"It's warm"
By: Catty Engles
The impostor watched as her exact image vanished in a wisp of smoke. The fake Kairi scrubbed at her hands as if she had touched something vile. A harsh, barking laugh echoed strangely in the black depths around her. Kairi whirled around in time to see a tall boy with unusual silver hair and cold, empty eyes. He strode towards her confidently. Pertly, Kairi turned her back on him, straightening her skort.
"There's nothing to laugh about." She pouted prettily, unlike anything the real Kairi had ever done. The boy looked for all the world like he could be Riku. They both had the same broad shoulders, muscular arms, bemused half-smile, but something was peculiar. He held himself like Riku but he was not. Just like impostor Kairi, they both lacked something. Some might call it a heart, others a soul, but no one should ever look as empty or forlorn as these two characters that lacked this important thing did.
The impostor Riku laughed again but hollowly. "That didn't go well. She saw right through you and what did you do? Told her everything."
Kairi adamantly turned away from him, hiding her face, "It was fun, seeing her writhe like a worm on a hook. I loved it, tormenting her made me feel full and she was the empty one." She clutched her upper arms, as if feeling how very un-full she was.
Riku eyes darted to a spot not far away. Three shadowy figures crouched by a small set of stairs that led to nowhere. One of them moved, giving rise to a vision like a moving shadow that had mass and a complete form. Kairi glanced at the shadow and called in a harsh voice. "I need it."
The shadow walked naturally, with a bounce to its step, out of place in the consuming darkness all around. As it grew nearer its outline could have resembled a boy with spiky hair and overly large shoes. Some might know him as Antisora. Kairi stretched out a hand, a hard expression to decipher plastered on her face. Riku watched closely, trying to look unconcerned.
The shadow pulled something over his head, an amulet with a light aqua pendent hanging on it. The crystalline stone gave off a flickering light, akin to a candle right before being snuffed out. The second figure crouched next to the wall watched the proceedings with beady amethyst eyes. Antisora offered the necklace to Kairi, and she took it.
The heavy stone clunked her chest as she fastened the chord around her neck. She shivered unconsciously. Riku looked at her with a question in his eyes. "It's warm." Kairi said, averting her face from him. She raised a palm and summoned the black fire again, pressing it onto the crystalline form. The third figure by the stairs that hadn't yet moved gave an impulsive jerk and a muffled shriek of pain. It fell to one side, revealing bound hands and a gag covering its mouth. Tiny slivers of light glanced off its silver hair and full aqua eyes.
Kairi grinned in spite of herself and removed her hand. The pendant's stone was now cold and Kairi breathed a sigh of relief. Riku still looked at her.
Embarrassed by his attention, Kairi turned away from the stairs and him, concentrating on the inky blackness in front of her. "Wish me luck."
"I don't," Riku snorted, "I wish you sense." Kairi couldn't respond for she had disappeared in a wisp of smoke.
***
Mulan had tucked Mushu into the back of her shirt collar and buckled a slim, but effective, battle sword to her side. Leading Khan she trudged the long distance to the entrance to the army camp, Sora trailing.
"Okay so just act tough and let me talk, cus your man voice is bad."
"Yours isn't too good either, Sora." Sora pouted at Mulan and plunged his hands deep into his pockets, kicking at the dust and gravel speckling the path. Before too long a time had passed, they were at the high entrance to the encampment.
Sora peered around the door. "Okay, all clear, let's move before someone-"
"Who are you?" A strong and very manly voice hailed him from a few feet away. Sora looked up, suddenly feeling dwarfed to the man's formidable height and stern expression. He carried a riding crop and his black hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail.
"I, uh, I, uh." Sora fumbled over his words as Mulan peeked around his shoulder.
The man arced an eyebrow at Sora and then at his spiky hair before bellowing over his shoulder, "Chi-Fu." A doddering, skinny older man with a thin curled beard bumbled over to the man, scrabbling with a paintbrush and a writing pad.
"Yes, General." The man said in a lisping voice, standing awkwardly to attention.
"I think this boy wants to join the army." The first man, the General, gestured to Sora.
Chi-Fu looked down his nose at Sora, clearly unimpressed. "General." A younger and (to Mulan) handsomer man approached the General. "Your helmet, sir."
"Thank you, son." The General said, his eyes softening, and took the proffered helmet, "I think that you have two new recruits and a fine war horse wishing to join your army."
"What about mumph-"Mulan quickly muffled Mushu who had spoken more out of habit rather than necessity. Chi-Fu, the General, and his son looked at Mulan questioningly.
