The Kingdom of Glass
Everyone have fun this Halloween? Get lots of candy? I spent it writing this chapter. Nah, just kidding. I actually skipped out and spent the entire day in Kitsap county, visiting old friends and old places. It's a strange feeling to visit your old home, you know.
I made a mistake back in chapter three, Aly has hazel eyes, not blue. Thanks to Katt for catching that.
Current review average: 4-5 reviews per chapter. When I started the Kingdom it was 2, so good job guys!
Thanks to:
Yamashira de'Ryu: Oof, sounds good but I'm not putting more than five of your characters into the story, that would be unfair to the others. Meeting in an arcade works well with me, still, I'm trying to work out the kinks of having a half ling trainer. I think the World would reject the idea, personally, but like I said. Writing is an organic process. You have to be patient and maintain control or it can grow out of hand.
Songwind: Oh! I'm so pleased! (Bows down to Songie-dono). To think that someone such as me received a review from as great a writer as you! (Sorry I really do admire your work). You read a story about the Bishonen side of things? I must go find it and read it (and then end up discontinuing my story, joking). I can't believe I didn't look hard enough to find it (well, if I did you'd never have seen this one). Sorry, I rant. I love your thing with the "No matter where a person goes, if they find sentient creatures they will find ignorance." To true! I think all of us are guilty of being ignorant to something or another. Again, thank you for the review, you made my day.
PeaceLoveOcelot: Oh, nifty! I'm sure your costume looked great. I thought about doing Robin from Witch Hunter Robin but I didn't have the material. Thanks again for the review, I found Knight Hunters (you called it something else but Netflix calls it that) so you can have both Ritsu and Yohiji because I like you! Oh, and about your review, your words were not poorly chosen, rather you should have clarified what it was you were talking about. Yes, that part was over, and now so is that part of the story (for a while at least). Hope you enjoy the humor of this one.
Katt: If you came in this chapter there would be no point in telling you. Hey! It's like that one time when you and I were both wearing cloaks and we came out of PC and some kids from our school were like "Whoa, are you two twins?" I really wish we didn't go to a secondary school sometimes. No, Katt, your entrance should be the next chapter (Promises, promises, Lockea, you never keep them).
Yet again, Yamashira beat Katt, of course so did Songwind and PeaceLoveOcelot. Let's keep it up guys! I'm helping you by keeping Katt from knowing when a chapter is updated but I can only do so much. Five chapters in any of my stories of beating Katt and I'll write a review special including the reviewers and Bishonen.
This chapter is dedicated to the real Amanda and Kristin, for their humorous insights to everything from teachers and school, to war and politics. And to my sisters, Gabbie and Shelby, who could ask for better friends and half sisters?
Chapter Five: Follow the... Red Dirt Road?
Now, out in the wilderness, the companion made his way, battling dragons and other monsters, searching for a place of sanctity. Through the scorching dessert wastes of extreme days, and then through the dangerous jungle, he learned to survive, to take care of himself. He acquired strength, speed, agility, and he made the untamable lands his home.
The next morning, when everything was said and done, the group was finally ready to leave. Of course, even that morning had been a pain. First, Amanda realized that when you have a Bishonen, waking them up can be an occupational hazard when her Yuki almost sent her flying across the room. Then there was the fiasco called breakfast, but the idea of recounting the amazingly spectacular mess Aly and a young San belonging to a different trainer had made was just terrifying, even to Phoenix.
So finally the group was off, on the road again! Or in Amanda's case, for the first time. For the most part the morning had been quiet, with the Samas in one group and everyone else behind them in another, talking together and glad that the nice weather had held over from the previous day.
'So my second day starts off just as strange as the first.' Amanda thought, glancing over at Phoenix who was talking softly to her Yuki. 'A world of beautiful people where I can catch them, like Yuki, if he's not beautiful, I don't know what beautiful is.' Her Bishonen certainly was looking well after only one night, though the nurse had warned her that even though his bruising would fade almost immediately, they wouldn't disappear completely for a few days, some even weeks. Still, his attitude towards her, though slightly cold and distant, was not what she expected from someone who had been through as much as him.
