Chapter 3
Author's note: OK so last time I talked about a change log. That was a necessity for that chapter because I made some mistakes in continuity between the two. Lets hope that doesn't happen again.
Rikku slowly ambled down the street heading for the forest outside of the city walls. After exiting the walls he meandered around the forest looking for two suitable trees. When he had found them he took out two knives. They were short and thin with the tips shaped like arrowheads. On their pommels of the two knives were thick metal rings. He jammed one into the tree so that its pommel was facing skyward at a forty-five degree angle. He walked to the opposite tree and did the same.
Then out of his messenger bag he pulled a hammock and some carabiners. He attached the carabiners to the metal rings on the knives and attached the hammock to the carabiners. He climbed into the hammock and zipped it up enclosing him in a sort of cocoon of rainproof tarp. He lay there thinking on how most of the other students would be going home and talking happily about the battles and how they did. He fell asleep wondering who the elite he would train under would be and what the team would be comprised of.
A loud sound like a gunshot shattered the silence of the forest. Birds flew in every direction, animals scurried into hiding. The sound seemed to have emanated from a section of the forest about one hundred sixty feet from where Rikku had set up his hammock. As he approached the source of the mysterious sound he began to see signs of decay and death. The trees had black patches, entire branches turned brown in the middle of spring. As he progressed he came to a clearing that hadn't been there before, the ground was freshly torn up and all the trees surrounding the clearing were charcoal black.
Where the grass and earth used to be there was blood read writing across the entirety of the cursed area reading: I Have Returned to Reap the Harvest. The blackened trees swayed in the wind making a bone chilling rattle of death. Rikku looked around to see that the sky had turned blood red and the entire forest was blackened and dead like the trees around him, a deep and evil chuckle echoed around him growing louder and louder until it eclipsed everything and fell into a never ending void.
Rikku sat up with a start. He was in his hammock, it had all been a dream he relaxed in his hammock again. Just a nightmare, he thought, Nothing to worry about.
The next day as Kira walked to school she saw a girl running toward the school, seemingly at the speed of light, with her bag over one shoulder and an excited gleam in her eye. As she charged The Academy she jumped spinning in place while shouting Wahoo! She stopped suddenly and looked back at Kira.
"Hi! Sorry I blew past you whats your name?" in a flash she was right in front of Kira. Kira leaped back in surprise. The girls lightning fast speech made her somewhat hard to understand.
"Kira" she replied stepping back a few paces to put some distance between her and this strange girl. Now that she was three inches away from her Kira saw that she had short white fur and a bushy large bushy white tail that went up and above her head. She had long beach wave white hair with a blue streak between her blue catlike ears on the top of her head. The streak ran from her head all the way to the tip of her big bushy tail. She had big brown eyes that seemed to crackle with excitement while the two yellow patches of fur on her cheeks seemed to crackle with electricity.
"Well I'd better get going see-ya!" and she ran off toward the school. Kira just stood frozen from the shock of what just happened. She shook her head and continued toward the school pondering the mystery guest. She seemed to be her age, and she wasn't old enough to be an elite, so she must be a student.. However Kira hadn't seen her before, maybe she was from class A? She arrived at the school early as she usually did on special occasions, and the last day of school was definitely a special occasion.
When she got to class 3-B's classroom a note was stuck to the door: ASSEMBLE IN COURTYARD ARENA. Why there? She thought as she briskly walked toward the courtyard. As she stepped onto the arena porch she found out why.
Seated in newly set up risers all around the arena were the students, both class A and B. Standing in the actual arena was Mr. Hero, Mrs. Etoile, and five others.
One had gray-black armor with openings that seemed to be a method of releasing a substance of some kind. He had a dark red cape draped over his shoulders, baggy brown pants and a black linen shirt designed to reflect heat. His face wore the same bored expression Rikku had except his contained malice and complete disdain for life, a RBF. His brown hair was windblown and wild. His brown eyes focused dead ahead. The weirdest thing about him however was his head. It was the head of a hippo.
Another of the five was a small man wearing a black pinstriped suit and a matching fedora he had yellow fur with two red patches on his cheeks, two long black tipped pointed ears and a signature lightning bolt tail.
Standing next to him was a figure in black cloak. His hood was up so that his face was hidden from view. As they watched a lavender colored tail swished irritably from under the cloak only to disappear again causing more questions than answers on who might be under the cloak.
Next to the man in the cloak was an aged Gijinka who appeared to be floating. He had a long wispy white beard and a red gemstone protruding fro his yellow skinned forehead. His hands were tucked into the large sleeves of his monk-like robe.
