Chichirifan: Okay, here's the deal. I got tired of trying to fix & write more chapters of the story "The Forgotten Star" so I decided to get rid of it all & start from the beginning...again. And I'm sorry if my writing isn't as good as it use to but I'm trying my best to get back in shape. Hopefully, I won't be so out of sync. So yes, there will be changes to it & who knows? It might be better! Only obstacle I have is a writer's block but I mostly got over it. Keyword: MOSTLY. I also decided to change the name Des to Terrabi 'cause it kept pissing me off. Sorry guys, but hey, it won't change who she is. And, like always, all the FY stuff, including its characters, do not belong to me. Anyway, let's get this party started! Wish me luck! ...No, seriously, please wish me luck. ^_^'
Thoughts - 'blah, blah, blah'
Sign language - 'blah, blah, blah'
Paper - (blah, blah, blah)
-Chapter 1: Silence-
The weather was normal, bright and sunny with some clouds floating about, making it a pretty nice afternoon day. The city below was running its course like normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Cars driving, people walking, stores... err, being stores. But this isn't where our story begins.
The story begins as we settle on a young black-haired girl with white bangs, who is, apparently, being nursed for an injury.
"Now what did I tell you?"
"..."
"Didn't I say not to overdo it? Hmmmm?"
The look on the odd-haired girl told her that her friend didn't appreciate her berating. As she wrapped the bandages on the girl's injured wrist, she continued. "I told you not to push it for a little while after you went to the martial arts tournament yesterday, but no, you HAD to beat up some random guys on the street!" The blonde scolded before finishing up her task.
The girl, who had said nothing as of yet, flexed her wrist a bit to test if she could still use it then turned her attention back to the girl before moving her hands into many signs.
'They were yakuza.'
"But you didn't have to fight them!"
'They were drunk and tried to pick a fight with me.'
"But if you didn't fight, you wouldn't have fractured a bone!"
Silently, she huffed at this. 'What else was I gonna do? Let them beat me up for back talking, even though I didn't?!'
The blonde sighed and leaned back into her seat, pinching the bridge of her nose to stop the on-coming headache. "Still. But anyway, never mind that. What are you going to do now that you fractured your wrist?" She asked. With a shrug, the quiet female stood up from her position on the couch and walked out of the living room towards the front door, grabbing her bag from the floor next to it and hooking its ropes over her left shoulder before turning to the blonde, who had followed her. Smiling a little, she moved her hands once more. 'I'm gonna go to the library for a bit.'
"Again? Do you need help?"
'Nah, I can handle it. Thanks, though.'
"Okay, if you're sure. So I guess I'll see ya later." The girl smiled.
'Yeah. Later.'
Just as she opened the door and was about to leave, her friend spoke up again. "Don't get yourself into any more trouble, Terrabi-chan."
Not missing a beat, the girl known as "Terrabi" grinned as she waved her hand over her shoulder before taking off into the streets of Tokyo. She walked across streets and through crowds of busy people in effort to make it to her destination, eager to find a new book that would intrigue her interest. Though it's not likely for she had been doing this for the past three months straight. But she remembered hearing about a new library opening not too far from her position so maybe, just maybe, they would have some books to suit her tastes.
'Man! I hope I don't get tricked like last time. I still can't shake off those images in my head!'
She shuddered at the remembrance of the last book she read before pushing it far into the dark corners of her mind and continued down her path to the new library.
It didn't take long before Terrabi had finally arrived to the desired building after her visit to her friend's house. 'Wow! It's so HUGE!' She thought with a grin before moving towards it. As she walked in the seemingly untouched library, she gave a quick sweep through of what she could see. Like any other library, it was filled to the brim with thousands of books as far as the eye can see, which were neatly stacked in rows of shelves. A grin grew on her lips as she casually walked further inside the building, practically skipping down each aisle.
Two hours had passed and still, she had not found any book of any interest as she scanned over the titles and even looked through a couple pages. 'This sucks! Why aren't there any good books nowadays? Is it too much to ask for?! Geez! How hard is it to find just ONE book?!' She thought angrily, closing the book with a deep sigh. Just when she placed it back in its place, a thought came over her.
Why did she need a book?
Sure, she loves to read a good book. But so does everyone else. Nothing out of the usual there.
So where did this feeling, this urge come from?
When did she start this obsession?
Why?
Now that she thinks about it, she doesn't have a reason. Not one. It just... happened.
So... why is she still looking?
Frustrated and utterly confused, Terrabi stormed her way to the front to leave after nearly shoving the book in its slot, intending to come back to try some other time.
But Fate can be such a bitch.
