in a secret chamber underneath King Mickey’s throne, Shiro could hear the faint sound of clashing swords. Dashing into that chamber, Shiro sees that numerous Darklings, as well as who looked like their leader, had all cornered Captain Ryuma and Queen Minnie near the Cornerstone of Light.
Shiro “Captain Ryuma!! Queen Minnie!!”
Minnie “Ohhh… What’s going to happen to us now?”
Ryuma “Don’t worry…my queen… I swear…on my life…that I’ll protect you…”
?? “I’ll only ask once more! WHERE IS THE KING!?!?”
Ryuma “I’ll…never…tell you…Orion…”
Orion. The same name Xavi had mentioned. But who exactly is this Orion person? And what does he want with King Mickey?
Orion “Some things never change, do they?”
With just a snap of his fingers, Orion signals one of the Darklings to strike Ryuma. A swift slash of claws, and Ryuma drops to his knees, using only his custom Keyblade, Dragon’s Fang, to support his weight.
Minnie “Ryuma, no!!”
Orion “Are you ready to cooperate?”
Ryuma “N…Never…”
Orion (sigh) “Stubborn as always, Ryuma…”
Orion prepares to snap his fingers again, but Shiro suddenly intervenes.
Shiro “STOP IT!!!!!”
Orion “Hmm?”
Ryuma “Huh?”
Minnie “What?”
Ryuma, Queen Minnie, and Orion turn their attention to an extremely angry Shiro. His look alarms even Ryuma, but Orion’s expression remains unchanged.
Orion “Yet another of your ‘drones’, Ryuma?”
Shiro “Who’re you calling a drone!?”
Ryuma “Shiro? NO!! Get out of here!!”
Shiro “What!? But you called me here, didn’t you?”
Ryuma “That was before Orion arrived! You have to get out of here or he’ll kill you!!”
Orion “I think I’ll let you two settle your dispute some other time…”
Orion snaps his fingers again, signaling two Darklings to teleport Ryuma and Queen Minnie away.
Shiro “Captain!! Queen Minnie!!”
Orion “Forget them! Your quarrel is with me, boy!”
Shiro “What quarrel? This is a no-contest!”
Orion “Hehehe… You think so, huh?”
Surprisingly, Orion unleashes a Dark Keyblade, the same type as the one Sora used on himself all those years ago. Shiro looks at the blade in shock.
Shiro “You… You’re a Keyblade master?”
Orion “…You might say that. Manipulating the darkness grants me more than a handful of powers and conveniences. For example…”
Using the Dark Keyblade, Orion cuts one of his own Darklings in half. But instead of disappearing into nothingness, the two halves form two new Darklings.
Orion “Impressive, no?”
Shiro “Impressive, NO, is right!”
Orion “Insolent child…”
Shiro unleashes his own Keyblade, the Wings of Exile, in response to Orion unleashing his.
Shiro “You ready?”
Orion “Do you honestly believe you can defeat me?”
Shiro “I don’t believe I can! I KNOW!!!”
Shiro dashes headlong into battle. Thrusting his blade forward, he strikes a concentration of black air, appearing to run directly through Orion.
Shiro “What happened? I went through him?”
Orion “No. You’re just too slow for me.”
Shiro spins around and swings, attempting to strike through Orion intentionally, but ends up missing again, and Orion simply stands upon his Wings of Exile’s edge weightlessly.
Orion “Come now. Surely you can do better than that.”
Shiro “I plan to!!”
Shaking off Orion, Shiro makes another attempt at hitting him with a volley of rapid-fire thrusts. Every thrust misses its intended target, leaving Shiro breathless and Orion standing right in front of him.
Orion “Where’s that inflated ego gone, Keyblade master?”
Shiro “You cheeky… Maximum Ragnarok!!”
Taking a long step back, Shiro charges up a vast amount of energy onto his Keyblade’s edge.
Orion “Interesting…”
Shiro “IMPACT!!!!”
At Shiro’s command, the accumulated energy explodes and divides up into 100 small bullets of light aimed at Orion. Unfazed by this, Orion casually walks forward. In fact, it looked as though every single bullet was passing through him. Shiro couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Shiro ‘What the hell?!? My Ragnarok attack isn’t doing anything at all!!!’
