Flashback
Chapter 2: They're Catching Up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Takuya and Kouji had been traveling south for three days. They hadn't faced any more demons since the day they had met. Now, they were heading toward the large city of Jeromae. Takuya had been there before and knew the southern part of the country well. The two boys had become friends over the time they had spent together, but they still had their own secrets.
Takuya told Kouji how he became a fire manipulator. He had lived at a temple in the suburbs of the south for as long as he could remember. Teachers there taught their students to be fighters for the good. The students were mainly children from age eight to teens at seventeen. Takuya had always been interested in the elements. So he took the classes made especially for elemental manipulators. Students of such classes usually needed some kind of spell or magic parchment to control the elements, but Takuya could create flame by merely thought-waves.
When he was eleven, two years ago, the temple was attacked. Some of the inhabitants escaped successfully, but others were not so lucky. They were destroyed by the demons that had invaded the temple. Takuya ran away to the nearby city of Jeromae, which they were headed now.
A few hours later, they came upon a large gate that was the entrance to the city they were traveling to. When they approached it, it opened automatically with a loud, rusty creaking sound. It closed behind them once they were past it. It was now noon, and the villagers were taking their lunch breaks and dining in restaurants.
Takuya's stomach grumbled loudly and the hungry boy blushed and gave a sheepish look. Kouji smiled and said, "Want lunch?"
Takuya laughed. "How'd ya' guess?"
Kouji fished around in his pack, but found nothing edible. Then he looked for some barls, but that search was fruitless also. Kouji looked at Takuya and asked, "You got any money?"
Takuya rummaged in his backpack as well, but found nothing. He muttered something in dissapointment, but then his expression brightened as a plan formed in his mind. The brunette smiled his impish grin and looked at Kouji. The raven haired boy became uneasy and said, "I don't like where this is going . . ."
Takuya waved his hand up and down. "It has nothing to do with you," then he smiled again. "I'm putting on a show. Come on!" Takuya grabbed Kouji's hand and ran through the crowds of people toward the center of the city. "Takuya!" Kouji yelled at the boy as he was dragged along. "What are you doing?!"
Takuya ignored his friend's cries and once they had reached their destination, he released his grip on Kouji. He looked around at the townspeole and said, "Here we go!"
He summoned a fireball in his hand and threw it in the air. Then he created two more fireballs and threw them above him. Takuya was juggling fireballs for money.
But his plan seemed to be working. A few passersby stopped in their tracks and eyed the boy's antics. Then Takuya let the fireballs drop to the stone street, and they exploded, sending sparks everywhere but not harming anyone. Takuya grinned at his audience, which had grown in a matter of minutes.
"And now," Takuya announced. "With the help of my lovely assistant-" he motioned towards Kouji "- I will defy the laws of nature!"
Kouji took a few steps backward. Lovely assistant?!
Takuya took Kouji's arm and brought him to where he was standing. "What are you doing!?" Kouji muttered to Takuya.
"Getting us more cash!" Takuya whispered back. "Everyone likes the idea of a damsel in distress!"
"But I'm male!"
"But ya' look like a girl Buuh-ddy!"
Kouji glared at Takuya but then smiled half-heartedly at the audience. Takuya instructed Kouji to take off his cloak and stand before him. Kouji did so, doubting that his friend knew what he was doing.
Suddenly, Takuya bent down to the ground and lit a ring of fire around Kouji's feet. Then the flames quickly englufed Kouji in a wave of heat. The audience gasped, they thought the boy was going to burn the long-haired 'girl'.
Kouji opened his eyes halfway and saw the flames around him. They were dangerously close to his body, but they didn't touch him. Kouji sighed in relief. His friend probably hadn't done this before, but he had amazing control over his element.
Soon, the fire disappeared, revealing the unharmed Kouji to the audience. The townspeople gasped again, and clapped vigorously at the feat. Takuya bowed, and Kouji did as well. Then the brunette made his way through the crowd, letting people deposit barls into his backpack. Then the crowd dispersed, and Takuya ran back to Kouji, grinning wildly. "We got 250 barls!" the brunette exclaimed. "That'll last us about one and a half days."
"Good job!" Kouji made a motion to pat Takuya on the back, but instead he put him in a headlock. "YOU IDIOT! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!"
Kouji procceeded to give the brunette a noogie. "Owowowow!" Takuya exclaimed. He struggled to get away but was surprised at how strong the boy's grip was. Kouji finally released him and Takuya began rubbing his abused head, then neatened his hair slightly. "Well, at least I got us some money," Takuya leered at Kouji momentarily, but then grinned happily. "Now let's go eat!"
