Chapter 1: Death Of Normality
AN- Hello all you readers, both old and new.
URGENT REMINDER FOR RETURNING READERS!
Saw how crap my early writing was in comparison to later chapters. I figured "Hey, why don't I rewrite some of them so they don't suck?"
At the beginning of this fic I had no real purpose of where the plot was going and stuff, so extra details have been added in which may or may not be relevant for the plot. You don't have to reread them, later chapters just might make more sense if you do. This is pretty much just a top off to bring the quality of the lower chapter up to that of those at the top.
Disclaimer: I own nothing! No money jacuzzi for me, much to my chargin.
I would like to quickly say that I am not a morning person. Never have been, never well be. This doesn't mean I am a lazy person, in fact, I am quite the opposite. I sleep in so much because I just do TOO much stuff late at night. Reading, writing, gaming, homework... the list is endless. Back on topic... not a morning person. Nope. Without my caffeine rush on the way to school every day I would probably never function as a person until at least half ten.
The other reason I am not a morning person is because mornings tend to screw me over... a lot. I don't know what I did to piss off 'the deity of half seven until eleven' but I must have done something pretty insulting in order for situations like this to happen almost once or twice a week.
THUD! CRASH!
"God damn it!" I yelled as I rolled off my bed, trapped in my duvet like an alcoholic is stuck in an AA meeting. I lied on the floor for a few moments, cursing whatever fat nerd kid in the sky cursed me with such a shitty wake up call. (the wake up call being a weird feeling of being watched, like if the men in black were spying on you or something)
As I untangled myself, I glanced at my watch to see how long I had until my alarm signalled that I needed to get ready for school. I sighed dramatically, then palmed my face. The chuffing alarm was supposed to go off 20 minutes ago. Ergo, I was going to be late for school.
Again, I cursed the god/goddess which determined mornings in general. I also decided that I was going to need a proper alarm clock at some point.
My little sister, Lily, chose NOW of all times to pop her head in through the door and helpfully tell me to get ready for school. "Your late again, schools in 10 minutes" I groggily looked up off at the floor. Lily was already in her school uniform. Several seconds passed...
"Wait a minute... ten minutes... SHIT! TEN MINUTES!"
"I know bro!" Lily rolled her eyes in a clearly superior way. "As a big brother you should be setting a good example for your darling sister! Late for school. Tut tut tut."
"You could have, I don't know... told me or so something?"
"I could have, but then would you learn anything?" Lily smirked in a teasing manor.
"I would have learnt that not all younger sisters are total bitches." I retorted.
"What! Shock horror!" She put a hand to her mouth in a shocked, but sarcastic, way. "Swearing now, dear brother. What a surprise."
"Piss off Lily." I responded as I shrugged on a loose long sleeved school shirt, having freed myself from my sheets. I equipped myself with the accompanying blazer and tie.
My tease of a sister pouted. "Just for that I won't make you any toast."
"You suck." I sighed. "Go to school."
"Hypocrite."
"Sadist."
"Otaku!"
"Not a god damned otaku! I just like anime and shit!" which was true. I might like anime but I was hardly an otaku. It was just one of those things I started to like watching after seeing Dragonball Z as a kid (when I didn't even associate it with Japan) along side Pokemon and Digimon. The hobby grew in secondary school, as my friend James showed me some cool shit like One Piece, Death Note, Bleach, Fullmetal Alchemist; all the good stuff.
"Okay then, nerd boy!" I couldn't deny that one. I was a nerd. I was somewhat proud of the title. Us British nerds have a long and rich history, I am happy to take on the metaphorical mantle of a nerd. I would rather like video games and avoid sports like the plague than be one of those sports nuts who can only seem to talk in an odd dialect of grunts. (Or as those wacky Americans call them 'The Jocks")
"Act like your little sister anime counterparts! At least they get their siblings up in the morning for school."
"That's an otaku sort of comment to make, Marc!" pointed out Lily with a Cheshire Cat like smile.
"NOT AN OTAK-"
"SCHOOL IN EIGHT MINUTES!" Interrupted our mum, from in the kitchen below.
All I could think to say was "Oh shit."
"Language!" scolded Lily in an affectionate way.
"Go away before I take my shorts off."
"..."
