Okay...er, I don't own KH?
Chapter 5: Shu
YaYa shivered. Cobwebs hung from the huge front doors of Shu's fortress, but that was as far as she could see. The darkness within was complete. Shu and Yan's fortresses, where they stayed at all times, were famous as the only buildings in Yan-Shu that lacked fireplaces.
Not that Yan or Shu would need light or warmth.
The commander remained straight and tall despite the cruelty that echoed off the walls like a valley between mountains. Near the throne room, where Shu remained always, a single, tiny flame was lit just for their benefit. Of course, that benefit would also mean utter terror to someone who was about to be devoured.
Despite this, the commander stood tall.
YaYa heard her own breathing and heartbeat, heard the click of her boots against the smooth black floor. The scent of blood was strong, almost overpowering. As she approached Shu's throne, however, her back straightened despite her fear. It was best not to show fear in Shu's presence.
"Did I not ask you to arrest Criss Nallen?" Shu asked. In the light of the single candle, YaYa could see her eyes glisten yellow. If they turned white, it was best not to watch.
"It seems she was tipped off before we arrived," the commander said swiftly. "The supposed 'wild goose chase' she sent us on last night, however, seems to have been not so. YaYa, the clothes."
YaYa handed the commander the boy's clothes that she had found. Shu studied them with interest, took them and glared at the yellow fabric. Then, she smiled, a horrible, ugly, evil grin that could only mean one thing with Shu. Pleasure in another's downfall.
"It seems we have a rebellion, yes," she said, throwing the yellow clothes upon her throne as she gained her footing. She descended the few steps, her own silver hair fanning despite the fact that there was no wind to carry it. If YaYa didn't know what this woman had done time and again, she would even say that Shu was beautiful.
"Yes. I thought you should know," the commander said. Not once did she glance at Shu. YaYa thought that she was afraid of what she might see. "Criss Nallen and her cat gave us the slip. But I think we may yet find her. The rebels are gathering again."
Shu's eyes turned white.
Her mouth opened wide.
The commander screamed.
YaYa turned away, her eyes shut tight. She dared not close her ears, for fear Shu would see her and devour her, too. The commander's screams grew and pitched and pummeled. Blood spattered the stone floor, flew up and struck YaYa in the face. The commander screamed higher still, and then...
Silence.
"Hmm. Mistakes are intolerable, no matter the reasons." YaYa opened her eyes again and saw that Shu had sat down upon her throne once again. "Now, YaYa, how do you feel about a promotion? Find Criss Nallen and bring her to me."
"Aye, ma'am," YaYa saluted crisply and marched quickly out of Shu's fortress. Once outside, where darkness was beginning to fall once again, she dissolved into tears. Her friend, the commander, was gone.
And she had a heavy feeling that she would be next.
Criss' words echoed in Riku's head. You've got to get away from me. If they find you with me, you'll be bled for sure! Criss stared at him, then looked away when she saw him notice it. What was she trying to do?
"Listen," he said. "I'm not just going to leave you on your own. If we get caught, we'll get caught together. Got it?"
"But..."
"I thought you were stronger than that," he laughed. "But I guess I was wrong."
Criss' face turned a lovely shade of pink. "Fine. We'll stick together, then."
"Well, most likely you won't be found down here," Bar cut in. "Mars and I have been down here for two years, and he hasn't found us yet."
"Then you don't know?" Criss blinked in surprise.
"Oh, about Shu?" Mars said. "We know. We know everything that goes on in the Upper World—" He was cut off by a shout from below.
"Bar! Mars! Come quick, we've got emergency news!"
"Speaking of which..." Bar picked up his cat, Prince, and ran toward the large stone building in the center of the sea of tents.
"C'mon, we can get you an area assignment and a tent at the Stone Temple," Mars said, smiling. "That's what we call that thing."
"What is it? And how'd this place get here?" Riku asked.
