Hello everyone! It's nice to have more review! Reviews encourage me to keep writing! So, in case you haven't heard, the Very Potter Sequel is out! Very amusing, but I don't think you can beat the first one… although Umbridge is the best! If you don't know what I am talking about, for shame. Look up A Very Potter Musical on YouTube when you have two hours. It's so worth it! And now that that little plug is out of the way… time for Potions! Heh heh heh… Remember- reviews make me happy
Chapter 10: Zexion the Potions Master plus Seifer the Super Annoying.
The walk down to the dungeons was much less eventful than the walk to breakfast. I mean, we only ran into a ghost or two. Nothing like the three headed monstrosity behind the talking doorknob. Although yesterday I would have freaked out about the ghosts, so I guess it's all perspective. There was this one really annoying one too. Kind of tubby. With a skeleton face, but a regular body otherwise. His name was Barrel or something. Anyways, he dumped my bag, which slightly confused me because I didn't know that ghosts could touch things, but whatever. It did make me the last one in the classroom though. And the only seat left was front and slightly to the left of center. You can guess where Kairi was sitting…
"Well well well, if it isn't the great Mr. Mikomi. Decided to grace us with your presence, have you? Take a seat," Zexion said.
If I had any misgivings about the feelings I had earlier, they were gone. This guy was bad news. And there went my scar. Always great to start off a class with an awkward twitch. The Shan Yu's all snickered very maturely. Seifer had the biggest smile on his face, like I had been placed there for his own personal amusement. I pretended nothing had happened and took the seat next to Kairi. But no, Zexion wasn't going to let it drop.
"Waltzing in late like you own the place, hmm? I don't like people who have big egos."
I was slightly disturbed by the way he leaned in when he said this. I couldn't quite see his expression under his bangs, but I knew that it wasn't friendly. And then Kairi had to open her big mouth.
"Umm, Riku wasn't late. He was just behind all of us and-"
At this point, Zexion pushed his bangs out of his eyes. And the glare that he gave to Kairi would rival… I can't even think of anything in the same league as that look. Kairi shrank to half her size, and she was already pretty small. With every inch she shrank, Seifer grew. Luckily, Zexion left it at the glare and continued.
"This class is not for the big-headed. In order to master the art of brewing potions, one must succumb to the elements, allow themselves to be caught up in the subtleties of using nirnroot instead of mulliweed, or stirring clockwise just once more. And then one must be able to think quickly in the face of imminent doom, combat poison, brew cures…"
Blah blah blah. Unimportant drivel. Great. Just what I need, a teacher who already hates me that I don't have a prayer of paying attention to. Definitely going to steal Kairi's notes again. Uh oh, he's looking at me.
"Tut, tut, Mr. Mikomi. First day and you already think you don't need to listen to me. Well then, ten points from Simba."
"Huh?"
"And another five for ignorance. Maybe one of your housemates will explain it to you later. Now, as I was saying-"
The rest of the class I paid rabid attention to Zexion. If he asked me anything, I would know it. But he didn't ask. And I almost instantly forgot it all the second I stood up to walk out of the classroom. Damn.
"Ah, Mr. Mikomi, might I have a word with you before you leave?"
The sickly sweet tone in Zexion's voice made me queasy. This wasn't going to be fun. Kairi patted my shoulder on her way by, and Sora, oblivious as always, smiled happily and bounced out the door with a wave. And then it was just him and me.
"Is there something wrong, sir?" I asked, sucking up as much as I could, hoping to get out quickly.
"You. You're wrong." And I thought he was praising subtlety. "You think that just because you're alive, people should adore you. You should have special rights. Well you shouldn't. But you just do take them anyways, just like your father you arrogant little-" he cleared his throat. "Hmm… that's enough for now. Watch yourself Mikomi."
I took that as a dismissal and bolted. He made no sense at all. And what did he mean about my father? Did he have some sort of grudge against him? If he did, I was screwed. It wouldn't matter what I did, all he would see is my father. Who I apparently resemble or something.
