Despite all delays, I finished it ahead of schedule. Stayed up late a few nights ago and just finished giving it a read-through. So, as a special thank you to all of my reviewers, I will update this—the entire completed story.
Why?
A) I'm paranoid it'll vanish on me.
B) Cause I love to see people reviewing a completed story—not just chapters.
So, here we go.
Chapter 6: Water Dragon
Riku set up his tent in the little plot of stone that now supposedly belonged to him. According to Molly, more commonly known as the "Water Dragon", the computer simply printed out where he was supposed to be and a tent popped out of thin air. No one really understood why the Stone Temple did this.
"Too bad it didn't just set up the tents for us," he muttered.
"I agree," Criss said. She sighed, surveying the tents that stretched out in every direction. The underground cavern was at least a mile wide, and tents were everywhere. Riku followed her gaze, which led him right back to the small entrance they'd come through.
"You worried?" he asked.
"Yeah...what if they find us?"
Riku didn't answer at first. "Come on. We're going to find them."
Criss dragged her feet along the smooth stone passageway, sighing. Cleo followed close on her heels, which Riku was glad for. That little thing still scared him. He dodged a small grouping of cats, who seemed without owners, of yet, and finally reached the Stone Temple. Mars was waiting at the door.
Without a word, Mars led them back into the room where Bar first announced his gruesome news of the commander. The other two men from before had vanished, replaced by the slightly batty Molly. Riku noticed, with faint relief, that Cleo had disappeared.
Riku liked the one called the Water Dragon. She was missing a few eggs from her basket, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. In fact, Molly seemed to have this kind of knowledge that Riku could only associate with age and wisdom. Except for the fact that she was only six years older than he was.
"The newcomer had a point," Bar said. "We can't defeat the army or Yan's Children, not on our own." He grinned. "That's why we're not gonna do it on our own."
"Do you really think everybody's going to listen to you?" Criss interrupted. "A day ago, I wouldn't have listened to you."
"Not everyone," Mars said. "But most will be willing to brave all rather than live in fear any longer. Six years is too long. We've got to fight back."
Criss bit her lip, her brows knitted together. She doubted it, Riku could tell. But they had to try. Something came back to him just then, something Bar had said.
"Wait...how did you guys know I was wearing yellow clothes? And that Criss tried to divert the army's attention by mentioning where I'd been?"
Bar shifted in his seat. "We've got an intricate spy network. People working undercover in the army—listening through fire grates. The stuff that goes on inside Yan, Shu, and the Sunday Specials Building, we hear mostly second-hand. No fire grates to listen through because they're new buildings."
"What? Say that again," Riku said. There was something there...
"We can't listen in because there aren't any fire grates. 'Cause they're new. Why?"
Riku pressed on. "Who built them?"
"...How the hell should I know? Some dude who got eaten because he didn't make the bathroom big enough—"
"My husband did," Molly said, gently cutting Bar off.
Riku turned the Molly. "Do you still have the plans?"
Bar and Mars' eyes grew wide. The plan was simple. Unique. "Why didn't we think of that?"
"I do, but they are back in my house," Molly said. "Which, since I left, became the commander of the army's house. So, YaYa would live there now."
Criss let out a derisive snort. "So we're supposed to sneak through YaYa's fire grate, steal a bunch of plans that probably were discovered and burned, and hope not to get eaten? Leave me out."
In the back of his throat, Riku growled. Far, in the back of his mind, he felt something snap. He grabbed Criss by the shoulders, threw her down and plopped beside her on the cold stone floor.
"You wanted to know why I'm scared of cats, now you're gonna hear it," he growled again. Criss whimpered under his stony stare and death grip that still held her arm pinned to the ground. She'd rather have braved YaYa than Riku at this point.
At last, he let her go. Riku didn't begin his tale right away. The other three in the room stared at him, into his aqua eyes. He cast his gaze to the side, his mouth following in a deep sigh.
"I lived on a world...you people would probably see as a utopia. We had a democracy—kids played outside under a bright sun, on a sandy beach, with crystal clear water for miles around. That's what bugged me the most, was that water. I wanted freedom, to travel to other worlds and see them. My friends and I were building a raft.
"Me, Sora, and...and Kairi. Kairi was from another world, that's how I knew about them in the first place. I was looking for supplies when I found them—kittens. I went in to their little den. The mother came back before I left and ripped me up. I've been afraid of cats since." He paused for a second, then continued.
"The night before we were to leave on the raft, a storm came in. A weird storm, with a glowing orb hanging in the sky. Tiny black monsters came onto the island, and a man's voice told me to not be afraid of the darkness. I forced myself to not be afraid. One of the kittens followed me into the darkness, causing me to jump away from Sora.
"I didn't see him again, or the kitten. I ended up on a strange world called Hollow Bastion, and met a witch named Maleficent. She promised to help me find Kairi. I was coming to find her when I was knocked out. But there wasn't anyone on board my ship, so it's impossible that I'm even here..."
"That's not true," Criss shook her head. "I saw him. A man landed that weird ship in the courtyard on Hollow Street. I saw his face. And that's no reason to be afraid of cats, Riku. She was just being a mother, protecting her babies. You probably didn't know that you're not supposed to approach kittens before they open their eyes."
Riku blushed. "I guess not...But who was it that dropped me on this world?"
Everyone shrugged.
"The point I was trying to make, Criss, was that you need to take risks in order to get what you want. No risk, no reward," Riku smirked. "And the reward you get from all this is your freedom."
One of the messengers from before rushed in. "Bar, we've got more news. Another kid's landed on Yan-Shu!"
"Another kid?" Bar looked up at the messenger. "By the same guy who brought this one?"
"Yeah, that's what we think."
"That same creepy guy?" Criss stood up. "We've got to go get him!"