"No one knows. Most of us just stumbled down here through our fire grates within the past five years. When we discovered the Stone Temple, where all the cats seem to come from, we just stayed down here. Every time a new person shows up, there's a tent for him and an area assignment on this big screen. We don't have a clue how or why it works, only that it does. And somehow, we're safe from Yan." Mars shrugged.
As they passed through the paths the tents seemed to create, people waved at Mars and welcomed the newcomers. Everyone smiled. The light overhead glowed bright as a fire, but as seamless as electricity, which Riku was quickly beginning to realize must not exist in this world. There didn't seem to be any technology at all.
"Just five years, you say?" Riku asked. "When did Yan take over and start eating people?"
"About two months before the first person came here," Mars explained. "You'll get to meet her, she's in charge of tent distribution. Her name's Molly. She says that the tunnels used to be full of water, and other accounts point out the same. But she was in trouble, and swam up the stream anyway. Most of us call her the Water Dragon because she can swim like no one else."
The three reached the base of the Stone Temple and entered through an arched stone doorway. Inside, Bar and two other men were discussing whatever news had arrived.
"The commander's been eaten," Bar said when he saw them. "YaYa has been placed at the top. Shu suspects a rebellion."
"A rebellion?" Criss cocked her head. "Why?"
"Your, er...delay tactics seemed to have backfired, miss," said one of the men. "They found this young man's yellow clothes and put two and two together."
Criss gasped. Riku, however, smirked.
"Well, then," said the other of the two men. "Why don't we give them a rebellion? We are twice the number of their army."
"But his Children outnumber us in strength and people," Bar argued. "It would take twenty men to combat one of those things."
"What about those still above ground?" Riku suggested. "Can't they help? And that army, their commander was just eaten. Won't they help?"
The four Nekopolis men stared at this newcomer.
They knew his story.
Perhaps better than he did.
"I think the kid's on to something there," Bar nodded. "You two, go on and get your tent and area. Then come back here. We've got a world to fight for."
Yeah, I know, that last part was a little corny...But, hey, it sets up the remainder of the story.
Chapter 5: Shu
YaYa shivered. Cobwebs hung from the huge front doors of Shu's fortress, but that was as far as she could see. The darkness within was complete. Shu and Yan's fortresses, where they stayed at all times, were famous as the only buildings in Yan-Shu that lacked fireplaces.
Not that Yan or Shu would need light or warmth.
The commander remained straight and tall despite the cruelty that echoed off the walls like a valley between mountains. Near the throne room, where Shu remained always, a single, tiny flame was lit just for their benefit. Of course, that benefit would also mean utter terror to someone who was about to be devoured.
Despite this, the commander stood tall.
YaYa heard her own breathing and heartbeat, heard the click of her boots against the smooth black floor. The scent of blood was strong, almost overpowering. As she approached Shu's throne, however, her back straightened despite her fear. It was best not to show fear in Shu's presence.
"Did I not ask you to arrest Criss Nallen?" Shu asked. In the light of the single candle, YaYa could see her eyes glisten yellow. If they turned white, it was best not to watch.
"It seems she was tipped off before we arrived," the commander said swiftly. "The supposed 'wild goose chase' she sent us on last night, however, seems to have been not so. YaYa, the clothes."
YaYa handed the commander the boy's clothes that she had found. Shu studied them with interest, took them and glared at the yellow fabric. Then, she smiled, a horrible, ugly, evil grin that could only mean one thing with Shu. Pleasure in another's downfall.
"It seems we have a rebellion, yes," she said, throwing the yellow clothes upon her throne as she gained her footing. She descended the few steps, her own silver hair fanning despite the fact that there was no wind to carry it. If YaYa didn't know what this woman had done time and again, she would even say that Shu was beautiful.
"Yes. I thought you should know," the commander said. Not once did she glance at Shu. YaYa thought that she was afraid of what she might see. "Criss Nallen and her cat gave us the slip. But I think we may yet find her. The rebels are gathering again."
Shu's eyes turned white.
