On Glass Wings
--xxSerenity
Yet another short chapter, although it's plot adding and all that fun stuff. Again I think it's interesting in it's own right, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered posting it xD But fear not. Action is on the near horizon, like..probably next chapter, I think, I hope, if my brain works right later today :D
Also..Yes, Yes I am sadistic with cliff hangers, thanks for noticing >:D But it shouldn't matter..I'm a fast updater, ja?
I'm also glad that i'm loved regardless of my strange persona. That's always a good thing XD!
Thanks to all those other awesome reviews I love the feedback this story is getting. I honestly didn't think it would get anything o.o But it did, and i'm happy, and I hope it keeps coming ; Always nice to see more people favorite it, but it's also nice to get verbal feedback too ; -hinthint-
I really should hook my tablet up to this computer. I drew the cutest picture of Sora's belle costume But alas..I'd rather just hook it up to my own computer, once i get my internet there. Hoo Hah :D BUT ANYWAY. onto the next chapter >.>
-19-
the challenge in vain
Riku,
I really need to talk to Sora. Things aren't right here, and I'm really worried about him. Please give him my message..
Kairi.
Riku stared at the little grey box that suddenly topped the email beneath. "Are you sure you want to delete this message?" There was no more hesitation present as he dragged the mouse over the 'yes' button and clicked, Kairi's message vanishing into the depth of virtual space.
A sigh, and Riku slumped, his hands resting idly in his lap, his head leaned back with closed eyes. Truthfully, he didn't know why he was so irked still. One would think the whole production bit would've blown over by then, although there was that comment from Namine...
The teen stood and wandered over to the stretch of shelf that hosted his numerous trophies and he sneered at those from earlier years. He never regretted being thrown into those competitions, especially since he won most of them, but that one–
He picked up his mother's trophy and studied the little gold, winged person that stood proudly on a single foot, its other was bent up behind them while arms stretched above its head, and small wings protruded from its back. He read the caption a few times over and then clenched his eyes shut while uttering another small exhalation of breath.
In his mind's eye he envisioned his mother, and exactly what she would most likely be saying to him in a time like this; something along the lines of "I'm so ashamed of you" most likely.
And rightfully so, he inwardly concluded.
He knew he was being cowardly in more than one way, and he also knew very well that the festival was approaching fast It was once every four years and that year, it was to be held that November, around Thanksgiving. The letter with the tickets had come already. Leon made sure to let Riku know.
"You need to go."
"I don't need to do shit."
"You owe it to her."
Riku scoffed and had the sudden urge to toss the stupid piece of gold at the wall, or the window. He wanted to see it shatter into a million pieces, and after that sudden spark of violence settled, he realized he was totally, totally stupid.
"I guess I do owe it to her.." He murmured out loud while setting the statue back in place before stepping over to his window. "It's a shame she couldn't have found another dream."
-oOo-
"I– don't think– I can hold– this for– much longer.."
"You can, and you will." Sephiroth remarked as he watched the boy struggle to remain upside down, supporting his weight upon his one good hand.
It was extended, and the limb visibly trembled. Sora could feel the tingly sensations resonating from his wrist straight up to his shoulder. It had been a while since he successfully maintained the pose, and it took numerous attempts to actually get him there.
The start had him toppling over from one side to the next until he finally achieved that sense of balance.
Though this position had his t-shirt practically falling off him, the fabric hanging irritably in his face and thus giving the elder male a clear view of a taut stomach, and an ugly, jagged scar.
"That's an interesting wound." He idly commented, muscled arms planted firmly across his chest while his head leaned forwards with a seemingly uninterested expression upon a stone chiseled face. "Where did you obtain such a cicatrix?"
If Sora hadn't been struggling to maintain his posture, he would've instantly blushed in embarrassment. Of course, his position already had most of his blood in his face anyway.
"Cica– what?" He replied through ragged pants.
"Scar.."
"I– fell and– cut– myself.."
"Rest."
Upon the command, Sora instantly obeyed. His arm bent at the elbow, but this caused him to instantly lose his balance and thus allowed for a rather ungraceful fall over to the side. It may have been mildly discomforting, but the younger one was glad to be off that sore arm, and as he stretched out on his back, he would instantly move his good hand to the hem of his shirt, just so he could tug at it restlessly and further down over his chest.
"You lie to me." Sephiroth remarked while watching as Sora regrouped, even more so as he pushed himself to his feet and turned to face him.
"It doesn't matter. You said you'd show me what you know, so– I'm waiting." Sora replied with a grumble.
"Patience. This isn't going to be like what Namine pulled. You wish to exceed Riku's level of skill then you need to be properly trained. This will hammer in the basics, and once your other arm is fully healed we can continue further" He paused, taking a moment to glance over his shoulder at the door to the rehearsal room. He thought it might've opened, but in the end he decided he was hearing things. "Now, Continue with one hundred one-armed pushups."