When Orion at last reaches Shiro, he simply places his palm upon Shiro’s chest and a short yet powerful burst of black light is released from it, sending Shiro keeling back into an already damaged wall. On the floor, Shiro squirms in pain while clenching his stomach.
Orion “Strange… That blast should’ve killed you…”
Glimpsing at the Cornerstone Hall’s entrance, an ominous sight bewilders Orion: the shadow of a golden Keyblade trailing off.
Orion ‘I should’ve known…’
Shiro’s groaning and writhing catches Orion’s attention once again.
Shiro “That blast… What…was that?”
Orion “I see… You’ve never fought against real darkness before, have you?”
Shiro “That was…real…darkness?!”
Orion “Indeed. Now you see how darkness is the only true source of power, right?”
Shiro “No… That’s not…true…”
Orion “Is that so? Well then, what do you say to this?”
Orion aims his hand towards Shiro, preparing to fire another dark energy blast. Shiro simply shuts his eyes and prepares for the worst. But suddenly, the evil smile on Orion’s face vanishes, and he pulls his hand away.
Orion “What now?”
Shiro “What? What’s going on?”
Orion “…Understood.”
Shiro “…”
Orion “Your life’s been spared this time, Keyblade master.”
Turning away from Shiro, Orion’s presence slowly fades. However, before completely departing, he leaves Shiro with a threatening message.
Orion “Know this: If you cannot understand darkness’s true power, you will never defeat me…”
Shiro contemplates on his words and remains motionless.
‘…Darkness is the only true source of power… If you cannot understand darkness’s true power, you will never defeat me…’
Shiro ‘What if he’s right?’
Ayane “Shiro?”
Shiro ‘Am I really that weak?’
Ayane “Shiro??”
Shiro “…”
Ayane “Shiro, it’s okay. Don’t worry about what he said. You and I both know it’s not true…”
Shiro “But…What if it is?”
Ayane “Trust me. It’s not.”
Shiro sits up on the debris-covered floor and looks over at the Wings of Exile that was about 4 feet from his hand.
Shiro “Ayane… That burst from his hand was more powerful than anything I’ve felt before.”
Ayane “Shiro…”
Shiro “He’s right. If I’m gonna have any chance of defeating Orion, I have to learn how to control the darkness like he does.”
Ayane “Whoa! Back up! Learning how to control the darkness is one thing, but do you have ANY idea what that could do to your body?”
Shiro “Do you have any better ideas?!”
Ayane “…”
Shiro “I thought so.”
Shiro removes a remote control from his pocket and presses a yellow button on it, engaging his Gummi Ship’s tractor beam. Making a quick trip to Origin City along with the lifeless Key bearers, Shiro docks his Gummi Ship and proceeds to Master Kaizo’s dojo. Ayane shortly joins Shiro and walks hastily alongside him to keep up.
Ayane “Shiro! Think about what you’re doing!”
Shiro “…I already have.”
Ayane “But what if something happens? Don’t you remember the Origin City Chaos 7 years ago?”
Shiro “…”
Ayane “SHIRO!!!”
Ayane’s yell causes Shiro to stop dead in his tracks.
Shiro “Ayane…”
Ayane “Uh, Shiro?”
Shiro “I know you’re worried about me. Hell, I’m worried too. But, Captain Ryuma and Queen Minnie was taken away right before my eyes. And I didn’t do a thing! I have to repay them for that.”
Ayane “But, learning to harness the darkness’s power? Isn’t that a little extreme?”
Shiro “I know. But no one else would want to go through with it, would they?”
Ayane “Yeah, for good reason!!! Please, Shiro! I can’t let you do this!”
Shiro “How are we gonna save the captain and the queen if you don’t have faith in me?!?”
Ayane takes a short step back, frightened by how enraged Shiro sounded just now. Shiro sighs in both frustration and anxiety.
Shiro “Sorry about that. Please understand, Ayane. If I don’t do this, no one will. And if no one does anything, the Darklings will eventually take over.”
Ayane was surprised. This was the first time Shiro had ever felt so strongly about something.
Ayane “If you really feel that way, I won’t stop you.”
