The next few days went by at an incredibly slow pace for Shinta. He would
do chores inside the house, then he would do his homework, a few more
chores, and then once he was finished with all his work, he would be
allowed to do whatever he liked, while staying inside the house.
Shinta sighed as he plopped down onto the couch. He groaned slightly as he was once again overcome with boredom. His mother was still in the kitchen, finishing up dinner for the two of them. Shinta's father was never really around much, and would usually go off wandering around the Calm Lands, or Mount Gagazet, sometimes even lands beyond that, places Shinta had never seen or heard of. But, his father would always seem to know exactly the right moment to come home if things came up while he was away. If mother was sick, his father would simply show up one day or night and stay by her side and care for his family, but as soon as she was well, he would simply go wandering off again. Shinta loved his father, but he couldn't help but feel a bit neglected at times.
Shinta listened to his mother working, and sighed. He didn't know how she put up with it all the time, she never seemed angry about the fact that father wasn't around, or that he would sometimes be gone for weeks at a time. Shinta's eyes swept over the living room, searching for something, anything he could amuse himself with, when he noticed a large black...thing on the table. The boy slowly stood up and walked over to see exactly what it was. As he got closer to the table he saw that it was his mother's black stone. Shinta didn't know what it was, in fact all he really did know about it was that it had belonged to his father many years ago and that he gave it to her on one of their journeys. He picked the large gem up in his hand, admiring it closely. The gem was a bit wider then his palm, and unlike other gemstones which usually reflected and refracted light, this one was black through and through, and seemed to absorb the light around it. As he looked at the gem he slowly slipped into a sort of trance, while he held it in his palm, his other hand slowly rose and began moving toward the gem on its own. As his fingers touched the cool black surface he felt something inside of him stirring. A sort of fog seemed to come around him, crawling up his legs, then his body, his arms, and continued until covered his entire body. Shinta's heart was pounding, his eyes darted around frantically as all light was extinguished around him. He tried to move, but his body was stuck there, his hands still pressed against the gem. He felt the floor disappear beneath his feet, though he did not fall. Shinta's breathing was quick and short and his heart would not stop pounding. He felt terrified, not only of the darkness around him, but also of a feeling it gave him. This darkness felt familiar, warm almost inviting, but at the same time it was filled with anger and a dark hunger.
Home...
What?
Come home...
I don't understand. Who are you?
Shinta suddenly felt ground beneath his feet and the veil of darkness lifted. Shinta's breath caught in his throat as he saw the land before him. No longer was he standing in his home, but he was in what looked like a giant cave with strange tower like buildings in the distance. Shinta slowly took a step forward as he looked around in wonder at this new world. He took one more step and suddenly gripped his chest as a searing pain filled him, blinding him for a moment. The gem fell from his grasp and landed with a dull thud. He fell to his knees, a hand clutching his heart. Time seemed to slow around him as the pain continued to burn in his breast. He gasped for air, and looked around again, his vision going in and out of focus. His ears were slowly filled with the sound of his heartbeat, beating quickly, but slowing to a soft, rhythmic pace. Another blinding flash of pain, and Shinta pressed his head onto the warm earth beneath him. Suddenly the sound of his heart stopped, and he looked up as he sensed movement. All around him pairs of yellow eyes appeared and black forms rose from the ground. There were hundreds, thousands, countless numbers of them all around.
Home.
Welcome home...
Shinta's mouth opened in a silent scream as he felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders and pull him to his feet. In a flash the world of darkness and those horrible creatures was gone. He was back in Spira, standing in the living room of his family's home, his mother's gem on the ground, and his father standing before him. Scarlet eyes staring widely at his son. Shinta blinked, his heart still racing, sweat pouring down his face from terror. Suddenly he felt tears begin to run along his cheeks and he buried his face in his father's chest. He felt his father's arms wrap around him and pulled him into a tight hug. His father's chest rose and fell as he sighed silently, and his words echoed in Shinta's mind as he spoke.
*I suppose I have some explaining to do.*
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I hope you all like this chapter, I decided it was time to start throwing the true plot into the story, of which more will be revealed next chapter! ^__^
And now to the great people who have honored me by reviewing and reading this story.
Storm: Dun worry, I don't plan to stop for a while now. ^-^
Trai: Thanks, and you're right, when I read your stories he does kind of remind me of her in a way.
