The Day
Chapter One: Shadows
By Apple from Mars
Warnings: None yet.
Couples: Undecided. I'm pretty sure there aren't going to be any pairings and if there are, they will not come in until much later in the story.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A small child raced through the streets as fast as his feet would carry him. He slipped through a crowd gathering around a vendor and gave silent thanks for his ability to go unnoticed in the crowds. Ducking around the corner of a tavern and down a side street, Tomoki stopped, panting to catch his breath.
"You're late. Did you have any trouble?" A voice said from behind Tomoki.
Tomoki scowled darkly and turned to face the speaker. "No, of course not. I thought you knew me better than that."
A sigh escaped the figure's mouth. "Of course. May I have it now?"
"Here." Tomoki pulled a small pouch filled with coins out of his pocket and flashed a grin at his older brother. "Happy?"
"You're a life saver Tomoki." Yutaka smiled in relief. "Thanks a bunch. Here, go get yourself something." Selecting one of the coins, he tossed it lightly into the boy's hands.
"No problem." The coin vanished into Tomoki's pocket in an instant. "Shouldn't you be back in the tavern? You know Mitsuo will get suspicious if you stay out here to long."
"I'm leaving." With another grateful smile, Yutaka slipped back into the tavern by way of the back door. Tomoki strolled happily back into the busy street, careful not to get swept up in the current of the crowd. He really didn't mind picking up his brother's paycheck, but several of the local gangs had decided that because of his size, Tomoki was an easy target. Tomoki snorted. As if.
Tomoki paused along the side of a building, his mind already wandering to the stash of coins hidden under his bunk. He had been saving up for quite some time now, but could decide what to do with his savings. He was badly in need of some new shoes, his current one's where starting to get small, but he also needed a jacket and a new knife. Shoes where more expensive and he almost had enough for both the jacket and the knife, but he wasn't sure how much longer his shoes would last before they fell of his feet.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Jaarin Lee was not having a good day. She ran a hand through her short purple toned hair and scowled at the pile of dishes before her. She hated doing dishes, but her mother couldn't do them, Shuichon was too young, and her brother's and father where all at the store, so all of the housework fell to Jaarin. Sometimes Rinchei came home and helped out a bit, but for the most part she did everything.
Besides, she reflected as another dish, and then another, was set aside to be dried later, she should have learned not to complain by now.
"Hey Jaarin, Shuichon, Mom, we're home!"
Jaarin's trail of though was lost as her two brothers voices echoed through the small house, Shuichon's loud squeals causing her to flinch as she set down the rag she had been using to scrub the dishes and hurrying to greet her brothers.
"Jenrya, how was the store? I take it father's closing up business? Rinchei, if you go NEAR that food I'll boil you in your own juice. HANDS OFF!"
Rinchei froze where he was, clearly showing that he had been sneaking towards the kitchen where the wafts of hot food where coming from. He put on his most pathetic face as he hid his hands behind his back.
"Me? Steal? Why Jaarin, how could you accuse me of such a hideous crime." Shuichon giggled, and Rinchei grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, the strong smells of food forgotten for the moment.
"Is there a reason you're blocking the doorway?" Came a puzzled voice from behind them.
"Dada!" Shuichon threw herself at her father, who caught her in his arms and lifted her up until they where eye to eye.
"Jaarin, that food smells wonderful." Jenrya said, sniffing experimentally. "Corn bread, baked potatoes, and cooked carrots?"
Jaarin smiled cheerfully, nodding. "Shuichon helped with the corn bread, didn't you Shu?"
The little girl nodded fiercely. "I heped make con bed."
Their father nodded, matching the child's serious expression. "I bet you did. Why don't you go wake up mommy and then we can have dinner!"
Jaarin smiled, and turned back to the kitchen. "We're going to need plates to eat on, and I haven't finished the dishes yet." She announced over her shoulder. "Jenrya will you dry?"
