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Post by skati on Mar 20, 2007 0:49:40 GMT
This is Sailor Moon fan fic that seemed like a good idea when I first came up with it...we'll see how it goes. Ok, disclaimer here, anyone or anything used here that's part of the Sailor Moon universe is owned by Naoko Takeuchi, not me.
Chapter 1
They sat hidden in a large tree, observing. There were three of them, all male. Two of them were taller than the third and, obviously, much older. They were dressed in loose fitting black clothes, mask included. The only thing not covered were their eyes, both brown. The third figure, a young child that couldn't have been any older than twelve, was dressed the same, but without the mask. His hair fell into his eyes and was bluish black in color. His eyes were of sharp contrast to his hair, being of bluish white.
Across from them was a balcony. It was just one of the many balconies adorning Mariner Castle. What set this particular one apart from the rest, however, was the owner of the room it belonged to. They could see her now, past the open glass doors. She was sitting down with her back towards them, brushing her short blue hair. She wore a light blue dress, as if about to attend a formal party.
“Do you remember your task?” one of the taller men asked. He placed a hand on the boy's neck, indicating that he was speaking to him. The boy, however, didn't speak. Instead, he just nodded once and continue to observe the girl in front of him. The taller man dug his fingers into the back of the boy's neck. Though still quiet enough where only the three of them could hear, the man's next words were filled with venom. “You speak when spoken to, boy.”
The boy barred his teeth in anger and turned his head to look at the man. “Enter her room, befriend her, then kill her when she's off guard.” His voice was cold and emotionless. His eyes, however, showed his anger at the man before him. The man just smiled and muttered, “Good.” He then released his hold on the boy and with the same hand, pointed at the girl, his smile becoming cruel.
The boy nodded again and began to climb higher in the tree. The tree was pretty close to the palace, but not close enough for him to reach from his original location. No, he'd have to climb higher first and jump. The boy quickly climbed to the top. Once there, he readied himself and leapt. He landed just in front of the balcony railing in a kneeling position. The boy raised his head to see the girl looking at him with surprised blue eyes. After getting a good look at her face, he could tell that she wasn't much younger than himself. “Who are you?” she asked. The surprise was gone now, replaced with curiosity. The boy said nothing and slowly rose to his feet. The girl moved forward a couple steps and repeated her question.
The boy still didn't speak. Instead, he held his hands out in front of him, as if he were grasping an invisible sphere. Between his hands, a faint, bluish white light began to shine as a cold mist began to swirl. The swirl started off slow at first, then began speeding up. The light, likewise, began to shine brighter and brighter, matching the mist's speed. The girl stared at him with a look of awe. Now was the time to strike...yet he couldn't do it. Something bout her stopped him, something the boy couldn't put his finger on. He would never know exactly why he made his next move. All he knew was that he turned around, then, and fired a large blast of cold mist at the tree he had jumped from. The tree froze instantly and shattered. The world seemed to move quickly after that.
A scream sounded behind him. The boy turned to face the girl only to immediately hear someone pounding on her door and a woman's voice demanding that it open. As soon as he registered that, a curse from behind him drew his attention to his two elders. No other words were exchanged as the boy immediately rushed them, cold mist surrounding his entire body. The air itself seemed to freeze as he moved. The shorter of the two men moved in front of the other and engaged the boy. What followed was a short series of attacks, blocks, and counter attacks. The boy, however, had the advantage though. His blows froze whatever he made contact with. It wasn't long until his opponent fell to the ground as a frozen ice block and shattered.
By now, the door had already been broken down and guards invaded the room. Most of them moved in front of the girl, shielding her from the violence while other ushered her out of her room. The boy, however, failed to register them. In his mind's eye, only he and his remaining enemy existed. “You...” the elder assassin growled. He literally shook with anger. “You turn against your own clan for that girl!”
The boy remained silent, all of his anger towards this man boiling to the surface. He too began to shake from anger...no, rage, as the memories of pointless beating began to resurface. As his anger built, so did his icy aura until there was no humanity left to see. All that remained was what appeared to be a boy composed entirely of an icy mist. There was no visible flesh left, nor hair. His eyes, however, retained their original coloring, albeit much, much lighter, as if they were glowing. Solid ice began to materialize everywhere as the immediate area froze from the sheer coldness the boy was exhibiting.
The elder assassin' eyes widened in sheer shock at the sight before him. Slowly, he took one step back, then another and another. He continued until he was just inches away from falling off of the railing. He was so shocked that he couldn't speak. His lips would move...but no sound would come forth.
An inhuman cry burst forth from the boy and he rushed at the man. The elder's fate was sealed.
***
The plane was mostly quiet. Most of the passengers were either watching the in flight movie or sleeping. Some were reading, others were staring blankly out of the windows at the night sky or at the seat in front of them. One particular passenger, a seventeen year old boy with bluish black hair, woke up with a start. He took his headphones off, breathing heavily. A middle aged woman with glasses on his right looked up from her laptop and glanced at him. “Bad dream, kid?” She asked with a frown.