Last of the group was a titan of a man. He stood eight feet tall and was covered in green scales like armor. His head was that of Godzilla and he had green triangular spines running from the top of his head to his lower back. His arms and logs were the size of pythons and his chest had a pattern of blue scales in the shape of a diamond with black lines running across it. He wore a stern and noble expression as he gazed across the audience.
"Welcome everyone!" Mrs. Etoile was standing in front of the six other mystery men. "As I'm sure most of you know you would have been grouped into clusters of three and sent out on missions after this day, however as a request from Lady Celebi herself we will be giving you more advanced training before you are sent into the field." There was a collective mutter and protests of indignation came from the crowed.
"WE DON'T NEED MORE TRAINING!"
"YEAH, WE WENT THROUGH THREE YEARS ALREADY WERE GOOD!"
Mrs. Etoile was having trouble calming the crowd of angry students. The man in the cloak stepped forward and he laid a white, three fingered hand on her shoulder.
"Do you all wish to die? If so be my guest and go report to Lady Celebi right now, but I can promise you will be brought to a swift and painful end!" The deep voice seemed to resonate from inside their skulls. From under the hood of the cloak two gleaming points of purple light could now be seen. The crowd quieted down and the hooded man stepped back leaving Mrs. Etoile to explain.
"As I was saying, we will be teaching you advanced battling techniques and training you based on your affinity." There were excited whispers from the crowd, affinities were abilities that only the elites had. Daphne raised her hand.
"Mrs. Etoile what if we don't want to be an elite?"
"Then you may leave" She replied with a smile. Everyone stared as Daphne got up from her chair and walked out the door.
"Does anyone else wish to leave?" She asked. No one answered, this was the chance of a lifetime. No one in their right mind would say no.
"Master Shi if you would be so kind as to set up The Room."
"Certainly Principle." The old monk replied as he floated of toward a door in the opposite wall.
A clipboard and pen floated from off the table and sat levitating in front of the Principle.
"You will enter the door on the wall behind me as I call your name, Cassandra Stephan." She strutted toward the door opened it, turned to sneer at Rikku, and entered. The door shut behind her. After some time had passed Cassandra walked out looking dazed and confused holding a belt with gray elliptical stone in the center. This continued in a similar manner with Mrs. Etoile calling names as the previous occupant left the room.
"Rikku Biao." She called and Rikku stood up he walked over toward the door, opened it, and went inside. As he stepped through the door he gazed around stunned. He was in the middle of the woods! He turned around and there was a door, no frame or hinges just a door.
"Come, sit" Said a voice behind him. The monk, Master Shi, was sitting cross-legged on the forest floor with 18 cards floating in front of him. Rikku knelt and waited for the old monk to "divine" his affinity. The monks eyes glowed with a psychic power as he scrutinized Rikku.
"Hmm," He finally spoke. "I have rarely seen someone with suck a complex aura. You have a conflicted spirit my boy."
"You have passion and ambition but your very kindhearted too. Who should be your teacher… Luke would give you power, however he might squash your good nature out of you. I do not have the skills needed to teach you, and Hakim already has his three." He continued muttering about things Rikku could barely understand. "Well there's nothing for it then" he said with a note of finality, "You shall be taught by M"
"M?" Rikku asked startled, "Who's that?"
"The man in the cloak" Said the old monk with a twinkle in his eye. "You are to wear this at all times during your Advanced training." He handed him a black length of fabric with a gray stone, on the stone was an image of a fairy like creature with leaves for wings. "It represents our village and shows that you are one of us." He handed it to Rikku.
Rikku turned to leave and was just about to go through the floating door when the old man called him back.
"By the way, your friend, that Awazu girl, stay close to her, she has a very important role in your future. You may go now" Rikku was stunned. The door behind him opened and it lead back into the arena courtyard.
"How are you doing this?" he asked the monk.
"I think that is for M to explain to you." He winked. Rikku left the room dazed and confused. Kira was called for the reading next. She experienced the same confusion as Rikku when She walked through the door into her room.
"How..." her voice trailed off as she marveled at her room.
"That is not for me to explain." Said the monk. "Come, sit"
She knelt in front of him. He inspected her with piecing eyes that seemed to gaze through her and see something more than her. He was seeing her soul.
"You are much like your friend but in a different way" he began. "You have the Awazu family's fighting spirit however you struggle to accept it as part of you. You could be very fierce or very humble and kind. You and that Cassandra girl have very much in common, however you walk two very different paths." Kira sat patiently, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.