Before she came within ten feet of the exit, she blinked when she saw something tiny and bright like a star in-between the automatic sliding doors. Confused, she moved closer, but leapt back in fright when the "star" grew to a large, red... something before it flew up in front of her. She gave a silent scream of surprise as she fell on her backside, scared out of her wits at the overwhelming sight. Her actions caught the attention of some visitors and even the librarian at the desk, but she paid no heed to them as her eyes were trained on the red thing in front of her. But just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared when sparkles of red floated to and up the stairs to her left before losing sight of it.
She continued to stare at the direction it had gone from her spot on the floor, unable to register what just happened.
'Oooookaaaaay. Now I'm seeing things that aren't suppose to be there. I'm pretty sure that red cloud or whatever it is was just my imagination. Wait, doesn't that mean I'm going crazy? Gah!'
Shaking her head, she got back to her feet, being careful not to aggravate her injury, and waved off a couple people who witnessed her odd behavior and asked if she was alright. Though it was fruitless as they didn't understand sign language, but managed as she took out some notebook paper and pen to write on to assure them before they went about their way. Once left alone, the girl turned to look back the stairway to which the thing had taken refuge, unsure of what to do other than walking a bit closer until she stood at the bottom of it.
'What was that thing? Should I go up there? Or should I tell someone about it? No, no, they'll just think I'm crazy or something. ... Okay, maybe I am, but st-'
"Come to me..."
Jumping in fright, Terrabi whirled around so fast, nearly snapping her neck as she tried to find the source of the elegant voice, only to realize that it seemed to come from upstairs. 'What the hell was THAT?! First, a red cloud and now a mysterious voice?! I'm freaking out here!'
Glancing up at the stairs for a moment, she turned her gaze to the tile floor beneath her feet, pondering on what her next course of actions that she should take. One side wanted to go find out what the red cloud was and where it came from, but the other part of her said she should just leave it alone. But, of course, her curiosity won over her common sense as she slowly made her way up the stairs. It only took a minute for she reached the second floor before she stared down an empty hallway. Even though there was nothing unusual, it held a certain creepiness to it.
Or it might just be that she's still rattled by the earlier events that took place not even ten minutes ago. 'I wonder what that was. It probably really was my imagination. Maybe I should talk to that therapist that Ayano told me about.'
"Hurry...! Come to me."
Giving a soundless squeak, her eyes darted around for the voice once more.
'Okay! I'm hearing voices in my head! Yeah, that's it! I'm just losing my mind! Might as well sign me up and throw me to the loony bin, where I can meet all those nice little people in white coats! ... Oh, who am I kidding? I AM crazy!' She wailed.
She froze when she heard something that sounded like bird's wings flapping.
But birds don't belong in libraries.
... Do they?
Confused, Terrabi scanned around the area for the source of the voice before zooming in on the door at the end of the hallway with two signs that said "Restricted Private Library" and "Do Not Enter" on its flat surface. Something about it drew her closer, eager to see what was behind the door as she slowly approached it with caution yet, unsure of what she might find before coming to a stop in front of her destination. The girl's brown eyes locked onto the doorknob for a couple of minutes as many doubts and thoughts soared through her brain, debating on whether or not she should dare to cross the boundaries and open the door. What if it was nothing? What if she was caught? How much trouble would she be in if she continued this? What about Ayano telling her to stay out of trouble?
She couldn't break that trust. Not now. Not ever.
Just when Terrabi was about to turn back and leave, the sound of an object hitting the floor met her ears, stopping her in her tracks and spun around to stare at the obstacle. She was sure that the sound came from behind that door.
Was it not her imagination at all?
Or was it a coincidence?
Without a second thought, her hand found itself wound against the doorknob before turning it, allowing her entry into the unknown. She blinked once, then twice, mouth agape as she stared in complete awe at the many wondrous books stacked away on the shelves in this small, but inviting room. Forgetting her reason for why she came here and why she wanted to leave, Terrabi quickly strolled inside and began browsing with renewed energy, ecstatic to discover what she might find.
Not once did she notice a sliver of red pressed against the doorknob inside the room, slowly and quietly pushing it shut with a soft click of the lock before vanishing completely.
'Wow! So many rare books! So THAT'S what was up here!' The young girl thought excitedly as she skimmed over each title in each row.
A sly smile graced her face.
'Hmm... maybe I can hang out in here for a bit.'
As she wandered into one of the rows of bookshelves, she couldn't help, but hum a random tune in her head. 'It should be okay as long as I put everything back where it was. And it looks deserted enough. Guess not a lot of people come up here very often.'
With that in mind, she continued the search with her full attention, roaming through each row thoroughly, sometimes taking a book or two out and reading it a bit before putting it back in its place and repeating the process.
Nearly twenty-three minutes had gone by yet still; Terrabi couldn't find one book that held her interest long enough. Grumbling, she slammed the book back in its empty space before moving back a bit to glare at it as if it was its fault that she couldn't find anything. Once more, she began walking along the shelves, trying to find something that would satisfy her need, but that didn't stop her from getting angry. 'Dammit, what's up with this? These are the rarest books you can ever find! And they're supposed to be good, aren't they?! Why can't I find a single-'
Her train of thoughts came to a halt when she felt her foot hit something on the floor. Instinctively, she tore her gaze from the shelves to her feet, only for her sight to be greeted by a rather dusty and ancient looking book.
