Chapter I
What to do..?
Tsukasa P.O.V.
Kite still looks tired, despite sleeping for about two days. Well, Faille said we've been asleep two days, and I believe her. Sleeping that long is not surprising, given that we'd been fleeing for two and a half days with little rest, and the teleportation spell drained what little energy we had left. I glance at Aura before taking a seat across from Kite in the small room. Seeing how peacefully the child sleeps, I'm jealous; Aura doesn't have the dreams. Oh well… I suppose I shouldn't envy her. I should be happy for her, but… the dreams… Oh god, the dreams!
"Tsukasa." Kite's voice breaks me from my reverie, and I look back at him.
"We've got to leave her with Faille," I say, softly, sadly.
Well, that clearly wasn't what he expected me to say. His cerulean eyes widen, and he raises one eyebrow, giving me his 'what-the-heck-are-you-talking-about' look, and vocalizes it: "What? Why?"
I turn my eyes back to the child's sleeping form. Gently, I brush a lock of silvery white hair out of her pale face. Still gazing at her, I reply, "You know we can't keep her safe… And Faille can be trusted. Her two daughters were recently killed by roving fiends… She'll take care of Aura better than we ever could."
Kite just looked at me for a moment, incredulous. Then his eyes fell upon Aura, and he sighed. "Hmm… Maybe you're right. But it isn't Faille I'd worry about."
"Paeto?"
"Mm…"
I frown. "I don't know what to make of him, myself. I think we can trust him not to turn us in on his own, but, if someone were to pressure him, he'd give all the information he could about us and our whereabouts."
Kite nods slowly. "Yeah… All the same, if he knows about Aura, is it really safe to leave her here?"
I shrug. "I… honestly don't know. But, it's probably safer than taking her with us."
"True," Kite admits, slowly.
I can see he still doesn't want to leave Aura here. Frankly, neither do I. The little sprite's been my sister in name and in heart for most of her life. It'll be hard to leave her, but at the same time I know I have to, and the thought of what might happen to her if she were to come with us, or to get caught only increases my desire for her to remain here. The same line of thought is probably running through Kite's mind, too.
"I talked it over with Faille, and, after thinking about it and getting used to the idea, she accepted it," I continue. "Because Morganna did send out a short description of each of us, she and I talked over a few options for Aura, a few disguises. Most of them, unfortunately, involve her cutting her hair, but…"
"She'll understand," murmurs Kite, unhappily. "It'll be hard for all of us to say good bye."
I nod, then pull my knees up to my chin, curling myself up. "Yeah. So… She'll stay here, then. For… for how long?"
"Until it's safe."
I sigh. "And when will that be?"
Kite looks up, his cerulean eyes meeting my own lavender. Those normally tranquil pools are filled with uncertainty and worry. He looks away again, shaking his head. "I just don't know."
Both of us are silent for several long moments. Aura stirs in her sleep, turning towards the wall. Then, she is still again, her chest rising and falling with each gentle breath. The space between my shoulder blades decides to remind me that it is extremely itchy. Therefore, I rub the fabric of my clothing against it. It temporarily relieves the itching, but then it comes back in full force. I give up and do my best to ignore it; it has to just be a bug bite, or several bug bites all right next to each other, judging from the small lump there.
Kite leans against the wall, pulling one knee to his chest. "And what will become of us?" he asks, suddenly.
Blinking at him, I say nothing for a moment, unsure just what to say. In the end, I settle with a shrug. "That's up to us, I suppose. We should probably find out more about Lord Orca's book."
Kite nods, satisfied. It seems that's the answer he expected from me. "Aura seemed to recognize it when she saw it. So, we can ask her what she knows when she wakes up."
He shoots me a hard look. "You weren't thinking of leaving before she woke up, were you?"
I shake my head, giving him a horrified expression. Then I smile. "You don't honestly think I'd leave without saying good bye!"
He returns the smile. Then we both sigh.
"Well, we can use whatever Aura knows to plan our next step," he said. Then, an odd look crosses his face. "You know, Aura knows some weird things, things you wouldn't expect her to know. Especially at that age."