“No,” the boy said softly. Was that really a dream? It had seemed so real...a younger version of himself, wielding the same power, a princess...was it really just a dream? Or was it a memory? Some past life hidden in the back of his subconscious...the boy shook his head to clear it. Odd as it was, it was still just a dream. “It's nothing,” he whispered, trying to convince himself more than the woman.
The boy pulled a photo out of his pocket. It was a picture of a short blue haired, blue eyed girl in a Japanese school uniform. That's odd, Kale thought to himself. She reminds of the girl in my dream...come to think of it, I've been having those dreams a lot more after she sent this picture...
A woman's voice broke him away from his thoughts. “Is she your girlfriend?” It was the same woman from earlier.
The boy looked up into her eyes, bluish black hair falling into his eyes. “No, she's not,” the boy said as he turned his attention back to the photo. “She's just someone I'm staying with in Japan.”
“I see,” the woman began, smiling. “Just a friend then.”
The boy sighed and turned his attention back to the woman. “Actually, I know almost nothing about her. Just her name...Mizuno Ami.” The smile disappeared from the woman's face, replaced by a puzzled expression. The boy noticed the woman's facial expression and smiled. “I'm an American exchange student going to school in Japan. I'm going to be living with this girl,” the boy held the picture up, “and her family while I'm there.”
Realization dawned on the woman's face. “Oh, OK,” she said while nodding. “She's a pretty girl. Who knows?” the smile returned to the woman's face. “Maybe you two will become 'more' than friends.” The woman winked at the boy, her smile widening. The boy closed his eyes and smirked. The woman laughed a little at his reaction. It was a few moments before she was able to calm herself down. “So then, what's your name, kid?”
***
“His name is Kale Winters,” Ami said, laying a picture on the table. The picture was of a young boy dressed in all black, “BERSERKER” scrawled across his shirt in blood red. Bluish black hair fell into blue eyes and a predatory smile on his face that unnerved a couple of the gathered girls. There were five of them together, as always, at Usagi's house.
“He looks dangerous,” Rei said with a frown.
“But still cute!” Minako exclaimed with a wide smile. She glanced over at Ami with mischievous eyes and smile. “You're going to be living with this cute boy, right?” Usagi and Makoto matched the look in her eyes and smile.
“What? No!” Ami exclaimed, blushing slightly. “He's just an exchange student! He'll be going to school with us this year.”
“Ahhhh, foreign love,” replied as she gazed into Ami's eyes, hands on her cheeks and elbows on the table. Her smile grew more mischievous. Usagi giggled, mirroring Minako.
“No, it's nothing like that,” Ami replied, her cheeks turning redder.
“When will he arrive here?” Rei asked, still serious.
Ami turned her attention to Rei, her cheeks slowly returning to their natural color. “Tomorrow night. We're picking him up at the airport.”
“We?” Usagi asked, her earlier imitation abandoned.
“Ah, yes. Haruka-san and Michiru-san said they would give us a ride since mom is working that night.”
“There is just one thing though,” Makoto began in a serious tone. The other four girls looked at her with puzzled eyes. Makoto leaned in close so just the five of them could hear. “What if a new enemy strikes while he's here?”
Rei frowned. “We'll have to do our best to keep him out of our way then.”
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Post by skati on May 5, 2007 22:25:17 GMT
Chapter 2
“Kale…that’s a nice name,” the woman said with a smile. “My name is Mu.”
“Interesting name,” Kale replied. “And what are you going to do in Japan, Mu?”
“That’s Mrs. Mu to you, boy,” the woman replied in a mock authoritative tone that brought a smile to Kale’s face. The woman herself giggled a bit before continuing. “I’ll be their on business. My…company has sent me to be an observer.”
“An observer? Of what?” Kale asked, his amusement now replaced with curiosity.
The woman’s smile widened and she winked at Kale as she waved a finger at him. “No, no, no, young man. That information is classified.”
Kale frowned. “Classified?”
“That’s right. It means you’re not allowed to know.”
“You sure don’t act like a business woman,” Kale muttered under his breath.
The woman, however, heard him quite clearly. “Now where’s the fun in acting all stiff and ‘professional?’” She asked with a grin.
Kale sighed and laid his head back against his chair. The woman’s smile faded a bit as she calmed down. “You know, you probably should get some more sleep. We won’t be landing until tomorrow night.”
“I’m not tired,” the boy replied softly. His mind had wandered back over the dream. “Memory,” he corrected himself under his breath.
“What was that?” It was Mu’s turn to be curious.
“Nothing.”
“Oh, come now, boy. Tell me.”
A sly grin crossed Kale’s face. “Ok…but first you have to tell me your classified job.”
“Nice try,” Mu replied, as she pushed her glasses back. She immediately stuck her tongue out at him afterwards. The boy just laughed, as did Mu, much to the annoyance of their fellow passengers, most of who were trying to sleep.
