DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything or any of the characters from Soul Calibur, sadly they belong to Namco. But boy will I have fun with them in this new story!
WARNING! Get ready for some Maxi-romance coming at you!
The first thing that I was aware of was the many voices of men, shouting and yelling urgently, the vicious cold wind that whipped my hair in my face and the roar of the ocean that surrounded us.
I looked up into the eyes of the man that held me and my heart in the middle of our despair.
''Maxi, just let me go back, please. I couldn't bear it if my father hurts you or your men because of me.'' I pleaded.
His face hardened with desperation. '' Starra, you want this just as much as I do. We've done nothing wrong. I love you…'' He reached down to cup my face and bring me to look at him. Gently, he slid his thumb across my cheek as his russet orbs bore deeply into my green ones. ''And I won't let them take you.''
My heart thudded against my chest at his love and devotion. I felt my eyes begin to brim with tears at his words because no matter how much we loved and wanted to be with each other, this was indeed the very end.
Lightning crackled and boomed in the distance. Dark ominous clouds growled and rolled above us, blocking out the sun and anxiously brewing in a storm. In the distance I saw my father and his army of men move in closer to the edge of the beach. Closer to Maxi's ship.
''There's Princess Starra!'' One of the soldiers yelled and pointed in my direction. My father who was amongst, atop of his horse in the very back peered in our direction. When he saw that it was indeed me, I didn't have to be near him to see that he was furious.
''Set up the cannons and take down that cursed ship!'' He yelled.
My blood ran cold with fear.
Over the commotion I could hear a soldier beside him protest. ''But my lord, Princess Starra is among them! If we destroy the ship we risk ki-''
''Do you dare go against my orders?!'' My father roared.
''No, my lord.'' Hastily the soldiers begin to set up cannons on the shore.
The cold wind howled and gushed through everything so fast it made a whistling sound as if it was ripping it apart. Much like how my world was tearing apart, second by second. I didn't believe it… he actually didn't care if his men killed me or not. There was definitely no turning back now.
Maxi saw what the soldiers were preparing to do, because then he started to shout orders to his men. ''Yoji! Hurry and pull that anchor out of the ground. And Miroku get everyone else to get all the sail gulfs down now! We have to leave!''
''Yes Captain!'' The men quickly disappeared on the other side of the deck to tend to their orders.
Everything was happening so fast… My pulse throbbed erratically in my ears. The tides of the ocean grew fiercer. I didn't even realize that I was swaying along with the ship.
''Starra!'' Maxi caught me just as I slipped from his arms and was about to fall backwards onto the hard wooden deck. In my dazed state I saw threw heavy eyelids that he was gazing down at me.
''Starra, It's going to be alright. Just forget about everything else right now and focus on me. Only me.'' Slowly he raised my limp form up against him. ''I'm right here, I won't let anything happen to you.'' He pressed his forehead against mine.
Slowly, I regained my composure and slipped my arms around his neck to hold on to him. I took a deep breath and tried to do what he told me to. Focus only on him. He was solid and warm in the middle of this cold storm. His summery sandalwood scent wrapped around me, instantly making me feel safe and secure. And if I listened closely enough, I could faintly heart the strong beat of his heart. That was when I let the tears fall. There was just no use. Maxi wouldn't be able to get the ship moving in time. Even if he did, the cannons would still reach us and destroy it.
I pulled back just enough to look up at his beautiful face. ''I love you Maxi, more than anything. I love you so much it hurts...'' I sobbed. ''These three months you've been here, you showed me what it means to truly love and live. Locked up in that castle for so many years alone, I never even knew I was alive until I met you.''
He gently brushed a tear away from my cheek with his thumb. His eyes were full of so much empathy and love. I could hardly will my lips to finish my words, as I knew they were the hurtful truth.
''But, this is where I belong. Not here. If I go back now, my father might fall back and let you and your men go. I can't live with myself If…If-''
''Starra, you don't belong here, you never did. You belong here in the ocean, venturing, seeing all there is to see in this world. You deserve to be loving and living the way you've always wanted to. You belong here…with me.''
Passionately, he leaned down captured my lips with his. The rush of fire and passion he ignited inside of me was overwhelming. It warmed me inside out, flowing through every inch of my body, enclosing my mind in a blissful mist that made me forget about everything. I found solace in the way his mouth moved over mine, and reassurance in the way the rough texture his fingers dug into my hair and tickled the back of my neck.
Then he groaned, pulled me tighter against him and deepened the kiss. I whimpered and let my body melt against him.
How am I breathing?
Then he pulled back to look at me. ''We're going to be alright Starra.'' I smiled up at him. But then our moment was cut short by a very loud ringing. He looked around confused. ''What was that?''
The ringing continued. I glanced around trying to find the source of the annoying sound. Somehow it sounded very familiar.
Everything began to fade and blur into an infinite white. Suddenly I couldn't hear the roar of the ocean anymore, or feel the cold wind.