Groaning, Sora flipped onto his stomach and pressed his palm into the cold, polished floor. There was some difficulty at first, but soon that strengthened arm was able to push the small form up just to lower it steadily, keeping his body parallel to the floor as his elbow bent.
Sephiroth continued to watch, although somewhere around the 20th struggling pushup, he cleared his throat.
"What exactly do you know about this festival?" He asked, and Sora huffed as he continued to push himself.
"Namine– told me– that–your mom– recommended Riku– to go– after she won." He breathed while also trying to keep his focus fixated on the task at hand.
Sephiroth looked thoughtful for a moment, before brows knit low upon his forehead in a deep frown.
"I suppose she failed to mention that you cannot participate in it without a partner."
Sora paused in his pushups just to regard that declaration. He hadn't even thought about that, but it did present a bit of a problem in his scheme..
"Oh.."
-oOo-
"He's where!" Riku tossed the sketchbook he was idly doodling in to the floor when Roxas relayed the message he had been sent by Namine to deliver.
In passing while searching out the missing Sora, she had passed by the rehearsal room, just to find that he was there with Sephiroth. It was an odd scenario, and one she knew that Riku would be displeased to hear of.
Of course, since she and Riku weren't on particularly good speaking terms, she had sent Roxas to relay the message instead.
"In the rehearsal room. Namine said Seph's got him doing exercises on his arm.."
While he didn't appear too angry, Riku seethed inwardly, and hastily he stood from his bed without acknowledging the friend who stood by before he made his exit.
He stormed his way to the rehearsal room just to find Namine peering in through the slightly cracked-open door.
"What's he doing in there?" Riku snapped, causing the girl to jump startled. She whirled around to face him and in turn she ended up regarding him with a look of slight nervousness.
"Well, it looks like he's training.." She replied sardonically, making Riku scowl and push haughtily past her.
"You knew what I meant." He growled while placing a hand to the back of the door just so he could apply enough pressure to slam it open. "Sephiroth!"
His voice reverberated off the vast walls of the rehearsal room and alerted the attention of the two inhabitants instantly.
Sora frowned deeply and halted his motions, his arm fully extended so he would be resting in the up motion of the pushup while Sephiroth smirked faintly.
"Ah, I was wondering when you would show up, dear brother." He snickered and turned fully around to face him while the younger of the siblings made his way down the long diagonal stretch of stairs leading from the entrance to the ground floor.
Riku paused about midway down them, noticing as Sora scrambled to his feet and also, more closely, the messy bit of ace bandages that tethered his single arm.
"No one assigned you to him." He quickly pointed out, and Sephiroth bore a look of mock hurt.
"No one needs to. I can easily assign myself."
"I don't want you teaching him anything."
"Oh? And who are you to tell me this?"
Their eyes met and locked, sending instant tension resonating through the short gap between them. But that air of tension would be broken as soon as Sora fought his way into the middle, an accusatory finger aimed at Riku.
"I want him teaching me. He's going to show me a move that you can't even do! Then I'll show you how ..not incompetent I am!" He snapped, pausing after the awkward exclamation of that double negative.
Riku frowned a bit, but sighed soon after, and he had started to offer a weak apology when Sora elected to not allow the chance.
"– And because I'll be able to do it when you won't, I want your ticket into the festival!"
Of the five people in the room, no one spoke after that. Sora glared up at Riku who returned the look with one of confusion coupled with disgust.
He wanted his ticket into the festival? How– absurd. Green eyes narrowed deeply, and Riku felt his muscles tense at the mere mention of that thing. How had he known that much anyway?
Namine felt her teeth sink into her lower lip, and she edged a bit closer to Roxas, her hand sneaking out in search of his.
"You cannot possibly be serious." Riku practically snarled after a new sense of rage overtook his sense of remorse for his words that had clearly hurt the boy. "No one at a beginner's level goes to that festival. It's unheard of."
"Then he'll be the first." Sephiroth interjected, directing attention from Sora to him, and Riku scowled in response. "And with me coaching him, he might even win."
There was a bit of a nervous snicker that Riku tried to make sound genuinely sarcastic, but the truth was none other than the fact that a certain anxiety had started in the pit of his stomach.
"I can do the leap of faith, so if you're talking about that move, you best just give up now teaching him it now."
But Sephiroth's small smirk spoke of something otherwise, and Riku knew he probably did have a reason to be worried.
"Not that one. The one that our dear mother and father won the festival with all those years ago. It will be incredible to see it done by one so young and inexperienced, yes?"
Green gaze lowered defeated, and balled fists came to rest at his side. He knew what Sephiroth was talking about. It was a routine that he had come up with, and at the very last minute their mother used it to win that festival. Then to add insult to injury, she had recommended Riku to go in her place for the next one instead of the one creator of the very routine she, herself, had stolen.
And although eager, Sora had no idea what anyone was talking about, but he held his ground regardless, while still bearing that rather defensive frown.