Silence reigned between them after their laughter subsided. The woman had gone back to working on her laptop. Kale, on the other hand, just put his headphones back on. He closed his eyes as the sound of metal filled his ears once again. Despite his claim of not being tired, it wasn’t long until the boy fell back asleep, his mind once again wandering in the world of dreams.
***
The boy sat on the make shift cot in his cell, arm wrapped around his legs, head resting on his knees. A single candle was lit near him, yet it provided only a faint light. Three guards were posted outside of his cell, not that they could handle him if he tried to escape. Grunts, the guards were. They were there during his battle. They saw what he was capable of…and they feared him, feared his ability.
After the boy slew his comrades, the guards arrested him and escorted him down to the palace dungeons. The boy had gone quietly, much to the surprise of the guards. As far as the boy was concerned, there’d be no point in trying to escape. Where could he go? Only death awaited him back home. His actions tonight had assured that. Here at the castle though…he did not know for sure…yet he expected death here as well. After all, his original mission was to assassinate Mercury’s princess. In his mind, it was doubtful they’d let an assassin live, even one as young as himself.
“Is this the boy?” a woman’s voice asked.
The young assassin looked up to see a woman dressed in regal armor. The armor was a bluish color and had the symbol of Mercury etched over her heart. She also sported a dark blue cape attached to the top portions of her spaulders. The woman was looking right at him with piercing, steal blue eyes, a curious look on her face. Surprised, no doubt, that the intruder she had heard so much about tonight was really just a child. She appeared young, around mid twenties. Her blonde hair fell a few inches below her shoulders. At her side was a sheathed long sword. It was obvious that she was a knight of the castle.
“Yes, Lady Hrist,” one of the guards replied.
“The king wishes to see him. Release him.”
“Wha…what?” the guard asked dumbfounded.
“You heard me,” the knight said sharply as she glared at the guard. How dare he question the king’s order. “Now do it.”
“Yes ma’am,” the guard whispered softly.
The boy stood as the cell door was opened. A guard entered the cell with a pair of shackles. He too was afraid of the boy. Regardless, he put the shackles on him and led him out of the cell. As before, the boy allowed himself to be taken.
“Follow me,” the woman said. She turned on her heel and led them out of the dungeons. The boy followed suit. Behind him were the guards to his cell.
It had only been a few hours since his battle, yet word had spread all over the castle about his actions. As they passed, servants and nobles alike looked at him with mixed expressions. Some were of awe and shock that the icy warrior was really just a child. A few were even looks of thanks for, as they heard the story, protecting their princess. The rest, however, were looks of fear. Fear of his ability, fear that he would turn around and attempt to kill them all, despite being shackled. The boy, however, paid no attention to them. His eyes were focused only on the back of the knight in front of him.
Several minutes passed before they reached their destination: the throne room. The room was filled with nobles and knights. The woman, Lady Hrist, led the boy to the center of the room. She had the guards unshackle the boy and dismissed them. She gave the boy one last curious look, face to face, then moved to stand by the thrones with her fellow knights.
“All kneel,” a voice rang out, “for his honorable majesty, King Hermes, his beloved wife, Queen Chione, and their lovely daughter, Princess Anticlea.”
Everyone present around the assassin did just that as the king entered, followed by his wife and child. The boy, much to the anger of the nobles, remained standing. He knew not this king, nor owed him any loyalty. The nobles rose as one when the royal family took their seats. The king and queen were on the thrones in the very center of the raised platform they were seated on. On the queen’s left, the princess was seated, dressed as she was earlier.
“Kneel, boy,” one of the nearby knights growled at the assassin. The boy did not comply, causing the knight’s anger to rise. “I said ‘kneel,’” the knight growled again.
“No,” the boy replied quietly.
The knight was taken back in surprise, which quickly gave way to his mounting anger. “What did you say?” he asked in a deathly whisper.
“I said no,” the boy replied, a tad bit louder.
“Insolent child! You will pay the king your respects.”
The assassin turned to look at the knight then. “He’s not my king.”
That set the knight off. He quickly stomped towards the boy and pushed him to the ground. “Show respect to your superiors!” the knight shouted.
The whole court was in uproar at the scene until the king spoke loudly, “Leave him be, Adonis.”
“Your majesty,” the knight began, still enraged at the boy’s complete lack of respect, “you allow him to show such disrespect for you? He deserves to be punished for such insolence!”
“He is just a child, Adonis.”
The knight clenched his gauntlet covered hand into a fist, shaking with anger. He wanted nothing more than to have the boy flogged for such disrespect, yet the king had made it clear that no punishment would be given. Despite his belief in the boy’s punishment, he could not bring himself to directly disobey his king. Instead, he grabbed the back of the boy’s collar in an attempt to pull him to his feet…but that would not be.
