Sweey: Well, okay then, I'm back! Once again... ;. Yeah, I've been lazy and busy at the same time... tell me, how can one such as myself accomplish such a thing? I'll tell you how! Doing art and slacking off by writing my story instead of doing my homework... heh... that was the story of my life this last weekend! XD Anyways, enough about my life... to this! Oh, and I'll be switching from first person to third person. In first person, it is ALWAYS Allison. ;D Kinda like the way I did Eyes of a Stranger and Clashing Colors. However, this won't happen quite as often. Things happen that Allison doesn't see, but I want you to see them, so HAH! You will see... ;3
Chapter 9 An Unfortunante Set of Circumstances
The howling began to grow louder. I couldn't tell which direction it was coming from. My eyes danced around as I stumbled hastily through the forest. I couldn't remember which way I had gone before nor could I remember how to get back to Stranger's tree hollow. I looked up, the moon was still bright, flooding the forest below with light. However, at this time, it made everything appear ominious and far from the peace it had brought me when I set off searching for my wanderering friend.
The howling errupted again, this time it sounded to only be about a few yards behind me. I quickened my pace, trying to get away from the wolves. They were the ones from before, the ones from the night that Stranger had saved me...or at least that's what I thought. I looked behind me and could see yellow eyes bouncing in the dark as they grew closer. So I ran faster, pumping my legs as my lungs dragged in the air and pushed it out. They began to burn after a few more minutes, making breathing painful. I had to press on. My very life depended on it.
I ran to a small clearing and kept running until I came to a small rocky passage between two cliffs. I ran in and it seemed to go on forever, one way only with twists and turns but no new routes presented themselves to my pattering feet. I stopped at the edge of a small cliff and found a clear body of water below. I had to go into it, so I did. Instead of going for the canonball, I attempted Stranger's graceful dive. It must have been the direness of the situation, because I slipped into the water like an arrow. I came up for water and reached a patch of rocky land just in time to see the wolves at the end of the cliff. In horror I watched as they began following through down the narrow pathways that lined either side of the body of water, leading down to where I was.
I looked around frantically, looking for some chance of escape. It came with the sight of a cliff. So I scrambled up the rocky wall, climbing up the cliffside and watched as three wolves gathered around beneath it, snapping their jaws up at me and growling like I imagined their bellies were. I was safe where I was, but my nerves still shook me terribly. As if things couldn't get worse, clouds had rolled in, darkening the sky, and in the distance the sound of thunder rumbled like the wolves.
Oddly, the wolves stopped, as if they had changed their minds about eating me. They turned their gazes back to dark passageway and sat down, wagging their tails.
"What do we have here, now?"
The voice was distinctly accented.
My curiosity grew as this new comer a flash of lighting illuminated him and he stepped out of the darkest shadows and into the faded light. His hair was shaggy and red, between his teeth sat a four leaf clover, and his eyes were elaborated by six tears painted onto the surface of his skin. However, his Irish accent was greatly contrasted by his green Japanese clothing and slippers. On his right breast, a dragon crest rested, probably the symbol of his employer. I remembered Meta Knight saying something about a group with a dragon as their symbol. Apparently they had been a part of the Famu ninja clan, Yamikage's clan, who had betrayed the GSA. Thus, their symbol became a black dragon after Yamikage rode one into the battle that determined his loyalty.
"Looks like a wee lassie... ah, ye pups are startin' make me hotheaded! Go now with ye, ye'r lookin' for me student, not me'self a date!" He cocked his head at me and smiled, "Eh, she looks a wee bit too young for me. Ye look a bit shaken up. Ye alright, now?"
I was too shocked to say anything and to shaky to nod. Suddenly he sunk into the ground and rose up again beside me. He towered over me.
"Ye look a wee bit pale, lassie. Forgive me, me pups took after ye. They're supposed to be findin' a friend of mine." He paused and rubbed his chin, "Come to think o' it... why would they be after ye? Hold on now, did you meet a young man in a mask? His right eye be the only thing that shows. It glows purple, the color of lilacs. He be a tad taller than me." He raised his hand to measure the height of his friend. I realized that he had to be talking about Anonymous. I was trying to decide whether or not I should tell him that I had seen Anonymous or not, but it seemed my look of recognition that came across my face was answer enough.