Shiro “Thank you, Ayane.”
Ayane “Just promise me one thing.”
Shiro “Hmm?”
Ayane “Don’t ever change, okay? No matter what the darkness does to you, don’t EVER change… Promise?”
Shiro turns towards her to see a tiny tear escape her eye. Touched by her concern, he approaches her and wraps his arms around her. This startles Ayane, yet it also comforts her. She feels the need to do the same and wraps her arms around Shiro’s midsection. He pulls away and stares into her calm brown eyes.
Shiro “I promise.”
Ayane could see a sort of sincerity in Shiro’s words, and smiles. She wipes away her tears as he walks off into Kaizo’s dojo.
Shiro “Master Kaizo? Are you here?”
Kaizo walks out from the other room. He was only a few years older than Shiro. He warmly welcomes Shiro, who bows graciously in his presence.
Kaizo “Hello, Shiro. It’s nice to see you.”
Shiro “You too, master. I’ve come seeking training.”
Kaizo “Mmm. Admirable, yet I’ve nothing left to teach you, Shiro.”
Shiro “Really? What about harnessing power from the darkness?”
Kaizo remains unfazed by Shiro’s implication.
Kaizo “Indeed, I can control the darkness in small amounts. But what of it?”
Shiro “I need to learn how to do it too, so I may defeat Orion.”
Upon hearing this, Kaizo’s expression changes from an “I-don’t-care” look to more of a “This-is-bad” kind of look.
Shiro “Master?”
Kaizo “Orion… How painful it is to hear that name again…”
Shiro “What about Orion, master Kaizo?”
Kaizo “He was my first pupil. He showed much potential. However, when he learned of my being able to control darkness, he refused to cease asking me to teach him, and was eventually banished from Origin City for attacking me.”
Kaizo then reveals to Shiro several scars on his back.
Kaizo “As you can see, he showed no mercy.”
Shiro “…”
Kaizo “If you have come seeking training, it must mean that Orion’s revealed himself at last.”
Shiro “Yes. He’s now the leader of the Darklings.”
Kaizo “I feared as much… Come. We must begin right away.”
Shiro “You mean, now?”
Kaizo “It won’t be long until Orion makes his move. It’s best to be prepared as soon as possible.”
Shiro “That makes sense…”
Kaizo “But first… How’s about supper?!”
Shiro almost falls over upon hearing Kaizo’s humor.
Shiro “Master! Now’s not the time for your jokes!”
Kaizo “Who’s joking? You need to build up your strength!”
Kaizo walks casually into the next room and prepares a meal for two.
Shiro ‘Maybe there is a method to master Kaizo’s madness…’
TO BE CONTINUED…
Shiro rushes over to Disney Castle in his Gummi Ship, constantly cursing himself for leaving Ayane the way he did. His immense anger almost causes him to crash-land on the palace.
Shiro (sigh) “That was close!”
Disembarking from the ship, Shiro’s feet land in the center of the courtyard, which was only one of the many sites throughout the castle that was destroyed by whoever, or whatever, had ambushed Xavi and the party he was with. Shiro takes a hold of his collar and prepares to speak, but then remembered Ayane and decided to let it go. He would’ve had to think of a way to repay her for his actions. Shiro walks cautiously around the courtyard and makes his way into one of the colonnade, also in ruins.
Shiro “Oh, man… What could’ve done this?”
Xavi “Ohhh… Shiro…”
Xavi was on the ground, his clothes in shreds, with a broken-off piece of wall marble crushing his lower body.
Shiro “Xavi!”
Shiro lifts the marble off of Xavi and kneels down by him.
Shiro “Are you alright?”
Xavi “I’ve…been better…”
Shiro “What happened here?”
Xavi “An army of Darklings…attacked us… They were no match for us… That is, until he showed up…”
Shiro “He? He who?”
Xavi (cough) “He called himself…Orion…”
Shiro “Orion? Who’s that?”
Xavi “…”
Shiro “Xavi? Xavi! XAVI! …Dammit. Out cold…”
Shiro didn’t have a choice. He takes a hold of his collar apprehensively.
Shiro “…Ayane? Ayane, are you there?”
…There was no answer.
