Me, Myself, and My Haunted Shadow
By Ryoken
Riko woke with a start and quickly put her hand to cover her throat. She had had a bit of a nightmare just before now and was glad she was awake. She looked at the window, but daylight was just barely being born. She looked at her clock and it told her that it was 6:40A.M. Riko fell back on her pillow and sighed. She had hoped that she would sleep in, but after what she had just seen, she didn't really want to.
In her dream, Riko was in a large open field. It was breathtaking because she'd never seen such an open field before. On either side of the field was the beginning of a thick forest. She had heard the noise of swords clanking together and when she looked to her left, she saw a huge army fighting another army. The sky had turned back, even though it was still daytime, and this huge shadow seemed to grow bigger and bigger, which must have been the cause for why the sun was being blocked out. Riko had instantly known who the shadow was, but strangely couldn't place a name on it now. The army that had their backs to the field were fighting an army of shadows, and they were losing fast. One of the shadows broke through the barrier of the army and started coming after her. She had turned around to run, but her path was blocked by the shadow who was blocking out the sun. Before she had the chance to run elsewhere, the shadow had pierced her through her neck with it's weapon. She could feel her blood filling her lungs and she felt how it was to die in such a way before she had awoken.
"Note to self: make sure that's not how I die," Riko joked to herself. "I wonder what the boys are doing right now?" She wondered.
"Ittai! Rowen, get your stinkin' foot outta my face!!" Kento roared. But it did no good. That Rowen could sleep through apocalypse if it occurred in their lifetime. It was a rude wakeup call for poor Kento, and he wondered how Rowen could have ended up on the other side of the tent. There were stranger things that could've happened, he knew. Now that he was up, he had no desire to try and go back to sleep what with the eagle-spread boy now taking up most of the room. Now why couldn't I have been partnered up with Cye?!? He thought. But then he remembered choosing the same stick length as Rowen. The first thing he saw as he stumbled out of the tent was Sage sitting cross-legged near the lake. Figures he'd be up this early meditating, Kento thought as he rubbed his eyes. The rain had stopped in the night, but the ground was only damp and not muddy, to Kento's relief. Maybe their weekend wasn't spoiled after all.
"Up so early?" Came the familiar British accent.
"Yeah, thanks to Rowen's foot," he said.
"What a way to wake up," Cye said, returning the laugh. Cye was an early-riser too, but not as early as Sage was. He seemed to get up as soon as light entered the sky. "Was he up reading again?"
"I dunno, I fell asleep way before he did," Kento said. Cye nodded in understanding. "So, what are we going to do today?"
Now that Riko's computer and desk were all set up(though they would have to install a phone-jack in the attic sometime in order to use the internet), she could put away the rest of her dragon statuettes. However, it was way too early in the morning for Riko to be doing that so she went downstairs to see if there were any good Doyobi morning cartoons on in Japan. She looked at the TV guide, but it was mostly in Japanese characters, which Riko had yet to figure out. Looks like I'm gonna have to channel surf, she said, turning on the TV. It took her only fifteen minutes to go through them all, but there wasn't anything really interesting on. The Japanese speakers on television spoke incredibly fast, just like Mexican TV, so she couldn't understand what they said anyway. She turned it off to go to the second floor and see what games Justine had to play. Glad my mom packed my memory cards and my own games...
It was another hour or so before Justine woke up to the sound of a girl yelling "Ya!" and a creature yelling "Chu!!" "What the hell...?" Justine got up tiredly and put on a robe before coming out of her room. She found Riko playing Super Smash Bros Melee where Zelda was kicking the makai out of Pikachu. She sighed and left Riko to her own devices and went back to bed, shutting the door.
As the fight progressed, however, Riko became bored and an idea popped out of her head. She turned off the Cube and hurried upstairs to her room. She had to look for a while, but she found the game she was looking for. She plugged in the first disk of Final Fantasy VII and when the game came to the point where you decide what Cloud's name would be, she input the name Kento...
It was a good two hours before Justine got up again. This time she stayed up and got dressed. She went to look in on Riko, who was in front of the TV with a different game. On the screen was a black man with a machine gun on his arm, a girl with extremely long hair, and a another guy with weird blonde hair. They were climbing stairs.
"'Ryo: Are we there yet?' Hey, isn't that the name of that bishounen the other day?" She said from behind. Riko blushed.