Maxi looked down at me with shock and bewilderment on his face. ''Starra what's happening? You're fading!''
''I don't know Maxi help me! Don't let me go, please!'' I held on to him.
''Don't worry I won't!''
Once again he wrapped me securely in his arms and against his chest. I closed my eyes to try and shut out whatever was happening. That's when I noticed his arms began to feel not so solid. In fact, they started to feel very soft and fluffy…like pillows.
No…
Maxi pulled back at looked at his arms which I were no longer in. ''Starra what's going on?!''
But his voice was barely audible.
''NOOOOO! GODDAMN IT! I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YET!'' I screamed.
Maxi gave me a strange look and tilted his head at my outburst. Then, before I knew it, I was no longer there.
''STARRA NO!'' Maxi's scream was the last thing I heard.
I sat up groggily, flung the covers off of me and rubbed my eyes. I paused there for a minute, like I always did when I abruptly got woken up from a REALLY good dream. Then I looked over and my sworn enemy. It read: 6:30 A.M. I let it ring for a few more seconds before I let my anger take over. I picked it up and threw it against the nearest wall with all my might. The ringing stopped.
Well, my step mom was just going have to by me a new alarm clock. Again. Because the stupid thing woke me up from a really good dream where I was princess and in love with Maxi…again. I never got to finish that dream or see how it ended. But at six-thirty in the morning there was still time! I laid back and yanked the covers up over my head. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath and thought about Maxi….
Only Maxi… How real and wonderful he felt in the dream. How good his lips felt against mine… For a moment, I felt myself drifting… Going back to the scene on his ship at the beach.
But then…
''Delaney get up! You're going to be late for your first day of school!'' I heard my step mother yelled as she passed by the basement door. (Yeah… I lived in a room in the basement. Not as bad as it sounds.)
I shot up and angrily flung the covers off of me. ''UGH! WHY WON'T PEOPLE JUST LET ME SLEEP!? I'M NEVER GONNA BE ABLE TO FINISH MY DREAM!'' I shouted up at the ceiling.
''You're farther is going to be very angry if you're late on your first day of school!'' I heard her voice drift back down to me.
''But it's six-thirty! School doesn't start until eight-thirty! And you're driving me to school so I've got plenty of time!'' I yelled back.
''Okay now, If you're late it's on you.'' I heard her footsteps as she left.
Christ. So, trying to go back to sleep and dream again was useless at this point… and today was the first day of school of my senior year. Ugh. Oh well, I wasn't going to start getting ready right now that was ridiculous. It didn't take me long to get ready. So what would I do to pass about forty-five minutes?
I looked around my room, the tiny red power light on my PS2 console glowed loving at me in my dark room.
''OH YEAH! TAKE THAT YOU FREAK!'' I pumped my fists in the air victoriously as I won another battle in arcade mode on Soul Calibur 3. Seriously I was addicted this game, it was like a crazy obsession. I loved kicking ass, especially with the sexy Japanese pirate Maxi. Astaroth had just got his ass handed to him.
On the screen Maxi gracefully spun around and swung his nunchaku before dropping them on the ground and planting his foot on top of them. He swept his hair back and glared into the camera. ''I'll beat you every time! You goddamn freak!''
''GAAAAAAH! Maxi you're so gorgeous!'' I fangirled
Then a knock sounded at my door.
''Delaney, are you ready?''
Ugh. What was wrong with this woman? I pick up my cell phone. I practically had an hour, or maybe forty-five minutes to get ready. It was probably barely passed seven o'clock! I pressed the power button on my cell phone and the screen lit up.
8:03 A.M.
WHAT THE FUCK! I could have sworn I had only been playing for thirty minutes!
''Um…Not quite..'' I called back.
''How come you're not ready? I woke you up at six-thrity! What have you been doing?'' Her annoying voice pierced through my bedroom door.
Actually that stupid alarm clock woke me up ( in the middle of a really good dream…) And I've been playing Soul Calibur 3 for the past hour and a half. But you don't need to know that!
I quickly got up off the edge of my bed and flicked the power button on the console and turned off the tv.
''Have you been playing that darn video game?!''
''Noooo!'' I called back. ''I'm almost finished!''
''You know what, I'm coming down right now!''
Oh no! I yanked open my jean drawer and grabbed the first pair my hand touched. Green skinny jeans. I pulled them on and then grabbed a blue plaid shirt. I put my arms threw it and fumbled with the buttons. But it was too late. Her footsteps echoed as she came down the stairs. And a second later my bedroom door burst open.
''You're not even ready!''
''I-I am ready! I just need to put on some shoes!'' I argued back feebly.
She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at me. Then she turned around and stalked off.
''You got five minutes. I have a doctor's appointment I need to go to and you're about to have me late!''
Whatever. I pulled on some black combat boots, grabbed a jacket and my backpack. Then I looked in the mirror. Oh no! My hair! I looked like the werewolf from London! I grabbed a brush and a hair band and tried to brush it up into a bun with no prevail.