"So you have seen him lassie, have you? This is grand! How long ago did you see him?"
"I... uh... saw him a few minutes before your wolves came after me."
A look of relief washed over his face, once again highlighted by the flashes of light in the sky.
"Tis a good thing to hear he be fine. Now, let's go find ourselves some shelter, before this storm gives us a cold. Besides, it looks like ye be needin' some dry clothes, to be sure." He offered me his hand and I took it. Suddenly I felt the gound beneath me give way and I fell into a patch of darkness. I looked up at him in horror and to my distaste he was smiling gently at me. My heart sunk to my toes, I had just made a huge mistake.
...
Stranger stepped out from behind a tree. He had heard the sound of wolves in the distant. Believing it was wise to stop wallowing in his pain, he walked back to the tree hollow. He was about half way there when he sensed another presence.
"Anonymous..." he muttered to himself, turning around.
Sure enough, just as he had assumed, there stood Anonymous in the shadowcast moonlight. The shadows of treebranches danced on his gray mask, creating enchanting patterns on its surface. His one glowing purple eye stared back at him, apathetic as ever. The silent shinobi took a step forward and immediately Stranger placed his hand on an arrow protruding from his quiver.
"Not another step shinobi," Stranger hissed, "I know whom it is that you serve."
Anonymous stepped back, almost as if he was shocked, but showed no emotion on his face. With a flick of his wrist seventeen needles fanned from his hand.
"If you are here to assassinate me for the sake of your employer, I am sorry," Stranger growled, "For you will be sorely disappointed."
They rushed forward, colliding. Stranger's knife slid against the needles in Anonymous's hand, the metals exploding in a flash of light as lightning slashed across the gathering clouds. The Wanderer swung his other arm around, hoping to use the additional knife to his advantage. To his surprise, another seventeen needles slipped into the shinobi's free hand, totaling in thirty-four between both hands. How the shinobi managed to keep them secure in his hands, the Wanderer had not a clue. Though at this point, that was the least of his worries.
Stranger stood in an awkward position for a moment, with his right blade interlocked with Anonymous's left set of needles. Having swung around with his other blade, his spine was twisted to allow himself to see his opponent's face. Both of their blades were locked together, Anonymous used this to his advantage. The shinobi twisted his entire body in the air like a drill, in the process, holding the needles so that they were tightened around the two knives in Stranger's hands. The Wanderer felt a mighty jerk on his weapons and nearly lost hold of them. He watched as Anonymous landed with barely a sound back on the ground. Though as the shinobi's feet brushed the carpet of grass, he vanished, sinking into the ground.
Uneasily, Stranger took three steps back as he looked around at the shadows, searching for any sign of the shinobi. To his delight and dismay, the shadows of the clouds gathered over the moon. This forced Anonymous to climb out of the shadows, or else be lost in them. However, Anonymous was also a shinobi, making him extremely skilled at stalking.
Thunder errupted in the distance, shaking the ground beneath Stranger's boots. Lightning flashed behind him and he saw his shadow behind him, the very moment he felt the warmth of breath on his neck and a thrilling pain in his arms. Another vein of lightning rippled across the stormy sky. He couldn't move his arms and consequently his knives slid from his grip and thudded onto the ground, masked by the roaring cry of thunder. A rain drop fell on his face as he looked up at the sky, tickling his skin and tasting sweet in his dry mouth as his tongue extended greedily for it.
Light blinked again and he saw his shadow, eight needles skewered either arm evenly. They were placed in such precise location that they were in perfect symetry. Gradually, both arms went completely numb, yet he could still feel Anonymous's breath on his neck and the conflicting friction between their cloth skin where they happened to touch.
Once again the light challenged the darkness, and in their battle, Stranger watched as the needles in his arms seemed to magically be pulled from his arms. The heavens gave a great and wretched cry, pouring out a river of tears onto the dry earth below. In moments, the two rivals were soaked from the clouds' mourning.
Stranger slid to his knees as the masked shinobi walked out from behind him and presented himself triumphantly before the defeated Wanderer. He was willing to die now, so he sat, eyes closed, waiting for the shinobi's blade to slide across his throat.