"No, of course not, what makes you think that??"
"Because isn't this guy's real name Barrett?"
"Eeto, er, no!"
"And Mia? Who's Mia? Another one of your new friends?" Justine smirked. Riko turned off the game, even though it was a while since she last saved. "Aww, that's not very nice."
"If I beat you at Smash Bros Melee, will you stop teasing me?" Riko asked.
"Hmm, I dunno...Been a while since I played that. Sides, I enjoy teasing you."
"If you win, I'll...I'll..."
"You'll give me one of your dragons?"
"ARE YOU INSANE?!!?!?!? MAKAI IIE!!"
"Okay, how about...you do my chores?"
"Deal." The two sat down and Riko immediately chose Zelda. It was what she was best at. Justine chose Mewtwo. The fight began at Mushroom Kingdom, and Riko waited until Justine decided to power up the dark energy attack and come over to fire it at her. But she merely jumped to dodge it. Deciding it time to break out the real moves, she changed into Sheik and started to run towards Justine.
Thinking she was going to ram her, she jumped out of the way, only to find Sheik turn back into Zelda and give her a mouth-full of Din's fire. She was then grabbed and thrown backwards, and punched off the stage by Sheik's down + A attack.
"HAHAHA!!!! I learned from the best, Justine: My little brother!!" Riko grinned. Justine only frowned and shrugged.
"Eh, that's ok." Justine stood up and was about to leave when a thought struck her. "By the way, what are your plans for today?"
Riko scratched her temple. "I dunno. I hadn't thought about it. This is the first weekend I've ever had where I could just spend the whole day at home if I wanted to."
"Why don't you go spend time with your new friends?"
"Eh, they went camping this weekend."
"Oh, I see. Well, what do you say we become mall rats and hang out there for a while? I could show you some sights on the way."
"Sure, why not?" Riko went up stairs to change out of her pajamas.
They first went out for breakfast, then headed towards the mall, though slowing down a little when they passed by a tourist spot. The mall was inside, and was lengthy. But for Riko, this was a good thing. It meant she could easily find any supplies she might need in the future.
"Well, where would you like to go first?" Justine asked.
"Gee...I dunno where to start..." Riko said, looking all around her. A strange sight caught her eye for a mere instant. It was green hair. And I thought it didn't get any more diverse than Rowen's or Sage's, she thought.
"See something interesting?" Justine said, pulling Riko from her awkward gaze.
"Yeah...green hair..."
"A rarity, but not too unusual in Japan. You'll see all kinds of teenagers with dyed hair. Come on," she said as she dragged Riko to some large department store.
Riko saw the green hair again, only she got to see the person it was attached to as well. He had the strangest eyes, like a snake's, though she figured it was due to contact lenses. He looked pretty cool that way, though. He was sitting with two other guys, one with white hair and the other with blue-black hair, like Kento's, and a large scar over his eye. They really stuck out in the crowd of people. Justine caught her gaze again.
"Ahh, so that's the green haired man. I think he's a little too old for you, dear," Justine teased.
"Firstly, I thought we had a deal??"
"Gomen, couldn't help myself."
"And secondly, I have no interest like that in him. I just think he has a cool kinda style, okay!?"
"Sure, sure. You know what? I think I'll go over and talk to him, just to prove that you do like him," Justine said bravely. She took one step before Riko caught her arm.
"Are you crazy?? For all you know they could be drug addicts or some hentai peoples!!"
"Where's the harm in talking to someone?" She said. She took another step only to see that a younger looking girl had sat down with them. Justine didn't take anymore steps. "Hmm...Sister maybe?"
Riko shrugged. "Who knows? Let's just go already." Riko hated it when people did things like this to her. She knew that if Justine went to go talk to these guys, Justine would humiliate her. It was always like that.
"What's the big deal?"
"The big deal is that you're embarrassing me," Riko said under her breath. Justine heard it and raised her voice.
"ME?!!?!? EMBARRASS YOU?!!?!?" Oh no...here it comes. Riko took a small glance and she saw they were looking in her general direction. Justine seemed to take notice that Riko was trying to hide her face. "Eh? What's wrong?" Riko led Justine's eyes with her own over to the staring men and young girl. She practically yelled "What are you looking at?!?!" at them and, to Riko's surprise and humor, they started looking in other directions and whistling as if they hadn't been curiously watching. Riko let out a small giggle. Justine took Riko by the shoulder with one arm. "What would you do without me?" But Riko continued to cover her face as they walked away.