I nod. "Yes. But, she's not like us. She's not like Mother. She's not really like anyone. I don't know where Mother found her, but I'm guessing she's from the Lunari."
"Huh? What makes you think that?"
"Well, from what I've heard, the Lunari are always really pale and tend to have white or silver hair. Besides, they are said to be really powerful, but they have queer powers and know a lot about really strange things. And they hide away from the rest of the world because they are afraid people would become jealous of their complete control over wave energy."
"Wait, don't you control wave energy?"
"Yes and no. I can channel it, and I can guide it, but I can't control it the way the Lunari do. According to legend, they wield it without effort. While the so-called wavemasters, like me, can channel the various elements of wave energy individually, or even a few at a time, it is technically impossible for us to channel all six elements, plus healing energy at the same time, or even to channel too much of the wave energy at a time. Furthermore, we are limited to the six natural elements and healing. Supposedly, the Lunari can wield an eighth element, though what it is, I am not entirely sure. But, the Lunari can also channel all the elements together. In other words, they can wield pure wave energy, which is infinitely powerful."
"Oh. I see… I think." Kite still looks somewhat confused. He can use magic scrolls to use a brief spurt of wave energy, and Lord Orca taught him a bit about the different elements, but he hasn't had the schooling in it I've had, especially under my mother's tutelage. "Do you know where they live?"
I shake my head. "No, but we might be able to find out."
"How?"
"The Guardians."
"You mean like that globby thing?"
"Sort of… You know the statues you find in the old temples, and in the old ruins scattered about?"
"What about them?"
"Well, most of them are made in the fashion of one of the six natural elemental guardians. You might have heard their names before. Wryneck, for instance, is the Guardian of Shadows."
"I've heard of him. He's mentioned in kids' tales, right? The one who brings dark dreams, and who commands the things that go bump in the night."
I chuckle softly. "That's how he's portrayed. Supposedly, he actually exists. Somewhere there's a shrine to him, and if a summoner worthy of his favor comes along and prays to him, then he will grant that summoner the right to summon him in battle. I don't need to summon him or the others so much as gain some of their knowledge."
"So, if you can find the shrines, you can ask them stuff?"
I shrug. "Who knows. This is all rumor and legend I'm talking about."
Kite sighs, exasperated. "Then what good is it?"
"All myth has some basis in fact."
Kite rolls his eyes. I sigh.
"Well, it's better than nothing," I state, sticking my tongue out at him.
He returns the favor. It is at this moment, Faille pokes her head into the small room.
"I'm going to bed now," she said. "Kite… If you need a place to sleep, there's another bed roll in the main room."
Kite looks up at he. "Thank you, miss," he says, bowing.
She smiles sadly. "Just call me Faille. Good night, you two…"
And then she's gone. Kite and I listen to her shuffle to her own bedroom – a room smaller than this one. After a few minutes, the soft sounds of settling are gone, and we can only assume that she is sleeping, or near to sleeping, anyway. We look at each other, each debating what to say, whether to keep talking, or to go to sleep – I in here, he out there, not that propriety much matters to us at this juncture.
We've known each other since he turned up near Lia Fail in the dead of a particularly bitter winter seven years ago – well, eight this winter. I was the one who found him, actually… unconscious in the middle of a clearing just outside one of the ruins near the City in the Trees. (That's just what Lia Fail is called. Probably because it's in the middle of a huge forest with buildings on the ground, buildings on platforms suspended between trees, and, of course, buildings in trees. At many levels, too. It's not nearly as large as Carmina Gadelica or Mac Anu, but it's still pretty big. )
Being the good little obedient child I was, I sneaked out from under the watchful eyes of varying people I didn't know, and didn't really care about – I hadn't been to Lia Fail in ages because Mother rarely brought Aura or I with her when she came to either attend to the local matters with the local nobility, or to just get away from the bustle of Mac Anu and Carmina Gadelica. (Lia Fail and those two cities are the three 'hubs' of our kingdom, empire, whatever it is. I mean, mother rules most of the continent, and she apparently ruled it rather well for a while, when I was really little. Then, she started getting weird a little before she found Aura. As I've said before, I have no clue how or where Morganna obtained the girl. It doesn't matter much now, anyway. We treat each other as sisters whether we're actually related or not.) Anyway, while skipping off to explore the local temple ruins, (even as a little kid, I guess I heard and felt the thrumming call of those centers of magic and summoning), I stumbled across Kite lying in the snow. I don't know how he got there – there weren't any footprints or anything – and neither does he. It's one of the great mysteries of his past. OK, so his entire past is a mystery, since he doesn't remember a thing except his name, or what he thought was his name. But, at the time…
Since he was out cold, so to speak, and my Repth (healing spells) were only good for scrapes and bruises at the time, I dragged him into the entryway of the temple and then started a fire just outside. Thank goodness for Vak Don, the spell for fireballs. He came around eventually, and that was when we first met. Actually met. Sure, I'd been poking him, trying to get some reaction for the past hour, but that was when we introduced ourselves.
