Hey, everyone! Shout outs:
TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Hey, it was too awesome not to, haha! Rayne is really gonna become a main driving force in the coming plots. She's just as awesome as the three main Rikkisons(Jack, Marek, and Pierce), and plus she's the strongest girl out of my OCs and it's really important to me. Well it will be something like that!
Celeron96: Thanks, and I'm glad you liked it! It's kinda weird writing both of them because they're so different. Marek is so much more reckless and barbaric than Jack, who is calmer and a cleaner fighter.
Lucenthia: Thanks! That's one of my own proudest achievements! And actually while I love his writing, I don't want THAT big of chapters because I can never sit down and read them all the way through at one time. That's another example of where I struggle with seeing the difference between the two brothers. Jack is calmer and normally he's respectful whereas Marek doesn't care who he's talking to.
Shadowdragon1317: Well, Jason has more problems than that, but moving on! Thanks!
Well, hopefully you know what I own by now so here's the next chapter, part one of the first piece of Marek's past!
Chapter 10: The Seed of Envy
Marek was completely powerless as he glided across the oceans of his dream world. His surroundings were being manipulated by forces unseen to him, and he had no control over what was happening, being forced to watch what transpired before him….
DESTINY ISLANDS, LONG AGO…..
Anna Rikkison looked up at the storm clouds furling over the small world. She looked out at the ocean shore and could see the waves already thrashing dangerously, and called out to her son as it began to pour rain. "Jack, come inside! The storm's coming!" she told him loudly. The ten year old boy quickly turned to her from where he was standing on the shore.
"Okay, Mom…" he sighed as he began to make his way back to her. She then looked all around, searching for any sign of her other son.
"Marek! Marek, where are you? Come inside!" she called out worriedly. But unbeknownst to her, her firstborn son was far out of hearing range.
He stood on the play island, which at the time consisted of nothing but a few decks of wood. He stood out on the plateau next to the sideways tree and stared up into the storm. Ever since he was born, he had had a strange affinity to storms. When his brother would power in their mother's arms, he would stare out the window eagerly, like a spectator watching his favorite sport. He remembered his mother saying it was because it had been raining the day he and his brother were born. He had always remembered those words, but never understood them. It had rained that day. He could never help but wonder if his father knew something about that. But of course, his father had left home shortly after they were born and had never come back. All his mother had told him was that his name was Jason and he had left to protect the worlds. It had been a long time since he had cared about his father and whatever he stood for.
As a bolt of lightning shot across the sky and illuminated the island, he stepped forward again and raised his arms into the air. His eyes shone with everything but fear, and he smiled as his ten year old voice echoed into the storm. "I am not afraid!" he yelled. The storm loudly rumbled back at him, and suddenly another bolt of lightning streaked downward and struck the area close to him. He had realized too late, and was thrown off the plateau and into the sea by the impact. As he came gasping to the surface, he realized something was at the center of the new crater and quickly climbed back up to explore it.
The crater was roughly twenty feet in diameter, and smoke still trailed in all directions. Marek shook the rain out of his eyes and ran into the crater. In the center was some sort of ethereal object. The boy reached down in awe and picked it up, beholding the beauty of his newfound prize. It was some sort of orb surrounded by glass, and within it was a swirling mass of black and purple fog. The fog seemed almost alive as it attempted to breach the boundaries of its container, and Marek didn't know what to think of it.
Suddenly, he heard quiet laughing from somewhere near him. He could tell the voice was old and getting raspy. He turned around and thought just for a second that he glimpsed something: an old looking figure with a hunch in his back, completely covered in some sort of black cloak. But when he blinked to brush the rain out of his eyes again, all trace of the voice and figure were gone. Seeing no other throats, he returned his attention to his orb and examined it with fascination. As he went to touch the seal on top, an eerie voice called out to him, completely audible despite the rain and roaring thunder.
"Be cautious, young one who is destined for greatness. What you hold before you now is a power beyond your control and understanding. Heed not its call, nor follow its false trail. You will open a door one day, but the manner of door will be one of your own doing. Love and Loss go hand in hand, and thus are intertwined for eternity. Never forget these things." The voice spoke to him.