"..." She shut the door awkwardly, giving me a brief goodbye as she left to meet up with some of her friends.
Lily was weird like that. I can't say we were the closest siblings out there but I admit that I like the occasional bit of witty banter between the two of us. Didn't make her any less of a sadistic pain in the arse though.
I finished putting on my uniform, grabbed my well worn school rucksack, then rushed downstairs hoping to get a bite to eat before I had to rush to school.
I ran down the stairs. I glanced at my butt head watch. Still a minute or so until I reached the MTL. (Maximum Time to Leave. James was the one to coin the term, for when the absolute time to leave the house before you would be later for school was needed)
I dashed into the kitchen, nodded solemnly to mum, then rooted through the cupboards.
"You did it again... didn't you?" pointed out my mum as she calmly sipped a cuppa tea.
"You could have called me down sooner you know."
"Nonsense. If I did, would you learn anything?" I sighed. Like mother, like daughter it seems.
I pinched the last packet of Walkers, grabbed a can of Dr Pepper, gave my mum an awkward hug, then dashed out the front door.
"Bye Marc!"
"See ya later Mum!" I ran to catch up with James, I needed to buy some of his damned lunch... again. He makes a killing out of my messed up mornings.
XXXXXXXXXX
I never introduced myself did I? The names Marcus Drake. Everyone calls me Marc. Pure Brit through and through. Sticks and stones, Cuppa tea and all of that malarkey. 15 years old and the unofficial king of the nerds. (I often joke that James is the Queen, he denies it heavily)
Brown hair, longish, just covers my eyes. Skinny, average build. I was not what one would call 'unhealthy', but people do often say that they could snap me like a twig. Most of these aren't even the bullies. Basically as weak as Magicarp. I'll show them though. Magicarp's eventually become frigging Gyarados'! All I have is my brain, and that's it. I was fine with that, brains kick ass in later life.
School was pretty normal. Had my deaf form teacher Mr Earner. Everyone calls him MR EAR-ER! Get it? Yeah crap joke, i'nnit mate? Moving past the deafness, he was an all right bloke. He would often let us sit around and chat most form periods when we were supposed to be working. (Come to think of it, this could have just been because he couldn't hear us chatting)
Had double P.E after that. "God help me!" I told James in the boys changing room.
He replied with the punch line to our little repeated gag. "Even God can't help improve your P.E grade!"
He was right. I failed spectacularly, as usual.
Double I.T then. The one lesson I actually enjoy. I'm really good at it, if I may say such a humble comment. I often come back after school to do extra work. Mr Parre was epic! He was like one of those anime style old men, or like that dude from the Karate Kid, who know everything and are really wise. Except for the old part. He was only 25, which sort of shattered the image. That, and the fact that he was French. Yep, sort of shatters the wise old man image even further.
Lunch was hell. All I need to mention is the flying taco. Need I say any more? I don't care what you tell me, Taco's should be up there on the list of banned weapons, along with the atomic bomb, chemical weaponry and the feared blue shell.
Period 5 went by quickly. Science always does. Mr Johnson, my other favourite teacher, was in all respects, a mad scientist. He spends lessons doing experiments, making things explode and turning lab coats into a fashion statement. All he needs to do now is shout out his name overly loud like "HOUOUIN KYOUMA!" and hook up a phone to a microwave. Steins Gate reference to those who have not seen its awesomeness!
On the way back from school things went, as the Brits say, "Tits side up!"
I was walking home with James, as per my common schedule. Later on I would remember that one moment perfectly.
The two of us together, side by side, one Dr Pepper each, grasped lightly in hand, walking slowly along the high street. Just enjoying the walk, as it were.
James made some sort of a joke. I laughed. I don't remember what it was about though.
I waved goodbye. I had to cross the road, this street corner was where the two of us would go our separate ways due to our varied housing locations.
I stepped off the curb and walked across the road.
James called out to me.
I turned to glance back at one of my only friends. He had a weird look on his face.
That one moment then occurred.
The sun on my shoulders, my friends voice calling out some inaudible words, the nearly empty street, the corner shop bell ringing as someone entered it, the taste of Dr Pepper in my mouth, the bottle falling from my left hand, a large Tesco lorry out of the corner of my eye, the driver bobbing his head to an unknown rhythm, headphones on, eyes off the road, the feel of the bag on my back, momentary disorientation.
