Walking a Thousand Miles
By: Raven
Disclaimer: I only own Raven, Artemis, and Apolla
Rave: I finally updated! YAY! I still need more review so…On with the chapter!
IMPORTANT! ALL FLAMES WILL BE USED TO MAKE S'MORES AND FIRE AND MELTED MARSHMALLOWS AND…AND…AND….
Eh…on with the chapter…--'
-Chapter 5: Dying Heart -Seaman-
I woke up, my fingers curled around an ivory spike. My silver eye wondered to the vast forest clearing—The same place I found Apolla, my sister, dead, some days ago. Nature, and my two dragons, Apolla and Artemis, dug a tomb for her. Flower vines curled around the tomb, protecting my sister.
One of my dragons, black with silver streaks, came up and nosed me.
Raven?
Yes?
Come.
I started, stretched and climbed onto Artemis's back. I was careful to keep my legs away from her scales. Exceedingly sharp, the first time I rode her, they stripped the skin off of my legs.
Artemis bunched her hind legs, and leapt up. We plummeted a few feet, but then she opened her wings, air catching in the dark black membrane.
She glided whenever possible, not wanting to scare the wits out of the animals or disturb the tomb below us.
Artemis landed, silver claws lightly tearing the grass. Apolla, Artemis's scarred sister, lay basking in the sun, humming softly.
I stepped forward, and shook the golden-white dragon softly.
Apolla…C'mon, wake up.
Hm? Or good, you are here.
Why though?
I turned to see what Apolla and Artemis were doing. Artemis touched her nose of one side of the tomb, Apolla the other side. Tendrils of silver and gold snaked across the dirt tomb. Priceless filigree soon covered the tomb. In mere seconds, my sister was seen, looking so peaceful, like she was asleep. Except for the whole through her chest.
I gasped.
Now she won't be touched by the effects of time. Artemis said.
It was the only gift we could giver her, Apolla added regretfully, looking back at the tomb, silver from her eyes fell to the river if red across her face. Apolla's scar.
She was so kind, thoughtful, and compassionate…
A tear slid across my cheek, falling to the ground in a sparkling cascade.
You should return to your friends now, Apolla suggested.
You're right. They're worried, probably. Besides, I'm not really that important, right?
I was wrong.
I was walking through the forest, a cold fog enveloping me. I shivered, and drew my arms closer around me when I hear shouts.
"Raven!"
"Raven!"
Two people were shouting me name.
I hurried towards the sounds, but I thought better. I headed AWAY from the sounds, to get to Yusuke's house. It would be better if he found me there.
"I hope he doesn't' hear me…" I winced as I crushed a large twig and a loud crack resonated.
I shivered. It had started to rain.
I shivered harder. I was pouring.
I couldn't see where I was going. SO dark out…Only the street lamps were on.
I stopped, a couple blocks away from Yusuke's house.
Two people were ahead of a giant and the…. thing holding several other people.
I heard talking. One looked familiar. Orange hair…Kuwabara! The one time I was actually glad to see him.
"Raven! Leave!" He gasped.
"Why should I?" I asked, mad the he thought I was weak…like those preps…(AN: When we re-update out profile, we will add APA. For more information, please e-mail me at ) But, I backed away. Something wasn't right.
I fell to the floor, twitching. I arched my back. After my spasm left, my sight dulled, but my hearing was incredible. A pin dropped a mile away…I could hear it with a clear intensity.
The two people ahead were the two people. One was a blonde. He had a dull(at least to me) yellow raincoat.
I heard them talking.
"I just don't get you…"Kuwabara was saying. "Why'd you join those psycho creeps?"
The boy at the end answered, voice sorrowful. "Because they were the only ones who understood how I felt. At school I was picked on, bullied. You just don't know because YOU'RE the bully. You don't know how it feels."
Images filled my mind. Puzzled, I tried to shake the pictures out, wanting to disrupt the flow of pictures.
I boy was on the ground (the same boy I assumed who was on the other side of the street). A group of people surrounded him. They were kicking him. The boy covered his head, shaking.
More images came, and a name. The memories of when he joined Sensui (or Dark Angel, whatever you prefer). Too much…I collapsed. A few seconds later, I came up again.
I tried to shake my head. My head shook. This times, I shook my head furiously, trying to dislodge the memories. I knew how he felt: rejected. Different…like he was meant for something else that no one else understood.
