Opening the Door
They say that every choice in life could be represented as a door. There are doors that we choose to keep closed for very good reasons, choosing not to venture in and make that choice. There are doors we choose to open for very good reasons, kicking it open and diving into the future behind that door. There are doors we choose to keep closed or open for very poor reasons, too. The reasons themselves don't really matter – it's all about the action of opening the door.
Some doors are minor, having very little impact. Some, however, are pivotal, around which all other doors available to us are determined. These doors could be seen as large doors, crafted in gold and silver and opening up vast chambers beyond, full of their own small, unimportant wooden doors.
Some doors are easier to open than others. Some require effort, while with others we need some sort of skill or knowledge. These are keys, which can open locked doors. Secret doors.
The five that would gather that night had the key to open one such secret door. It is a door, however, that should have ultimately remained closed.
~.~
"The requirements," began L, "for beginning the communication are as follows: we need to construct a small roofed in area that matches all of the requirements laid out; we must be at least five miles away from anyone who will not be part of our team; we must sit equal distance from each other around the tablet; we must each allow a drop of our blood to fall onto the tablet; and we must recite the oath I read to you earlier."
"Are you sure you kids want to do this?" asked Auron, in his old gruff voice. How L had managed to talk him into joining in this would forever remain unknown to the other three. "You realize this is serious things you're meddling with. You have no idea what's in store for you."
The five of them sat around a fire mere feet away from a small building. It looked like it was roughly constructed my amateurs. They were in a small clearing, surrounded by trees deep in the middle of the forest – at least ten miles away from the nearest village. The sun had just sat about an hour ago, but the stars and moon could not be seen due to cloud cover.
Silence marked the response to Auron's question. It was a huge risk they were taking, and L had, at several points in the past, said that they should slow down and really think about this. Leave it to the skinny pale guy to point out the seriousness of the situation. Leave it to the old warrior to resurrect these questions and concerns and really make sure that they're prepared for this. Leave it to the idiot blond to respond that he didn't have any doubts.
"Of course I'M ready! I don't know about that idiot coward with the orange hair over there!" Naruto yelled.
Ichigo, for his part, reacted as everyone around that fire expected. "WHO THE HELL'RE YOU CALLING A COWARD!?"
While the two began a verbal argument that could probably be heard ten miles away, L leaned over and whispered to Zelda, "Notice he didn't say anything about the 'idiot' comment."
The two shared a brief giggle, while Auron facepalmed. "If you two are quite finished," Auron started, interrupting the two somewhere between whiskered freak and I'm gonna kill you, you bastard, "I think we should go ahead and do this. If all of you are really sure." Auron looked at each of them in turn, measuring their resolve by how well they returned the stare.
After what seemed like an eternity of staring at each other, Auron nodded. "So be it."
He pulled out a rather large, wicked looking knife, and motioned for them to get into position. They did so, entering the 'house' in question and forming the corners of a pentagon as the instructions L had read dictated. Auron passed the knife to his right, handing it to Ichigo. "I'll go last, if that's alright," he said.
Ichigo nodded, and looked at the knife. All that was needed was a drop of blood. He gaze shifted slightly to the tablet, which L had just placed in the center. He looked at it for a while, thinking about whether or not he should really do this. Finally, nodding to himself, he pricked his finger and extended his arm, allowing a drop of blood to fall onto the tablet.
It started to glow.
"All of you have said your silent farewells, right? There can be nothing holding you back once you take that first step," Auron stated. They all nodded while Ichigo handed the knife over to Zelda.
The process repeated itself, with Zelda taking a moment, shedding a drop of her blood, and the tablet's glow intensified. She passed it on to Naruto, who, after repeating that process, passed it on to L.
L took longer than the others. He more than anyone sitting around the tablet could truly imagine the risk they were taking. While Naruto, Ichigo, and Zelda could likely imagine some truly awful things, the worst thing in their minds was likely death. L, however, was far more intelligent than that. He was among the only people in any of the villages that had spent a great deal of time reading, and some of what he had read over the course of his 20 years of life depicted suffering hardly imaginable. To him, death would be a blessing in the face of such fates.
Besides, this could be a god they were dealing with, or at the very least a very powerful spirit. Death wouldn't necessarily mean the end of the game, depending on whether or not it could play around with the human soul.
Bracing himself, he cut his finger and let the blood flow, letting a single drop hit the surface of the tablet.
Passing it to his right, he gave the knife back to Auron, who cut his finger and allowed a drop to hit the tablet's surface without any hesitation.
By this point, the tablet itself had shifted between several colors. When Ichigo's blood at hit it, it had barely glowed a light blue. When Zelda's blood at hit it, it glowed a strong dark purple. When Naruto's blood hit the tablet, it was glowing a light red. With L's, it was an almost blinding light green. When Auron's blood hit it, it was a dazzling white, and from the tablet came a gust of air, which shook the walls of the 'house' very violently, almost causing it to collapse.
But it held, and as everything went quiet again they all felt... lightheaded. The feeling passed after a moment, and when it did they heard a booming voice. They didn't hear it with their ears, per se, but they heard it just the same. It was a deep, violent, powerful voice.
"Five have gathered, their blood has fallen. Who are ye, that wish to play?"
They all looked at L, who nodded, saying that this was the time for them to name themselves and swear the oath. According to L's instructions, they should introduce themselves in the order that they let the blood fall, which meant Ichigo was first. They were supposed to give their first and last names, and swear the following:
"I, Ichigo Kurosaki, do swear to place my life at risk, to play thy game to the fullest, and gain thy prize."
They each followed suit, saying:
"I, Zelda Nohansen, do swear to place my life at risk, to play thy game to the fullest, and gain thy prize."
"I, Naruto Uzumaki, do swear to place my life at risk, to play thy game to the fullest, and gain thy prize."
"I, Ryuzaki Lawliet, commonly called L, do swear to place my life at risk, to play thy game to the fullest, and gain thy prize."
"I, Auron..., do swear to place my life at risk, to play thy game to the fullest, and gain thy prize."
They all looked at Auron, shocked. A full name was needed. What was he doing?
"I accept your oaths, and deem thee worthy of participating in the Nine Rounds. Good luck, brave souls, and may your hearts prove true in this game of life and death."
With that a white, glowing sphere appeared above the tablet, and expanded softly, taking in each member of this group, and for a time they knew no more.