"Poor kid," Kale said, looking at the two girls walking away, one of them holding their head in their hands. "Reminds me of how I feel when I'm in public with you, Sekhmet."
"Hey!!" Sekhmet growled. He was ready to launch himself at him when he realized Kale's point had been proven, and he sat down grumpily.
"Can't you guys behave for one day in the mortal realm?" Kayura sighed, shaking her head. "You're all 400 years old and you STILL haven't matured." Dais snickered. It seemed as though a day never went by that Kale didn't pick on someone, whether it was an unlucky stranger or one of them.
"Can we help it if we're cooped up in the Dynasty all the time?" Kale retorted. For a moment, Kayura considered teleporting him back to the Dynasty, but who knows what havoc he could reek with no supervision. "And we have to stay around here again, why??"
Kayura sighed heavily. He had the attention span of a fly. "I told you already, Kale. We're staying in one place because we'll have a better chance at finding the Ronins that way in a crowd as big as this."
"Oh yeah..." She knew she'd regret bringing them along. Then again, it was very boring, and they weren't exactly having much luck. Perhaps those two girls from earlier would know something...
"Stay here, I'll be right back," Kayura said. She knew if they all came with her, it would not only make a scene, but they'd screw it up somehow.
"Hey, where you going?! I wanna come too!" Kale said after her, but she didn't reply and disappeared into the crowd.
"Sumimasen," someone said from behind Riko. The two turned around to see the young girl from earlier. "Would you know a man named...eeto..." Shimatta! What's Wildfire's real name??!
"Ryo." The girl looked behind her to see the white-haired man.
"Yes, I do."
"Do you know where he is!?" She said excitedly.
"Yeah, he and his friends went on a camping trip." The girl fell over.
"Arigato," she said, and they hurried back to the tables.
"I guess they know them..." Riko said, absentmindedly. Must ask the guys about them...
"Found them, they went camping," Kayura said, as soon as she reached Kale and Sekhmet.
"Where?" Kayura sweatdropped.
"Um..."
"And here I thought Sekhmet was the dullest of us!" Kale teased. Kayura hit him upside his head.
"C'mon, we gotta find them again," Kayura said, dragging Kale by his ear.
OW! I've gotta learn to keep my mouth shut around Kayura! Kale thought.
"We split up, but Kale stays with me," she glared. Kale was doing his best to keep from yelling and cursing. It was an odd spectacle.
Dais went left, Sekhmet right, and Kayura and Kale to the first floor. She kept a hand on his ear the whole time.
"Ow! Ittai!! C'mon, Kayura, that hurts!!! Leggo! Gomen, gomen, gomen!!" Kayura released her grip on him, but in he process threw him onto his knees.
"Just keep your mouth in check," she threatened as Kale rubbed his ear.
"BAKA!!!!!" Riko cried suddenly.
Justine jumped. "What the...?"
What was that? Dais thought. Thinking it was the voice of the girl they had spoken to, he decided to follow the trail from whence it came.
"What do mean, baka?" Justine asked as she slowly followed Riko into the little playing card shop.
"BA-KA!!" She said again, jumping up and down and looking at the different sets of cards.
"There you are," came a soft voice. Riko turned around to blush at the sight of the white haired man again.
"Baka, I mean hi," she said. She blushed brighter at her stupid mistake and he laughed.
"Gomen to bother you again, but we forgot to ask where they were camping," he asked. He slightly bowed too. Charming...
"Well, I don't know exactly where they were going..." she explained.
"I see. Sayonara," he said. He was about to leave when he turned back around. "May I ask your name?"
"Riko..." she blurted out, without so much as a thought.
"My name is Dais," he said. He bowed his head again and disappeared into the crowd.
"Get a grip, chika, you're drooling all over the cards," Justine said, breaking her trance.
"I-I am not!!"
"No, you're right, you're drooling all over yourself."
"I did no such thiiiiiii...." Riko started to say when a certain something caught her eye. She walked, mesmerized to the sacred object picked up the dragon playing cards like a holy relic.
"Oooooo...Gimme!" Justine said as she made a grab for it. But Riko sheltered it against her chest.
"No! Sacred magic dragon cards!!" She said strangely, and she ran to purchase them. Justine shrugged and followed.