Marek curiously looked around to see who was speaking, but could find no one. After another long moment of appreciative staring at the orb, he decided to bury it and come back to look at it more tomorrow. And so he buried it in the sand near the base of the massive tree in the center of the island and began to swim home, ignoring the thrashing waves and completely calm, enveloping himself in the embrace of the storm.
RIKKISONS' HOUSE, MAIN ISLAND…..
He knew his mother would not be pleased that he had gone off without permission, so he decided to climb up onto the balcony of their house and slip into his and Jack's bedroom unnoticed. What he didn't think about was how soaking wet he and his clothes were. He climbed in through the window and shut it behind him, drowning out much of the storm. He then finally realized how wet he was and took off the wet clothes and replaced them with dry ones after drying himself off as best he could. He had just climbed into the top bunk of the room's bunk bed in time to feign sleep as his mother stepped in. "Marek, I know you're awake, and I know you haven't been in here the whole time." She started off firmly, already knowing his trick. He sighed, and rolled over to face her.
"Go away. It's not like you care about anyone but your favorite son." He told her spitefully. She was completely taken aback at his words, and didn't quite know how to respond.
"Well, that is completely unfair and untrue. But if you're going to talk to me like that then you can stay up here for the rest of the night." She told him, trying to sound calm. He glared at her across the room before rolling over and facing the opposite wall. He then heard her sigh before she stepped out and closed the door sharply.
It was less than an hour later that his brother quietly walked in. "Marek?" he asked. The white haired boy slowly rolled over and looked at his brown haired brother.
"Mom send you to bed?" he asked somewhat irritably. Jack slowly shook his head.
"No, I was just worried about you. You were out there in the storm, weren't you?" he replied as he walked over and sat down on the bottom bunk.
"Yeah. It's not like anyone cares what I do. Mom doesn't care, and our father never wanted either of us enough to be here. I just…have nothing here, at all. Every night I stare up at the stars. Even in storms, as the lightning lights up the night, I can feel the living energy all around me, and I know this isn't the only world out there. I would give ANYTHING to get away from here. Here, I'm nobody, and I have no destiny." He explained, his yearning for the outside world audible in his voice. Jack nodded, not fully understanding what his brother was talking about. The relationship between them was always strained at the best of times, and Jack never realized why. From Marek's view, their mother gave her youngest son all of her attention and cared for him so much more.
"It would be cool, flying up among the stars, free." He replied to his brother dreamily as he laid down on his bed. Marek sighed at his brother and shook his head as he rolled back over.
"He still doesn't understand anything…" he muttered as he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.
THE NEXT DAY…..
By the time his brother and mother were waking up, Marek was already out of the house and roaming the town. He knew if his mom caught him in the morning, she would try to force him to go to the school, and so every morning he got up early and roamed the island instead. He spotted a fruit vendor to the side of the road and skirted behind it, out of sight. He smirked as he picked up a rock and threw it at the mound of fruit. The man standing by it gasped in alarm and quickly went to catch as many as he could. During the chaos, Marek easily walked up, grabbing two and heading down a side alley before the man could even notice.
He casually found his way down a maze of alleys and side streets, finally arriving at a tall fence that he easily scaled and leaped over, hitting the ground and rolling forward. He continued walking for another few minutes, until he came to a makeshift little hut made up of wooden beams and blankets. He opened up the shabby entrance and stepped inside, to be instantly greeted by a dog. The dog had black fur and he looked to be around fifty pounds, the top of his head reaching just past Marek's waist. "Hey, Boy. How've you been?" he asked him, holding out the extra fruit for him. The dog barked happily and instantly took it in its mouth while his master/friend began to eat his own.
"It's been so lonely up at my house. Hell, this world is lonely. I have no friends here. Well, except for one." He added with a smirk at the end. His dog looked up after finishing his fruit and barked happily, walking up and licking his hand. Marek smiled as he reached up and petted his head. "I just wish you could talk sometimes, Bane. You understand me better than anyone else on this god-forsaken island." He whispered calmly. Bane whined softly and put his paw up on his boy's leg. Marek couldn't help but smile, and suddenly remembered what had happened the night before. "Hey, Boy. Guess what happened to me last night! I was standing out in the storm watching the rain, and a bolt of lightning hit the ground near me. I went to where it hit and found this strange looking orb. I was instantly attached to it for some reason. You wanna see it?" he asked his dog. Bane barked happily and stood up.