"You have no trouble standing up for others but you shouldn't be afraid to stand up for yourself as well dear, I think mister M would be good for you. Yes, then you can be with that Rikku boy, he'll need you in the future you know. Here, you are two were this at all times during your training." He handed her a blue strip of fabric with a gray stone on it. "You may leave." He said with a smile. She bowed and walked out.
After all the students had been called through the Principle crossed off the last name with a final flick and she flipped the page on her clip board.
"Alright, now on to the groups." She said with a sigh. The paper flashed purple and "Evanlyn Boardman Ethan Boardman and Cassandra Stephan you will be with Luke." The yellow man in suit waved to them. "Dave Sandstone, Iwan Stonefist, and Kaiyo Kahale you will be going with Hakim." The RBF man with the red cape shifted his wait and stared blankly at them.
Several other teams were made when finally: "and as for the last team, Kira Awazu, Rikku Biao, and Ryu Ryuga, you will be going with M."
"Hi." The voice resonated in their minds once again. They looked around and no one else seemed to have heard it. "You three. Meet me at the field outside of the city walls tomorrow at dawn. If your late I wont repeat what I was teaching." With those words still ringing in their heads the man in the cloak seemed to fold into a small point of purple light.
"Oh he's going to be a joy." Rikku said without any enthusiasm.
"Yeah, no kidding." Ryu looked even less happy about his teacher.
"Well… at least were still a team?" Kira tensely waited, trying to see if she had said the right thing.
"Yeah, that is a good thing!" Ryu seemed a lot happier.
"Well your moods change fast!" Kira thought to herself. Rikku was gazing off into empty space.
"Whelp, Id better start heading home. I live on the East side of town near the main gate. Where do you guys live? If we are going to be a team we should know where each others houses are, then we can visit!" Ryu was smiling at the idea.
"Oh! Well I live on the North side of town, next to Celebi's tree." She said timidly.
"Whoa! You live next to Celebi!? How rich is your family!"
"Dude" Rikku looked at him incredulously, "Didn't you hear her last name?"
"No? Why"
"Its Awazu, as in Lord Awazu?" He stared dumbfounded Ryu who was slowly shaking his head. "The Pangoro guy? He continued to try and jog Ryu's memory.
"I wonder if I should have told them where I live..." She wondered as Ryu changed the subject to where Rikku lived. Kira looked up in shock at Rikku's reply.
"I live in the forest."
"The forest!" He shouted the words causing all the other students to look directly at them. "Where are your parents, your family!" Ryu continued on oblivious to the many eyes staring and the large number of mummers that seemed to be filling the courtyard. Mundane animals lived in the forest and they could be quite dangerous.
"My parents aren't a topic I like to think about." A look of pure loathing had flickered over his face at the word "parents." "At least my father is. And my mothers dead so, yeah not a fun conversation."
"Well ok then lets not talk about them." Ryu seemed reluctant to let the subject go but he knew he wouldn't be getting any answers out of Rikku any time soon. "Ill see you tomorrow morning at dawn then." he said as he started walking toward Main Street.
"Whelp, I'd better get going too" said Rikku slinging his bag over his shoulder and stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Later" he called as he headed toward the south gate cutting directly through the school field toward his destination.
Kira walked home alone. As she approached her house she paused at the lone sakura tree in her front yard. Her father had named it Kira after her, when she had asked why he had looked over at her and knelt down to be level with his little girl saying: "Because its like you!" He had smiled at her look of confusion. "Let me explain. This tree grows flowers which are very fragile and easily torn, however beneath those petals is a trunk and the trunk stands firm no matter what happens to it. And that's you Kira." he patted her head between her two panda-like ears "beautiful as a flower strong as a tree!"
She loved her father, but he could be a bit clumsy at times. She entered the house and began to cook dinner. She missed her mother but she never new what kind of person she was. Her mother had died shortly after her birth.
Lord Awazu, hearing the door, came thundering down the stairs.
"So!" He said with a bright fire of admiration burning behind his eyes. "Which teacher are you assigned to?"
"His name is "M" apparently." she said not looking up from soup she was making.
"M?" His look of admiration and pride turned to one of confusion. "I don't know any one by the name of "M..." although it might be- but no it couldn't possibly be him." He seemed both proud and unbelieving. "Could it be that He has returned!?"
"Well don't ask me!" Kira giggled slightly, her father wasn't like most Pangoros he wasn't a fighter, he was a scientist and one of Lady Celebi's favorite advisers. He seemed to always know what the people wanted so he doubled as the head of Gijinka Resources and head of the Science Division.