Takuya and Kouji had their lunch at a small stand with a few tables near the place where they performed. After they'd finished, Takuya said to Kouji, "We've been here for a couple of hours right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Kouji answered. Then his eyes widened when he heard the certain sound of hissing from behind him. Takuya must have heard it too, for his eyes narrowed and he slowly stood from his chair. Kouji stayed where he was, afraid to move.
"DUCK!" Takuya yelled at him, and Kouji obeyed. Another water demon flew over his head and tackled Takuya to the ground. But the brunette boy threw the small dragon off of him, ignoring the terrified townspeople's screams. Only then did Kouji get up and back away from the demon. Takuya hesitated to attack the creature. There were a lot of people around, and he didn't want to hurt them.
"I'm going for a direct attack!" Takuya said to Kouji without looking away from the demon. Then the brunette, not waiting for an answer to his proposal, dived in for the kill. In Takuya's hand formed a dagger made of fire, which he quickly stabbed the dragon like creature with before it could escape. Then it exploded into steam.
* * *
"They're catching up with us," Takuya said as he and Kouji were back on the southern road again. "We need to travel for more hours during the day."
"Takuya," Kouji asked. "We're doing so much walking. Where are we going?"
"Were you going anywhere before you met me?"
"Well back then I didn't know water demons were after m-"
Kouji was cut off as another sharp pain came to the back of his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are you going?!"
A small boy with his hair pulled back into a ponytail peeked through a crack in the door of his bedroom. A man was dressed in a black cloak and hat and a bag in his hand. He was about to open the door, when his wife appeared.
The man sighed, and continued to open the door to escape into the night atmosphere. The woman reached out and said, "We need you! Don't leave!"
But the man paid no attention and closed the door behind him. The woman fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, sobbing. The boy saw the whole scene, and closed his own bedroom door softly. He returned to his bed and curled up on it, hugging his pillow tightly and snuggly wrapping the sheets around him. A few tears escaped from his firmly shut eyes and soaked his pillow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kouji woke up groggily and blinked his eyes. Then they widened when the boy saw how close his friend's face was to his. Takuya's eyes enlarged as well, and his face became flushed with a red tint and he pulled away quickly and avoided Kouji's gaze. Kouji saw that they were in the forest beside the road they had been traveling on. He must have been unconscience for a long time, for the sky was dark and Takuya had started a fire.
Kouji slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head lightly and looked at Takuya. The brunette boy had now shifted his position so that his back faced Kouji and the flame of the fire lit his face.
"Was that another memory?" Takuya asked without turning. Kouji nodded slightly, in spite of the fact that his friend couldn't see him. Then he spoke quietly. "Yeah . . ."
Kouji moved himself away from the comfortable pile of blankets that he had been sleeping on, and sat next to Takuya, watching the flames dance in front of their eyes and warm their faces. Kouji turned his eyes so that he could see Takuya's face. He was a little surprised that his friend looked so full of concern.
"Kouji," Takuya said, snapping Kouji back to reality. "If you don't mind me asking . . ."
" . . . Yeah?"
" . . . what was that memory of?"
Kouji's mind played clips of the scene in front of his eyes. It was all so sad. He couldn't bear to talk about it. Plus the little boy was probably him. His father had abandoned him and his mother.
"Kouji?" Takuya's voice once again got Kouji's attention. The raven haired boy's eyes widened slightly when he realized that a single tear had escaped down his face. He quickly wiped it away. He then looked up at Takuya sheepishly, and saw that his friend's soft brown eyes had been watching him the whole time. "Are you okay?"
Kouji nodded at first, but then shook his head.
Kouji had grown up without a father, he knew that. It was just him and his mother. But he thought his dad was off doing something noble. He would pretend his father was a knight or something, off fighting a war against evil ogres maybe. But now he knew the truth. His father had just left.
Kouji's slender frame shook with sobs, but they didn't stop, even when Takuya wrapped his arms around him. Takuya let Kouji bury his face in his chest, and rested his chin on top of his head. Takuya rubbed his hand up and down Kouji's back, trying to comfort his friend.
Kouji's sobs died down, and were replaced with steady breathing. Takuya looked down at him, and saw that he was alseep. He smiled at the sight of him, he looked so innocent. Takuya replaced his head where it had been, and closed his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ritina: Awwwww!!! Takouji fluffiness!!
Allison: . . . Shouldn't you be working on NON-PrEdIcTaBlE?
Ritina: . . . I AM!!!