''Curse my creole roots for giving me this terribly unmanageable hair!''
Another knock came.
''Delaney are you ready? We have to go! NOW!''
GODDAMN IT! ''Coming!'' I called.
I left out my room, went up the stairs into the living room, through the front door and onto the porch. I shivered as the chilly air nipped at my skin. The rising sun streamed through the trees and illuminated everything in an orange glow. It was a nice morning. In fact if I didn't have to go to school I probably would have sat outside with a nice cup of tea to enjoy it. I walked to the garage but didn't see her inside the car.
''Oh she wants to rush me! But doesn't even her butt in the car!''
I angrily spun on my heels and marched up the porch.
Little did I forget that the foundation porch steps had began to crack and erode from weather it was so old. As a result, sometimes when you stepped up the stairs they would randomly spring up on one side once you're weight settled on to them. Naturally, with my bad luck and clumsiness, I stepped on a said loose slab and tripped.
Uh oh!
I started falling backwards, awaiting the horrible pain that would soon come from landing on solid concrete. You know, it would have been a lot easier to fall forward instead of backwards. That way I didn't have to break my back, (exaggeration) and not be able to walk for a whole damn week (not an exaggeration) So when the pain never came and I continued to fall I knew something wasn't right. Where in the world was my step mom? And why hadn't my back broken yet?
Maybe it's because I was still falling backwards!
Then the air and my surroundings shifted, everything drowned and began to fade as an infinite black swallowed it up. And suddenly I was falling through a pitch black abyss. My limbs began to feel tingly and light, like air, like I was floating, drifting towards something. In fact that's what my entire body felt like. Like I was traveling through time and space.
With all the dark surrounding me, my mind began to fall asleep. I was losing consciousness…
The first thing I remember waking up to was the softness of a mattress under my body. Where was I? Why wasn't my body aching from the fall I was about to take on the porch steps. I opened my eyes and instantly regretted it. Extremely bright lights shined directly above my head in the white ceiling. I groaned and shut my eyes.
Then I heard heavy fabric being flung back and light footsteps approached the bed.
''Ah, good! So you're awake?'' Came a chirpy female voice.
I heard a click and through my shut eyelids I saw that the light above me had had dimmed. Thank God.
I opened my eyes and looked beside me. It was a pretty girl, who appeared to be a little bit older than me. She had blonde hair cut into a short style with a bang, big green eyes and a heart shaped face. She was dressed in a sky blue uniform dress, white thigh highs, a ruffley white apron and cap. It was obvious she was a nurse, although her uniform was slightly out of date. (Nurses today no longer wore the dresses or caps.) But if she was a nurse then that meant I was in a hospital.
''So, how do you feel?'' She asked in her extra-happy voice that prickled the memory in my brain. Somehow she seemed so familiar. I knew I had seen her before somewhere but I couldn't remember where.
I sat up.'' Um, I feel fine actually; I'm surprised I'm not in braces. Last thing I remember I was falling, headed straight for solid concrete stairs.''
She chuckled. ''That's right! You were standing around at the top of the main stair case. Some kids told me you were just staring into space like a fish out of water and then you started to fall!'' She laughed again. ''You were lucky that cute Korean was around to catch you before you fell.''
Huh? What was she talking about? I tried to make sense of what she had just told me.
''Wait a minute… I thought I was in a hospital. Where is my mom?'' I asked confused.
Then her smile went away and she turned serious. She walked over to me and placed a cool hand to my forehead. ''Are you sure you're feeling okay?''
I tried to brush her off. ''Yes I'm fine. Where am I?'' I demanded, bewilderment was starting to rise in my chest.
She stepped back, her green eyes gazed at me with worry. ''I can't believe you don't remember. You're our newest student here at Soul Calibur High!''
What the hell…
It was then that I got a good look at the name tag on her shirt. It read: NURSE LYNETTE
Lynette? As in the armor shop owner from the game Soul Calibur 3? It couldn't be…
ENHJFEWJKFEKHFWKLJFJWKGKJW!
ARE YOU GUYS AS EXCITED AS I AM ABOUT THIS?! Seriously are you?!
Get ready for some humor, some drama, and fun modern-day exciting adventures in high school with your favorite characters from Soul Calibur! I originally planned on publishing this in the spring when TATD was almost finished. I don't know if I can handle two stories at once. But I dilly-dallied and shilly-shallied on updating that story, and it's sad but I'm not excited as I was about writing now than when I first started. (It got boring) The Tiger and The Dragon should have almost been finished by now. But like I said I bull-coned around. So, I needed some excitement in my writing life and I thought: ''Why not post it now?!''
Tell me what you guys think! I will try to have chapter two up before the beginning of next month! [I've gotten serious about my writing so expect updates when I tell you they're coming ]
STAY TUNED! AND REVIEW!