The young assassin pulled away from him in an attempt to get away. The sound of fabric ripping soon filled the hall until finally, the knight’s cry of surprise and a loud thud of armor filled the throne room. The boy moved forward a few steps and immediately spun around to face the knight. The back of his shirt had been ripped down the middle. The boy quickly took the rest of his ruined shirt off and sunk into a combat crouch, an icy mist just starting to form around his hands.
Cries of horror erupted around him then, from behind and to his right. People gaped and pointed at him. On his right arm, just below the shoulder, was the mark of the assassin’s guild he belonged to. The symbol was of a snake forming the letters S and M with the top part of the S leading into the M, rather than the letters separate. That wasn’t what caused the cries on his right, however. It was how it was made. It looked as if someone took a dagger and actually carved the symbol into his arm.
The royal family and the nobles facing his back weren’t having much of a better view. The boy’s backside was riddled with scars from the constant floggings he had received from his guildsmen during the course of his short life. The queen covered her daughter’s eyes to shield her from such an atrocity, while one of the nearby knights tried to shield her ears from the cries.
Even the knight that had grabbed him, Adonis, lowered his head in shame and anger. He had see the boy’s back when he fell, saw the scars. It was shame for his own actions and anger not at the boy’s insolence, but at the as yet unknown monster that scarred the boy. In spite of all this, the young assassin refused to lower his guard to this man.
“Boy…” a voice began shakily, “who did this to you?” It was Lady Hrist, her voice shaking from rage. She sounded ready to kill, so great was her anger.
The boy lowered his guard, finally, but did not answer.
“Tell me who,” Hrist pressed. Her voice was starting to crack as her rage continued to build.
The boy only lowered his head.
The king stood up and addressed the boy himself. “What is your name, child?” he asked softly.
“Isa,” the boy replied. His tone held no emotion.
“Where are you from, Isa?”
“Assassins do not have homes.”
The whole court was in uproar over that. There were calls of “arrest him” and “execute him!” The knights near the throne moved in front of the royal family so as to protect them should the need arise. Only Hrist stayed where she was, studying the boy. The king was doing the same. He raised his hand, signaling that he wanted silence. After a while, the court complied. “Are you an assassin?,” he asked cautiously.
“Yes.”
“Are you here on a mission?”
“Yes.”
“What is your mission?”
The boy raised his head and looked the king in the eye. “Eliminate the princess of Mercury,” he replied loudly.
The court once again burst into an uproar. More and more nobles were calling for the boy’s execution. “Silence!” the king shouted. “There will be no execution!” The king focused on the boy this time. He was pegging this boy as being a mere puppet, rather than a true killer. He was hoping his judgment would prove correct. When the court finally quieted again, he resumed the boy’s questioning. “Why did you not complete your mission?”
The entire court was shocked into silence by that question. “Your majesty,” one of the knights began.
“Let the boy answer,” the king said, cutting that the knight off.
“I…don’t know,” the boy said, lowering his head. In truth, he really didn’t know why he didn’t kill the girl when he had the chance. Nor did he really know why he turned on his superiors. Despite being so young, the boy was no stranger to killing. He had killed before this mission. What was it about this girl that made her different than the rest? What was it that kept him from killing her like he had his previous victims?
The boy’s confusion was obvious to everyone present, especially to the king and Hrist. He may be an assassin, but he is still a child, the king thought to himself. “Have you killed before, Isa?” the king asked after a moment’s silence.
“Yes,” the boy replied, still lost in confusion.
“What kind of people have you killed?”
“Traitors to the guild: those that killed their own, thieves, rapists, spies, those who sold their people out.”
“I see…” The king thought for a moment. “Have you ever killed children, Isa?”
“No,” the boy replied.
“Have you ever killed anyone that was pure and innocent?”
It was the boy’s turn to think now. “No…” he said after a while. Is that what stopped him? “My master says there is no such thing as purity and innocence…”
“Your master is wrong, Isa. If purity and innocence were false concepts, than why didn’t you kill my daughter? By your master’s logic, she is no better than the thieves and murderers you have slain”
“I don’t know…”
The king remained silent for a bit, then changed the topic slightly. “Those two men…were they a part of your guild? Why did you kill them?”
“Yes, they were. They came along in case I failed in my mission…they were going to kill the princess…and me too, for failing my mission.”
Hrist’s voice broke into the king’s interrogation. “Were they the ones that gave you those scars?”
“One of them was,” the boy replied. A small smile touched his lips as he recalled what he did to that particular elder.
The king smiled. His earlier theory was turning out to be true. The boy really was a puppet. This guild he has mentioned must’ve conditioned him to be this way, to be a killer. Those scars must be punishment for acting out as his own person rather than just a pawn.
The king’s train of thought was soon cut off by Hrist’s sudden outburst. “Your majesty,” she called as she kneeled before her king.
“Yes, Lady Hrist?” He asked with a hint of surprise.