Shiro “Oh, man… I’m really sorry, Ayane…”
…Still no answer.
Shiro “…”
Ayane “Are you really?”
Shiro “Ayane! I was afraid you’d never speak to me again.”
Ayane “Well, I guess you didn’t have much of a choice.”
Shiro “I still feel bad about it, though…”
Ayane “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll think of some way to repay me!”
Shiro “Heh. Okay. So where to from here?”
Ayane “I’m picking up signs of life coming from the audience chamber.”
Shiro “Bingo!”
Without hesitation, Shiro runs down the colonnade, passing by the mass amounts of devastation. Sooner or later, he stops in front of a great door, larger than all the others. Shiro looks up and practically falls over attempting to see how high it towers.
Shiro “Man!! How the hell am I supposed to open this!?”
Ayane “There seems to be a unique security system on it. I’ll try to crack it… Got it! You have to knock in a certain sequence. First, knock twice, wait about 1 second, then knock another three times.”
Shiro “Hmm… Like this?”
Shiro knocks on the immense wall twice with his left fist, pauses for one second as Ayane had instructed, then knocks on it another three times with the same fist. Only a small portion of the door, at the bottom-left corner, had creaked open.
***If you played Kingdom Hearts and have a good memory, you’ll remember that Donald opened the door to the audience chamber this same way in the opening movie.***
Shiro “What a strange door…”
Ayane “Shiro, look!”
Glancing around the audience chamber, Shiro gasps at the horrific sight. The room was even more devastated than the outside, nearly 2 dozen first-class Keyblade masters lay unconscious on the ground. Nearby, in a secret chamber underneath King Mickey’s throne, Shiro could hear the faint sound of clashing swords. Dashing into that chamber, Shiro sees that numerous Darklings, as well as who looked like their leader, had all cornered Captain Ryuma and Queen Minnie near the Cornerstone of Light.
Shiro “Captain Ryuma!! Queen Minnie!!”
Minnie “Ohhh… What’s going to happen to us now?”
Ryuma “Don’t worry…my queen… I swear…on my life…that I’ll protect you…”
?? “I’ll only ask once more! WHERE IS THE KING!?!?”
Ryuma “I’ll…never…tell you…Orion…”
Orion. The same name Xavi had mentioned. But who exactly is this Orion person? And what does he want with King Mickey?
Orion “Some things never change, do they?”
With just a snap of his fingers, Orion signals one of the Darklings to strike Ryuma. A swift slash of claws, and Ryuma drops to his knees, using only his custom Keyblade, Dragon’s Fang, to support his weight.
Minnie “Ryuma, no!!”
Orion “Are you ready to cooperate?”
Ryuma “N…Never…”
Orion (sigh) “Stubborn as always, Ryuma…”
Orion prepares to snap his fingers again, but Shiro suddenly intervenes.
Shiro “STOP IT!!!!!”
Orion “Hmm?”
Ryuma “Huh?”
Minnie “What?”
Ryuma, Queen Minnie, and Orion turn their attention to an extremely angry Shiro. His look alarms even Ryuma, but Orion’s expression remains unchanged.
Orion “Yet another of your ‘drones’, Ryuma?”
Shiro “Who’re you calling a drone!?”
Ryuma “Shiro? NO!! Get out of here!!”
Shiro “What!? But you called me here, didn’t you?”
Ryuma “That was before Orion arrived! You have to get out of here or he’ll kill you!!”
Orion “I think I’ll let you two settle your dispute some other time…”
Orion snaps his fingers again, signaling two Darklings to teleport Ryuma and Queen Minnie away.
Shiro “Captain!! Queen Minnie!!”
Orion “Forget them! Your quarrel is with me, boy!”
Shiro “What quarrel? This is a no-contest!”
Orion “Hehehe… You think so, huh?”
Surprisingly, Orion unleashes a Dark Keyblade, the same type as the one Sora used on himself all those years ago. Shiro looks at the blade in shock.
Shiro “You… You’re a Keyblade master?”
Orion “…You might say that. Manipulating the darkness grants me more than a handful of powers and conveniences. For example…”
Using the Dark Keyblade, Orion cuts one of his own Darklings in half. But instead of disappearing into nothingness, the two halves form two new Darklings.