Her mouth opened wide.
The commander screamed.
YaYa turned away, her eyes shut tight. She dared not close her ears, for fear Shu would see her and devour her, too. The commander's screams grew and pitched and pummeled. Blood spattered the stone floor, flew up and struck YaYa in the face. The commander screamed higher still, and then...
Silence.
"Hmm. Mistakes are intolerable, no matter the reasons." YaYa opened her eyes again and saw that Shu had sat down upon her throne once again. "Now, YaYa, how do you feel about a promotion? Find Criss Nallen and bring her to me."
"Aye, ma'am," YaYa saluted crisply and marched quickly out of Shu's fortress. Once outside, where darkness was beginning to fall once again, she dissolved into tears. Her friend, the commander, was gone.
And she had a heavy feeling that she would be next.
Criss' words echoed in Riku's head. You've got to get away from me. If they find you with me, you'll be bled for sure! Criss stared at him, then looked away when she saw him notice it. What was she trying to do?
"Listen," he said. "I'm not just going to leave you on your own. If we get caught, we'll get caught together. Got it?"
"But..."
"I thought you were stronger than that," he laughed. "But I guess I was wrong."
Criss' face turned a lovely shade of pink. "Fine. We'll stick together, then."
"Well, most likely you won't be found down here," Bar cut in. "Mars and I have been down here for two years, and he hasn't found us yet."
"Then you don't know?" Criss blinked in surprise.
"Oh, about Shu?" Mars said. "We know. We know everything that goes on in the Upper World—" He was cut off by a shout from below.
"Bar! Mars! Come quick, we've got emergency news!"
"Speaking of which..." Bar picked up his cat, Prince, and ran toward the large stone building in the center of the sea of tents.
"C'mon, we can get you an area assignment and a tent at the Stone Temple," Mars said, smiling. "That's what we call that thing."
"What is it? And how'd this place get here?" Riku asked.
"No one knows. Most of us just stumbled down here through our fire grates within the past five years. When we discovered the Stone Temple, where all the cats seem to come from, we just stayed down here. Every time a new person shows up, there's a tent for him and an area assignment on this big screen. We don't have a clue how or why it works, only that it does. And somehow, we're safe from Yan." Mars shrugged.
As they passed through the paths the tents seemed to create, people waved at Mars and welcomed the newcomers. Everyone smiled. The light overhead glowed bright as a fire, but as seamless as electricity, which Riku was quickly beginning to realize must not exist in this world. There didn't seem to be any technology at all.
"Just five years, you say?" Riku asked. "When did Yan take over and start eating people?"
"About two months before the first person came here," Mars explained. "You'll get to meet her, she's in charge of tent distribution. Her name's Molly. She says that the tunnels used to be full of water, and other accounts point out the same. But she was in trouble, and swam up the stream anyway. Most of us call her the Water Dragon because she can swim like no one else."
The three reached the base of the Stone Temple and entered through an arched stone doorway. Inside, Bar and two other men were discussing whatever news had arrived.
"The commander's been eaten," Bar said when he saw them. "YaYa has been placed at the top. Shu suspects a rebellion."
"A rebellion?" Criss cocked her head. "Why?"
"Your, er...delay tactics seemed to have backfired, miss," said one of the men. "They found this young man's yellow clothes and put two and two together."
Criss gasped. Riku, however, smirked.
"Well, then," said the other of the two men. "Why don't we give them a rebellion? We are twice the number of their army."
"But his Children outnumber us in strength and people," Bar argued. "It would take twenty men to combat one of those things."
"What about those still above ground?" Riku suggested. "Can't they help? And that army, their commander was just eaten. Won't they help?"
The four Nekopolis men stared at this newcomer.
They knew his story.
Perhaps better than he did.
"I think the kid's on to something there," Bar nodded. "You two, go on and get your tent and area. Then come back here. We've got a world to fight for."
Yeah, I know, that last part was a little corny...But, hey, it sets up the remainder of the story.