Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. As nice as it'll be, I don't and probably never will.
"Tomoki, I don't think this is safe." Izumi whispered. Tomoki sighed sadly and shrugged.
"Well, this is the only place to challenge Jack." He explained, and walked over to the bar tender. They were in a bar, and it was filled with smoke, whether it was a fire, or a lot of people's cigars. The place had an arena with scorched marks on it; another hint the guy had the Fire Warrior, tables, and a small bar.
"Yes, how may I help you young 'uns?" The bar tender asked. Tomoki was about to speak up when a crash was heard in the back. The bar tender growled and muttered something that sounded like, "That boy…" and walked to the back. He returned holding some boy about a year younger than me by the ear. "Stand here." The bar tender growled, and turned back to Tomoki. "Now, what were you saying?"
"Oh, we wish to challenge the leader, Jack, to a match to ask him some questions." Tomoki said. The boy visibly paled and the bar tender chuckled.
"I'll go tell him. C'mon Takuya." He said and dragged the boy off by the ear again.
"That boy getting his ear pulled, was a slave." I said, and Tomoki's eyes widened.
"But he's the same age as Izumi!" He gasped. I shrugged.
"True as it is, they have younger." Izumi stated, and sighed. "Poor kid, he's probably going to get into trouble." She sighed sadly.
"Welcome, everyone!" The bartender's voice boomed in the middle of the ring. "Our leader, Jack, has been challenged yet again by outsiders. They never learn do they?" He joked, and the villagers laughed. Do you see me laughing? No, therefore it is NOT funny. "I would like the challengers to send in whomever will be fighting against Jack's eldest slave." He requested, and I walked into the ring, my face emotionless. Junpei couldn't go; his abilities were too large and would shock the onlookers (Literally). Izumi's wind techniques would cause the fire to spread, not good for a wooden bar. Tomoki couldn't go against fire, he was ice. That left me. Goodie, I'm going to get my ass burnt. "What's your name?" He asked me.
"Kouji." I said bluntly. He sighed and shook his head; obviously annoyed I wasn't the cocky type who'd take this as if it were a game.
"Okay, now Jack, how about we let Kouji meet his opponent before the fight eh?" The bar tender suggested, a tall man with brown eyes and black hair watching nearby nodded his head. I growled, that man took my brother. 'No way in hell I'm going easy on her now.' I thought angrily.
"Fine by me, Takuya." Jack said, and the slave we saw get his ear pulled slowly made his way to the ring and bowed to me.
"Nice to meet you Kouji." He said quietly. I stared. Wasn't the Fire Warrior female? Or was there a change in opponents?
"Uhm…yah…What's your name again?" I asked, too baffled to really speak correctly. The others were too, and Tomoki scowled. I heard him say to Izumi,
"Kouji's fighting the wrong person!"
"I'm Takuya." He said quietly again, and looked at the floor. You could tell he really didn't want to fight me. The bar tender left the ring and everyone back away, I mean, FAR FAR away. Weird.
"Go!" The bar tender called, and next thing I knew a burst of flames nearly hit me. Lucky me and my quick reflexes, or else I would have been toast.
"You move quick." Takuya complimented me and held up a small fireball. Oh hell no!
"Thanks for noticing. You the Warrior of Fire?" I asked and allowed a trail of light come from my hand to form a sword made of light. His eyes widened and something told me I wasn't suppose to know this, because next thing I knew he sent an even larger flame at me before tackling me to the ground. My sword went out.
"How do you know?" He hissed in my ear. I smelled something burning. Goodie, I'm going to be burnt to death. I think not. I knocked him off and regained my sword.
"Because I'm the Warrior of Light." I answered and took a swipe at him, and he flipped away. Okay, now I know why Jack will let you request anything of him if you beat Takuya, he knew how to use his abilities. 'SHIT!' My mind yelped realizing this. I still had trouble with my abilities, and so did the others. Takuya was obviously trained how to use them, so he could, unlike me who's older and still being trained. Crap!
"You're not a very good one." He commented and held his hand out and released another fireball, that needless to say got my shoulder. I quickly put the small fire out.
"That can't be helped, I'm not even sure why I'm the Warrior of Light." I admitted and cut him on his shin. He yelped and jumped back and smirked.
"Funny, I'm not sure why I'm fire, I really don't like fighting." He frowned here when saying this. I raised and brow and knocked him down.