. : "Good. You've finally woken up. I was beginning to wonder if you really were dead, or had hypothermia," say I.
The boy, still groggy, just kind of stares at me for a moment. Then, putting a hand to his head – which must be throbbing, judging from the way his expression's all twisted – he sits up, looking around. "Where am I?"
"In the entryway of a somewhat in tact temple ruin near the outskirts of Lia Fail," I supply.
He just looks even more confused, if possible. "Uh… Where's that?"
I raise my eyebrows. "You really don't know?"
He shakes his head.
"Good. Neither do I. This is the first time I've been here that I recall. Who are you, anyway?"
"Ah… Ki… Kit…. Kite." He frowns, as if unsure whether that really is his name. Then, he shakes his head. "I think it's Kite, but…" He shakes his head again, as if trying to clear it.
"Kite, eh? I'm Tsukasa. I think. Last time I checked I was."
He actually looks me in the eye now, a ghost of a smile appearing on his lips. "Pleased to meet you. I think."
We both laugh. I continue to pelt him with questions for another hour, in which I give him all of the snack I'd brought with me. He certainly seems hungry. I think I would be, too, if I'd been stuck out in the snow for a long time. : .
I was a lot chattier and more innocent back then. We both were… What ever happened?
Later, I'd brought him back to Lia Fail, where I received a sound scolding and punishment. However, Mother and some of the nobles seemed interested in Kite. Lord Orca – though normally a resident of Mac Anu, he had come with us for some reason or other – took a liking to Kite, and, since he had no children of his own, Lord Orca adopted him. And, since I spent most of my time in Mac Anu or Carmina Gadlica, I saw Kite frequently. Heh. We got into so much mischief together, doing our best to irritate Lord Orca, and the other nobles, and trying to loose Aura who tailed after us. It's kind of ironic how things have turned out.
A soft stirring snaps me instantly out of my musings. I glance once at Kite, and it seems that he was lost in his own musings, as well. Then, we turn our attention to Aura, who blinked her eyes, blearily focusing upon the world around her, starting with me. Her eyes… They were the same shade as mine; the same peculiar lilac-violet color that turns kind of gray when we're upset or angry… or both. But right now, hers are soft and sleepy.
"Tsukasa," she murmurs, her voice soft and gentle as her eyes at this moment.
I smile down at her. "Hey, Aura. How you feelin'?"
She stretches her delicate arms above her head, then sits up. "Pretty good. You guys?" Her eyes turn meaningfully to Kite's ribs.
"I'm healing," he says. "Tsukasa's spell worked well enough that I doubt there'll even be much of a scar."
Aura nods, then looks at me. "What about you?"
"I'm fine," I say with a sigh. "Still a little tired, but I think that's more a symptom of the time of day than anything else."
She smiles, although she probably knows nothing is fine right now. Suddenly, an utterly serious look steals over her face, and Aura regards both Kite and myself with great solemnity.
"You don't need to hide anything from me," she says. "Please, tell me: Are you two going to leave me here?"
Kite shifts uncomfortably, and so do I. However, I am saved from answering by Kite's nod.
"Yes," he murmurs, exhaling. "We… can't protect you. But you'll be safe here, or at least as safe as you can be." A sad smile touches his face. "It'll be pretty fun for you. You'll get to disguise yourself, and you'll be with Faille. She's really nice."