I ran so fast that I didn't even notice Seifer and his gang waiting outside the dungeons. Which just about made their day.
"Well here he is: Mikomi himself. Wow Riku, in with the teachers already? Zexion just seems to love you," he said with a grin. "What's next? Gonna sleep with Marluxia?"
"Shut it, Seifer." I was so not in the mood for this. Especially not from him.
"Oooh, tough guy. You hear that Fu? Rai? He thinks he's better than us. He thinks he can just order me to shut up!" This sounded way too much like what Zexion had just said. "We'll see about that. Riku Mikomi, I challenge you to a duel!"
"D-d-d-d-d-duel!" rang out from nowhere in a strange voice. I thought I caught a glimpse of a strange pyramid-shaped necklace. Weird.
"I accept."
Seifer looked surprised at this. Then he grinned. Evilly.
"Full moon. Midnight. Astronomy tower. Bring a second."
"You're on," I said confidently, despite the fact that I had no clue what the hell he was talking about.
We continued glaring at each other. I was so close to just punching him right then and there. And I would've too if Kairi hadn't come up just then.
"Riku! There you are! We have lunch now, come on!"
"Yeah Riku," Seifer mocked, "Follow your woman!"
Kairi blushed angrily. She was so overcome, she couldn't say anything; she could only stammer monosyllabic noises. I couldn't ignore that. I wouldn't ignore that. I moved to punch his smarmy little rat face. I didn't even touch him. Rai and Fu stepped in front of him faster than I could blink.
"Hmm, get your friends to act as bodyguards? Wow you must be scared if you have to take me on three against one. Later Almasy."
I decided to leave it at that. He looked pretty angry. Good.
Once we were out of earshot, Kairi began scolding me: "What do you think you were doing, starting a fight on the first day? Idiot!"
She smacked me and I reacted with a wince.
"And you agreed to a duel? Do you even know what a duel is?"
"Uhh…"
"That's what I thought! Stupid!"
She went to smack me again, but I grabbed her hand before it met my face. She pouted and I just sighed.
"So, what is a duel?"
"I shouldn't even tell you! The astronomy tower is off-limits, especially to first years! And after lights-out too!"
"Oh save the crap for someone who cares and just tell me."
Sora popped up out of nowhere, saying, "It's a magical fight to the death!"
"WHAT!" Kairi and I exclaimed in unison.
"Yup! Only neither of you know any spells that could really hurt the other, so it will probably just be a bunch of shooting sparks or something. I call second!"
"Second?" I queried.
"Second takes over if you die!"
Cheery thought. Well, at least someone already had a death wish for me. And my day was only half over…
The next class was kind of a blur of textbooks and introductions and rules. I barely remember anything from transfiguration with Queen Minnie. That's probably going to be a problem. Definitely stealing Kairi's notes. And figuring out some defensive magic. Even though I've never even cast a spell before. Hopefully, I would have something figured out by the full moon, which was in three weeks. Hopefully.
"Hey, Riku?" a short blonde girl with a black headband and a blue dress with a white apron attached stopped me in the hallway, disturbing my wallowing in self-pity. "Axel asked me to give this to you."
I took the note from her hand. One of the edges was singed. I thanked her and watched her walk over to WR who was doing hall duty or something of the sort. Whatever. I opened the note and smirked at the spelling:
Hey Riku! How'd the ferst day go? Prety awsum I bet. You shood com visit me befor diner. I wana show you something. –Axel
Wow, he really cannot spell. But who know? Maybe this something will help with my duel! To Axel's!
"Hey Riku!" Sora said, popping up in that not quite creepy but still not right sort of way that he does.
Or not.
"Hey, I'm going down to visit Axel."
"Cool!" Kairi said. "Can we come?"
"Yeah, I guess," I said, too apathetic to argue. I guess that's what happens when you have friends. They never leave you alone. Something I'll just have to get used to. But somehow, I don't think I will ever get used to Sora skipping across the lawn. Ever.