He winced as the thunder clapped, knowing that it indeed had to be the end. However, his eyelids flashed red from the lightning outside and he opened them. Before him was a hand. His eyes trailed up the hand and he looked up at Anonymous in shock. The feeling had returned to his arms, just as the shinobi had planned, and the Wanderer reached up for the hand. Gently, the shinobi pulled him to his feet. The two walked away, Anonymous lending his shoulder to Stranger.
"Why," the Wanderer whispered, "Why are you helping me?"
As expected, the shinobi did not reply.
Slowly, they walked on. Eventually Stranger could see a small fire in the distance, glistening like a star on the horizon. Slowly, a cave formed around it. He could make out the shape of two people. He began to grow dizzy and stumbled, but did not fall, as Anonymous held him up.
The world around him grew darker and eventually, he could no longer move his feet. He stood in the rain and Anonymous looked at him in confusion. It was amazing how through his one eye one could read exactly what he was feeling.
Panic.
As his world became drenched in green, that is exactly how Stranger felt. Somehow, the poison of the hummingbird blade had entered him. Immediately, Stranger's glowing eyes narrowed toward Anonymous. The shinobi shook his head helplessly as the Wanderer, despite his current wounds, ripped his blades from Anonymous's hand. Slowly, his flesh faded from the rich tan to a dead gray as the locks of brown hair that escaped his hood washed white. His color now altered, his hand pulled up a blue-green mask that hid the lower half of his face from view.
"What are you doing here, Anonymous?" His voice came out cold as he addressed the shinobi.
Anonymous merely shrugged, turning to hide his disappointment from the assassin.
The one who once was Stranger was now Faceless, so his profile and entire manner had altered completely. Faceless was a demon created by some unknown force, embedded into the stone heart of Stranger. Now that he had the poison running through his veins, he was completely unaware of his previous life. Only as Stranger did the two lives collide. Though as Faceless, it was as though the demon awoke from drifting thoughts.
"We be on a mission for Kadir Kadri, Faceless," a familiar voice said.
"Ah, Yoshida Daisuke! Finally, someone I can get some answers from," Faceless muttered. "The details?"
"We were searching for a girl," Daisuke replied, sucking on the four leaf clover stem stuck between his teeth. "Though no worries, I got her. It was easy. Anonymous made it possible."
Anonymous, who had no idea about this "mission", looked to his mentor in shock. Though he was relieved when Daisuke winked at him.
Faceless couldn't help but notice.
"Do you have something wrong with your eye, Daisuke? Or is there something you're not telling me?"
Daisuke laughed, "What could I possibly keep from you, Faceless?"
Faceless's brows rose, "Nothing at all, Daisuke." He began making his way for the cave. "Let us get out of this blasted rain." When the three of them reached it, Faceless threw a disinterested glance to where Allison sat, tied up and asleep.
"What a sight for sore eyes," sighed Faceless. He sat down and helped himself to some of the soup that Daisuke had been cooking.
Anonymous sat down between Faceless and Allison, his eye closing frequently as he fought the urge to fall asleep.
Faceless turned and looked at him, "Are you not going to eat anything, shinobi?"
Anonymous gave him a weary look and shook his head. He stood, looked to Daisuke who nodded, and ran out of the cave.
Faceless watched him go, "Where's he off to?"
"To go assure that no one will be following us," Daisuke said softly. "That be the job of the shinobi. You wouldn't understand, to be sure."
...
"Man, they've been gone a long time," Rioku sighed worriedly, staring absentmindedly out the window. He and Jebediah had been discussing why fireflies come out at night and why they flashed their lights. Of course, Rioku automatically said it had to do with breeding, while Jebediah said it was some form of communication. What Rioku wanted to know was how Jebediah knew they flashed light in the first place. Though he never got an answer.
Somehow the conversation had sprouted up from the storm throwing its tantrum outside.
Jebediah sharply met his gaze, "Wait, what do you mean by they? Allison is right over-", he looked over at the couch where he expected Allison to be, sitting quietly with her legs tucked beneath her, "...there?"
"You're hopeless, Jeb. She left hours ago." Rioku displayed a sly smile, "They fancy each other."