'Huh? What's this? Oh, that's right. Now that I think of it, I did hear something fall earlier.' Terrabi thought, nodding to herself.
The young girl then kneeled down and carefully picked up the fallen book. Then, just as the very fingers of her small hand touched the rough surface of the old book, a new feeling overcame her. A feeling she wasn't sure she quite grasped as her heartbeat thumped clear and hard against her ribcage as she marveled at the strange book in her hands. She didn't understand why, but the urge that she had for months vanished as if it were never there and instead, another took its place like a purr of a very content feline.
It made no sense.
But for now, it didn't matter. She had found a book that has chased away the feelings she couldn't overcome and she was happy, tucking it safely in her arms and simply enjoying the now empty space within her heart.
Terrabi stayed in that position for a couple of minutes before shifting to sit on her butt, moving a bit until she was comfortable against the bookshelf. Once again, her eyes lay upon the book in her hands, wondering how such a small thing like this could affect her to the point where her sanity was at stake. It even drove away her urges and made her feel that she was herself again.
But why?
And all this craziness for a book?
Despite her feelings of suspicion and uncertainty, her body moved on its own accord as her small hand smoothed over the title as if afraid to break it. 'The Universe of the Four Gods, Japanese translation by Einosuke Okuda? Huh? So it was originally something else? Hmm, from the looks of it, it's probably from China.' With a self-assured nod, she resumed the task before her.
Gently grasping the edge of the cover, she slowly pulled it back until she can finally view its contents. Once opened, she couldn't help, but be dazzled at the picture of a red phoenix in all its grace and brilliance. 'Wow! Whoever made this book must be a really talented artist too!' The fifteen-year-old thought with a silent giggle before she continued to read.
'Herein contains the tale of The Legendary Forgotten Star and his or her quest alongside the priestess and the seven constellations of Suzaku. If you, the esteemed reader, should read this to the story's end, the spell contained within the pages of the book shall bestow upon you the powers of The Legendary Forgotten Star of Suzaku, and grant you a wish. For indeed the moment the page is turned, the story will become reality.'
Her nose scrunched up. 'What the hell kinda book is this? How do readers' participate in a story when it might not match up?'
"Finally. At last, you have come!"
She would have shrieked, but no sound came from her voiceless throat as she dropped the book, staring with terrified eyes when the ink on the paper magically began to move and swirl together on its own, slowly painting a face.
When it stopped, Terrabi saw what appeared to be a rather feminine and beautiful man with long eyelashes, spiky hair, and magnificent clothes on the pages. She had never seen such a beauty before in her life, unsure of what to do other than to gaze at him in admiration. Then slapped herself with her good hand, only to groan in pain as her wrist throbbed, angrily reminding her of the injury she received from her earlier fight.
'Okay, not the best move I've ever done! But still, what the hell am I doing? Ogling some stupid hot guy on a stupid piece of paper?! What am I, a rabid fan girl?!'
"Suzuki."
She blinked then looked around for a moment, searching for the voice before focusing it back on the man (or was it a woman?) in the book, not sure if she should trust her ears. Since there was no one other than herself inside the room, she decided the best choice was to give the "thing" a weird expression. But it didn't faze the thing at all.
"Suzuki?"
This time, Terrabi shook her head.
But again, the man simply asked, "Are you Suzuki?"
A vein popped on her head, annoyed that it seemed to only know how to say those few words. 'How many times is it gonna take for this... this... whatever it is to figure out he's got the wrong person?!'
While she was in her thoughts, the elegant man studied the girl he had lured away before him very carefully. She had very odd hair for someone like her. Most of it was black that nearly reached to her backside and the front of her bangs was white. Aside from the hair color, she looked like any other teenage female. From his view, she was rather petite, had lightly tan skin, brown eyes, bandages wrapped tightly on her right wrist, and wore very particular clothing. But it wasn't her appearance that caught his attention; it was the soft hum of power, his power, sealed inside, coiling within her heart.
There was no mistake.
This was the child he was looking for!
Snapping out of his observation, he immediately noticed the glare Terrabi had been sending him for a while now, but he ignored it. There were more important matters at hand.
"Come! You have a destiny to fulfill."
'Wha-!?'
Before Terrabi knew what was happening, a bright red light suddenly burst forth from the book, blinding her as she tried to shield her poor eyes from it. She tried to scream, but it was useless with no voice, absolutely defenseless against the powerful red light. It grew bigger and bigger until it completely covered every inch in the room. And not long after the light came, it died down just as quickly, leaving everything in its place...
Minus one mute.