And stop they did. I opened my eyes. It was still raining, but not as hard. My eyesight cleared. Everything neat and tidy in my eyes…too neat and tidy. Every thing.... Every detail was clear, sharp, like an image on a DLP flat-screen TV (I have one at home, DLP mean digital laser projection. They are really cool!)
And the sound…everything was distorted. Every sound stretched, modified.
I could hear, oddly, the one with the raincoat laughing sadistically, enjoying the sight of Kuwabara suffocating…and drowning. Kuwabara…Drowning?
What the hell was that thing? …I thought, it was slightly translucent…Rivulets of light from the street lams played across the slightly…blue! It was water! Something wasn't right, if this was the kid's territory, why didn't I realize it?
Didn't matter. I had no time to think, had to move. Something, something, must …do…something…
Had to save Kuwabara (An: I don't like Kuwabara…but…oh, well. -.-)
I checked my worn jean pockets…nothing but the dagger I used against my psychotic dad.
'Good enough,' I grunted. It was heavy! I brought it out, but it was no longer a long fang or tooth. The hilt and pommel was the same, but the blade…black and gold, the colors of Artemis (black) and Apolla (gold). The blade was about a foot long, and when I brought it out, it burst into flame. I stifled a shriek. The giant water thing shifted slightly, rivulets of water running off of the behemoth. I ignored it, and touched the blade. It went straight through! But I felt no pain, not blood came out. It didn't hurt me…I marveled at the thing. Intricately made, the flame roiled and curled along the edges. The flame was also black and gold, with a fine purple outlining the constantly shifting flame, hypnotically…
I shook my head. I looked at the water beast. It stopped running the water rivulets. Kuwabara was now holding his neck.
No, no time to think where to strike. I ran forward, letting the flame dagger (sword, dirk, cleaver, dagger, it doesn't matter. Trail behind me. As I approached, the blonde boy who was laughing turned, a look of shock convulsing his face.
I jumped (I was surprised by my own strength, this morning I was fairly weak) and brought my dagger forward, piercing the skin of the monster.
It burst into a million droplets, sparkling in the light of the few remaining glowing streetlamps. The blonde boy slumped behind me when I turned to face him. I examined him. He was totally unfamiliar to me. A cut on his stomach was pouring crimson blood.
Kuwabara ands his friends were sprawled on the soaking ground, rain still coming on hard. I grunted, trying to life him and his friends. Kuwabara stirred.
'Never mind,' I thought. 'Better take the blonde, though'.
I picked up the blonde, draping him over my shoulder. A pain in my shoulder, a small piece of metal was imbedded in my shoulder. It was flowing blood. I dropped the boy, and pulled the metal out. I didn't know where it came from. The metal, upon closer examination, was actually the metal from a mechanical pencil. (AN: Anyone who has those knows that they usually have a metal tip). I picked up the blonde again, and draped him over my shoulder. My legs trembled, but I held.
I headed to Yusuke's house.
About halfway there, the blonde woke, and asked me:
"Why didn't you kill me?"
I grunted, my should screamed with pain. Lightning bolts crackled along the length of my legs, traveling around my torso, and into my shoulder, pain erupting like a volcano. But I answered his question, feeling that he deserved to know.
"Because I had a life just like yours." I have a harsh laugh. "I know what it's like. Shunted, alone…also because you're human…in a way. Despite that you are a psychic. Saw your past. Trust me, I know…" I gave another harsh laugh, cruel, with black humor in it. "But my heart died days ago. So I don't really feel. Also, I didn't kill you because you've been conned into joining that psycho group. My dad was one of them; Doctor was it? Ah well, it doesn't matter. My heart died before I met him again."
He didn't reply. I could tell he was thinking about what I just said.
By the time I reached Yusuke's house, the rain had cleared, and I had asked the blonde his name.
Mitarai, strange, sounded a little like Marina—something to do with the sea.
I had managed to get to Yusuke's house without any incident. I was lucky. Most people were out partying right now.
I had managed to do so much on my own…
My thoughts were interrupted. I had got to Yusuke's house, and Mitarai on my back wasn't exactly helping. I somehow opened the door, and got in. I dumped the boy on the couch, and took off his shirt and jacket. A short, but deep wound ran horizontally. Half of it was already covered with dried blood. It would heal with a scar…when it healed.