She shrugged, seeing Yuki and Phoenix laugh at some joke they shared and turned to the chibi walking beside her, holding her hand and using her other one to try to catch a butterfly that swept past. She was familiar with the books the small girl came from, and could recall a few scenes in them where the Bishojo beside her had indeed been a little girl. "Aly-chan, you won't catch anything if you just swing your arms around." She pointed out to the little child.
"I know Miss Amanda, but I don't want to let go!" She smiled up at the dark haired girl, her reddish-gold curls bouncing. "It's a butterfly, they're everywhere but there's only one of you."
Amanda squealed, "Oh! You're so cute!"
"Yeah, just wait until she evolves into a San, she'll talk you into circles." Intervened the oldest member of their group. "You won't know who started what, and she'll have you questioning your own name."
"You say that as though you know from experience." Phoenix smirked, moving up between Micheal and Aly.
"Ah, well, when you've been a trainer as long as I have, you pick up a few tricks from other trainers on how to raise certain Bishonen." He glanced away sheepishly, causing the two girls near him to giggle.
"You wouldn't happened to have learned any tricks about a Yuki, would you?" Asked the young trainer curiously, watching as her Bishonen fell in place on the other side of Micheal, away from her.
"Not that I know of." Micheal replied simply, thinking.
Yuki, who had been watching the group ahead of them intently, joined their conversation with a quiet warning. "The Samas look like they're up to something, and it smells like trouble."
Sure enough, Arkarian and Edgar had stopped walking, waiting for the second group to catch up while Alanna and Celes continued, giggling like school girls and peeking over their shoulders at the Bishonen, even Link seemed interested in what was going on.
Micheal's hand instinctively went to cover his eyes, "This definitely does not bode well. I hope Edgar doesn't do something stupid."
"Edgar? I'm more worried about Arkarian, you should know how he gets." Added the half ling.
"Don't remind me..."
Amanda glanced between the two, again confused. She was really starting to hate that feeling. For once it would be nice to get what they were talking about.
Of course, a few seconds later she found out when Edgar grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the group, everyone's eyes on them. "Of, fair and beautiful Amanda, how you set my heart aflame." He recited, kissing the back of her hand and glancing up at her through blonde eyelashes flirtatiously. "Mine eyes have never seen such radiance in all my journeys. Why you must be the goddess incarnate."
"I..." Amanda stuttered, half flattered, half freaked out the older person's attention. Ahead the two woman had succumbed to fits of laughter. She blushed trying to find the words.
"I know you must be speechless with the mere thought of being so close to someone as beautiful as me," -Here Celes and Alanna, and even Link, doubled over laughing while Micheal just turned his head away, shielding Aly from the two.- "But please, you needn't say anything, I understand exactly how you feel."
"What?"
"You feel the same way about me." Edgar replied, still in womanizing mode and pretending to be oblivious of the others. "It's only natural seeing as-" He ran a hand through his blonde hair, smiling charmingly at the girl, "you're not the first to fall in love with me."
Amanda's blush deepened and she was about to reply with her rather harsh thoughts about his comment but Yuki beat her to it. "Leave her alone, she doesn't want you hanging around."
"Ah, but the Passion of Romance has been incited, nothing can stand in it's way." Arkarian stated, grinning at the younger Bishonen while Phoenix slapped her forehead in disgust and embarrassment.
Edgar ignored him and turned his attention away from Amanda and over to Yuki. "Ahh, but perhaps you would like some company as well for another lovely lady is more than I could ever imagine."
Phoenix turned to Arkarian and whispered in his ear, "Where has he been during the big who-haw in town? Wouldn't he know that Yuki's a guy?"
The Bishonen nezumi backed away, clearly startled. "Ahh, nani?"