“Please sire, release the boy into my custody,” Hrist replied. The response shocked the entire court, Isa included. Once again, the demands of “execution” and “imprisonment,” now joined by calls of “grant her request,” rang throughout the court as the lords and ladies argued over the fate of the young assassin.
The king raised his hand, signaling that he wanted silence. “Hrist, are you fully aware of what you are asking?” he asked gravely.
“Sire, if we let him go, he’ll be vulnerable to his guild. You saw his back, just as I did. He’ll likely receive far worse than even that for his failure here. He’ll likely be tortured and killed for it. I can not, in good conscience, stand idly by and allow that to happen. I beseech you, your highness. Please…allow him to stay here under my care.”
Silence reigned through the throne room as the king thought this over. Several minutes past by. “Lady Hrist. Are you prepared to accept full responsibility for this child?”
“Yes, your highness,” the knight replied without hesitation.
“Very well. Your request shall be granted. You shall have custody over the boy. May your guidance and wisdom break the darkness that surrounds the boy.”
“Thank you, your majesty,” Hrist said. She stood up then and turned to face Isa again, smiling warmly at him.
“This audience is concluded,” the king said as he signaled for his family to rise. They did so and as, the royal family left throne room, followed by their attendants. The nobles waited for the royal family to leave, then they too left. Soon it was just Isa standing there completely dumbfounded by the events, and Hrist, still smiling warmly. Only one thought crossed the boy's mind. What just happened?
***
Just a note on the names here, in case people get confused. I wanted to try and keep with the Greek and Roman mythological references (or at least that's what I've been seeing in the series and read about) in the series with these names. I would think most people know this, but in case there are some that don't, Hermes = Greek version of the Roman Mercury (the way I understand it, Hermes came first). Chione is a snow nymph in Greek mythology that was a consort to Hermes. Anticlea = past Ami. Since Mamoru and Usagi had different names in the past and, from my understanding, the rest of the scouts didn't have an alternate name mentioned, nor was it said they kept their real names, I figured I had free reign with this...and my proof reader liked the idea, so...
Anyway, Anticlea is the granddaughter of Hermes and Chionne in Greek lore, used because I could not find the name of any daughter the two had.
Questions and comments are welcome (here and pm), hope all readers have been enjoying this story so far.
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Post by skati on Jul 6, 2007 9:27:10 GMT
Chapter 3
It had been several hours since Isa’s audience with the king, an audience which ended with him being pardoned by the king himself and adopted by Lady Hrist, the captain of the Mercurial Royal Guard. After the audience, Hrist had escorted him to one of the palace’s many guest rooms to rest.
He was left there with no guards. No attempt was made to ensure that he would not try to escape. A little while later, a servant appeared with fresh clothes for him: dark blue slacks and a white shirt. They were a little loose on him, but they weren’t as comfortable as what he arrived in. The hours had passed as he was left to his own thoughts. He questioned why, why he was unable to complete his mission.
It was all so confusing for him. Was the king right? Had his master implanted false truths in him from the beginning? Did innocence and purity really exist, despite his master’s claims? And the biggest question of all for him…was it the girl’s innocence that prevented him from killing her? There was only one thing Isa was sure of: he will never be able to return to his guild again.
Isa shook his head in anger. He had to leave here. He had no idea where he would go, only that he had to leave. He tried the door to his room, surprised that it opened with no resistance. He would’ve thought they’d at least make some attempt at keeping him confined. Now knowing that they didn’t, the boy left his room.
Isa moved quickly, yet quietly, through the castle as he made his escape. Years of training that was literally beaten into him was now being put to good use. Everywhere he could, Isa would stick to the shadows, especially when there were guards around. None of them ever noticed him, so quiet, was he.
If he had really wanted to, the boy could’ve easily snuck up on the guards and slay them without them ever knowing he was there. Instead, Isa let them be. It would not do for him to start a battle with the palace guards, warriors with unknown skill. The young assassin continued to move quietly through the castle. Unbeknownst to him, however, was a shadow, moving just as quietly, tailing him.
After a long while of moving cautiously through the castle, Isa finally reached the roof. He was soon able to find an area without any guards patrolling, an area close enough to a tree for him to escape. He was about to make the jump when a woman’s voice called out to him, “Isa.”
The boy swiftly turned to face the speaker, raising his hands in preparation for a fight. The speaker, however, crossed her arms and looked at him compassionately. That look confused Isa. He had no idea how to react to it, so he went with the only emotion he could think of. “Hrist,” the boy snarled. “Do you really think you can arrest me again, all by yourself?”
“If,” Hrist began as she took a step towards the boy, “I had wanted to have you arrested, I would’ve done so back in the castle.”
“Then why didn’t you?” Isa snapped. An icy mist began to form around his fists.
“I was curious. Curious about where you were going.”
The mist was growing colder as it continued to freeze, becoming more solid. “Away from here.”
“And where will you go after your escape?”