Just the time I need Apolla and Artemis!
A sudden thunder of wings rattles the furniture. Out of the shadows came up Artemis, as impassive as ever.
A moth fluttered in from the open window, morphing into Apolla.
Why are you here? I asked.
To help. Apolla cocked her head at Mitarai.
Mind…
To mind…
To heal…
Artemis's and Apolla's mind linked with mine, and I saw things in a different view. Dark colors and light colors were more prominent, neutral colors dulled to a grayish nothing. Black jumped out at me, as did whites, dark blues, and purples and normal yellows looked like neon yellow.
This new revelation was new to me, something that was interesting, different. My hands glowed, a patch of skin being eaten away. I gave a startled scream, but a shimmery patch of black and gold came away.
The mark of the princess of the Dark Dragon Clan…Artemis said.
I gulped, and placed my hands on Mitarai's wound, feeling muscles flex beneath my hand. (AN: Eh…NO PERVERTED THOUGHTS! TT)
Light flowed over it, healing the wound. The only sign of it was a small scar, but the skin was thin. I would have to wrap it—Just in case.
Suddenly, still linked to Artemis and Apolla, I felt Artemis's power spike.
I shot around, looking at Artemis. She reared onto her hind legs, silver eyes rolling wildly.
I tried to calm her, but every time I came close, a spurt of black fire issued around her.
Finally, she calmed, but her eyes were still rolling. I severed the connection with them. Artemis went wild again. This time, shadows enveloped the whole room—Darkness covered all. Finally, I saw Artemis sink into the shadows, flame coming from the small portal. After she left, Apolla morphed back into a moth, and fluttered out the window.
Puzzled, I went to get a roll of linen cloth. It would serve as the band-aid to heal the wound; the skin wouldn't break as much and it reduced the chances of infection.
When I came back, wind swept into the room. I shivered; cold as my clothes was still wet. I closed the window, and began tearing the linen in half.
I began to wrap it around Mitarai's stomach, pulling it taut so that it wouldn't loosen and have him get an infection.
I tossed a blanket, and it landed perfectly, covering his torso.
I sighed—so much stuff has happened, so fast in just five days.
But I ignored it. I was tired.
I went to my room. It was calm, peaceful. All was the same the first day I was here.
I scrambled onto the bed, and collapsed, and I reached the Shores of Sleep.
--
Everything was dark…
What was that?
A girl stood on a pile of dead bodies, smiling sadistically. A boy with black hair emerged, covered with blood. Demons chased after him. The girl stared at the boy, eyes focused on him. Realizations snapped in her mind.
Yusuke!
The girl smiled. She leapt off the pile, wings sprouting from her shoulder blades, face morphing, lengthening. Horns grew from her head, canines growing longer, like daggers. Shoes ripped, clothes ripped, pants shrinking against growing legs and muscles growing bulkier by the second.
She had transformed into a dragon. She landed in front of Yusuke, one eye blazing black, the other a disturbing white. The dragon opened it's mouth, saliva stretching from it's teeth, the fangs at least two and a half feet long. The scales were gold and black, the colors shimmering darkly. The dragon roared, and Yusuke looked up, eyes widening at the shock of the dragon.
"Raven…?" He asked.
The dragon took no heed, and slashed Yusuke to pieces, blood covering it's claws. The dragon roared, sending a spurt of flame into the sky
A beacon for the demons invading.
In the morning, I awoke, sweating. I couldn't remember my dreams. But I knew it was filled with blood, a murderer.
The murderer?
Me.
I shivered.
I was glad that I had at least friends who would help me…
I think.
I fell back onto my pillow. I looked around—My eye gazing at all the different things cluttered. I got up, still in last nights T-Shirt. I stepped onto the wooden floor.
The floor squeaked.
I looked up at the clouds.
Dark and gloomy.
Just the perfect ambiance for a to-be murder. Like in my dreams, it was the same.
I sighed, and realized that to survive, I would have to make friends, weather I like it…
Or not.
-End!-
-Jeez! That was one heck of a long chapter! Man, two months to write that, you had better review! K? K. Now..press the button… YES! THAT BUTTON! Also, I need to start putting lim—Nothing! Just review…I need more review please! PLEASE!-