"Why of course you would also be speechless, it seems I have that affect on people." The young king replied, "Particularly beautiful women."
"But I'm not a-" The nezumi continued to back away as Edgar advanced. Phoenix, who has standing just a little ways behind him, was turned to Arkarian, Aly in her arms and not paying attention. One more step and Yuki tripped, falling backward onto the half ling, knocking them both to the ground.
There was a loud bang, almost as if something popped, and a cloud of gray smoke. Every stopped walking and turned to face the place where they had fallen. Except Yuki wasn't there. His clothes were, and Aly and Phoenix were lying in the dirt, looking tossled but perfectly fine.
"Where did Yuki go?" Amanda was the first to speak, searching for her Bishonen, yet again confused.
The blue haired Bishonen laughed pointing to Phoenix, who was holding a small gray rat in her hands. "It seems things got a little to intense for our poor Bishonen."
"Honestly, someone 'aught to slap you, Arkarian." Micheal muttered, kneeling next to the girls. "Cute. I'd heard of shape shifting characters but didn't think I'd actually ever deal with one."
"I'm not a shape shifter!" The rat insisted.
Edgar leaned over Micheal's shoulder to see the newly transformed Bishonen and stated in mock horror, "How terribly disgusting, a Bishojo that transforms into a rat."
Celes slapped him, hard, upside the head as Amanda took her Bishonen from Micheal, holding the nezumi at face level. "Wow, you're a really cute rat. You look like my brother's pet Scamper. So adorable!"
The rat blushed. "Glad you think so." He muttered half heartedly. "It only happens when I'm hugged by a girl. Depending on my stage it's either a human or a Bishojo."
Amanda cocked her head. "What do you mean by that?"
"If I'm hugged by a girl in the anime I come from, I transform. But apparently here, I transform depending on my stage. Chibi is both, San is only when a Bishojo hugs me, and Sama is human."
"So why did you transform when you fell on Phoenix?" She asked.
It was Celes who answered. "Either because he fell on Aly or because Phoenix has Bishonen blood, or did you forget already, Miss Amanda? Now, if we're quite through I'd like to get to the next town and a warm bed as soon as possible."
The Samas left, Edgar's final remark of "Why don't we share a bed tonight?" and Celes's reply of, "Touch me and I'll kill you," lingering in the air.
"Well, when do you change back?" Phoenix asked when they had left.
"Right about now, I think." Sure enough, moments later there was a loud pop followed by the girl's screams as they turned away and hid their eyes.
A few minutes later, everything had gone back to a relative normalcy as the group continued on it's way in a relative silence. Micheal was carrying Aly, and Amanda was attempting to talk to Yuki, who had gone back to being wary and silent around his trainer.
Up in the Sama's group the three Bishonen and two Bishojo were once again up to no good.
"C'mon Link, you shouldn't be so shy, play another song." Alanna encouraged the game Bishonen, who was holding his ocarina close to his mouth, warming it up.
"Only if you sing with me, Alanna." The Hero replied.
"Ugh, no. I can't carry a tune in a bucket, and there's no way I'd sing in front of someone else." Protested the Lioness, waving her hands in front of her face. "Nope, sorry."
"Then I'm not going to play anything."
"Ahh, you're really no fun, we need something to pass the time." Arkarian complained.
"I know, our dear sweet Celes could sing, she's got the most- mphh." Edgar began before Celes clamped her hand around his mouth.
"No. I'm not doing any singing. I'm a general, generals don't sing." The curly haired blonde insisted.
"I'm sure you've got a lovely voice, c'mon Celes, sing for us." Alanna insisted.
"NO!"
Edgar just laughed. "Ahh, so our dear general has some self confidence issues. Or perhaps it's the wrong audience, if Locke were here, you'd be the first to sing for him."
Celes blushed her hand covering her mouth as she ducked her head. "Fine. I'll sing, but now the question is what?"
They thought for a minute, "How about 'Somewhere in the World'?" Arkarian suggested.