The messenger nodded. "Follow me."
Come on, tell me you can guess who the new kid is.
Why?
A) I'm paranoid it'll vanish on me.
B) Cause I love to see people reviewing a completed story—not just chapters.
So, here we go.
Chapter 6: Water Dragon
Riku set up his tent in the little plot of stone that now supposedly belonged to him. According to Molly, more commonly known as the "Water Dragon", the computer simply printed out where he was supposed to be and a tent popped out of thin air. No one really understood why the Stone Temple did this.
"Too bad it didn't just set up the tents for us," he muttered.
"I agree," Criss said. She sighed, surveying the tents that stretched out in every direction. The underground cavern was at least a mile wide, and tents were everywhere. Riku followed her gaze, which led him right back to the small entrance they'd come through.
"You worried?" he asked.
"Yeah...what if they find us?"
Riku didn't answer at first. "Come on. We're going to find them."
Criss dragged her feet along the smooth stone passageway, sighing. Cleo followed close on her heels, which Riku was glad for. That little thing still scared him. He dodged a small grouping of cats, who seemed without owners, of yet, and finally reached the Stone Temple. Mars was waiting at the door.
Without a word, Mars led them back into the room where Bar first announced his gruesome news of the commander. The other two men from before had vanished, replaced by the slightly batty Molly. Riku noticed, with faint relief, that Cleo had disappeared.
Riku liked the one called the Water Dragon. She was missing a few eggs from her basket, but she seemed to know what she was talking about. In fact, Molly seemed to have this kind of knowledge that Riku could only associate with age and wisdom. Except for the fact that she was only six years older than he was.
"The newcomer had a point," Bar said. "We can't defeat the army or Yan's Children, not on our own." He grinned. "That's why we're not gonna do it on our own."
"Do you really think everybody's going to listen to you?" Criss interrupted. "A day ago, I wouldn't have listened to you."
"Not everyone," Mars said. "But most will be willing to brave all rather than live in fear any longer. Six years is too long. We've got to fight back."
Criss bit her lip, her brows knitted together. She doubted it, Riku could tell. But they had to try. Something came back to him just then, something Bar had said.
"Wait...how did you guys know I was wearing yellow clothes? And that Criss tried to divert the army's attention by mentioning where I'd been?"
Bar shifted in his seat. "We've got an intricate spy network. People working undercover in the army—listening through fire grates. The stuff that goes on inside Yan, Shu, and the Sunday Specials Building, we hear mostly second-hand. No fire grates to listen through because they're new buildings."
"What? Say that again," Riku said. There was something there...
"We can't listen in because there aren't any fire grates. 'Cause they're new. Why?"
Riku pressed on. "Who built them?"
"...How the hell should I know? Some dude who got eaten because he didn't make the bathroom big enough—"
"My husband did," Molly said, gently cutting Bar off.
Riku turned the Molly. "Do you still have the plans?"
Bar and Mars' eyes grew wide. The plan was simple. Unique. "Why didn't we think of that?"
"I do, but they are back in my house," Molly said. "Which, since I left, became the commander of the army's house. So, YaYa would live there now."
Criss let out a derisive snort. "So we're supposed to sneak through YaYa's fire grate, steal a bunch of plans that probably were discovered and burned, and hope not to get eaten? Leave me out."
In the back of his throat, Riku growled. Far, in the back of his mind, he felt something snap. He grabbed Criss by the shoulders, threw her down and plopped beside her on the cold stone floor.
"You wanted to know why I'm scared of cats, now you're gonna hear it," he growled again. Criss whimpered under his stony stare and death grip that still held her arm pinned to the ground. She'd rather have braved YaYa than Riku at this point.
At last, he let her go. Riku didn't begin his tale right away. The other three in the room stared at him, into his aqua eyes. He cast his gaze to the side, his mouth following in a deep sigh.
"I lived on a world...you people would probably see as a utopia. We had a democracy—kids played outside under a bright sun, on a sandy beach, with crystal clear water for miles around. That's what bugged me the most, was that water. I wanted freedom, to travel to other worlds and see them. My friends and I were building a raft.
"Me, Sora, and...and Kairi. Kairi was from another world, that's how I knew about them in the first place. I was looking for supplies when I found them—kittens. I went in to their little den. The mother came back before I left and ripped me up. I've been afraid of cats since." He paused for a second, then continued.
"The night before we were to leave on the raft, a storm came in. A weird storm, with a glowing orb hanging in the sky. Tiny black monsters came onto the island, and a man's voice told me to not be afraid of the darkness. I forced myself to not be afraid. One of the kittens followed me into the darkness, causing me to jump away from Sora.
"I didn't see him again, or the kitten. I ended up on a strange world called Hollow Bastion, and met a witch named Maleficent. She promised to help me find Kairi. I was coming to find her when I was knocked out. But there wasn't anyone on board my ship, so it's impossible that I'm even here..."
"That's not true," Criss shook her head. "I saw him. A man landed that weird ship in the courtyard on Hollow Street. I saw his face. And that's no reason to be afraid of cats, Riku. She was just being a mother, protecting her babies. You probably didn't know that you're not supposed to approach kittens before they open their eyes."
Riku blushed. "I guess not...But who was it that dropped me on this world?"
Everyone shrugged.
"The point I was trying to make, Criss, was that you need to take risks in order to get what you want. No risk, no reward," Riku smirked. "And the reward you get from all this is your freedom."
One of the messengers from before rushed in. "Bar, we've got more news. Another kid's landed on Yan-Shu!"
"Another kid?" Bar looked up at the messenger. "By the same guy who brought this one?"
"Yeah, that's what we think."
"That same creepy guy?" Criss stood up. "We've got to go get him!"
The messenger nodded. "Follow me."
Come on, tell me you can guess who the new kid is.