"Why is that?" I ask.
"My mom, she died fighting for Jack in one of these very matches. Unfortunately I have to take her place. I really wish the Legends chose someone who would willingly fight instead of me." He answered and kicked me in the intestine.
"Oomph!" I slide back and little but raised a brow at him. "Well your probably to the only Warrior who won't fight willingly then." I said, turned and kicked him onto the ground again. He got up; something he keeps doing. 'Damn why won't he stay down?!' I thought angrily.
"You're perhaps my only opponent I can talk to." He said and released another fireball that hit my sword, and it went buh-bye.
"Thanks a lot." I muttered and dodged his next fire attack.
"Is your only attack a sword of light?" He asked and made a small fire tornado and sent it at me. Legends I'm glad I got out of the way.
"It's the only one I can use properly, I've never been trained properly in the areas of being a Warrior unlike you." I answered and tripped him. "By the way, I thought the Warrior of Fire was female, yet you're male. Do you know why by any chance?" I questioned. He got up and tackled me down with his arms around my chest and he whispered in my ear.
"I have no idea. Some guy who looks just like you named Kouichi asked me the very same thing. You know him?" Takuya asked. I growled and knocked him off me.
"That'll be my twin brother that fuckin' dark lord stole from me." I hissed in anger. He flinched from how cold my words were.
"So what're you going to request of my master if you beat me?" Takuya asked suddenly and elbowed me, and I recovered quick enough to stick him in a headlock.
"I'm not; Tomoki is. He's the Warrior of Ice." I explained. Takuya chuckled.
"That'll explain why I've been feeling cold lately." He said and flipped me off and pinned me down. "Need some pointers on how to see your abilities?" He asked, cocking a brow. I stared at him and knocked him off, only to pin him under me now.
"And why would you offer to help me?" I questioned, gazing into his eyes. They were…pretty. 'GAH!' My mind screamed when I thought that. I shook my head and waited for an answer.
"Because if you haven't noticed, I'm bleeding and if we don't end this match quickly I'm going to pass out! So I'd like to give you some pointers before you leave!" He answered through clenched teeth. I raised and brow and he nodded his head downwards. I looked down and noticed under his shirt he was bleeding pretty badly.
"Did I cut you there?" I asked and he shook his head no.
"No, there's just no more animals here." He said, and I blinked. He was like Izumi that meant, except he could go into an animal's mind.
"Ah." I said. "So?"
"And the winner is Kouji!" The bar tender called out. I growled and looked over to notice Jack was glaring and had a man standing next to him. "As Takuya's owner has just given up." The bar tender said. Jack looked highly annoyed. Takuya shrugged helplessly under me and I got off him and helped the guy up.
"Close, yet ever so far." Takuya muttered as some men helped his wobbly self over to Jack, and the two had a small talk.
"Congratulations!" Izumi cheered as I got out of the ring. Jack came over and looked grimly at me. I pointed a finger at Tomoki.
"No, you fought and won, no one else can request anything from me, except you." He said through clenched teeth. Tomoki sighed and looked at me.
"Ask him what you like, I heard enough from their conversation." Tomoki whispered to me. What do I want from this guy? Well, honestly and truly nothing. But…
"I can request anything of you correct?" I asked.
"Yes." He answered bluntly.
"Anything at all?" I asked again, just to be sure.
"Didn't you hear me? I said yes, anything." Jack scowled, glaring at me. I smirked, and something told me he knew what I was up too.
"Takuya." I said bluntly. Jack growled and left to get him. Tomoki was glaring at me.
"Kouji…" He growled and I sighed.
"Tomoki, don't you remember me saying, whoever owns a slave can free them or keep them?" I asked, and he quickly caught onto what I was doing. Jack came back dragging Takuya by the arm and nearly threw him at me.
"Take him." He hissed and stormed off. Takuya watched him leave with confusion, then looked at me.
"W-w-what?" He asked, and I sighed.
"C'mon." I said and now it was my turn to drag him by his arm out of the pub, with Izumi, Junpei, and Tomoki following. Takuya looked around franticly, I think I was scaring him at this sudden change of events.
"Where are we going?" He asked, trying to keep up with my long, quick strides.
"Out of here." I answered, and his eyes widened a lot.