"I couldn't tell," Jeb replied genuinely. "How do you catch onto things like this? Oh wait, you can see! Sometimes I imagine everyone is blind, so I suppose that adds to the confusion, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," Rioku grunted. He leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head, "I'm sure they're sitting in a cave all snuggled up together under Stranger's cloak, keeping warm, lips interlocked, making lo-."
"-Has anyone ever told you, you talk too much?" Jebediah said hastily.
"Hey, no need to be unpleasant. I think someone needs a reality check," Rioku winked, despite the fact his other eye sat beneath an eyepatch and his friend could not see him do so anyways. "I'd be much oblidged to teach you the basics, but I'm tired. I think I might go to bed."
Jebediah shook his head, "Go ahead, I'm gonna wait for their return."
"They probably won't. They're probably happy in a cave together, glad to be away from us," Rioku said smiling, closing his eyes as he reclined on his branch.
Suddenly, Rioku perked up and drew out a shuriken. "Lay low, Jeb," he hissed. "We're not alone."
He was right. Slowly, out of the shadows of the house, the familiar form of Anonymous crept out of the shadows. He lifted his hand and a giant shuriken materialized before them. He arched his arm and threw it forth, sending it gliding toward the blonde shinobi.
"You've gotten slower," Rioku laughed, catching it in his hand.
The look of shock that washed over the one-eyed shinobi caught Rioku off guard. He shouldn't be shocked. Anonymous wasn't one to be reckless, he was one to plan out every move precisely and to take action with confidence. This was unlike him.
There was another flash of light and Rioku saw something red splash onto a painting, as three stripes flew across Anonymous's chest. The gray-clad shinobi stumbled forward a bit and fell, only to reveal-
"Anonymous?" Rioku stared at him in confusion, reverting his gaze back and forth from the one on the ground and the one that stood before him unscathed. Slowly, the one wounded by the other shifted into a snake and slithered hastily away, leaving a waving path of blood from its wounds.
Anonymous, the true shinobi, stepped forward. He lifted his hand and thrust his senbon, the needles, toward Rioku, deliberately missing the blonde shinobi.
Rioku looked at him in shock after counting the thirty-four needles that outlined his shadow.
"W-what are you doing?"
Anonymous stepped forward, unarmed. The light flooded through the windows and Anonymous vanished, when it came again, he stood with his face but three inches from Rioku's.
"Whoa," Rioku muttered.
Anonymous thrust the blonde shinobi against the wall, pressing his forearm against his throat and held up his free hand, as though preparing to slap the daylights out of Rioku. However, as the masked shinobi's hand fell, it did not reach Rioku's face. Instead, it fell on Anonymous's, covering the lower half of his face.
"Oh no..." Rioku whispered, knowing instantly what Anonymous was trying to communicate. "Are you positive...?"
The one-eyed shinobi nodded slowly, releasing his intense grip on Rioku. He waved his hand over the senbon, running his fingers over them as they gathered them up in a single swipe. He vanished in a whisp of smoke and reappeared, standing upon the map that was spread over Stranger's table. He flicked his wrist and lept into the air, going into a pool of black he had created in the ceiling. This time, he did not return.
"Has he come yet?" Jebediah asked, facing the door.
"No, I was just hearing things," Rioku snorted. "You seriously just missed everything that happened?"
Jebediah nodded, "Whoever it was, I couldn't sense them at all. Though I did manage to sense that snake."
"Wow, aren't you incredible," Rioku rolled his eye. "Look, someone poisoned Stranger. He's Faceless now. I'm pretty certain that Allison is with them."
"Well, isn't that brilliant? So, are we going after them?"
"Of course we are!" Rioku answered heatedly, leaping off of the branch, enraged that his friend would even ask such a question.
"Any idea where they're heading?"
Rioku, who hadn't even thought of that, straightened up and drew his brows together in concentration. His gaze was instinctively shifted to the map on Stranger's table. As he approached it openmindedly, he found what it was that Anonymous had left behind.
A needle.
That needle rested over a place on the map, a place Rioku wasn't too eager to return to.
"The Second Fortress, they're headed for the Second Fortress," Rioku said softly, a portion of his confidence had left him when he read the place on the map.