Quick on her feet, she answered, "What about, uh, what about sign- ups?"
Chi-Fu began to answer when the General cut in, "Shang," his son looked up to him, "take care of your recruits. I must go." And with that, the General mounted a white stallion that Sora and Mulan hadn't even noticed and rode out of the camp, leading a troop of more than fifty.
As the dust began to settle, Shang looked over Mulan and Sora. They both stood to attention, puffing out their chests and hardening their expressions. "Conscription notices." Shang clipped, extending a hand to each of them. Mulan promptly brought forth a tightly rolled sheet of papyrus while Sora looked embarrassed.
After glancing over Mulan's notice, he nodded his approval, muttering something like, "The Fa-Zhu, very impressive." to himself. Sora's cheeks went redder. Shang handed the scroll back to Mulan, "Report tomorrow early outside the mess tent prepared for training. Dismissed." Mulan relaxed from attention to which she had been standing the whole time. Sora had forgotten to keep the position. Mulan cast a pitying glance in Sora's direction as she meandered through the sea of tents. Shang turned his attention to Sora.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen." Sora lied, trying to deepen his voice and brace his shoulders.
Shang looked at him appraisingly. "No you're not. Stable duty. That way." He cocked a finger over his shoulder, motioning towards the stalls and pens of about twenty horses.
Sora's blood boiled and a red tinge tinted his face, "I can fight. I've fought tons! I'm not big enough to be a soldier, is that it?" Sora stuck out his chin defiantly.
"I gave you an order." Shang said in a dangerously calm voice that made Sora want to spit in his face. "Obey it."
Angrily, Sora hefted his haversack on his back, still glaring at Shang, he stomped off to the stables.
Sora's anger got the better of him as he burst through the doors into the stables, cursing under his breath. The horses snorted and shied from Sora's outburst; he glared.
"Temper, Sora. I've never seen you lose it this badly since Riku beat you at sparring."
Sora's breath caught in his throat. It couldn't be... Pivoting slowly on his heel, Sora turned to face the girl that was and wasn't who he had been looking for. The moment of truth had arrived.
***
So it's a bit cheesy, but anyway... Ascaflanasion Silverbell I luv ya gurl, thanks for being so loyal. Since no one else seems to be reading... do you have any suggestions or things you'd like to see in the next couple'a chapters?
By: Catty Engles
The impostor watched as her exact image vanished in a wisp of smoke. The fake Kairi scrubbed at her hands as if she had touched something vile. A harsh, barking laugh echoed strangely in the black depths around her. Kairi whirled around in time to see a tall boy with unusual silver hair and cold, empty eyes. He strode towards her confidently. Pertly, Kairi turned her back on him, straightening her skort.
"There's nothing to laugh about." She pouted prettily, unlike anything the real Kairi had ever done. The boy looked for all the world like he could be Riku. They both had the same broad shoulders, muscular arms, bemused half-smile, but something was peculiar. He held himself like Riku but he was not. Just like impostor Kairi, they both lacked something. Some might call it a heart, others a soul, but no one should ever look as empty or forlorn as these two characters that lacked this important thing did.
The impostor Riku laughed again but hollowly. "That didn't go well. She saw right through you and what did you do? Told her everything."
Kairi adamantly turned away from him, hiding her face, "It was fun, seeing her writhe like a worm on a hook. I loved it, tormenting her made me feel full and she was the empty one." She clutched her upper arms, as if feeling how very un-full she was.
Riku eyes darted to a spot not far away. Three shadowy figures crouched by a small set of stairs that led to nowhere. One of them moved, giving rise to a vision like a moving shadow that had mass and a complete form. Kairi glanced at the shadow and called in a harsh voice. "I need it."
The shadow walked naturally, with a bounce to its step, out of place in the consuming darkness all around. As it grew nearer its outline could have resembled a boy with spiky hair and overly large shoes. Some might know him as Antisora. Kairi stretched out a hand, a hard expression to decipher plastered on her face. Riku watched closely, trying to look unconcerned.
The shadow pulled something over his head, an amulet with a light aqua pendent hanging on it. The crystalline stone gave off a flickering light, akin to a candle right before being snuffed out. The second figure crouched next to the wall watched the proceedings with beady amethyst eyes. Antisora offered the necklace to Kairi, and she took it.
The heavy stone clunked her chest as she fastened the chord around her neck. She shivered unconsciously. Riku looked at her with a question in his eyes. "It's warm." Kairi said, averting her face from him. She raised a palm and summoned the black fire again, pressing it onto the crystalline form. The third figure by the stairs that hadn't yet moved gave an impulsive jerk and a muffled shriek of pain. It fell to one side, revealing bound hands and a gag covering its mouth. Tiny slivers of light glanced off its silver hair and full aqua eyes.
