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Yes, I couldn't resist typing a chapter for an Air Gear FanFic. It's odd, since I loved the Manga, and I often re-read it due to its awesomeness, but I never really thought about typing out the ideas that I got from it.
Anyhoo, I thought that I'd attempt to write out one such idea. I was tempted to try my hand at a true Yaoi FanFic, but the sheer amount of them on FanFiction for Air Gear caused me to rethink that. So, it's a Fem!Itsuki Fanfic with no pairings at the moment.
I hope that you enjoy this concept chapter ne?
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I DO NOT OWN AIR GEAR.
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"Sleeping Forest" – Speech
'Sleeping Forest' – Thoughts
"Sleeping Forest" – Computer typing/machine speech
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Itsuka 'Ikki' Minami yawned tiredly. It was early, very early in the morning and she sat on what she had dubbed her stump. Said stump sat on the border of a park and the waterway that sat across the road. It had become a ritual for her in the last few months – go for a morning run and then stretch out in an absurdly complicated manner. Itsuka had always been insanely flexible – why – she didn't know, but she had always been able to achieve near impossible feats with her body. Nevertheless … the real reason it had become a ritual was due to a singular occurrence. Every morning at exactly the same time – a rather pretty girl with pink hair would grind her way across the fence that surrounded the park and then fly across the road and into the sky above the roofs. Itsuka became enamoured by the sight … to fly high in the sky was her dream. There were the odd moments when she spaced out that she thought she heard the sky actually call to her.
Itsuka spotted her reflection in the nearby slide and sighed. She had never been a 'pretty' girl, and more often than not, she was mistaken for a boy. With her wild, raven black hair that had become the home of a crow chick that she had saved from the neighbourhood cat, and her stern face – it was no surprise that people mistook her … but the desire to appear pretty often lingered in the back of her mind. Her pale skin became illuminated by the morning sun that rose over the city and she tapped her foot to time the inevitable appearance of the pink haired beauty.
Itsuka didn't know it at the time, but every tap of her foot was exactly a second – a gift not very common in the world. She had always been very good with keeping time … and it annoyed her constantly that her 'family' belittled the skill.
"And, 3, 2, 1," Itsuka chanted in her mind. "Now … soar for me."
At the exact moment of her declaration, said pink haired girl zoomed past her at incredible speeds. Itsuka smiled sadly at the sight. "I wish I had ATs."
ATs – short for Air Treks were the reason the girl could soar in the skies and Itsuka dreamily thought of the ratty old pair that she'd found in the garbage. They were an older model, and she's spent months learning the mechanics required so that she could repair them, but her lack of finances had caused her to hit a wall. AT parts were expensive and despite the promise of her guardian to give her an allowance if her grades improved, she was left high and dry. Her guardian – Rika Noyamano – ignored her amazing growth in school and refused to give her an allowance since it was obvious that she was just cheating.
Itsuka sighed as she watched the girl disappear before she hummed and stood in an instant, happily moaning as she popped her back and shoulders. "Ah, much better … shit, I'm already 6 minutes and 28 seconds late! Ringo's going to kill me!"
That was something else … her 'family' didn't know of her ritual … they just assumed she was out running late. Itsuka grunted and started running back home – effortlessly clearing a fence and somersaulting over the next … only 3 minutes until she got home. Her next leap had her miss the family's fence by mere centimetres, and the next had her diving through her open window and under her covers, and just in time as Ringo furiously opened the door a mere second later.
"Get up, Ikki," Ringo yelled – already dressed in her school uniform – another thing Itsuka envied. She couldn't wear the girl's uniform without looking like a crossdresser – and boy did she yearn to wear it and look normal.
Itsuka made a show of groaning and lazily getting up. She was well aware of the danger radiating from her honorary sister, but it was amusing to watch Ringo lose her temper. "Okay, okay … I'm up Ringo!"
Itsuka stretched and popped her shoulders again in relief, relishing in Ringo's disgusted look. She faked a yawn and waited until she left before she slid gracefully out of bed. Another quick glance to check for spying 'family' had her open the floorboards hidden by her bedside table. Inside held the ratty old pair of ATs.