Isa hesitated. “I…don’t know,” he replied, his anger vanishing. He dropped his guard then, the mist that had been freezing only seconds before vanished. The ice that did solidify fell to the ground and shattered.
“You don’t have to leave, Isa. You can stay here, with us.”
Isa’s earlier anger had returned. “And wait to be executed? I don’t think so,” he snarled.
“Did you not hear the king? It was his decree that you be spared.”
“He could’ve been lying, trying to make me think I’ll be spared, gain my trust, then kill me when I’m not expecting it.”
“You’re not going to be executed,” Hrist replied softly. She noted the boy’s confusion returning and continued, “You never were. My king is not a monster like your guild.” Her voice was full of venom when she referred to Isa’s people. “He would never execute a child, even if that child is an assassin.”
“But…I was sent to kill his daughter…”
“Yet you didn’t. You saved her instead.” A soft smile appeared on the older woman’s face. “You said it yourself earlier, remember? Those two men from your guild would’ve killed her if you hadn’t fought them off.”
Isa lowered his head. “I just did it to save myself…”
“And you sparing the princess…was that also just to save yourself?”
“I…don’t know…”
“What will you do if your guild decides to come after you?” Hrist asked, changing the subject.
“Fight them off,” the boy replied, his confusion now replaced with an air of defiance.
“Do you really think you’ll survive?”
“No…but it’d be better to die fighting than to die a coward.”
Hrist looked at Isa with a look of sorrow. “You’re just a child,” she said softly. “You should’ve never been fighting in the first place.” Silence reigned between them for several moments. During that time, Hrist continued to watch the boy as his head lowered again.
A calm breeze stirred the boy’s hair as he slowly lifted his head to face the woman. That same sorrowful look was still in her eyes. “I can’t,” She started after a long silence, “force you to stay here with us. In the end, you have to do only what you feel is right for yourself. Stay here with us, where we can protect you from your guild or go into hiding and face those monsters alone when they come after you. The choice is yours.”
Hrist turned around then, heading back into the castle. Isa was left alone. He thought about all that had happened this night, about her words. There was no denying the fact that the knight was right. His guild will come after him. He would have to face them eventually. The boy took a slow step in the direction Hrist left, then another, and another. Isa had finally made his decision, though he knew not where this new path would lead him.
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Post by skati on Aug 14, 2007 23:03:28 GMT
Chapter 4
Kale awoke to the sound of the captain’s voice, announcing they were to land soon. He didn’t think it was possible, but he actually remained asleep this time, all the way to this night. His dream had taken an odd turn, to say the least. More and more, he was starting to wonder if it really was a memory…
“I thought you weren’t tired,” a woman’s voice playfully said, breaking him away from his thoughts.
“I wasn’t,” the blue haired boy replied to the woman next to him. He gave the woman, Mu, a glare. That had the opposite effect of what Kale was intending. That was evidenced by her widening smile.
Whatever retort she was going to make was quickly cut off by the captain’s voice again, this time asking everyone to put their seat belts on. The seat belt light, likewise, lit up, giving those who couldn’t hear the captain a visual cue. All around the boy, everyone, himself included, was doing exactly as instructed. Those with laptops turned them off and placed them in a secure place. A little bit after everyone finished, the plane began its descent.
It wasn’t much longer til the plane itself landed. From there, it was a slow process of gathering belongings and heading towards the door with a tired, pushy crowd. The captain’s voice spoke over the crowd, thanking them for flying with the airline.
A few minutes later, Kale entered the terminal gate. He pulled the picture of his host out of his pocket and started scanning the crowd around him, trying to find her in the mass of bodies. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a sign with his name on it. He turned in that direction and saw the sign more clearly. Kale felt a hand grasp his shoulder as he started to move and Mu’s voice whisper in his ear, “Stay out of trouble, boy.”
Kale turned his head to face her, his mouth already starting to form a retort…but she was gone. Kale looked all around him, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. It was as if she had just vanished.
Kale sighed to himself and turned once again towards the sign with his name on it. This time, he wasn’t stopped as he made his way through the crowd, pushing and shoving when shoved himself. After a while, he finally broke through the worst of the crowd and reached the sign. In front of him was the blue haired girl from the photo, Ami. She was dressed simply, a white shirt and a blue skirt. The girl welcomed Kale with a warm smile.
There were two other people with her. One was an elder girl with flowing, sea green hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a simple aqua colored dress and matching heels. Even in simple clothes, the girl seemed to project an aura of pure elegance. A small smile touched her lips, though it wasn’t the friendly kind. It was more like the smile a watchful parent gives to an unfit suitor.
The other was a boy that looked about the same age as the taller girl. He was the one that held the sign. He had short blonde hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in blue slacks with a matching blue jacket and a gold shirt. He didn’t bother hiding his hostility to the boy, evidenced by the clear frown on his face.
Kale himself was dressed in a pair of baggy, dark blue jeans, with a chain attached, and a black shirt. Over the shirt, he wore a black leather jacket. He also wore a silver chain around his neck with a vertical bar as a pendant.