Allison: Suuuuure ¬_¬
Ritina: Anyways, thanks to all who reviewed this! I feel special ^_^
Chapter 2: They're Catching Up
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Takuya and Kouji had been traveling south for three days. They hadn't faced any more demons since the day they had met. Now, they were heading toward the large city of Jeromae. Takuya had been there before and knew the southern part of the country well. The two boys had become friends over the time they had spent together, but they still had their own secrets.
Takuya told Kouji how he became a fire manipulator. He had lived at a temple in the suburbs of the south for as long as he could remember. Teachers there taught their students to be fighters for the good. The students were mainly children from age eight to teens at seventeen. Takuya had always been interested in the elements. So he took the classes made especially for elemental manipulators. Students of such classes usually needed some kind of spell or magic parchment to control the elements, but Takuya could create flame by merely thought-waves.
When he was eleven, two years ago, the temple was attacked. Some of the inhabitants escaped successfully, but others were not so lucky. They were destroyed by the demons that had invaded the temple. Takuya ran away to the nearby city of Jeromae, which they were headed now.
A few hours later, they came upon a large gate that was the entrance to the city they were traveling to. When they approached it, it opened automatically with a loud, rusty creaking sound. It closed behind them once they were past it. It was now noon, and the villagers were taking their lunch breaks and dining in restaurants.
Takuya's stomach grumbled loudly and the hungry boy blushed and gave a sheepish look. Kouji smiled and said, "Want lunch?"
Takuya laughed. "How'd ya' guess?"
Kouji fished around in his pack, but found nothing edible. Then he looked for some barls, but that search was fruitless also. Kouji looked at Takuya and asked, "You got any money?"
Takuya rummaged in his backpack as well, but found nothing. He muttered something in dissapointment, but then his expression brightened as a plan formed in his mind. The brunette smiled his impish grin and looked at Kouji. The raven haired boy became uneasy and said, "I don't like where this is going . . ."
Takuya waved his hand up and down. "It has nothing to do with you," then he smiled again. "I'm putting on a show. Come on!" Takuya grabbed Kouji's hand and ran through the crowds of people toward the center of the city. "Takuya!" Kouji yelled at the boy as he was dragged along. "What are you doing?!"
Takuya ignored his friend's cries and once they had reached their destination, he released his grip on Kouji. He looked around at the townspeole and said, "Here we go!"
He summoned a fireball in his hand and threw it in the air. Then he created two more fireballs and threw them above him. Takuya was juggling fireballs for money.
But his plan seemed to be working. A few passersby stopped in their tracks and eyed the boy's antics. Then Takuya let the fireballs drop to the stone street, and they exploded, sending sparks everywhere but not harming anyone. Takuya grinned at his audience, which had grown in a matter of minutes.
"And now," Takuya announced. "With the help of my lovely assistant-" he motioned towards Kouji "- I will defy the laws of nature!"
Kouji took a few steps backward. Lovely assistant?!
Takuya took Kouji's arm and brought him to where he was standing. "What are you doing!?" Kouji muttered to Takuya.
"Getting us more cash!" Takuya whispered back. "Everyone likes the idea of a damsel in distress!"
"But I'm male!"
"But ya' look like a girl Buuh-ddy!"
Kouji glared at Takuya but then smiled half-heartedly at the audience. Takuya instructed Kouji to take off his cloak and stand before him. Kouji did so, doubting that his friend knew what he was doing.
Suddenly, Takuya bent down to the ground and lit a ring of fire around Kouji's feet. Then the flames quickly englufed Kouji in a wave of heat. The audience gasped, they thought the boy was going to burn the long-haired 'girl'.
Kouji opened his eyes halfway and saw the flames around him. They were dangerously close to his body, but they didn't touch him. Kouji sighed in relief. His friend probably hadn't done this before, but he had amazing control over his element.
Soon, the fire disappeared, revealing the unharmed Kouji to the audience. The townspeople gasped again, and clapped vigorously at the feat. Takuya bowed, and Kouji did as well. Then the brunette made his way through the crowd, letting people deposit barls into his backpack. Then the crowd dispersed, and Takuya ran back to Kouji, grinning wildly. "We got 250 barls!" the brunette exclaimed. "That'll last us about one and a half days."
"Good job!" Kouji made a motion to pat Takuya on the back, but instead he put him in a headlock. "YOU IDIOT! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME!"
Kouji procceeded to give the brunette a noogie. "Owowowow!" Takuya exclaimed. He struggled to get away but was surprised at how strong the boy's grip was. Kouji finally released him and Takuya began rubbing his abused head, then neatened his hair slightly. "Well, at least I got us some money," Takuya leered at Kouji momentarily, but then grinned happily. "Now let's go eat!"