Evening_star: Glad you liked it too, all will be explained later on, so keep reading, and hope you enjoy the other chapters!
Shinta sighed as he plopped down onto the couch. He groaned slightly as he was once again overcome with boredom. His mother was still in the kitchen, finishing up dinner for the two of them. Shinta's father was never really around much, and would usually go off wandering around the Calm Lands, or Mount Gagazet, sometimes even lands beyond that, places Shinta had never seen or heard of. But, his father would always seem to know exactly the right moment to come home if things came up while he was away. If mother was sick, his father would simply show up one day or night and stay by her side and care for his family, but as soon as she was well, he would simply go wandering off again. Shinta loved his father, but he couldn't help but feel a bit neglected at times.
Shinta listened to his mother working, and sighed. He didn't know how she put up with it all the time, she never seemed angry about the fact that father wasn't around, or that he would sometimes be gone for weeks at a time. Shinta's eyes swept over the living room, searching for something, anything he could amuse himself with, when he noticed a large black...thing on the table. The boy slowly stood up and walked over to see exactly what it was. As he got closer to the table he saw that it was his mother's black stone. Shinta didn't know what it was, in fact all he really did know about it was that it had belonged to his father many years ago and that he gave it to her on one of their journeys. He picked the large gem up in his hand, admiring it closely. The gem was a bit wider then his palm, and unlike other gemstones which usually reflected and refracted light, this one was black through and through, and seemed to absorb the light around it. As he looked at the gem he slowly slipped into a sort of trance, while he held it in his palm, his other hand slowly rose and began moving toward the gem on its own. As his fingers touched the cool black surface he felt something inside of him stirring. A sort of fog seemed to come around him, crawling up his legs, then his body, his arms, and continued until covered his entire body. Shinta's heart was pounding, his eyes darted around frantically as all light was extinguished around him. He tried to move, but his body was stuck there, his hands still pressed against the gem. He felt the floor disappear beneath his feet, though he did not fall. Shinta's breathing was quick and short and his heart would not stop pounding. He felt terrified, not only of the darkness around him, but also of a feeling it gave him. This darkness felt familiar, warm almost inviting, but at the same time it was filled with anger and a dark hunger.
Home...
What?
Come home...
I don't understand. Who are you?
Shinta suddenly felt ground beneath his feet and the veil of darkness lifted. Shinta's breath caught in his throat as he saw the land before him. No longer was he standing in his home, but he was in what looked like a giant cave with strange tower like buildings in the distance. Shinta slowly took a step forward as he looked around in wonder at this new world. He took one more step and suddenly gripped his chest as a searing pain filled him, blinding him for a moment. The gem fell from his grasp and landed with a dull thud. He fell to his knees, a hand clutching his heart. Time seemed to slow around him as the pain continued to burn in his breast. He gasped for air, and looked around again, his vision going in and out of focus. His ears were slowly filled with the sound of his heartbeat, beating quickly, but slowing to a soft, rhythmic pace. Another blinding flash of pain, and Shinta pressed his head onto the warm earth beneath him. Suddenly the sound of his heart stopped, and he looked up as he sensed movement. All around him pairs of yellow eyes appeared and black forms rose from the ground. There were hundreds, thousands, countless numbers of them all around.
Home.
Welcome home...
Shinta's mouth opened in a silent scream as he felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders and pull him to his feet. In a flash the world of darkness and those horrible creatures was gone. He was back in Spira, standing in the living room of his family's home, his mother's gem on the ground, and his father standing before him. Scarlet eyes staring widely at his son. Shinta blinked, his heart still racing, sweat pouring down his face from terror. Suddenly he felt tears begin to run along his cheeks and he buried his face in his father's chest. He felt his father's arms wrap around him and pulled him into a tight hug. His father's chest rose and fell as he sighed silently, and his words echoed in Shinta's mind as he spoke.
*I suppose I have some explaining to do.*
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I hope you all like this chapter, I decided it was time to start throwing the true plot into the story, of which more will be revealed next chapter! ^__^
And now to the great people who have honored me by reviewing and reading this story.
Storm: Dun worry, I don't plan to stop for a while now. ^-^
Trai: Thanks, and you're right, when I read your stories he does kind of remind me of her in a way.
Evening_star: Glad you liked it too, all will be explained later on, so keep reading, and hope you enjoy the other chapters!