"I only know the Japanese lyrics, I don't know the English adaptation."
"That's all right, I know the tune, so just sing whatever lyrics you know. Make 'em up if you have to." Link suggested, blowing a note into his ocarina to warm it up. "That's a sad song."
"Ahh, the ocarina isn't really made for a song like 'Drastic Myself' otherwise you could sing that."
"No thank you! Okay, I'm ready when you are Link." The game hero played a slow introduction to the song before starting at the beginning as Celes began to sing softly, "Yasuraka ni kiyo raka ni, ima wa nemuri nasai, kizutsu ita sono hane o watashi ni azukete."
"Wow, Celes, you really can sing." Alanna marveled, entranced by the woman's surprisingly sweet voice.
Celes smiled, her voice growing more confident. "Kurayami ni zawameki ni, nagasarenai you ni, kono inori o sasagemashou, anata no makurabe ni. Aa hito wa dare mo hitori kiri, ai o sagashite iru no, ryoute o hirogete, sora o aru kotori no you ni."
The group behind them heard, Amanda surprised that the 'gruff woman' as she had nicknamed the callous general, had such a sweet voice, but other than that no one was really surprised.
"I wanna sing to." Phoenix complained. "I know the English lyrics to that song. Well, the English adaptation anyway."
"You recognize this?" Amanda asked, motioning toward the others.
"Uh, yeah, I grew up on this song. Lina used to sing it to me all the time when I begged her to. If I think, the song goes a bit like this in English. 'Somewhere in the world. Somewhere in the dark. I can hear the voice that calls my name. Might be a memory. Might be my future. Might be a love waiting for me.'"
"Wow. You and Celes sing so well, I'm jealous." Amanda teased.
"I don't care who sings well or not." Micheal began, setting Aly down beside him. He cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Alanna, it's your turn to take your daughter. We've had her all day."
Alanna glanced over her should, smirking, "So, we've only got another two miles before we reach the town I'll take her tomorrow."
"I feel so unwanted." Aly muttered jokingly, running up to her mother. "But Mama, I want to come with you!"
Alanna sweat dropped, picking up her daughter and taking her. "Fine. But I wanted a girl's day off today." The other Samas just laughed.
"When you're saddled with a Chibi..." Arkarian began the old saying as the others chimed in, "No time is your own."
"Yes, yes, I know that." Alanna replied with a frown, "I just wish I had time to myself ever now and then." But she smiled at Aly's big hazel eyes. "Of course, if I had to have a Chibi, I wouldn't trade Aly in for the world."
Celes nodded, turning her attention back to Link, "Okay, now you've got to sing something, since I heard from a certain Bishojo in town that you've got a very nice voice."
Link blushed. "Fine, what should I sing?"
"Good question. Anybody got a suggestion for Link to sing?" Celes called over her shoulder.
Amanda called back, "How about something English? I'm in the mood for Western Country."
"Sounds good. What song?" Link replied, falling back closer to the trainers.
"How about a good religious one, it's my mother's favorite, 'Red Dirt Road'."
"I don't know the lyrics."
"That's all right, we can sing it together. Please tell me someone else knows the words too."
Micheal did, and Phoenix had heard the song before, "Oh great, we've turned into the band of merry men." Alanna complained, coming over to sing as well. "Ah, well if you can't beat them, join them."
"Just think, diminutive Alanna, it'll pass the time, and we'll be at the next town." Arkarian joked.
"Unfortunately, this is the last town in this sector, then we have three weeks between civilization."
"Don't remind me. Anyway, how does this song go?"
Amanda drew in a breath and began slowly, "I was raised off of Route Three, Out where the blacktop ends. We'd walk to Church on Sunday mornings, Race barefoot back to Johnson's fence. That's where I first saw Mary, On that roadside pickin' blackberries. That summer I turned a corner in my soul, Down that red dirt road."