"But this is a good opportunity for you, Riku. Sora has a point. I suggest we see just who's able to do this difficult trick, and then they'll go to the festival with the partner of their choice, such as the letter decrees to the winner."
"Fine." Riku declared although it was clear his tone depicted a rather unsettled disposition. Sora eyed him curiously as he turned his back on them and once more started up those stairs, passing his two other friends on the way.
"He wants to get himself killed with his cocky attitude, fine. Who am I to stop him? Hell, it seems I'll even have to be the one to destroy him. So be it– I guess." Riku angrily thought as he passed through the double doors, and he let them slam shut behind him without so much as a glance back.
-oOo-
The laws of time and gravity seemed as if they didn't apply for the next few seconds after the teen flipped over the swing, and he tensed, holding his body upside down while supporting his weight on a single hand that wrapped tightly around the bar.
"Why am I so upset? I guess this could be good for him– somewhat. If it wasn't for the actual festival that is.."
Riku frowned and brought a single leg forwards, stretching it out horizontally while the other stretched behind him before he allowed himself to fall backwards, his hand turning from its grasping position.
"Sephiroth is talented, he'll teach him more than Namine could.."
But he frowned upon thinking that, and instantly shook his head.
"Bah. But he's such a dirtbag, and plus he wouldn't just outwardly offer his help like he did without some sort of compensation..."
Legs locked once more together and he quickly kicked them up, swinging his body back upwards in the direction from which he had previously fallen.
This brought him into that starting position in which he was standing on one hand on the stationary trapeze, his other arm had folded behind his back.
"Sora should know what he's getting himself into.."
Riku once more let his tense posture slacken, and his body fell forwards this time, swinging around until he was diagonally facing upwards. But this time, once that happened, he let his hand uncurl from the bar and in doing so, he launched himself into a back-flip that then had him stretched out on his stomach, his single arm outstretched and waiting.
But what surprised him at that moment was that it wasn't only the swing waiting to catch him.
The trapeze on the other side pushed forwards, and a single smaller hand wrapped around Riku's wrist before the other hand came to aid it and Namine smiled lightly as they swung back, although rather then make another motion, she merely let the swing slow to a stop since Riku regarded her rather confusedly, and thus he didn't seem focused enough to continue.
"Sora can't do it alone, and you can't either." She chided lightly, and despite his troubled demeanor, Riku couldn't help but chuckle lightly.
"I'm..Sorry, Namine." He finally spoke, though his voice was a little shaky and uneven in tone. Namine smirked lightly and actually released her hands, thus sending a surprised Riku plummeting into the net.
"It's alright. After all, you need a partner, don't you? Since– you know..both you and I know it doesn't matter if you win or lose this.."
From his spot laying stretched out in the net, Riku affirmed Namine's statement with a single nod.
"So then why are you even competing with Sora?" She asked curiously.
"Because Sephiroth is right. I can't do this manuevor that he's teaching him. Not at all, not even a little bit. Sora just might be able to do it because he's so much smaller.." He paused and then added with a smirk. "And I wouldn't mind building his hopes up a bit just to dash them in the end when he sees the whole challenge he initiated was completely in vain."
Rolling her eyes, Namine unhooked her knees from around the bar and flipped forwards, landing hard on the net once Riku hastily rolled out of the way.
"You're still terrible." She remarked with a huff, although snickering, Riku nudged her in the side playfully.
"Bah! Shut up and help me come up with a new routine."
"Shouldn't you be practicing this one first so you don't look like a complete idiot?"
"Why should I? If I'm going to go to this festival regardless of who wins I need something that's completely my own, and not his."
"You mean– Our own."
"Tch. I mean– Get your ass out of the net and think of something pretty and flashy for me to do!"
And with that, Riku nudged the girl towards the edge of the net until she finally left on her own while scoffing lightly.
"Of course. Because we all know how hopeless you are without me."
"Oh yes. Even though it's actually only because you've always been the brains of our operation. While I was both the brawn as well as the looks"
And even though that comment earned a shoe being thrown at his head, Riku concluded that he was much happier when he was talking to Namine, which in turn made him realize something else that he hadn't thought of until that moment.
She was right; he knew he wasn't as fine on his own as he thought.
-oOo-
Leon must've read the paragraph ten times before the realization finally registered, and he glanced to Cloud who sat across from him, who had leaned back once delivering that bit of devastating news.
"Do you think we should worry about it?" He asked Leon, who scanned that one particular sentence for the umpteenth time.
"–The suspending of the last performances provides us with that one question; Did Glass Wings Inc. really make the wrong choice in casting? And what will the future hold for upcoming shows? People don't seem too happy."
"I don't know." Leon responded cooly, while dropped the paper to the desk before leaning back himself with a worried sigh. "But it definitely isn't the greatest of signs."
Hurray for making up. Now if only things could get better between Ri and So :3