Yellow Boots

It all began at a boxing match. I was thirteen years old at the time. My father has always been a big time boxing fan, and always supported the hometown gyms. My mother had met my father at a boxing match, so naturally, she had gained a love for it as well. Being their only daughter, I was expected to love the sport just as much. It wasn't horrible, as I did enjoy going with my family to the matches, but if I had to choose to do something else, I wouldn't choose boxing.

It was an average boxing match, nothing out of the ordinary. The reigning champion of our town, Setzer, had a new face to beat up. I had never heard the name of this boy before. And I was shocked to find out the boy wasn't too much older than I was. And he would be boxing against an adult! When they called his name, it was burned into my memory. Roxas. I had never seen him before. The fire in his blue eyes as he was ready to take on Setzer was something I wish I had myself.

He tried his hardest, he really did. But the older man was too much for him. Just as everyone expected, Setzer would take the prize. The young boy just wasn't ready. Even though he was beaten down and down again, he still stood up, taking hit after hit. I admired him.

My family and I always waited until the crowd passed before we would leave. My parents were high class, see, and they thought they were too good. It made me sick sometimes. It was raining when the matches were over, and my father told my mother and I to wait so we wouldn't have to walk in the rain. But I always loved the rain. Much to my mothers' distaste, I began to splash around in the puddles. After all, I was still a child. It was my right to enjoy my childhood. My yellow boots were stained in the dark colored water. My splashes grew in intensity as I enjoyed myself more and more.

Then, my small foot got stuck in a thick puddle of mud. I was taught from a young age that screaming , unless in danger, was unbecoming of a lady. I had ventured away from my mother, and she was not looking in my direction. I was a weak and frail child, no muscle on me at all. Pulling my leg out of the mud was a hard feat for me. I knew that I'd rather loose my boot than get caught away from my mother when my father got back. Taking a scolding about dirty clothes was much better than getting a lecture on how to be a lady.

Yanking my foot out of the boot, I fell backwards into the mud, ruining my white dress. I heard footsteps behind me and I bolted, running back to my mother, forgetting about the lone yellow boot.

Of course I got scolded, but I took that over a lecture.

I was now eighteen. My years of childhood had left me. My mother had been teaching me the ins and out of how to act like a woman. My father was busy with business around the compound. I would often get scolded for helping the maids around the house, as it was unladylike for me to do so. I was of higher status, my mother told me, and I was not to be caught doing petty chores like that. My duties were to study calligraphy, art, languages, and politics. I studied almost all day, only having a few hours for myself, if even that. Most of the time, my mother and I had to attend dinners with my father.

They always told me how beautiful I had become. It was always, 'Namine, you are such a woman now,' or 'My, such manners! I remember you causing trouble as a kid. You have improved. So much better.' I hated it when they said that. I felt like they hated me as a child.

"Namine, darling, take that solemn look off your face!" My mother laughed forcibly at the dinner table. My father's business partners were joining us tonight. I didn't even have a look on my face. That was just my face.

"I am sorry mother." I replied, bowing my head slightly. Sometimes it felt like we weren't even in modern times. Our hometown was run like 20th century Japan.

"As we were discussing gentlemen," My father continued, "The genome should be ready for testing any day now. Then, if the results are positive, we can present it to the board."

I didn't have a clue what they were talking about. My father worked in the scientific field with my mother, and I knew human testing had a lot to do with their research. But I never knew what they did specifically.

"Is Patient Zero even ready for testing yet? He's extremely unstable mentally." A man in a blue suit asked. I never liked him, or cared to learn his name. I found him rude and distasteful.

"Patient Zero's mental state is to be expected. He has been homeless for more than five years, loosing his parents in the incident." My father shrugged. "His mental state should have no effect on the outcome."

"And if it works? Would we even be able to get his cooperation?" The man asked again.

"One step at a time, Argath." My father laughed, as if his rudeness was normal. The men laughed again, and my mother laughed because she was a woman, and women were expected to laugh when the men did, even if they didn't understand. I held my tongue from saying something rude and excused myself from the table, taking myself to my room.

Locking the door behind myself, I groaned, running my hands through my blond hair and pulling it up into a bun. My room was the only place that I could relax and let my guard down. I could as much of a slob as I wanted and not get yelled at. Sitting on my windowsill, I glanced toward the direction of my fathers' lab.

Human testing? What were they doing to that poor person? What could he have done to deserve that? There were times where I hated my parents. If they treat their own daughter like a slave, then how would they treat someone they didn't even know?

I didn't even want to think about it.

Turning on the television, I changed it to the news. It was the only station I had. As I listened to the reporter talk about the happenings in the world, I changed into my pajamas. They were just a pair of white shorts and a black top. As I stretched out, the reporter mentioned my fathers' company.

"In more recent news, Academy Enterprises has announced that they will begin testing their newest product. The name is to be released, but from what we are told, it will help our military immensely. Oddly enough, the company said they have received outside help, as a young man named Roxas Strife, age twenty, volunteered to help with the project, how is unknown at this time…"

I stared at the man's picture on the screen. I stared at it until the started talking about other news stories. That face looked so familiar. That boy must have been the boy that I saw at the boxing match five years ago. It shocked me to see his face again after so many years. He never showed up again at the boxing matches, so I never knew where he went.

And now I knew. My parents were using him as a test subject for whatever they were planning. I gritted my teeth. My parents could be monsters, but there was nothing I could about the situation. I was a girl, who knew nothing of the world. I had no connection to this boy.

"In other news," The TV started up again in my ears. "The terrorist group N7 has begun began threats against the government, spreading lies about bioweapons. Their leader, Xemnas, said that they are planning a full out assault against the government."