Everyone joined in, even though most of them couldn't carry a tune in a bucket, but it was a pretty song, and you didn't have to be able to sing, to sing it, so...
"That was fun, Miss Amanda!" Aly cheered as they approached the gate to the town, "We should sing like that more often. That was a really fun song, even if English is a hard language."
Amanda raised her eyebrow at the Chibi who had somehow found her way back into the young trainer's arms. "You can't speak English?"
"Actually." Phoenix interrupted, "None of us speak English as a first language, except maybe Micheal, most of us speak Basic, the natural universal language of the world, but because of the newbies, we learn an Earth second language along the way."
"That's strange, but it makes sense. I guess I heard you singing in English and you spoke English when we met that I assumed you spoke it naturally." Amanda confessed, not confused this time but still a little miffed at not knowing something, they certainly hadn't covered that in Orientation.
"Oh, sorry, I rarely speak anything but English because Mother, for the life of her, cannot learn Basic, but once you speak Basic, moving back to English is like giving yourself a sore throat."
She'd never heard her language described as anything like that, sure it was a hard language to learn but certainly not harsh. "You are so odd. Will you say something in Basic?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"You wouldn't hear what I said anyway."
Okay, scratch that, Amanda was back to being confused.
"Hey, guys, we're here." Arkarian called to them, pointing to the gates up ahead, similar to the town but made of stone. "And it's still early in the day which means free time!"
This place was so much busier than the little town. "Welcome to Laea Town, the final border town between this territory and the next. Sleep well tonight, you won't have a bed for a long time..."
I blame Shelter of Wings for the lame ending, don't get me wrong, Shelter of Wings is good, but my current battle with faith makes web comics like that a bit temperamental. I recommend Shelter, however, to anyone who has a Christian religion. To anyone, really, but because I'm a Christian, I'll get in trouble for trying to force my religion off to others if I go any further (sucks, huh? I can recommend Dealing with the Devil but not Shelter of Wings).
Anyway, aspects!
Basic: Phoenix will explain it eventually but the reason Amanda and others from Earth can't understand or hear Basic is because it literally is the language of the earth. To say that it's spoken would be incorrect but to say it's not spoken would also be incorrect. They communicate through the earth in a language of the earth. If that makes sense.
Lina: Slayers series. Lina is notorious for her small stature and evil temper, she's a scary fifteen year old sorceress with powerful spells. Eh, she wouldn't be caught dead singing to anyone, I don't think. But I think Lina's the type of girl that would have a pretty voice, she might even have patience with someone like Phoenix.
Yuki: Yes, Yuki really is a rat, and there is another anime character that I heard of who changes into a rat when she casts a spell (a chick from Ruin Explorers I can't remember her name). Yuki is cursed by the Rat from the Chinese Zodiac, in Fruits Basket that's the main plot, a family under a curse and the normal girl that changes their lives. Next chapter we'll see more of the Rat and Cat rivalry between Seairra's Kyo and Amanda's Yuki.
Songs: Somewhere in the World. Both the English adaptation and the Japanese have the same tune. The words have different meanings, of course. Credit to Anime lyrics, song from the Slayers TRY soundtrack. Red Dirt Road by Brooks & Dunn, it's an old favorite of mine and it's pretty appropriate to the situation because the characters are growing up and changing more than anything else. That's all that Bishonen Catchers is, right? A fun story about friendship and relations changing. I want it to be fun, but the characters are growing up.
That should be it. Yes, everyone's talents are genuine, except I can't remember if Alanna can sing or not but I think Arkarian can. I know Celes can, she sings in FFIII.
So, enough of that.
Next time: Hmm? A battle? Gym Leaders are known for their harsh battles, and Seairra's no exception. This hardcore trainer is willing to push the limit and her Bishonen are stronger than I ever imagined? Or is there something else to being a trainer I haven't quite grasped? Next time it's a Cat and Rat battle, you don't want to miss it!
Later y'all, don't forget to review me, please! Remember, only three more chapters.
Lockea