I stepped forwards, and then the world seemed to blink.
One minute I was in a busy street walking home from school and the next, POOF! I was somewhere else. No magic portal, no flash of light. Nothing. I simply seemed to step out of the nothing into a Japanese style village which looked vaguely familiar. I knew this because there were those houses that the Japanese have and there were some people dressed in those... what are they called, those robes. I know this!... Oh yeah! Kimonos. That's what they were.
I took a few more steps forwards before I noticed my surroundings properly. I blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Then I did the normal thing and panicked.
"WHAT THE LITERAL FUCKKKKKKK?!"
A voice in the back of my head then made himself known, only making the situation I found myself in even more surreal.
"Calm down. Keep calm and use that head of yours." it said matter of factly.
"I can't just do that! I need to know what happened!" I protested, temporarily ignoring the insanity associated with conversing with one's self.
"Calm down! Just ask those people over there!" the voice was getting annoyed.
"FINE!" I snapped.
'GEEZ' I thought. Things must be bad if I'm having an argument with myself... and losing. Its bad enough to do the talking, then loose.
Walking up to those people from earlier I said "Hey. Do you know where I am?"
There were three people. They all looked like they were merchants or something, I could tell because of the state of their clothing, even if they seemed very old fashioned, almost medieval but with an eastern sort of twist to it. They stalls of some sort, which also gave the game away. An old man, who had a stall selling cabbages, seemed to stand out.
"You're in the Rukon District- East 32." he said harshly. "Must be a foreigner, or a new arrival."
The name sounded familiar. Where had I heard it from? Perhaps if I figured out where I 'magically' teleported to, I could figure out how to do it and leave this place. We were having meatballs for dinner after all. I would be damned if I missed my meatballs!
"Use your head! Try to remember!"
"Shut up voice in the back of my head. Don't make me learn to ignore myself!" I wasn't joking. If I could figure out how to play two player Yugioh with only myself (I took turns) then I could sure as hell learn to ignore my bouts of irrationality.
The man laughed. Probably due to my confused expression. "You must be new here. A completely fresh soul The Reapers must have not explained it to you!"
Now I was getting pissed. Reapers! Why does this seem familiar? Wait a moment... reapers? Am I dead or something?
"I don't care if he is new! He is not getting any free cabbages!" snapped cabbage man.
"Who said I want your cabbages?" I retorted. "Cabbages suck! They're green and taste like dog sick."
"THATS IT! NOW I'M CHARGING YOU DOUBLE FOR THEM!"
"I DON'T WANT ANY BLOODY CABBAGES!"
The next thing I know, I'm having a lengthy debate with an old man about the price of cabbages and the state of the economy, which I happen to know nothing of, of course. I bullshitted half of my arguments, so it was satisfying to see the annoying cabbage man losing the battle of sharp tongues and keen intellect.
"You hardly possess 'keen intellect'" pointed out my common sense. I chose to ignore it/him.
Our argument was broken up my an overly aggressive roar, the sort of roar associated with a lion, a tiger, or a Justin Bieber fangirl who misses a big gig.
"ROOAAAAAR!"
I turn round quickly and see a huge monster, thing, creature... thing?
The merchants quickly run away shouting "GAAH! HOLLOW ATTACK!"
The old man however was bellowing "MY CABBAGES!" as he ran away like a douche.
I for one was rooted to the spot as I looked at this huge monster with large hammer shaped arms and a bone like mask. Dark skin, the colour of midnight, coupled with the way it clung to the things form gave the impression of liquid midnight coating a bleached skeleton.
All the clues slipped together, I felt like a mixture of Professor Layton and a certain spiky haired ace attorney. "Wow, I am an idiot" I said to myself not expecting a reply but getting one.
"Yep. Was a bit thick."
"Shut it you!" I replied sharply.
The clues all came together. Rukon District, Reapers, Hollow attacks. It was like a badly written fanfic or something. As I stared at the hollow both me and my inner voice said together:
"OH SHIT!"
"OH SHIT!"
AN- whooh! First chapter remade. I expect all of my brilliant followers to leave a review saying how much better this chapter is, you newbies, leave a review too please? (Insert picture of puppy dog eyes)
Undying Soul out.