"Well, we better get going," Jebediah said, standing up. "That is, if we plan to get there before they do. Otherwise we'll be dealing with more than just Faceless... we'll be dealing with Anonymous, the Shinobi Twelve, and Kadri. I honestly don't feel like dealing with him again."
"I imagine we will need a ship," Rioku muttered.
"We can take mine," Jebediah said, smiling.
"Or, you take mine."
The two turned and immediately recognized the sharp pair of eyes that peered back at them.
"Edge?"
...
I felt dizzy. I lifted my head slowly, opening my eyes but everything was blurry so I leaned my head back and closed them again. Once more, I opened them and found Anonymous staring down at me. My hand instinctively went up and slapped him and he jerked back in shock, rubbing his cheek. I sat up on the bed and pulled myself to a corner.
"What are you doing here?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he approached me, with a hand extended.
"Don't touch me! Got it! I'll rip off your mask!"
My threat was real enough, but he pressed forth nonetheless. His hand came to my face, his naked fingertips brushing gently against my cheek. I froze, unable to move. I was captivated by his eye. I could see my reflection in his apathetic gaze as his hand sid down my neck, over my shoulder, past my breast, to my waist, my hip, and ran down my leg to the chains on my ankles. He leaned forward, his face just inches from mine so that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my lips.
I was confused.
His free hand kept him balanced, perched upon the bedside, as the other unlocked the chains, freeing me. Despite such freedom, I could not move. I was lost in that one eye that stared down at me. Perhaps it was because it so contrasted the simplicity of his mask. The lush purple of his glowing iris surrounded by the dull grays of his attire, maybe that was why I could not break eye contact. Or perhaps it was the cat-like slit of his pupil that seemed to cut deep into my soul as he stared, unblinkingly, at me.
Slowly, he lowered his face to my ear and exhaled heavily, as if he had been carrying a heavy burden. Somehow, it sounded like he breathed the word, "...si...le...nce..." He pulled back and turned, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. For a long while we were at an impasse, as neither of us moved. Then, his hand came up and motioned me to follow, so I did.
I took in my surroundings, we were on a small ship. We entered what looked like the control deck when I saw someone familiar. His back was to me, but his cloaked figure was enough for me.
"Stra-!"
Anonymous's hand clamped over mine and I looked up at him in shock. His eye was narrowed. He didn't look happy with me. His finger reached up and pressed over my lips, telling me to be quiet.
The one I thought was Stranger turned around, revealling he was not who I thought he was.
"So, she's finally awake."
Oddly, his voice sounded exactly like Stranger's, however it was a slight deeper and raspier. He reclined back, flicking off his hood and revealling a head full of white hair, cut in the same style as Stranger's. I was seriously getting weirded out.
Daisuke stretched, punching the button for autopilot.
"Hey Faceless, why don't you go get us some grub?"
Faceless nodded, "Why not." He stood, paused as he passed me and looked me over.
"Make sure you keep an eye on her, Anonymous. She looks like a tough one."
He snickered and walked through the doors, leaving us all to stare after him.
"Allison-san," Daisuke said.
I turned and found him standing infront of me.
"You were right, that man be none other than your wandering friend, Stranger, to be sure," he said softly. "However, in his state, he does not know it. He cannot. So refer to him as Faceless far now, alright?"
I nodded, "On the other hand, where are you taking me?"
"To the Second Fortress," he answered.
The Second Fortress. I didn't like the looks of how things were. Stranger was with me, but he was trapped inside that demon. Rioku and Jebediah probably had no idea where we were. Daisuke seemed frustrated too and Anonymous, as always, despite his closeness, seemed so distant.
...
Sweey: Well, that's it for now. I like how this chapter turned out... and look at the mess my characters are in now... even the "bad" guys don't like it. Anyways, Anonymous is playing his role to my satisfation. But who is that shape-shifter...? Hmm... guess we'll find out later...
Soooooooo, what did you think of THAT? I mean, come on, Anonymous and Stranger's fight (and the one with Rioku and Anonymous) was pretty friggin' wickedpudding, if I don't say so myself... MUAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH! Man, this story is going along splendidly! ^^ REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIEW!