Kairi grinned in spite of herself and removed her hand. The pendant's stone was now cold and Kairi breathed a sigh of relief. Riku still looked at her.
Embarrassed by his attention, Kairi turned away from the stairs and him, concentrating on the inky blackness in front of her. "Wish me luck."
"I don't," Riku snorted, "I wish you sense." Kairi couldn't respond for she had disappeared in a wisp of smoke.
***
Mulan had tucked Mushu into the back of her shirt collar and buckled a slim, but effective, battle sword to her side. Leading Khan she trudged the long distance to the entrance to the army camp, Sora trailing.
"Okay so just act tough and let me talk, cus your man voice is bad."
"Yours isn't too good either, Sora." Sora pouted at Mulan and plunged his hands deep into his pockets, kicking at the dust and gravel speckling the path. Before too long a time had passed, they were at the high entrance to the encampment.
Sora peered around the door. "Okay, all clear, let's move before someone-"
"Who are you?" A strong and very manly voice hailed him from a few feet away. Sora looked up, suddenly feeling dwarfed to the man's formidable height and stern expression. He carried a riding crop and his black hair was pulled back into a severe ponytail.
"I, uh, I, uh." Sora fumbled over his words as Mulan peeked around his shoulder.
The man arced an eyebrow at Sora and then at his spiky hair before bellowing over his shoulder, "Chi-Fu." A doddering, skinny older man with a thin curled beard bumbled over to the man, scrabbling with a paintbrush and a writing pad.
"Yes, General." The man said in a lisping voice, standing awkwardly to attention.
"I think this boy wants to join the army." The first man, the General, gestured to Sora.
Chi-Fu looked down his nose at Sora, clearly unimpressed. "General." A younger and (to Mulan) handsomer man approached the General. "Your helmet, sir."
"Thank you, son." The General said, his eyes softening, and took the proffered helmet, "I think that you have two new recruits and a fine war horse wishing to join your army."
"What about mumph-"Mulan quickly muffled Mushu who had spoken more out of habit rather than necessity. Chi-Fu, the General, and his son looked at Mulan questioningly.
Quick on her feet, she answered, "What about, uh, what about sign- ups?"
Chi-Fu began to answer when the General cut in, "Shang," his son looked up to him, "take care of your recruits. I must go." And with that, the General mounted a white stallion that Sora and Mulan hadn't even noticed and rode out of the camp, leading a troop of more than fifty.
As the dust began to settle, Shang looked over Mulan and Sora. They both stood to attention, puffing out their chests and hardening their expressions. "Conscription notices." Shang clipped, extending a hand to each of them. Mulan promptly brought forth a tightly rolled sheet of papyrus while Sora looked embarrassed.
After glancing over Mulan's notice, he nodded his approval, muttering something like, "The Fa-Zhu, very impressive." to himself. Sora's cheeks went redder. Shang handed the scroll back to Mulan, "Report tomorrow early outside the mess tent prepared for training. Dismissed." Mulan relaxed from attention to which she had been standing the whole time. Sora had forgotten to keep the position. Mulan cast a pitying glance in Sora's direction as she meandered through the sea of tents. Shang turned his attention to Sora.
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen." Sora lied, trying to deepen his voice and brace his shoulders.
Shang looked at him appraisingly. "No you're not. Stable duty. That way." He cocked a finger over his shoulder, motioning towards the stalls and pens of about twenty horses.
Sora's blood boiled and a red tinge tinted his face, "I can fight. I've fought tons! I'm not big enough to be a soldier, is that it?" Sora stuck out his chin defiantly.
"I gave you an order." Shang said in a dangerously calm voice that made Sora want to spit in his face. "Obey it."
Angrily, Sora hefted his haversack on his back, still glaring at Shang, he stomped off to the stables.
Sora's anger got the better of him as he burst through the doors into the stables, cursing under his breath. The horses snorted and shied from Sora's outburst; he glared.
"Temper, Sora. I've never seen you lose it this badly since Riku beat you at sparring."
Sora's breath caught in his throat. It couldn't be... Pivoting slowly on his heel, Sora turned to face the girl that was and wasn't who he had been looking for. The moment of truth had arrived.
***
So it's a bit cheesy, but anyway... Ascaflanasion Silverbell I luv ya gurl, thanks for being so loyal. Since no one else seems to be reading... do you have any suggestions or things you'd like to see in the next couple'a chapters?