I turned off the TV, unwilling to listen to depressing news any longer.

The next day was a day off for all the workers in our compound. My parents were off to a boxing match that late afternoon, but I decided that I had to stay home and 'study'. My mother wasn't too thrilled to have me staying home alone, although I wasn't really alone: the guards would still be around. I told her that I was an adult and I was perfectly capable of being there alone.

And I wasn't even alone. My best friend, and the courtesan in our compound, would be there. She had been with me since we were kids. Kairi was her name. She told me all about the outside world. The schools she attended, the people she met, and the like. I wished to be like her all the time.

"Namine, darling-" She said sarcastically, "you need sunlight." Kairi sat on my floor as I did some calligraphy. I had to make it look like I had done something.

"I do get sunlight." I told her, "Just not a bunch."

"Get out some. You always just go to those pesky boxing matches with your parents." I looked up at with her an eye roll. I was dressed like a slob, as my mother would call it. Dressed in a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie was my clothing of choice.

"You seem like caged canary all the time." Kairi said, fiddling with my brushes. "Kind of like those yellow boots."

"Boots and Canaries are not the same thing." I told her a matter of factly.

"What ever happened to those boots? They were so cute."

"I lost one at a boxing match five years ago. Besides, I wouldn't be able to fit in them anymore." I said. Standing, putting my supplies away, I stretched. "Would you like something from the kitchen? I'm thirsty."

Kairi shook her head. "I'm okay."

By the time that I had gotten myself a glass of water and got lost in my thoughts, I was already back at the door to my bedroom. I loved Kairi, but sometimes I wanted time to myself. Shaking those thoughts out of my head, because Kairi was my best and only friend, I pushed the door open to see horror on her face. I gripped the glass in my hand tighter, because I knew that I would drop the glass and bring attention.

"What is going on?" I asked, in a hushed tone. Her eyes were wide and she looked to the area behind my open door. The area that I couldn't see. I slowly walked into my room, not breaking eye contact with her. If it was some rapist, I wanted her to know when I gave her the signal to scream.

As the door closed, I felt a hand on my mouth, making sure I didn't make any noise. The person was obviously a man, and they were soaked. It wasn't raining outside and it didn't smell like sweat. They were breathing heavily and I could feel their heartbeat though my back.

"Don't move." He said into my ear, and my face mirrored Kairi's. He slowly released his hand from my mouth and I spoke in a hushed voice.

"If it is money you want, take whatever. Just don't hurt us." He scoffed.

"I'm not here to hurt you." He pushed me forward and I got a good look at him.

He was that boy. That boy from the news. The boy from the boxing match. Roxas.

"Just point me in the direction of Mr. Menjou and I'll leave you alone."

"My father isn't here right now." I said in a squeaky voice. "I'll help you with whatever it is that you need." He gritted his teeth.

"Listen girl, I need to speak with that bastard." I was taken aback. My father wasn't the nicest person in the world, but this is the first time I heard him referred to as that.

"Hey, bud, I don't know what Mr. Menjou did to you, but don't take it out on Namine. She has no power of what her parents do. Learn some manners."

"Don't tell me you're-" I stopped, remembering the news broadcast and the talk from dinner last night.

"I'm what?" He said, stubbornly.

"Are you a test subject at Academy Enterprises? The volunteer?"

"Volunteer? Is that what they told you?" He snorted. "As if."

My suspicions were right. He wasn't a volunteer and he was being forced into participating in the experiments. He looked like he had been through a war. He had bruises on his face, dark circles under his eyes, and he was unhealthily thin. I felt for him, even if he did break into my room.

My eyes scanned the floor. Part of me wanted to help him, because I felt so bad. But at the same time, I was still a naive little girl. I knew nothing of the world or my parent's jobs. For all I know, he was a liar who was just interested in money. My parents could be doing good after all and I just couldn't see it. I looked to Kairi for support, but she now held a glare towards the older boy.

"We can't help you. So if you would be so kind to take your leave…" Kairi drawled. The boy, who I now referred to as Roxas in my head rather than aloud, snorted, reaching for the doorknob.

"I might as well find Mr. Menjou's room and wait there since you ladies are of no help to me." Kairi was about to protest to him walking around the compound when I heard the characteristic noise of my parent's arriving home. The sound of the gates opening and the car buzzing around.

I had to make a drastic decision this moment. I could call the guards and have him escorted to my parents, where in turn he would be placed back at the very place it seemed he came from. Or, I could help him. I knew he wanted to see my father, but my vague knowledge of politics knew that that was a very bad move.

I lunged for his wrist before he turned the doorknob, causing him and Kairi to look at me like I was insane. I started to haul him away from the door.

"You want to speak with my father, correct?" I asked him in a hushed tone. "Now is not the right time to do so. Just-" I pushed him towards my closet. It was large enough to fit several people. "Stay in here until I say it's okay. Please trust me."

He was about to protest before I shut the door in his face, sitting in front of the closet doors with some calligraphy. I looked at Kairi, motioning her to sit down.

"Are you crazy?" She said to me, quietly.

"I might be." I answered her, thinking about the decision I just made.

Hello Everyone! This is my first story as a legal adult! Ha, jokes. Anyway, welcome to my new story Yellow Boots. The genre is quite different than what I normally do. It will be more serious. My inspirations for this story are drawn from Guilty Crown and Final Fantasy IX. I know, two completely different things. Those of you who know those things might be able to find my references to them. I want to thank you all for stay around all these years. I know I write comedy and most of my serious stories never make it, but I am dedicated to writing this one. I hope you all enjoy it!

Review