"Well, have you found any "friends?" Her father had a sly look on his face and as she looked at him he bounced his eyebrows twice.
"Dad!" She turned away half amused half embarrassed, when she turned back she had a troubled look on her face. "Well, Not one I like, but I think he likes me."
"Oh?" He took off his glasses looking concerned. "What are you gonna do about it?"
"I don't know" she sighed sitting down and setting her bag on the floor. "I guess, when he makes his move ill have to refuse him..."
"Wait, so your telling me that he hasn't asked you out, tried to force himself on you, or anything along the lines of deeper relationship?"
"Well, yeah..." She looked at her father confused.
"It could just be a passing compliment, you know that right?
"I guess your right..." Her voice was sad and hesitant. "I just don't know what to do about it."
"I think your plan of waiting and watching would be your best path forward." He returned his glasses to their resting place on the bridge of his nose. "You never know, he could want something else. Just wait until he tells you what that is."
"But if that's true then why did he call me "cute!" Her voice had risen however it was still quavering on the wrought with panic and confusion.
"Oh! Well I called my sister cute all the time. Ill tell you," He chuckled "It drove her insane!"
"I sure hope you're right" She said over her shoulder as she got up to make dinner.
The next day Kira got up made and ate her own breakfast and left the house before her father could get up. She was wearing an open tan hoodie with pockets riddled all over it and the Awazu crest, Two white eyes over a red circle, emblazoned on it. She wore her usual skirt but she had on leggings instead of knee socks. She didn't want to show off her underwear while training. Around he waist was her signet belt, her graystone.
As she walked down main street she looked around at all the shops not yet open. She walked past bakeries, convenience stores, and the free food booths. At this last one she plucked an apple from it and ate it while she walked. She reached the front gate, finished her apple and proceeded toward the field that blocked the south gate from the forest. Rikku was already there, squatting on his heels in the grass his eyes closed.
As she approached Rikku his ears twitched like they had done every day she had approached him with his eyes closed. He knew she was there. He also had a minor wardrobe change. Instead of his black jacket he was wearing a long black sleeveless duster. He had it open with his signet belt keeping the top half tight to his chest while the bottom was free to flow about as the wind so desired. No sooner had she sat down beside him then Ryu pelted round the corner. He ran toward them calling out happily as he ran toward them. He slipped. As he fell his face turned from a look of happiness to one of dread. He landed and slid all the rest of the way to Kira who couldn't help but stifle a giggle. Realizing what she was doing she abruptly stopped and sat up strait, the black hearts on her cheeks turned scarlet.
A man in a black cloak stepped out from the tree line where Rikku could swear no one had been before. "I see you are all on time, good. Now let us begin. First before I teach you about your powers and affinities we will need to work on your basic fighting skills." The mysterious voice echoed inside their heads. "This may seem unimportant, why punch someone when you can breath fire or conjure water but all the gijinka who think like that are dead, so pay attention."
He taught them the basics of Karate and Jujitsu telling them it would be important to know these things for their upcoming lessons. All of them coming from some sort of fighting background they all took to it very quickly.
Soon he had them punching trees repetitively to strengthen their fists. Eventually, toward the end of the month, Ryu performed a particularly powerful strike slamming his fist into the tree with lightning speed. A sound like canon fire rippled across the forest as the tree's midsection was sent ten feet away from its host. "M" slowly started to clap as he approached them.
"Well it seems that one of you has found his found one of his affinities." the voice echoed in their heads. "However this affinity was expected from a Riolu, and Panchams for that matter."
"So… Will I be able to do that?" Kira looked stunned at how far Ryu had sent the tree.
"One of them?" Ryu asked turning to their teacher. "I thought that we were born with a typing and that was all we could learn?"
"Previously that was the case" "M" responded to his question with a hint of pleasure at being able to lecture them. "Sit and I shall explain." He seemed to float over towards the wall. "As you have probably learned in history we were not always humanoids. We were more like animals and only a select few of us could communicate with humans. Eventually humanity attempted to assert dominance and enslaved us. Arceus decided to do something about that and merged our two species. I have glossed over some details but you get the main picture.
After this merging us gijinka were not only able to have a much stronger cognition allowing the use of more techniques but we also inherited their individuality. Thus our typing became only half of what decided our move set. Your affinity comes from the human side of your genetic code. When we were still separate beings humans still had the ability to use affinity however it was very rare.
Most common were the psychics and fighters. Pokemon's near perfect use of affinity and the humans individuality formed two move set options: your natural affinity and your hidden affinity. Take Ryu and Kira, you both are fighting type therefor you have the natural affinity for fighting type. Rikku, being a Zorua you have a natural affinity for dark type.
