Seeing Past Darkness
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Chapter 3: Happy Early Birthday
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Only a minute left, Kenny couldn't believe it. He would be sixteen in two minutes. As old as Zelda- almost, anyway. That had just crossed my mind, he tried to reason to himself. He didn't care how old Zelda was; what he did care about though was the fact that Liyanne couldn't make it to his mini-birthday party. It was stupid, really, but his birthday just had to be on a Monday, when everyone was busy at work or school.
Thirty more seconds…"It's just sixteen, damn," Ryuichi muttered, walking into the living room with a can of soda in one hand and a plate of cake in the other.
"Well, it's a big deal to me," Kenny scoffed, eyes narrowing to steal a glance at the clock ticking away above the forty inch plasma television docked on the wall. "And I can't believe mom and dad are already asleep."
Ryuichi rolled his eyes, trying to keep from snorting in laughter. Like he would care whose birthday it was anymore. Shouldn't Kenny have been worrying about other things- like the girl? He sat down on the floor, content near the coffee table to place his midnight snack, before grabbing the remote control and flicking the TV on.
"Dude," Kenny flicked Ryuichi's head, ready to wrestle for the remote, "Turn on CSI or something. I heard there's a marathon."
Ryuichi snorted, keeping the remote just barely out of reach from Kenny's grasp, "Yeah, right. I don't feel like looking at plastic bodies and fake autopsies and unrealistic computing devices."
"Ooh," the now sixteen year-old drawled sarcastically, "Touchy, Chi-chi."
Ryuichi turned around to glare up at his young brother, eyebrows furrowed, "Don't call me that!"
Kenny laughed, leaning forward in a flurry to snatch the remote. Ryuichi was faster, ducking forward and rolling away, brushing just barely the coffee table- set with his soda and deserted cake.
"Damn," Kenny leaned back, into the couch, eyes roving over the clock, "I missed it!"
"What were you going to do?" Ryuichi said, standing up, "Give me a kiss? Cause I'm not into that, okay?"
Kenny snorted, taking the soda from the table, and ignoring Ryuichi's irritated gaze. "Oh well, I was hoping Liyanne was here."
"I saw her yesterday," the elder one pondered, plopping down on the couch, "She seemed kind of…"-his face contorted a little, nose scrunching up, lips pouting- "clingy."
"Clingy?" Kenny repeated it over, letting it linger on his tongue for a moment; "Liyanne? Clingy?" He could only think of her glimmering green eyes and pouty lips and sweet-smelling blonde hair. "Nah… I'll show you a clingy girlfriend any day."
Ryuichi rolled his eyes, sighing.
There was a moment of silence, each lost in thought about something different, but still thinking about a girl. If only Ryuichi's thoughts were less darker. His eyes began to water, again; Zelda's voice ringing through his ears like she was still there, whispering to him what he had to do.
He shook his head, and then turned to Kenny, who had- in the meanwhile- snatched the remote from the floor and switched it to CSI. Yeah, there was a marathon, all right. "So, Kenny…" The said boy turned to look at him, eyebrows raised in curiosity, "How's the girl doing, exactly?"
Kenny sent him an inquisitive stare before answering, "Um, fine, I guess. She's a little boring to watch sometimes. Although it's funny to see her in a fight with Liyanne." He smirked, remembering the first day he had met the blonde girl.
The older brother hid the urge to sock him, keeping his fists clenched and under his folded arms. "Oh, yeah? So, have you figured out why we're watching her?"
Kenny shrugged, eyes rested on the TV screen once again, "Not really. I thought you knew. Didn't you say she was the Bearer or something, whatever that is?" His voice was passive, as if he was too busy watching about the crime scene unfold in front of him but too busy thinking about something else to notice what the hell was going on in the crime scene.
"Uh, yeah…" Ryuichi muttered, looking away.
"What do you think that is, anyway?" Kenny finally asked, when Ryuichi had suddenly grown quiet.
"I-I don't…" he stopped, eyes stinging with pain. He closed them, feeling hot tears well through his closed eyelids. "Um, I think I'm going to go to sleep. G'night…" He stood up quickly; ready to leave, until Kenny was blocking his path.
"What's wrong, Ryuichi?" Kenny asked, eyes firm, as he tried to catch his brother's hesitating glances.
Ryuichi shook his head, feeling sick. His vision was becoming blurry, his limbs quivering. "It-it's nothing, really… Move, man."
"No." Kenny balled the front of Ryuichi's shirt in his fist, and led him to the couch where he pushed him down. "Now, tell me. What is it? Why are you…?" He gestured to his eyes, red and burning and watering. "What are you hiding?"
Ryuichi groaned in irritation, shoving Kenny away so he could lean forward. He felt like retching, but he couldn't. It was too painful to do anything. There was only one way to rid of it, but he just wasn't sure he could do it- make his brother suffer the same thing, and betray his parents. It wasn't right.