Orion “Impressive, no?”
Shiro “Impressive, NO, is right!”
Orion “Insolent child…”
Shiro unleashes his own Keyblade, the Wings of Exile, in response to Orion unleashing his.
Shiro “You ready?”
Orion “Do you honestly believe you can defeat me?”
Shiro “I don’t believe I can! I KNOW!!!”
Shiro dashes headlong into battle. Thrusting his blade forward, he strikes a concentration of black air, appearing to run directly through Orion.
Shiro “What happened? I went through him?”
Orion “No. You’re just too slow for me.”
Shiro spins around and swings, attempting to strike through Orion intentionally, but ends up missing again, and Orion simply stands upon his Wings of Exile’s edge weightlessly.
Orion “Come now. Surely you can do better than that.”
Shiro “I plan to!!”
Shaking off Orion, Shiro makes another attempt at hitting him with a volley of rapid-fire thrusts. Every thrust misses its intended target, leaving Shiro breathless and Orion standing right in front of him.
Orion “Where’s that inflated ego gone, Keyblade master?”
Shiro “You cheeky… Maximum Ragnarok!!”
Taking a long step back, Shiro charges up a vast amount of energy onto his Keyblade’s edge.
Orion “Interesting…”
Shiro “IMPACT!!!!”
At Shiro’s command, the accumulated energy explodes and divides up into 100 small bullets of light aimed at Orion. Unfazed by this, Orion casually walks forward. In fact, it looked as though every single bullet was passing through him. Shiro couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
Shiro ‘What the hell?!? My Ragnarok attack isn’t doing anything at all!!!’
When Orion at last reaches Shiro, he simply places his palm upon Shiro’s chest and a short yet powerful burst of black light is released from it, sending Shiro keeling back into an already damaged wall. On the floor, Shiro squirms in pain while clenching his stomach.
Orion “Strange… That blast should’ve killed you…”
Glimpsing at the Cornerstone Hall’s entrance, an ominous sight bewilders Orion: the shadow of a golden Keyblade trailing off.
Orion ‘I should’ve known…’
Shiro’s groaning and writhing catches Orion’s attention once again.
Shiro “That blast… What…was that?”
Orion “I see… You’ve never fought against real darkness before, have you?”
Shiro “That was…real…darkness?!”
Orion “Indeed. Now you see how darkness is the only true source of power, right?”
Shiro “No… That’s not…true…”
Orion “Is that so? Well then, what do you say to this?”
Orion aims his hand towards Shiro, preparing to fire another dark energy blast. Shiro simply shuts his eyes and prepares for the worst. But suddenly, the evil smile on Orion’s face vanishes, and he pulls his hand away.
Orion “What now?”
Shiro “What? What’s going on?”
Orion “…Understood.”
Shiro “…”
Orion “Your life’s been spared this time, Keyblade master.”
Turning away from Shiro, Orion’s presence slowly fades. However, before completely departing, he leaves Shiro with a threatening message.
Orion “Know this: If you cannot understand darkness’s true power, you will never defeat me…”
Shiro contemplates on his words and remains motionless.
‘…Darkness is the only true source of power… If you cannot understand darkness’s true power, you will never defeat me…’
Shiro ‘What if he’s right?’
Ayane “Shiro?”
Shiro ‘Am I really that weak?’
Ayane “Shiro??”
Shiro “…”
Ayane “Shiro, it’s okay. Don’t worry about what he said. You and I both know it’s not true…”
Shiro “But…What if it is?”
Ayane “Trust me. It’s not.”
Shiro sits up on the debris-covered floor and looks over at the Wings of Exile that was about 4 feet from his hand.
Shiro “Ayane… That burst from his hand was more powerful than anything I’ve felt before.”
Ayane “Shiro…”
Shiro “He’s right. If I’m gonna have any chance of defeating Orion, I have to learn how to control the darkness like he does.”
Ayane “Whoa! Back up! Learning how to control the darkness is one thing, but do you have ANY idea what that could do to your body?”
Shiro “Do you have any better ideas?!”
Ayane “…”
Shiro “I thought so.”