Jenrya nodded and followed his older sister into the other room.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A mirror? A room filled with mirrors? I can't see through the fog. No... Smoke? Why is there smoke? I smell fire. Fire! There are people in there! I have to get them out-!
Taichi woke with cold sweat pouring down the sides of his face, his pillow wet and cold. The canopy of his bed hung above him, and as he traced the lion patterns with his eyes, he took deep calming breaths, until his heartbeat had slowed to it's normal steady beat.
Pulling the bed covers off him, Taichi threw on a long fur robe and slipped out into the hall. As quietly as he could he hurried down the hall, thanking ever god he could think of that his father had decided to get the thick carpets that where perfect for hiding one's footsteps. He stopped at the end of the hall and as quietly as he could, opened the door there, shutting it quickly behind him, before he rushed over to the bed in the center of the room.
"Hikari! Hikari, you need to wake up!"
The young girl groaned slightly, rolling over onto her back and blinking blearily.
"Taichi?"
"It had happened again."
Hikari sat up in an instant, her eyes flashing with concern as her older brother sat down on the side of her bed.
"Tell me."
"There was a room filled with mirrors. And there was smoke and a fire. There where people in the room where the fire was, and I had to get them out." Taichi rushed through his dream as quickly as he could before he forgot it completely.
Hikari frowned. "This does not feel right. There's something going on that we don't know about. That someone doesn't want us to know about."
Taichi nodded slowly, casting a glance over too Hikari's curtains that hung over the window.
"I should go back to my room. It's almost dawn." Indeed, a dim light had been creeping upon them, and Hikari too threw a look at the window.
"We will talk of this later." Hikari told her brother as he slipped back to his room.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A/N: Well, here's chapter one. Basically, introducing where some of the characters are. If you aren't good at keeping track of different people, I do not suggest you read this. This story has over 30 different characters (most of them are NOT main) and it gets confusing. Things will clear up once they're all in the same place. At this point in the story, you don't know the plot, but it will come into play in the next few chapters. Enjoy!
Chapter One: Shadows
By Apple from Mars
Warnings: None yet.
Couples: Undecided. I'm pretty sure there aren't going to be any pairings and if there are, they will not come in until much later in the story.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A small child raced through the streets as fast as his feet would carry him. He slipped through a crowd gathering around a vendor and gave silent thanks for his ability to go unnoticed in the crowds. Ducking around the corner of a tavern and down a side street, Tomoki stopped, panting to catch his breath.
"You're late. Did you have any trouble?" A voice said from behind Tomoki.
Tomoki scowled darkly and turned to face the speaker. "No, of course not. I thought you knew me better than that."
A sigh escaped the figure's mouth. "Of course. May I have it now?"
"Here." Tomoki pulled a small pouch filled with coins out of his pocket and flashed a grin at his older brother. "Happy?"
"You're a life saver Tomoki." Yutaka smiled in relief. "Thanks a bunch. Here, go get yourself something." Selecting one of the coins, he tossed it lightly into the boy's hands.
"No problem." The coin vanished into Tomoki's pocket in an instant. "Shouldn't you be back in the tavern? You know Mitsuo will get suspicious if you stay out here to long."
"I'm leaving." With another grateful smile, Yutaka slipped back into the tavern by way of the back door. Tomoki strolled happily back into the busy street, careful not to get swept up in the current of the crowd. He really didn't mind picking up his brother's paycheck, but several of the local gangs had decided that because of his size, Tomoki was an easy target. Tomoki snorted. As if.
Tomoki paused along the side of a building, his mind already wandering to the stash of coins hidden under his bunk. He had been saving up for quite some time now, but could decide what to do with his savings. He was badly in need of some new shoes, his current one's where starting to get small, but he also needed a jacket and a new knife. Shoes where more expensive and he almost had enough for both the jacket and the knife, but he wasn't sure how much longer his shoes would last before they fell of his feet.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Jaarin Lee was not having a good day. She ran a hand through her short purple toned hair and scowled at the pile of dishes before her. She hated doing dishes, but her mother couldn't do them, Shuichon was too young, and her brother's and father where all at the store, so all of the housework fell to Jaarin. Sometimes Rinchei came home and helped out a bit, but for the most part she did everything.