'All I need now is a battery and rear wheels,' Itsuka thought giddily.
"Oi, Ikki … move your ass," bellowed the voice of one of the other residents – Mikan. Itsuka growled softly and muttered. "Why can't they actually use my name? I hate that damn nickname."
Sighing once more, Itsuka carefully hid her ATs, dressed in the boy's uniform and left her room for breakfast … only she forgot to move her bedside table back. Breakfast was a quiet affair, and aside from Mikan's brutish behaviour in persisting to kick and grapple Itsuka – she managed to remain quiet. Ringo was looking at her oddly – as she had been since the incredible increase in her grades.
Itsuka was actually incredibly bright, and if it wasn't for the assumption that she was cheating – she'd have excelled passed her current grade. A shuffling noise came from the hallway – symbolizing the arrival of the youngest resident – Shiraume … or just Ume for short. The only problem this particular morning was what Ume was holding in her hands. Itsuka's heart sank in fear as Ume was holding her almost repaired ATs.
"What are those, Ume?" Mikan gasped at the sight. They were impressive in that they almost looked brand new - aside from their aged appearance. They were black and gold in colour with their only other fault being the many scuffs on the old wheels.
"I found them hiding in Ikki's room," Ume replied with a surprised tone – in truth, Ume was impressed by the modifications and repairs that Itsuka had managed – though she assumed that Itsuka hadn't done the work herself.
"Really," Mikan purred horribly. "Where did you steal them from, Ikki?"
Itsuka frowned. "I didn't steal them Mikan … I found them in the trash and repaired and modified them on my own."
There was a moment of silence where all three other girls looked at Itsuka in shock and disbelief, before Mikan burst out laughing. "That's priceless! You, repair ATs? Like you're smart enough to actually pull that off Ikki."
Itsuka felt tears threaten to gather as she tried to get assistance from Ringo – only to see the doubt in her eyes too. In fact the only person not surprised was Ume. Ume wasn't stupid – she knew Itsuka was actually incredibly smart, but bit her tongue instead of standing up for her. Mikan stood, skipped up to Ume and snatched the ATs from her. "I think I'll hold onto these for a while, eh Ikki?"
Itsuka instantly stood and tried to retrieve her precious ATs from the crazy girl … only to be kicked by said crazy girl in the stomach. "Uh-uh Ikki … you can't lie to us, as if you fixed these babies. You shouldn't lie to your betters … you're only even staying here because you have no family and because of Rika's kindness."
Itsuka felt like she'd been slapped – why did they have to keep bringing that up? Who cared if she had no real family? In that single moment of pain – both mental and physical – something snapped inside her. Unseen by the three other residents, Itsuka's eyes glowed as a strange cross shaped symbol flashed for a brief moment. The only thing the other residents felt was a shift in the atmosphere … not unlike when a Gravity Child awoke their gifts, but the thought that Itsuka was one of them was absurd.
Instead of fighting back, like she often did, she merely coughed through the pain and stood, before quietly picking up her school bag and leaving. Mikan frowned as Itsuka left and guilt rippled through her – yes she knew she was a bitch to Itsuka – but for Itsuka to not fight back wasn't natural. Itsuka flashed a glare at Mikan as she left – slamming the door harshly. Mikan actually felt the power behind Itsuka's glare and shivered … it was like Kilik's glare … a glare filled with power and authority … behind her, Ume and Ringo both shivered as well … what the hell just happened?
It was then that the bells of their headquarters chimed to announce the awakening of one of their own … only the tune was … odd. Ringo snapped her cell phone open to call Kilik – only for him to call her.
"What's happened Ringo?" his deceptively soft voice spoke. "Why are the bells chiming of the awakening of a new King or Queen?"
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That's it for the concept chapter. If I feel up to updating it, I will … but I still have my many other stories to work on as well. I know it's a short chapter compared to my other works – but I feel it's enough to wet the reader's appetites ne?
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AS ALWAYS: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW.
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\^o^/