Shiro removes a remote control from his pocket and presses a yellow button on it, engaging his Gummi Ship’s tractor beam. Making a quick trip to Origin City along with the lifeless Key bearers, Shiro docks his Gummi Ship and proceeds to Master Kaizo’s dojo. Ayane shortly joins Shiro and walks hastily alongside him to keep up.
Ayane “Shiro! Think about what you’re doing!”
Shiro “…I already have.”
Ayane “But what if something happens? Don’t you remember the Origin City Chaos 7 years ago?”
Shiro “…”
Ayane “SHIRO!!!”
Ayane’s yell causes Shiro to stop dead in his tracks.
Shiro “Ayane…”
Ayane “Uh, Shiro?”
Shiro “I know you’re worried about me. Hell, I’m worried too. But, Captain Ryuma and Queen Minnie was taken away right before my eyes. And I didn’t do a thing! I have to repay them for that.”
Ayane “But, learning to harness the darkness’s power? Isn’t that a little extreme?”
Shiro “I know. But no one else would want to go through with it, would they?”
Ayane “Yeah, for good reason!!! Please, Shiro! I can’t let you do this!”
Shiro “How are we gonna save the captain and the queen if you don’t have faith in me?!?”
Ayane takes a short step back, frightened by how enraged Shiro sounded just now. Shiro sighs in both frustration and anxiety.
Shiro “Sorry about that. Please understand, Ayane. If I don’t do this, no one will. And if no one does anything, the Darklings will eventually take over.”
Ayane was surprised. This was the first time Shiro had ever felt so strongly about something.
Ayane “If you really feel that way, I won’t stop you.”
Shiro “Thank you, Ayane.”
Ayane “Just promise me one thing.”
Shiro “Hmm?”
Ayane “Don’t ever change, okay? No matter what the darkness does to you, don’t EVER change… Promise?”
Shiro turns towards her to see a tiny tear escape her eye. Touched by her concern, he approaches her and wraps his arms around her. This startles Ayane, yet it also comforts her. She feels the need to do the same and wraps her arms around Shiro’s midsection. He pulls away and stares into her calm brown eyes.
Shiro “I promise.”
Ayane could see a sort of sincerity in Shiro’s words, and smiles. She wipes away her tears as he walks off into Kaizo’s dojo.
Shiro “Master Kaizo? Are you here?”
Kaizo walks out from the other room. He was only a few years older than Shiro. He warmly welcomes Shiro, who bows graciously in his presence.
Kaizo “Hello, Shiro. It’s nice to see you.”
Shiro “You too, master. I’ve come seeking training.”
Kaizo “Mmm. Admirable, yet I’ve nothing left to teach you, Shiro.”
Shiro “Really? What about harnessing power from the darkness?”
Kaizo remains unfazed by Shiro’s implication.
Kaizo “Indeed, I can control the darkness in small amounts. But what of it?”
Shiro “I need to learn how to do it too, so I may defeat Orion.”
Upon hearing this, Kaizo’s expression changes from an “I-don’t-care” look to more of a “This-is-bad” kind of look.
Shiro “Master?”
Kaizo “Orion… How painful it is to hear that name again…”
Shiro “What about Orion, master Kaizo?”
Kaizo “He was my first pupil. He showed much potential. However, when he learned of my being able to control darkness, he refused to cease asking me to teach him, and was eventually banished from Origin City for attacking me.”
Kaizo then reveals to Shiro several scars on his back.
Kaizo “As you can see, he showed no mercy.”
Shiro “…”
Kaizo “If you have come seeking training, it must mean that Orion’s revealed himself at last.”
Shiro “Yes. He’s now the leader of the Darklings.”
Kaizo “I feared as much… Come. We must begin right away.”
Shiro “You mean, now?”
Kaizo “It won’t be long until Orion makes his move. It’s best to be prepared as soon as possible.”
Shiro “That makes sense…”
Kaizo “But first… How’s about supper?!”
Shiro almost falls over upon hearing Kaizo’s humor.
Shiro “Master! Now’s not the time for your jokes!”
Kaizo “Who’s joking? You need to build up your strength!”
Kaizo walks casually into the next room and prepares a meal for two.
Shiro ‘Maybe there is a method to master Kaizo’s madness…’
TO BE CONTINUED…
