Kingdom of Chaos
Chapter 7: Neon Night Memories
Author: Sketchy Sunshine of OSTOCOM
Rating: PG-13, just to be on the safe side
See chapter one for summary, disclaimer and other goodness. Otherwise, here's chapter seven! XD
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It was raining hard tonight. Toshi drew his hood farther over his face, trying to block out the icy droplets that pelted him from above. The streets were empty, and rightfully so. A collection of storms had descended upon the town…and in more ways than one.
Toshi sighed, and shut his eyes against the fuzzy neon signs. It was raining that night, too.
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"Toshi!" He squinted into the driving rain at the blonde-haired girl. Naminé was standing at the end of the square, clutching her yellow and white raincoat around her tightly. Her smiling face stood out against the dreary rain-dampened buildings. "Hurry up, Toshi! I wanna get dried off!"
Toshi couldn't help but smile at the beaming fourteen-year-old. No matter how difficult living on their own was at times, Naminé always found something to be happy about.
"Aw, what's wrong with the rain?" Toshi teased, tossing the water out of his blond hair. "This is nothing! It's just a drizzle."
"You're crazy!" Naminé shouted back, causing Toshi to laugh. She turned on her heel with mock drama, and began to walk away from him, splashing through wide puddles. "Fine then, I'm going to beat you there and eat all the ice cream myself."
"Not if I get there first!" he challenged, and chased after her.
Toshi was not halfway across the square before the town suddenly went dark. The streetlights winked out, the neon signs flickered into hot black rods, and the warm glow from the nearby windows went cold. He could see nothing ahead except the occasional glint of rain. "Naminé?"
Somewhere ahead, he heard her scream.
"Naminé!" Toshi's heart thundered in his ears, drowning out the splattering rain. "Naminé, where are you?"
"Toshi! Tosh—" Naminé's voice was suddenly muffled in the dark. Toshi raced forward, reaching out for her, until he tripped on a loose cobblestone and fell into a sea of rainwater. He ignored the pain of his twisted ankle and immediately got back up, wiping his muddied hands off on his pants. He did not have a chance to take three steps more before something new stopped him.
A single streetlight flickered on, revealing a tall man with short black hair, dressed in a long, black hooded robe. He held a massive spiked chain with an ornate pocket watch on the end. Beside him stood another man in an identical robe with choppy reddish-brown hair, wielding a rose-colored scythe.
"Who are you?" Toshi demanded, his throat dry at the sight of their fearsome weapons and cold eyes.
"That's not your concern," the black-haired man said. "Your sister belongs to us now."
Toshi's eyes widened. He didn't know what these people wanted, but he could tell instantly that it could be nothing good. "You can't have Naminé!"
The black-haired man didn't seem interested in talking anymore, as he turned and walked out of the light. The man with the scythe sneered down at Toshi. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice in the matter. We need her, and we'll take her."
"I won't let you!" Toshi charged forward, his face hot with anger. The robed man swung his scythe lightly, and Toshi was thrown backward by a powerful blast of wind. He landed hard on the cobblestone, temporarily losing his breath.
"And what do you expect to do about it?" the robed man laughed. "After all, you're nothing more than a shadow. Just as she is."
Toshi coughed, and attempted to get back on his feet. His legs were still weak from the force of the attack. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Such ignorance…" the robed man laughed again, sending a shiver down Toshi's spine. "But what's to be expected? We are all nothing more than shadows, living in a world of shadows."
"What do you want with Naminé?" Toshi gritted, finally getting to his feet.
"Let's just say it's better left to the imagination." The man stepped backward, rain dripping from his chestnut hair. "But don't worry…she'll get used to her new home in time."
"No!" Toshi roared, and charged at his enemy. From ahead, he saw the black-haired man holding his sister with one hand, and the chain and pocket watch in the other. He pressed a switch on the pocket watch, and Toshi felt his limbs turn to stone as the light and rain together ceased.
He awoke again to the feeling of water on his face, sliding down his hair and skin, soaking through his clothes. He blinked, barely registering a blurry neon glow in the distance. His entire body ached, and he shivered from the feel of icy mud.
" Naminé…"
The thought of her instantly brought energy back to his body. He sat up, ignoring the hammering pain in his head. He was alone in the square, greeted only by the metallic patter of the city storm. The lights had returned…it was as if nothing had happened.
"Naminé!" He scanned the square with wide eyes. His younger sister was nowhere to be seen. Breathing hard, he ran through the nearby streets and alleys, shouting her name. The only answer he received was the echoes of raindrops.
He finally returned to the spot where she had disappeared. Too exhausted to run anymore, he collapsed onto his knees in the mud. He loosed a sob as the realization finally hit him…he was alone, utterly alone.
"Naminé…"
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The loud clang of a fallen trash can returned Toshi to the present. He breathed a sigh as he saw the silhouette of a cat dart into the nearby alley. However, he still felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
Toshi wasn't sure how long it has been since the Organization had snatched Naminéfrom him. It could have been weeks or years…it was difficult to track time in this place. But no matter how long it was, it still felt like an eternity.
Granted, for Toshi it was time well spent. He had learned more during this period alone than the rest of his life before that. Or shadow-life, rather, he thought bitterly.
His nights were occupied seeking out the men in black coats, catching pieces of their hushed conversations, observing how they interacted. Each encounter meant the possibility of discovery, and subsequent destruction. But it also meant another clue, another piece of the puzzle in his mind. And answers to his questions were worth their risk.
Toshi smiled in spite of himself. He could feel a quickening movement in the ground, in the town itself. Everyone's gathering here…the Organization, and the Other Side. And once he arrives…I'll make them pay.
The city suddenly became deathly still. The street beneath was trembling, spawning something dark and unnatural. He continued to walk calmly towards the main building of the square…he knew he could defend himself easily.
A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, turning Toshi's gaze upward. For a split second he saw a silhouette atop the colossal hotel before him…and he knew exactly who it was.
Well then…let's get this party started.
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Woo, done for today! The next chapter is written, and will be posted tomorrow evening. More Riku goodness next time! XD