"Kenny," he seethed, "It's none of your business."
The sixteen year old sighed in annoyance, unable to take that as an answer. "It is. If it has to do with the girl, then it's all of our business."
He was right. Ryuichi knew it was the truth, but he couldn't understand how his parents had been able to lie to him, and not to mention to Kenny.
"You have to promise not to tell Mom and Dad," Ryuichi began slowly, "And no one else."
"I promise," Kenny replied impatiently, still staring him down from where he stood, "What's the problem."
Ryuichi wiped the tears away, hands shaking as the warm liquid burned into his skin, leaving nothing to evaporate into the air. "I…"-that wasn't the way to begin- "Zelda dropped by a couple nights ago…"
"What?" Kenny exclaimed, before shutting his mouth when he realized it had been a little too loud. "What do you mean, 'she dropped by'?" he hissed.
Ryuichi glanced up at him, trying his best not to make eye contact, "She told me what we really had to do and, and forced this on me." he remarked, gesturing toward his face. "I thought it was just a story to scare kids into obeying the Royal Family, but…"
"But, what?" Kenny was towering over him, now, too overwhelmed by curiosity, "What story, anyway? I've never heard of it?"
Ryuichi laughed bitterly, "That's because Dad refused to have you swear allegiance to the King before we ran."
"Your point?" Kenny prodded, lifting an eyebrow in confusion.
Ryuichi sighed, running a hand through his hair in aggravation; "Sometimes, you can be so…forget it… Do you want to know why we're here?"
"Yes, please?" Kenny replied sarcastically, eyes giving away the fact that he was confused beyond recognition as to where his brother was going with this.
"Mom and Dad ran away from the Royal Family," Ryuichi whispered fiercely, nose scrunching up as if what he had just said left a bad taste in his mouth. With the tears that had stained his lips, it probably did. "They didn't come here to obey them."
"How's that?" Kenny asked, "They swore allegiance to the King, didn't they?"
Ryuichi shrugged, "I'm not sure, and I don't understand how they can live life without tearing up inside."
"Not to mention- outside." Kenny muttered sarcastically. "I remember hearing Impa talking about this condition we can get…if we…I-I can't remember it all."
Ryuichi smirked wearily, eyes drooping in exhaustion, "If we disobey, after we've sworn allegiance, any royalty can set this curse on us, any Sheikah anyway."
Kenny finally sat down on the couch, opposite Ryuichi, to stare at him in silence.
"I didn't think it was true," Ryuichi continued, feeling ever so slightly calmer, "But…if you look into their eyes, and you see it all- everything. If you don't do what they ask, they'll kill you."
"And you saw it all…" It wasn't a question, or a statement doused in disbelief. Kenny knew for sure.
"I have to do it, but…" Ryuichi shook his head sadly, "I don't think I can…"
"Are you going to tell Dad?"
Ryuichi shrugged, "I'm not sure…"
"He has to help you," Kenny began skeptically, "He's the one that told us to protect her, not kill her."
"Whatever," Ryuichi sighed, standing up, "It's either her dead, or me. If Zelda can get away from the castle to tell me she'll kill me if I don't comply, then I believe her…"
"But…" Kenny trailed off, realizing Ryuichi didn't care to listen any longer as he trudged out of the living room, shoulders stooped.
He was right. Kenny wasn't so sure anymore what he wanted.
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There really was a curse. Ryuichi should have known. Impa's stories about dishonor and treachery and betrayal were all true. If a Sheikah didn't obey, whoever it was would be punished. Once they looked into the King's eyes, saw his truth, saw what he believed was right; they would have to do it. Every Sheikah, once they were old enough, would swear their allegiance to the Royal Family. One's bidding can't be done when all you've got are words. That's what the Sheikah race was for- to make sure those words were brought into action, carried out.
But, if you disobeyed, if you did what John and Carrie did, you would be a traitor for life. No one would ever accept you. Ever. It was always like that. But Ryuichi didn't know that. He didn't even know why anyone would ever want to go against the Royal Family. Murder. They'll kill you if you disobey. Pawns. Just pawns that can be tossed away- until they begin to die off, and only a few are left.
So, they set the threats. Look into deep, blue eyes, know the truth of your existence, and die if you disobey. Ryuichi didn't want to die. Never really did, exactly. She was one girl, anyway, just a poor-excuse of a human girl that wouldn't matter ever in the future. He would do it. He would kill her. If it meant his life, and the life of his family's, then so be it. He would do what he had to do, for the sake of his race.
If he only knew that all Sheikah were cursed from the very beginning.
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Thanks lots to kairi irl for the review. Not so sure what happened with the sudden drop of reviews, but I understand if everyone is too busy to read. Just drop by and read the story when you get a chance, and if you have time, I would love a review. This prequel, maybe the last to finally finish off the beginning and end of Jade's story, is very important.