Besides, she reflected as another dish, and then another, was set aside to be dried later, she should have learned not to complain by now.
"Hey Jaarin, Shuichon, Mom, we're home!"
Jaarin's trail of though was lost as her two brothers voices echoed through the small house, Shuichon's loud squeals causing her to flinch as she set down the rag she had been using to scrub the dishes and hurrying to greet her brothers.
"Jenrya, how was the store? I take it father's closing up business? Rinchei, if you go NEAR that food I'll boil you in your own juice. HANDS OFF!"
Rinchei froze where he was, clearly showing that he had been sneaking towards the kitchen where the wafts of hot food where coming from. He put on his most pathetic face as he hid his hands behind his back.
"Me? Steal? Why Jaarin, how could you accuse me of such a hideous crime." Shuichon giggled, and Rinchei grabbed her around the waist and spun her around, the strong smells of food forgotten for the moment.
"Is there a reason you're blocking the doorway?" Came a puzzled voice from behind them.
"Dada!" Shuichon threw herself at her father, who caught her in his arms and lifted her up until they where eye to eye.
"Jaarin, that food smells wonderful." Jenrya said, sniffing experimentally. "Corn bread, baked potatoes, and cooked carrots?"
Jaarin smiled cheerfully, nodding. "Shuichon helped with the corn bread, didn't you Shu?"
The little girl nodded fiercely. "I heped make con bed."
Their father nodded, matching the child's serious expression. "I bet you did. Why don't you go wake up mommy and then we can have dinner!"
Jaarin smiled, and turned back to the kitchen. "We're going to need plates to eat on, and I haven't finished the dishes yet." She announced over her shoulder. "Jenrya will you dry?"
Jenrya nodded and followed his older sister into the other room.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A mirror? A room filled with mirrors? I can't see through the fog. No... Smoke? Why is there smoke? I smell fire. Fire! There are people in there! I have to get them out-!
Taichi woke with cold sweat pouring down the sides of his face, his pillow wet and cold. The canopy of his bed hung above him, and as he traced the lion patterns with his eyes, he took deep calming breaths, until his heartbeat had slowed to it's normal steady beat.
Pulling the bed covers off him, Taichi threw on a long fur robe and slipped out into the hall. As quietly as he could he hurried down the hall, thanking ever god he could think of that his father had decided to get the thick carpets that where perfect for hiding one's footsteps. He stopped at the end of the hall and as quietly as he could, opened the door there, shutting it quickly behind him, before he rushed over to the bed in the center of the room.
"Hikari! Hikari, you need to wake up!"
The young girl groaned slightly, rolling over onto her back and blinking blearily.
"Taichi?"
"It had happened again."
Hikari sat up in an instant, her eyes flashing with concern as her older brother sat down on the side of her bed.
"Tell me."
"There was a room filled with mirrors. And there was smoke and a fire. There where people in the room where the fire was, and I had to get them out." Taichi rushed through his dream as quickly as he could before he forgot it completely.
Hikari frowned. "This does not feel right. There's something going on that we don't know about. That someone doesn't want us to know about."
Taichi nodded slowly, casting a glance over too Hikari's curtains that hung over the window.
"I should go back to my room. It's almost dawn." Indeed, a dim light had been creeping upon them, and Hikari too threw a look at the window.
"We will talk of this later." Hikari told her brother as he slipped back to his room.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
A/N: Well, here's chapter one. Basically, introducing where some of the characters are. If you aren't good at keeping track of different people, I do not suggest you read this. This story has over 30 different characters (most of them are NOT main) and it gets confusing. Things will clear up once they're all in the same place. At this point in the story, you don't know the plot, but it will come into play in the next few chapters. Enjoy!