Around the stroke of twelve, all was silent within the little Dojo. Their master had fallen into a fitful sleep, the other monks following soon after. Even the dragon, the petty excuse of a dragon, was curled up at the foot of the master's bed.
What a pitiful team, to leave all of their prized Shen-gon-wu simply lying around in a vault. Not even a guard dog or a scout there to protect it. This was going to be an easy night, for once.
In the shadows over-hanging the tower, a small, lithe figure silhouetted by the new moon leaped from the edge of the roof fifty feet down into the courtyard below. Nothing fancy, no flips, no pirouettes, just a strait down drop.
Once in the courtyard, the figure took the liberty of exploring the garden. After all, it would be a long time before the monks woke up, let alone realized that their poorly guarded Shen-gon-wu had vanished.
Vanished. The figure let a secret smile underneath the black cloth mask. How she loved that word. So simple to describe, yet so impossible to carry out. The figure almost laughed, this was so ludicrously simple, and it was almost not worth going thru with the procedure. It would save valuable time.
She fingered a tiny bud on a large creeper plant. It had just started to show its true colors, and she felt herself seethe at the irony of the fact that she, too, was only now starting to show her true colors. Moving on, she felt the large leaves of another plant, saddened by the rough, coarse feeling that greeted her.
"They aren't watering you enough." She sighed, and then searched around for a bucket of water or something to rejuvenate the wilted plants.
She quietly shuffled about the silent courtyard, gently pouring water onto the plants that needed it the most. It always gave her pleasure to take care of plants; her grandmother had taught her well.
As soon as she had completed her "mission", she turned and casually walked up the steps of the vault. Her light footsteps echoed loudly through the empty room, but no alarm rang, and no annoying cheese ball-headed monk came flying out of nowhere.
Upon opening the secret passageway, she sat lightly upon the banister and slid down the stairs, opening select drawers as she went.
Reaching into her pack, she drew out a tiny bag, barely large enough for a very small mouse to fit into it, and then plucked two chopsticks from her hair. Lightly tapping an open drawer, she softly whispered, "Changing chopsticks." And delicately placed the now shrunken Shen-gon-wu into the sack.
She sighed again as she dropped the last select piece of Shen-gon-wu into the sack. She turned her small head and gazed up at the long climb ahead of her. Her pale blue eyes squinted at the small speck of light that could be seen at the top of the stairs. Ugh, if only one could also slide up the banister as well as down the banister.
Skipping several steps at a time, she stared down at the cold stone steps and shivered. It was so icy down there. Her tiny hand slipped into the back pocket of her pack, and her thin fingers entwined around the warm stone. She really loved that necklace.
Keeping her mind on the warmth from the necklace and not on the tiring climb, she was almost surprised to look up and find herself standing absently at the last step of the stairs.
Shaking herself awake, she silently activated her own personal Shen-gon-wu, and nodded in pleasure at the multiple replicas that filled the places of the originals. Simple as pie.
She slapped the out jutting stone in the wall, and watched as the secret passageway closed with a soft rumble. Now, she could go home.
Almost running out of the building, she scrambled in between two houses before making a dash for the forest beyond.
Freedom! She grinned and sprinted through the trees, her arms waving beside her. Oh, it felt so good to be out in the open again, to feel the soft breeze kissing her face.
Or, it would be if it weren't for the fact that she was still wearing her ski-mask over her face.
Lost in the throws of enjoyment, she didn't hear the figure approaching from behind her.
"I could have cut off your head and handed it to you, you're so careless."
She stopped spinning and turned her head, angling a viciously menacing glare in his direction.
"Of course, you don't ever dance unless you've had a successful mission, so I can safely say that we were victorious?"
She stared at him evilly, and he smiled at her ferocity.
"I don't mean any harm in it." He put both of his hands up in submission.
His crimson eyes glowed in the pale moonlight, though that was nothing compared to the almost translucent skin around them. His dark reddish-brown hair was disheveled and he sported a pair of yellow goggles on his forehead.
He smiled at the way she was eyeing him, and she found herself blushing in spite of it all. He reached his gloved hands up and tugged at the collar of his black trench coat, striking a very cocky pose.
He soon realized that she wasn't amused and sighed dramatically, running his pale fingers through his hair. "Renée, you know I'm only kidding, must you always insist on sulking about everything?"
Renée said nothing, but in her mind, she knew he was right.
"Please…"
Renée flinched as she felt him reach out and stick a finger under the mask. She could hide behind the mask, act cool and sophisticated with it on, but as soon as she took it off, it was as if everyone in the whole world could tell what she was thinking.
Jack clutched the upgraded ski mask in one hand, quietly studying her face. Why did see always hide her face? She looked okay without it. No, not okay, beautiful. The way her sapphire eyes contrasted with her pale hair, it was stunningly dazzling.
Renée looked away at the moon, and then slipped a hand down into her pack, drawing from it the tiny bag of stolen Shen-gon-wu. She tentatively offered it to Jack, who placed the sack into one of his pockets.
She found herself laughing in spite of it all. Jack raised an eyebrow in her direction, "What?"
Renée giggled and slapped him on the shoulder, "I was just thinking about how you've been wearing that same black trench coat since the very first day I met you. Don't you ever try anything new?"
Jack tilted his head back and laughed, "Well, you can't beat a classic look!"
"You call that look "classic"?! Ha! You look like a Goth kid whose wardrobe was inspired by Dick Tracey!"
"Okay now, that's just mean!" Jack pouted at her, his lower lip protruding as he did the "puppy eyes" look.
"Cruel, but true!" Renée leaned over and poked one long finger at his nose. "You know you can't deny it!"
Jack swatted at her hand, and she quickly recoiled, laughing at his slow reaction. "You're still as slow as ever. Do you remember when we first met?"
"My ass still hurts from were you kicked me." Jack said, even now a small tone of annoyance in his voice. "And my head, and my arms, and my legs and my-"
"Okay! Okay! I get the idea! I'm sorry!" Renée held up one hand, "Stop making me feel bad!"
"That's my job." Jack shrugged and walked down the path, aimlessly waving one hand to his side as he whistled an out-of-key rendition of "You're Beautiful."
Renée ran up behind him, locking one of his arms in her own and singing along with him.
"And I don't know what to do, because I'll never be with you!"
Renée elbowed Jack in the ribs and burst into another song, her eyes sparkling as she struggled to hit the high notes.
"Anything you can do, I can do better! I can do anything better than you!"
Jack smiled softly. God, she was so cute when she was like this.
"No you can't!"
"Yes I can!"
"No you can't!"
"Yes I can!"
And with that, the happy duo made their way down the road, fading into the night.
"No you can't!"
"YES I CAN!!"
Aww, isn't that sweet? Hey hey hey, OniChild42 here with some words and such.
Meet Renee. I came up with her while writing this... thing. Even I don't know what it is. Ahahahaha.
The lyrics I used were from "You're Beautiful" and a musical that I cannot name at the current moment.
I did not write the music, don't own the character Jack Spicer blah blah blah...
Send me a review and some critic if you could, I tried not to be totally inept at writing.
One of the first fanfictions I have ever written, and it shows. Woo.
Sorry it sucks so much...