Takuya and Kouji had their lunch at a small stand with a few tables near the place where they performed. After they'd finished, Takuya said to Kouji, "We've been here for a couple of hours right?"
"Yeah, I guess," Kouji answered. Then his eyes widened when he heard the certain sound of hissing from behind him. Takuya must have heard it too, for his eyes narrowed and he slowly stood from his chair. Kouji stayed where he was, afraid to move.
"DUCK!" Takuya yelled at him, and Kouji obeyed. Another water demon flew over his head and tackled Takuya to the ground. But the brunette boy threw the small dragon off of him, ignoring the terrified townspeople's screams. Only then did Kouji get up and back away from the demon. Takuya hesitated to attack the creature. There were a lot of people around, and he didn't want to hurt them.
"I'm going for a direct attack!" Takuya said to Kouji without looking away from the demon. Then the brunette, not waiting for an answer to his proposal, dived in for the kill. In Takuya's hand formed a dagger made of fire, which he quickly stabbed the dragon like creature with before it could escape. Then it exploded into steam.
* * *
"They're catching up with us," Takuya said as he and Kouji were back on the southern road again. "We need to travel for more hours during the day."
"Takuya," Kouji asked. "We're doing so much walking. Where are we going?"
"Were you going anywhere before you met me?"
"Well back then I didn't know water demons were after m-"
Kouji was cut off as another sharp pain came to the back of his head.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Where are you going?!"
A small boy with his hair pulled back into a ponytail peeked through a crack in the door of his bedroom. A man was dressed in a black cloak and hat and a bag in his hand. He was about to open the door, when his wife appeared.
The man sighed, and continued to open the door to escape into the night atmosphere. The woman reached out and said, "We need you! Don't leave!"
But the man paid no attention and closed the door behind him. The woman fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, sobbing. The boy saw the whole scene, and closed his own bedroom door softly. He returned to his bed and curled up on it, hugging his pillow tightly and snuggly wrapping the sheets around him. A few tears escaped from his firmly shut eyes and soaked his pillow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kouji woke up groggily and blinked his eyes. Then they widened when the boy saw how close his friend's face was to his. Takuya's eyes enlarged as well, and his face became flushed with a red tint and he pulled away quickly and avoided Kouji's gaze. Kouji saw that they were in the forest beside the road they had been traveling on. He must have been unconscience for a long time, for the sky was dark and Takuya had started a fire.
Kouji slowly sat up and rubbed the back of his head lightly and looked at Takuya. The brunette boy had now shifted his position so that his back faced Kouji and the flame of the fire lit his face.
"Was that another memory?" Takuya asked without turning. Kouji nodded slightly, in spite of the fact that his friend couldn't see him. Then he spoke quietly. "Yeah . . ."
Kouji moved himself away from the comfortable pile of blankets that he had been sleeping on, and sat next to Takuya, watching the flames dance in front of their eyes and warm their faces. Kouji turned his eyes so that he could see Takuya's face. He was a little surprised that his friend looked so full of concern.
"Kouji," Takuya said, snapping Kouji back to reality. "If you don't mind me asking . . ."
" . . . Yeah?"
" . . . what was that memory of?"
Kouji's mind played clips of the scene in front of his eyes. It was all so sad. He couldn't bear to talk about it. Plus the little boy was probably him. His father had abandoned him and his mother.
"Kouji?" Takuya's voice once again got Kouji's attention. The raven haired boy's eyes widened slightly when he realized that a single tear had escaped down his face. He quickly wiped it away. He then looked up at Takuya sheepishly, and saw that his friend's soft brown eyes had been watching him the whole time. "Are you okay?"
Kouji nodded at first, but then shook his head.
Kouji had grown up without a father, he knew that. It was just him and his mother. But he thought his dad was off doing something noble. He would pretend his father was a knight or something, off fighting a war against evil ogres maybe. But now he knew the truth. His father had just left.
Kouji's slender frame shook with sobs, but they didn't stop, even when Takuya wrapped his arms around him. Takuya let Kouji bury his face in his chest, and rested his chin on top of his head. Takuya rubbed his hand up and down Kouji's back, trying to comfort his friend.
Kouji's sobs died down, and were replaced with steady breathing. Takuya looked down at him, and saw that he was alseep. He smiled at the sight of him, he looked so innocent. Takuya replaced his head where it had been, and closed his eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ritina: Awwwww!!! Takouji fluffiness!!
Allison: . . . Shouldn't you be working on NON-PrEdIcTaBlE?
Ritina: . . . I AM!!!
Allison: Suuuuure ¬_¬
Ritina: Anyways, thanks to all who reviewed this! I feel special ^_^