“Ami Mizuno?” Kale asked.
The blue haired girl nodded. “You must be Kale,” she said cheerfully.
“Yeah,” Kale said with a smile. “Are these your siblings?” he asked as he looked at the girl’s two companions.
“No,” the boy roughly replied before anyone else could. His voice was a bit high for a boy’s. Kale, however, dismissed that. It wasn’t the first time he was around a boy older than him with a high pitched voice.
“They’re friends,” Ami picked up. “Haruka,” she said as she motioned towards the boy, “and Michiru. My mother was busy at work, so she couldn’t be here herself. Haruka and Michiru agreed to come in her stead.”
“I see,” Kale replied. “Nice to meet you all.”
Unknown to them all, however, was that they were being watched. Not too far away, a group of four girls was spying on them. All of them were teenagers. The group consisted of a raven haired girl, a tall, brown haired girl with a ponytail, and two blondes, one with a red bow in her hair, the other with two large, meatball shaped locks of hair on her head.
***
“Hey, he’s even cuter in person!” Minako loudly whispered as she eyed Kale from afar.
She, Usagi, Rei, and Makoto had followed Ami to the airport, via a bus, and through the terminal. At the gate, they hid behind a row of bushes, put in to try and give the gate a more scenic look. All four of them had taken a strong interest in the foreign boy.
“Yeah, he is!” Usagi yelled.
“You already have a boyfriend, Usagi,” Rei whispered coldly. “You’re not allowed to comment on other guys.”
“I can too!” Usagi whined.
“No, you can’t!” Rei shot back. This time her tone was harsher.
“Can too!”
“Can’t!”
“Can!”
“Can’t!”
The two of them continued liked that for a while, Usagi getting whinier and whinier each time as Rei got harsher and harsher. Soon the verbal argument stopped, being replaced by both girls sticking their tongues out at each other.
“Hey you two, keep it down,” Minako whispered to the two of them. “We don’t want Ami to catch us.”
“But Rei is being mean to me again!” Usagi shot back as tears started to well up in her eyes. It wasn’t long before she started to outright bawl.
In the midst of all of this, Makoto still eyed the dark haired boy dreamily. “He looks like my old boyfriend,” she murmured softly, dreamily.
Usagi suddenly stopped bawling and was so dumbfounded by Makoto’s comment that she actually fell on the floor. Minako and Rei just sighed in exasperation at the tall girl’s comment.
“Look,” Rei began as she started to calm down, “they’re leaving now.”
Usagi perked right up at that. “Come on, let’s follow!”
“Usagi…” Rei muttered, her anger rising again.
Despite it all, the four of them once again started to follow Ami.
***
Kale and his newfound companions left the gateway and went to the counter to get his passport checked out by the immigration officer and to fill out an arrival card. From there, they proceeded to the baggage claim section, then to customs. It was as they were leaving customs that they heard the scream.
From that one scream, came dozens more. It wasn’t long before a large crowd began running from the direction of the lobby. Haruka and Michiru looked at each other with concern.
“Oh no,” Ami murmured softly.
Kale turned to look at her. “What is it?” he asked with a rough voice.
Ami didn’t say anything more. She just stood there with a hand to her mouth, looking at him with worry. Kale frowned. He decided he’d find out for himself what was going on. With his mind made up, he turned and pushed and shoved his way through the crowd.
“Kale, no! Come back!” Ami called.
Kale just barely heard her. However, he didn’t stop running. His mind was made up. Something had scared all of these people senseless and he was going to find out what that something was and deal with it. What he saw when he arrived at the source, however, was not what he expected at all.
At first glance, it appeared to be a normal stewardess pushing a cart. It was her voice that gave the first hint of something off. “Aaah, a willing sacrifice,” she said in a raspy voice.
Kale smirked. “Not really,” he said as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “I just wanted to see what everyone was so afraid of.”
“You should run, boy. Run like the rest of the cattle.” The stewardess lifted her head up and grinned.
The stewardess was human like in appearance, for the most part. Her skin was a bright pink and she had long, white hair. Her neon blue eyes promised a world of pain for the impudent boy in front of her.
Kale, however, wasn’t scared at all by this creature. How could he be scared of something so ridiculous looking? The boy couldn’t help himself. He laughed at her. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said in between laughs. “You’re what scared everyone away?”
The creature was not amused. “What are you laughing at, boy?” she snarled.
“You,” Kale replied. He was beginning to regain control of himself. “You don’t scare me at all,” he said with a grin. The boy stood tall, despite the creature’s glare.
“You,” the creature began, “I’ll make you pay, boy!” She literally shook from anger.
“Bring it,” Kale said with a smile. He took his right hand out of his pocket and held it at his side, fist clenched. A very faint mist began to swirl around it. The area around the two grew colder. Both of them eyed each other, waiting for the right time to strike.