"So, what is Baka?" She asked.
Remembering why she had come into the store in the first place, Riko exclaimed "BAKA!" The cashier jumped and looked at her like she was crazy. Riko laughed and apologized.
Weirdo... the cashier thought as the girl hopped away in hyperactiveness towards a table
Riko took a seat and explained that Baka, or Idiot, was a card game. They started playing and people began to watch them, some interested, other as though the two were bakas themselves.
As Dais tried to find his friends in the crowd, Sekhmet had discovered Riko, but was so engrossed in watching the game, he'd forgotten why he was looking for her in the first place. After watching a few games, he told himself he knew how to play and walked up to them.
"Mind if I join in??" He asked. They turned to him, recognizing him from earlier, and Riko turned a little red as she now noticed the crowd surrounding them.
"Sure. Figure out how to play?" Riko asked.
He nodded an affirmative and Riko dealt him in as he sat down. After a game or two, they were laughing crazily as though they had known each other all their lives. Eventually this ruckus drew the attention of Kayura and Kale.
They had to push their way through the crowd, but when they made it, Kayura's
hypothesis on the owner of one of the laughs was correct.
"Sekhmet, just what do you think you're doing??" She said loudly.
"Playing Baka, would you like to play?" He asked, knowing he was trouble major.
"Yeah, come on and play with us, Kayura!" Riko said. Kayura recognized her, but how did she know her name?
"Figures you'd be playing a game that requires bakas. It suits you, Sekhmet," Kale said. Kayura promptly hit him again. "Ittai!!"
"As a matter of fact, I think I will," she answered, taking a seat. Then she turned to Kale.. "YOU go and find Dais."
"Aww, but those are unfair odds!! Three against one!" Sekhmet complained.
"Oh shut up, we aren't even playing on teams!" Justine said. Kayura was surprised that the Warlord of Venom didn't seem to mind that this girl was being a lot like her, but without the hitting. He even laughed.
"I know, but I still feel outnumbered!"
"Isn't that a good thing?" Kale muttered to him.
Sekhmet sweatdropped and quickly picked up his cards. "Uh, let's play already!"
Instead of going off to find Dais, Kale hid in the crowd, watching and wishing he could play. Someone tapped his shoulder and low and behold, there stood Dais. Kale grinned and grabbed Dais by the wrist, dragging him towards the center of attention.
"Would you lookie who I found! Can I play now, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?!?!?" Kale asked. Dais was confused.
"It's your game, therefore your call," Kayura said to Riko.
"Sure, why not?" Sekhmet whooped.
"Yes! I'm not outnumbered anymore!"
"We weren't in teams in the first place!!" All three of them yelled.
The game of Idiot raged on for about an hour when Kayura realized how late it was getting.
"We'd better get going, we still have to find those Ronins," Kayura whispered to Dais, who had insisted he was not interested in a game he thought made you look like a fool. He nodded and stood up.
"It's been a pleasure to meet you two, but we have business to be taking care of," he said. Riko and Justine whined, Kale and Sekhmet chiming in with them.
"Just when I was winning too!" Kale grumbled. as he, too, stood.
"You were not!" Sekhmet argued.
"Were too!"
"Were not!!" They began yelling back and forth. Some of the people around them looked at them and then went about their business.
"Will the two of you just shut up?!?!" Kayura yelled above them. She was getting very pissed off, and they knew it. "Now, come on!!" She said, storming off. She stopped to say goodbye to the girls and then started off again, the other three following diligently.
"Well, that was...interesting..." Riko said.
"Yeah...So who do you think was the cutest?" Justine teased.
"Wha-? Oh stop it, you're being like my mom."
"Aww, c'mon!"
"No way, I'm not playing that game!!"
"Please! Just a hint! I'll bet it was that white-haired guy, Dais!!"
"No!!!!!!" And the argument continued until they got home where Riko locked herself in her room and went to bed.
WOW!!!! I. UPDATED!!!! It's a miracle!!! Hope you liked it!
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Words that were used:
Ittai-ow
Doyobi-Saturday
Makai/Heru-hell
Bishounen-handsome boy
Makai Iie- ? Hell no
Gomen- I'm sorry
Hentai-pervert
Sumimasen-excuse me
Eeto-um
Arigato-thank you
Baka- Idiot