Marek smiled at him and stood up, walking outside of the shack with his dog at his heels. They took all of the alleys and back streets to the shore, where Marek pulled his raft out of its hiding place and pushed it into the ocean before they climbed on top of it. They slowly made their way to the island, Bane prowling the edges and barking at fish the entire time.
When they finally arrived on the island, Marek frowned at seeing a group of kids already playing close to where he had hidden his prize. He slowly began to walk toward them, his dog staying behind him and watching the children cautiously. They hadn't walked more than a few feet in their direction when they were noticed. The four kids looked at the newcomers and instantly began to scatter. Marek sighed in relief, realizing his reputation as a rogue child actually had benefits. He and Bane walked up to the subtle mound near the base of the massive center tree and quickly began to dig up the orb.
As Marek reached in and picked it up, he eagerly turned and held it out for Bane to investigate. The dog slowly reached his muzzle out to sniff it, and instantly recoiled with a yelp, causing Marek to drop the orb on the ground. "What is it, Boy?" he asked quickly, completely confused. Bane backed away from the orb and growled menacingly at it, clearly feeling something his master didn't. The white haired Rikkison sighed, realizing that not even his dog liked his most prized possession. "Well, go on by the raft then, Boy. I'll be there in a few minutes." he said sadly. Bane whined, stepping forward and nudging his hand, but he shook his head. "Go on. I won't be long." He repeated. The dog drooped his head and tail, and turned around to walk back the way they had come.
It was when Bane went out of sight that Marek heard the voice. "None understand your obsession with power, do they? Not even your canine companion shares your interest in that orb. Do you wish to know what it truly is?" the voice said out of nowhere, causing Marek to instantly look around to see who was talking. He looked behind him, to where the fresh water pond was and saw the cloaked figure, watching him.
"Who are you?" he asked, having no fear of this newcomer. The man chuckled quietly in a hushed way that didn't disguise the grizzled age of his voice.
"I am a seeker of knowledge and a gatherer of persons destined for greatness. We both seek something that is beyond our single power to obtain. Alone, we are weak. But together…..we could be unstoppable." He replied slyly. The child, however, didn't fall for his kind words.
"You don't have to coat your words with lies. Besides, I have friends and family. This is my home." He told the figure. The man shook his head.
"A family who cares nothing for you, as you yourself know. That is why you stand out here alone amidst the rain and thunder, Boy. And a single friend who walks on four legs and rolls around with parasites and rats. This is no home for a boy destined for so much. But very well, I shall give you three days to reconsider my offer. To help you make your decision, I will instruct you as to how to open your prize." he said, pulling back his hood and revealing his face. He was bald and old with a hunched back. He had a short white goatee and his eyes shone yellow. He calmly walked toward Marek, his hand stretched out for the orb. Marek instantly stepped back, protecting it, causing the old man to smirk. "Spare me, Boy. If I truly wanted it, I would take it from you. Call me Xehanort, and I am one of four who were trained to protect all of the worlds from universal threats. I would like to extend that offer to you, as well. Become my apprentice." He explained. He continued to smirk as he held his hand out again.
Marek, still completely unsure of the man, slowly held the orb out and placed it in Xehanort's hand. "What is it?" he asked him calmly.
"A self sustaining vessel filled with power beyond imagining. But it is only experimental as of now. Soon the formula will be perfected. It contains the essence of a god-like being. A warrior merged with such a thing has never been seen or heard of before. Now to open the vessel, you must summon the very core of your own heart and use all of your will power, focusing it into the latch on top of the orb. When the latch has begun to glow, stretch forth your hand reach inside, allowing the energy to merge with you. This will make you a warrior able to match and overcome almost any other in the universe. But you can only do this with the training I can give you as your master." Xehanort explained, calmly walking him through the steps. He carefully watched the boy's face for any signs of emotion, finally seeing a flicker of greed cross his face for a fraction of a second. It lasted only a sliver of a second, but it was enough to prove the old man right. This boy was the perfect vessel to test a power as old as the world itself. Now it was the perfect time to begin the second half of his plan….
Well, hopefully it came out alright. I'm not sure. I'm sure you saw Xehanort's involvement coming, but I promise there's more to it than that. Also Marek having a dog as his only friend was something I decided while writing the chapter, so if it didn't make sense then I'm sorry. But there will be a significance to it! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see everyone later, guys!