"And she's a better cook than I am," I add.
Aura arches an eyebrow at me. "That isn't a hard goal to accomplish, although I admit you make a pretty good stew, and yummy cookies." She makes a face. "You always burn everything."
"She's right. Remind me to do the cooking when we're on our own," says Kite.
I stick my tongue out at both of them. "Hey, I'm not that bad, and I am getting better."
"True," agrees Kite. "You only burn everything three-quarters of the time."
I throw the pillow from my pallet at him. He catches it easily, despite the relatively high velocity it was flung at. Then again, he's always been one of the fastest people I know. Anyway, he chuckles softly, as does Aura, and I can't help but smile. However, my smile vanishes with a weary sigh as the realization that this is probably one of the last times all three of us will be together like this for a long time. Possibly forever. Yup. That thought is definitely a bright and shiny one to treasure.
"You know," says Kite after a moment to Aura. "You'll have to cut your hair, and you'll probably have to dress like a boy."
She looks sad about having to cut her hair, but when Kite mentions the part about dressing like a boy, she makes a face. "Oh dear god, no! I'll take my chances alone in a cave somewhere if I have to dress like you."
"What? You don't like how I dress?" asks Kite.
"Well, your hat is pretty dorky…" say I.
"It is not!" he exclaims.
"Is too," retort Aura and I at the same time.
"You're just jealous," replies Kite, sniffing.
"No… I already have a hat," I say.
"It's just as dorky."
"No, actually, it isn't," interjects Aura. "It doesn't have earflaps."
"What's wrong with earflaps? They keep your ears warm."
I roll my eyes. "Then how come you never buckle them together to keep the fastened over your ears?"
"Because then I can't hear."
"You never listen, anyway, so what difference would it make?" I ask.
"Ouch," is all that Kite says. Then, standing up, he adds, "Well, if you two are done insulting me, I do believe I'll retire for the night."
Author's Notes:
Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad to see people like my random ideas. X.x
I hope you guys continue to like this story. Err… This chapter doesn't really have any action whatsoever. It's all talk, but hopefully it'll explain a few things… and raise a few questions. Yes, I'm purposefully keeping you guys in the dark about some things. However, feel free to ask any question you want. I'll answer it if I am able without spoiling anything much…
Reviewer Replies:
Kitsunia: It's all right. I was just ragging on you because I could... Yes! Go you! Did you actually know the words, or did you look them up? If you knew them off the top of your head, that's amazing! (Me, I know them because of my mother, who is an English major, and from flipping around thesauri and dictionaries. ) Thankies!
AngelYoshi: Well, I finished Fragments, so.. no! Thanks for revieiwing!
Shiner: Actually, I started on a story some time ago in which The World was a real place, and it wasn't that great, and I just didn't feel like continuing it, much less posting it. But, in that... I used a pretty similar geneology to what I'm using in this story. So... that's the main reason.. Besides... well.. nevermind.. I don't want to spoil it too much, but the itching in her back has something to do with it...
Dragon's Hitokiri: Thanks a lot! Ok.. If you want to read about & download the trailer of .hack G.U. go to . It's a lovely site. Hmm.. Something different than a poking war, eh? -poke- Well, I'll leave it up to you to figure that out.
Twilight Memories: Sweet! Y'know.. I think I'm the only person in this entire site who has written a KiteTsukasa fic... I looked around, but... This and Fragments seem to be the only ones.. O.o Shame, because they make a cute couple. Oh, and it was only about one and a quarter pages worth of notes... Hehe
Preview of 'Chapter III : Moonlight Sonata'
Note: Chapter title and content subject to change without notice.
I sigh, shake my head and move to the door. Cool night air would do me good, I think. Faille locked it, I see. Oh well. It's not like I'll stray out of sight from the door, so if anyone tries to enter, I'll see them. As I turn from closing the door, I see, or at least think I see, a dark figure flit furtively from one shadow to the other. But, then I don't see anymore flitting as I look harder."Who's there…?" I call softly, soft enough that no one in Faille's house or any other house could hear me, but loud enough that one who was spying, listening with attentive ears would hear.
All I hear in response is a soft, muffled chuckle...