Just so's ya know, I don't own Harry Potter, either.
Chapter 10: Marauding Days
Despite her absolute terror of Shu's fortress, YaYa burst through the door. Ahead of her, she saw the faint single candle of Shu's throne. If anything, it made her more determined than ever to inform her of the possible rebel's location.
"Shu, ma'am, I think I've found the location of the rebel base," YaYa kneeled quickly, holding out Criss' soaking cloak. "Criss Nallen broke into my home, and left the fire grate open. I found this on a ladder in an underground tunnel. I investigated and I believe I am correct in saying that the tunnels go under all the buildings in Yan-Shu."
"You are correct, YaYa," Shu said, smiling. "Unfortunately, you now know too much. Either pledge your allegiance to me, or face my wrath."
YaYa fell over. "Wh-What?"
"Don't you get it? I'm taking over," Shu said, grinning. "I will overthrow Yan. This world will become one of light."
"L-light?" YaYa was surprised. This, from a woman who'd eaten women for months? But she did not want to become a meal. "Of course I pledge my allegiance to you."
Shu nodded curtly. "Good. Here is a map of the tunnels. Follow them to the base and tell my followers that the Shikon must be reunited. Kairi, are you ready to go?"
Out from behind the throne came a young girl in white and purple clothes with red hair. YaYa had never seen such a girl before. She radiated, like the sun YaYa'd never seen before. Shu took the black cloak from her and, with a flap like wings, it was dry. She wrapped the cloak around the girl, who pulled it close.
"Go, quickly, before anyone sees you."
And they went.
Riku, Bar, and Criss put their heads together within the planning room of the Stone Temple. Outside, cats and people walked down the tent-made boulevards of the underground city. On the other side of the room, Molly tended to Sora. As she did so, she continued to speak, pulling her red hair from her eyes. For an instant, she looked like an twenty-one year old Kairi.
"My husband hid those plans. He told me to never look at them unless it was absolutely necessary. Even I don't know what they are."
On top of a stone table, Riku unrolled the plans. There were several sheets, piled neatly. The first sheet had several long black lines and squares. Criss recognized it.
"It's a map of the city. All the buildings, see, here's my house, and there's YaYa's, and Shu's fortress..." she pointed out several more landmarks that Riku didn't recognize. Among them included Hollow Street, the place where Riku and Sora had both been found.
"Hey, look at this," Bar said. "If you trace Hollow Street up, you come to Shu's fortress. Directly left of that is YaYa's house. Directly south, creating a perfect square, is Criss' house."
"That's weird..." Criss said. No one spoke for a minute. "Let's look at the next page..."
Riku shuffled the papers around. "It's the underground tunnels! And all the fire grates and other entrances, it looks like. You guys were right; Shu, Yan, and the Sunday Special's building aren't even on here."
Again, he shuffled the papers. This one was a blueprint of Yan's fortress, showing exactly the location of Yan's throne, his personal quarters, and the thousands of other rooms for his servants, dining room, ballrooms, game rooms. It was the definition of extravagance.
"Despite all that, he stays in his throne room," Molly said. "Can you imagine? All those places for him to be, and he stays on his fat butt in one dinky, dark little room."
The next sheet was of the Sunday Special's building. Cells for individuals, cells for the, er...business of the place, and cells for the children to be devoured on Sunday. There was also a large room, full of beds. The "Midwife Chamber" is all the map gave away. Riku nearly gagged at the thoughts that came to mind at the title.
"Hey, look at this..." Criss pointed to a tiny dot, which Riku had mistaken as an ink blot on one of the beds. Then, he noticed that the blot was moving. When Criss' finger touched the spot, words appeared on the map. "'Maggie Pie'. That was one of the women who was taken to the building!"
Several more dots appeared around the dot. Several moments went by, and then a new dot appeared on the map. Riku gulped nervously, then pressed the new dot. It read "Baby Pie—Unnamed."
"Oh, God," Criss collapsed to the ground, her knees quaking. Riku grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself. "The plans show the people in the buildings!"
She used the table to right herself again and grabbed the streets map. More dots. All moving along. The one of Yan's fortress held a single dot, that, when pressed, read "Yan".
"Look at this," Riku held the tunnel map up grimly. Two dots were headed through the tunnels for them. When Criss pressed one, it read "YaYa". She supposed the other person to be her new subordinate.
"We must have left the grate open or something," Criss said, sitting on the table to keep from collapsing to the floor again. "YaYa's coming here."
Bar calmly restacked the plans behind her. "I wouldn't worry. Shu said she was sending someone down. I suppose YaYa is sworn to our side, now."
"Just whose side are you on, anyway?!" Criss jumped up and backed right into Riku. He took hold of her shoulders.
"Shu's," Bar said. "We're the rebels."
"But—"
Bar sighed. "You still don't understand, I see."
Riku had already crossed the room. He picked up Bar by his shirt and threw him against the wall. "What I understand is that you betrayed us!" He drew back his fist.
"No!" Molly jumped up again. "Listen, you've got it all wrong, you."
Criss grasped Riku's broad shoulders and pulled his fist back. "Riku, maybe we'd better hear them out. It couldn't hurt, she's still more than an hour away."