The creature made the first attack. She reached inside her cart and pulled out what looked to be a peanut bag. “Try some of this, boy!” she shouted as she threw it in Kale's direction.
The boy did nothing, not even flinch. The mist that had once surrounded just his hand enveloped his entire body, freezing the area immediately around him. Tiny shards of ice fell and shattered on the ground.
The bag itself struck the ground just outside the mist and exploded. Kale smiled wide as the erupting smoke obscured vision. Several pieces of peanut shrapnel flew in every direction. As for the creature, she smiled at her own handiwork. “Stupid boy. Now your energy belongs to my master.”
“No it doesn't,” came an arrogant voice. The smoke cleared and revealed the boy, completely untouched. In front of him was a mass of ice, enclosing the shrapnel that flew towards him.
“Wha, what!?” the creature cried. “Impossible!”
Kale didn't reply. His only response was to shatter the ice block with a fist, launching his own barrage of shrapnel. His smile widened as the creature didn't even bother hiding. It just stood there in pure shock, amazed that her attack failed. Several small, barely visible, to the naked eye, cuts were made on her body and clothes.
A few moments after the icy barrage, the creature regained her resolve. “Arrogant boy,” she snarled. “Stupid boy!” she yelled. The creature pulled out another peanut bomb and raised it high, murder in her eyes.
“Hold it!” a new voice yelled.
Both Kale and the monster turned in the direction of the voice. Kale's face fell when he saw them. “What?” he muttered to himself. There were four girls, all dressed in sailor outfits with skirts of differing colors. Kale noted red, green, orange, and one with a yellow, black, and red skirt. That one was the one that spoke and Kale assumed she was the leader. She had a pair of white wings on her back. They're actually going to fight in that, Kale wondered to himself.
“How dare you attack people that are waiting on their friends and families,” the winged girl picked up. She did various poses as she spoke her next words. “In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!” She stopped on her last pose. The girls behind her also did their own poses when their leader did.
“You will not interfere with my master's plan!” the creature yelled at these nosy girls. She still had the bag in her hand. Anger clouded her vision and she completely forgot about the boy. Without even thinking twice about it, she threw the bag at the group of girls. They all fled, the bag hitting the area they once stood...and exploded.
The girls were definitely surprised by this. They were all hard pressed to evade the shrapnel. “Hey, hey! That's cheating,” the winged girl whined. The creature's only response was to throw more bags at her and the other girls, all except one.
The red skirt girl found herself in the creature's blind spot. Seeing her chance, she held her hand at her side. “Mars!” she yelled as a burst of flame appeared in the palm of her hand. “Flame!” she continued as what appeared to be a bow made of fire appeared. She pulled back on an invisible string, holding in place a burning arrow. “Sniper!” she yelled as she let go of the “string.”
The arrow shot towards the creature and struck her in the neck. She screamed as the flame consumed her. In the end, all that was left of her was her cart and a pile of ash where the creature once stood.
The woman in red turned towards Kale then, frowning at him. She eyed him as if she thought he was an idiot. Whatever she was thinking was soon interrupted by the winged girl. “I was about to get her!” she whined.
The frown on the other girl's face quickly gave way to anger and annoyance. She turned on the winged girl swiftly with a retort of “you were too busy running away!”
“No I wasn't!”
“Yes you were! If it weren't for me, you'd still be running!”
“Sailor Mars is so mean!” the winged girl whined, tears streaming down her face.
In the midst of this, Kale felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned his head in acknowledgement and saw Ami there, a worried look on her face. “Are you ok, Kale?” she asked with a voice just as worrisome.
“Yeah, I'm fine,” Kale replied. “These girls,” he said as he nodded towards the two bickering girls and their two team mates, “stepped in.”
“It's a good thing they did. There's no telling what would've happened to you if they hadn't.” Ami lowered her head. Silence passed between them for a moment. “Kale...this city has a history of...danger. While you're here, please try to avoid that danger at any cost. Please, don't try to be a hero.”
Kale remained quiet. He wondered what she meant by a “history of danger,” but didn't press the issue. He turned his head to look at the girls again...only to see that they had left.
“Come on,” Ami said after a while. “Let's go.” She smiled as Kale turned his attention back to her.
The two did just that, meeting back up with Haruka and Michiru. Out of the corner of his eye, Kale thought he saw a raven fly past him.
***
Off in a darkened corner of the lobby, a pair of eyes eyed the boy intently. It had seen the entire thing: his fight, then the girls’. It was obvious that the boy had power. How much power though? That was the question that plagued the figure. It had a feeling that the boy didn’t use anything close to his real potential.
It recognized the power that those girls held too. That came as a surprise to the figure, given the odd outfits they chose to fight in. Who had the most power though, the creature couldn’t say for sure. It was something that would have to be investigated further.
At any rate, the figure was sure its master would be very interested in these individuals. The figure smiled in the darkness as a faint wind started to blow around it. In a quick, violent burst of that wind, the figure was gone.
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