Given the nature of humans when we merged together, a Gijinka can have as many as two hidden affinities and as little as zero. It is more common to have only one, about fifty percent, but those who have two affinities make up about forty percent of the population. Having no hidden affinity is quite rare however it means that you either have no hidden affinity of that your natural affinity is the same as your hidden one. Any questions?"
"Yeah" Ryu had his hand up "Why are they called "Hidden" affinities?"
"Because you don't have access to them without training. Thus they are hidden to those without training."
"Ok, so how do they form. How do you get a hidden affinity."
"Generally you are born with it, although in some cases your affinity can be altered by trauma in your childhood. Falling off a cliff and nearly being killed can prevent you from having an affinity for flying and encourage an affinity for ground."
"So if you had a traumatic event as a child that negatively effected your natural affinity would it prevent you from using it?" Rikku's voice was muffled behind his hands. He was squatting on his ankles his fingers clasped together his thumbs under his chin. In his eyes was a look of hatred that Kira had only seen once before: when he was talking about his parents.
"Not necessarily. Most likely it would make it harder to use and seeing as we only have two months to train you in your natural and hidden affinities I think we should avoid it all together.
"I agree with that." Rikku replied darkly. "If were talking about trauma as a child I think one of my affinities would be fire." he leaned back against the wall lazily. "Someone." That look again. "Tried to drown me as a child, and I've always felt close to flames."
"Yes fire would be an affinity I would expect you to have, tomorrow we will work on normal type however. You must first learn the basics before you can begin the advanced. You are dismissed."
"Alright then" Rikku grunted as he stood up "Ill see you later" He walked toward the forest looking for all the world like a wizard. Of course he's better at fighting Rikku thought to himself as he headed toward his temporary camp. Its his affinity, he was always better. He kicked the tree in frustration. He had always been worse at fighting than Ryu, he had countered that lack of skill with speed not letting Ryu hit him however it frustrated him that he would never be as a good at it as Ryu.
He walked over to a tree where he had been getting in some extra practice. He slammed his fist into the tree without any form or technique. A strait up punch, a kick, letting his emotions guide him. He hated his inferiority. The tree shuddered with the impact. He hated his life stile. A roundhouse kick but a dent in the tree. He pounded and pounded the tree thinking of all his pent up anger and fear, sadness, misery and hatred until he came to his "dark side" as he so called it. It was a feint memory of sneering fox-like face, long knee length crimson hair with black tips and blood red eyes. The memory of his father. His horrible horrible father.
With a scream of rage he pulled his fist back, a glint of light caught his eye, he punched. The tree vaporized in a glow of pink light, only the charred roots remaining. Rikku stood back and looked at his hand. It was still covered in blue fur. Where had that come from, that light. He felt a sensation of falling, that was weird why was he not standing? He hit the ground but didn't hear any sound. Wouldn't it be nice to just, stay here, on the ground? His mind was right it was nicer on the ground, then black overtook his vision.
M, drawn to Rikku's camp by the flash of light, stood over Rikku's unconscious body and shook his head. He had used too much power and now he was passed out. An unseen force lifted Rikku into his hammock as the cloaked figure turned toward a nearby pine. A white three fingered hand appeared from under the cloak and with a flick of its wrist the tree was cut cleanly through and it topple over forming a bench and he sat down, awaiting Rikku's awakening.
Rikku sat up with a start and promptly fell out of his hammock. As he got to his feet Rikku noticed that a cloaked man, his teacher M, sat on a newly felled tree with all its branches removed and stacked nearby for firewood.
"Sit" the voice resonated from within the cloak. Rikku sat immediately his half asleep brain making things slow to process. When he realized what had happened he nearly fell off the tree again.
"You...talked!?" He stared at his teacher with amazement and fear. "Why?"
"Because you are an anomaly I have never seen before and possibly very dangerous." He leaned forward on the tree revealing slim lower legs and thick upper ones. "It is considered a known fact that ones hidden affinity cannot appose its natural one. A fire type cannot have an affinity for water and a dragon type cannot have an affinity for ice. You are a Zorua, a dark type, yet what you just did there was a fairy type technique known as twinkle tackle. You must tell me what happened to you as a child now." He stared at him intently waiting for him to comply.
"And just who are you." Rikku now looked tense and guarded. "I'm not telling you anything unless you answer that." The man didn't move his hands, a purple tale curled around the brim of the hood and pulled it back revealing the face of Mewtwo one of the lost legendaries.