Riku's MAD...
Chapter 10: Marauding Days
Despite her absolute terror of Shu's fortress, YaYa burst through the door. Ahead of her, she saw the faint single candle of Shu's throne. If anything, it made her more determined than ever to inform her of the possible rebel's location.
"Shu, ma'am, I think I've found the location of the rebel base," YaYa kneeled quickly, holding out Criss' soaking cloak. "Criss Nallen broke into my home, and left the fire grate open. I found this on a ladder in an underground tunnel. I investigated and I believe I am correct in saying that the tunnels go under all the buildings in Yan-Shu."
"You are correct, YaYa," Shu said, smiling. "Unfortunately, you now know too much. Either pledge your allegiance to me, or face my wrath."
YaYa fell over. "Wh-What?"
"Don't you get it? I'm taking over," Shu said, grinning. "I will overthrow Yan. This world will become one of light."
"L-light?" YaYa was surprised. This, from a woman who'd eaten women for months? But she did not want to become a meal. "Of course I pledge my allegiance to you."
Shu nodded curtly. "Good. Here is a map of the tunnels. Follow them to the base and tell my followers that the Shikon must be reunited. Kairi, are you ready to go?"
Out from behind the throne came a young girl in white and purple clothes with red hair. YaYa had never seen such a girl before. She radiated, like the sun YaYa'd never seen before. Shu took the black cloak from her and, with a flap like wings, it was dry. She wrapped the cloak around the girl, who pulled it close.
"Go, quickly, before anyone sees you."
And they went.
Riku, Bar, and Criss put their heads together within the planning room of the Stone Temple. Outside, cats and people walked down the tent-made boulevards of the underground city. On the other side of the room, Molly tended to Sora. As she did so, she continued to speak, pulling her red hair from her eyes. For an instant, she looked like an twenty-one year old Kairi.
"My husband hid those plans. He told me to never look at them unless it was absolutely necessary. Even I don't know what they are."
On top of a stone table, Riku unrolled the plans. There were several sheets, piled neatly. The first sheet had several long black lines and squares. Criss recognized it.
"It's a map of the city. All the buildings, see, here's my house, and there's YaYa's, and Shu's fortress..." she pointed out several more landmarks that Riku didn't recognize. Among them included Hollow Street, the place where Riku and Sora had both been found.
"Hey, look at this," Bar said. "If you trace Hollow Street up, you come to Shu's fortress. Directly left of that is YaYa's house. Directly south, creating a perfect square, is Criss' house."
"That's weird..." Criss said. No one spoke for a minute. "Let's look at the next page..."
Riku shuffled the papers around. "It's the underground tunnels! And all the fire grates and other entrances, it looks like. You guys were right; Shu, Yan, and the Sunday Special's building aren't even on here."
Again, he shuffled the papers. This one was a blueprint of Yan's fortress, showing exactly the location of Yan's throne, his personal quarters, and the thousands of other rooms for his servants, dining room, ballrooms, game rooms. It was the definition of extravagance.
"Despite all that, he stays in his throne room," Molly said. "Can you imagine? All those places for him to be, and he stays on his fat butt in one dinky, dark little room."
The next sheet was of the Sunday Special's building. Cells for individuals, cells for the, er...business of the place, and cells for the children to be devoured on Sunday. There was also a large room, full of beds. The "Midwife Chamber" is all the map gave away. Riku nearly gagged at the thoughts that came to mind at the title.
"Hey, look at this..." Criss pointed to a tiny dot, which Riku had mistaken as an ink blot on one of the beds. Then, he noticed that the blot was moving. When Criss' finger touched the spot, words appeared on the map. "'Maggie Pie'. That was one of the women who was taken to the building!"
Several more dots appeared around the dot. Several moments went by, and then a new dot appeared on the map. Riku gulped nervously, then pressed the new dot. It read "Baby Pie—Unnamed."
"Oh, God," Criss collapsed to the ground, her knees quaking. Riku grabbed the edge of the table to steady herself. "The plans show the people in the buildings!"
She used the table to right herself again and grabbed the streets map. More dots. All moving along. The one of Yan's fortress held a single dot, that, when pressed, read "Yan".
"Look at this," Riku held the tunnel map up grimly. Two dots were headed through the tunnels for them. When Criss pressed one, it read "YaYa". She supposed the other person to be her new subordinate.
"We must have left the grate open or something," Criss said, sitting on the table to keep from collapsing to the floor again. "YaYa's coming here."
Bar calmly restacked the plans behind her. "I wouldn't worry. Shu said she was sending someone down. I suppose YaYa is sworn to our side, now."
"Just whose side are you on, anyway?!" Criss jumped up and backed right into Riku. He took hold of her shoulders.
"Shu's," Bar said. "We're the rebels."
"But—"
Bar sighed. "You still don't understand, I see."
Riku had already crossed the room. He picked up Bar by his shirt and threw him against the wall. "What I understand is that you betrayed us!" He drew back his fist.
"No!" Molly jumped up again. "Listen, you've got it all wrong, you."
Criss grasped Riku's broad shoulders and pulled his fist back. "Riku, maybe we'd better hear them out. It couldn't hurt, she's still more than an hour away."
Riku's MAD...