"Why? Did Jack say you could?" Takuya asked worriedly, I couldn't help but laugh a little to myself. Jack didn't even take the time to tell Takuya he had a change of masters.
"I don't need to ask him, the rules were I could ask Jack of anything, and I did just that." I explained. Takuya knew what I was saying, his eyes crossed, and he passed out. I caught him and sighed. 'Goodie, now I'm stuck carrying him.' I thought with agitation and waited for the others to catch up.
Junpei carried Takuya on his back; the boy was still out of it. Izumi was making sure I got the point she didn't think it was very nice of me to tell Takuya that while dragging him away from his only home at the same time, and Tomoki kept expressing his dissapprovement of even HAVING Takuya with us.
"Listen, Tomoki, We're going to need his help all right? He can show us how to use our abilities, he already can. Plus, whenever he WAKES UP," I yelled, hoping to awaken the passed out slave, no luck. "…then I'm going to say he's free to go, and ask if he'll come with us." I explained.
"I know." Tomoki replied silently. We heard a muffled groan behind us, and turned to see Takuya slowly waking up.
"About time you woke up." Junpei sighed, and set a now wide-eyed and very scared looking Takuya down.
"Where's Shinya?!" He asked immediately.
"Who's Shinya?" Izumi asked. He looked crestfallen.
"My little brother…" He muttered. Oops, I forgot he had a younger brother…
"Ah, sorry, no Shinya." Tomoki said apologetically.
"Oh…kay…" He said, then stood straight up and bowed and began mumbling apologies. "Sorry I caused you so much trouble, I'm not suppose to, please don't be mad." He said quickly to me, as if expecting a beating or something. I sighed and patted him on the head.
"No problem, now stop apologizing and be quiet for a moment." I asked with an edge of annoyance.
"Yes sir." Takuya said swiftly, and was quiet. 'Wow, Jack had one obedient slave…' I thought to myself.
"Uhm…okay…" I said uneasily about his quick desire to please. Weird. "How, uhm, do you, uhm, free a slave?" I asked, and Takuya giggled a little.
"Heheh, it's easy, just tell them they're free and kick them out of your house." Takuya said smiling, glad to be of some use. It creeped me out a little that he wanted to be of some use.
"Well, we don't have a house to kick you out of…" I began and he looked scared as hell. Yeah, he knew where I was going, but before I could finish he clung to my waist.
"Please, please, don't free me!" He begged. I blinked and looked down at him, then looked at Tomoki for some help. He was amazed Takuya didn't want to be free, and I heard Izumi chuckle at me, and Junpei was sweat-dropping.
"Uh…" I said. I'm not very use to these kinds of predicaments, so I had no idea as to how to go about this. "Tomoki? Some help?" I asked. "I usually don't ask for help but uhm…I've never really had any experience with this…And you are the one who keeps telling me to free him so…" I said uneasily. Tomoki shrugged helplessly signaling he didn't know. Junpei suddenly became very interested in his shoes, and Izumi tilted her head.
"Well, if he wants to, I guess you should let him be. And if you don't want him, can't you give him away or something? Just, not to me." Izumi suggested, and I looked down at Takuya, who sill held firm onto my waist.
Sighing, I got his attention and said simply, "Fine, I won't." Takuya smiled up at me, and nodded his head in approval and let go. I looked down at where his stomach was against my leg, and noticed a small blotch of blood. The others didn't notice, and we kept on moving. Takuya was quiet and walked by my side, much like a dog would follow its owner. I frowned at this and turned to him. "Takuya, you don't have to walk next to me."
"Hmm? Would you prefer me to follow somewhere else?" He asked. I looked at him weirdly and then mentally smacked myself in the head, Takuya was taught to follow whoever owned him, unless told otherwise.
"Uh, no, I was just saying you don't have to walk next to me in order to come along. You can walk next to Tomoki, Izumi, or Junpei if you like." I explained. Takuya tilted his head as if considering this, then walked over to Tomoki and the two began talking about where we were going, who was who, and such.
A/N: I know, weird place to end it eh? Well, my cat kept falling asleep on my left arm, making it incredibly hard to type (Not to mention it was hard keeping my own arm awake…o_O). Oh well, that happened a month ago. Anyways, hate to say this but for this story just A/N, Disclaimer, and the story. -_-;; Gah…okay with that in mind, have a good day.
