City of Dreams- Entry 1 - City of Grey
Mokona knew he couldn't stall any longer. Yuko would be mad if he didn't find the object she wanted contained. He stood at the gate of the City of Dreams. He was unsure about the task laid out before him, but he knew deep down that it was going to be the most important thing he has accomplished, besides helping Sakura retrieve her feathers. He took a step towards the massive wrought-iron gate and took a deep breath, "Mokona...you have to go in...No other way..." He floated up to the bell, being he wasn't tall enough to reach it, and he pulled the cord.
"DING DONG," the bell rang out. It resonated for a few minutes then all was silent again. Mokona hovered near the bell, just in case no one answered. A slat in the wall opened up and a deep voice flowed forth from it saying, "What is your name and what do you wish of this city?" Mokona floated towards the slat, "Mokona Modoki, sir. I am here to...find something."
"Many come to find something, child. However, what is it you search for?" the voice asked. "Mokona wants to find... ("Mokona was told not to say what it was")...an old friend!" Mokona exclaimed. "What is this friend's name?" the voice asks. "Err..." Mokona was confused by the question. He had not really thought that far ahead, but he did have one friend he missed more than anything. "He goes by many names, sir. I am unsure of the one he is using, so I do not think that will be particularly..." Mokona's explanation petered out. "Understood, you will be allowed three days to find your friend. If you want more time you will need payment. Payment equal to the time you need."
Mokona gulped. ("Three days?") , he thought, ("That's not enough time to find it...") He looked at the slat. "Yes sir," Mokona replied. The wrought-iron gate creaked open and inside Mokona saw one of the bleakest looking cities he had ever seen. ("The City of Dreams? Looks more like a nightmare!") Mokona thought to himself. He slowly floats in, as the gate closes behind him. The thin fog in the air made it difficult to see a great distance. The buildings were a dull grey and there wasn't much flora to be seen. It looked almost as if it was built for function rather than form. "I'd better get my search done quickly, this view is depressing..." he stated aloud.
A while later, a chill wind blew through the area. Mokona had been searching for hours, but had gotten nowhere. He had the nagging feeling he was lost. "Everything looks the same!" he shouts in frustration. His shout echoed though the area, a hollow empty echo. He had been wandering for a while and still had yet to see signs of life. He saw no trees, no flowers, no pets, not even people. He was beginning to feel lonely. He also wasn't even sure how much time he had left. He looked up at the sky, and all he saw were grey clouds spanning from horizon to horizon. "This place...is not a happy place, "he states. An obvious observation, but one he felt he had to make. He did not like the dark place and he wanted to get out. The only problem was...which way was out?
Mokona's stomach growled and he frowned. He had decided to walk around a bit more, but once again, two hours later, the result was the same. He was beginning to think he would never see the light of day again. He thought of Fai and his delicious food and his eyes began to tear up. "Gah...why...why is this place so confusing..." Mokona asked the surrounding area. As expected, it did not reply.
Mokona's ears suddenly perk up, "Hello?" The sound he was hearing stopped. He waited for a reply, and when it didn't come he tried again, "Hello?" The sound started up again. It seemed almost as if it was getting closer. He eventually realized that the noise was footsteps. Whoever it was didn't seem particularly interested in stealth, and this slightly disturbed Mokona. He shook off that feeling, thinking ("I might finally meet another person in this place!")
It was dark by now, so by the time the figure came into view, Mokona could not see much detail, but he assumed it was female. "How did you get here?" the figure asked, sounding curious. "I haven't seen many outsiders around here...so..." Mokona looked up, "Uh...yeah...I'm lost, and can you help me?" The figure cocked their head, "Lost? Well...where is it you are trying to go?" "Anywhere with people, light, and food..." Mokona passed out from exhaustion, cutting short his statement. The figure then reached down and gingerly picked Mokona up and carried him off.