Kaoru
Time really flies when you're having fun. For me, time really does fly when I'm not having fun. It's been a long time since the incident at the construction site. I've lost count. And ever since then, things have changed a lot.
One: there's been a lot of news on TV about weird happenings.
Two: I keep hearing about a club called The Sharing and I feel something is creepy about it.
Three: Zack has been acting weird lately and hasn't spent much time with me.
And four: I've been having visions lately and I don't know why.
Speaking of visions, I had one weird vision. A spooky one, in fact.
I was flying. Flying in the sky. I looked down, seeing the world pass by. It was peaceful and beautiful.
As I flew, I saw something at the corner of my eye. A bald eagle. I heard the sound of fluffing feathers above. A pair of ospreys. A northern harrier was flying not far. A peregrine falcon and a red-tailed hawk soared along. It was strange, seeing different kinds of birds fly together.
While I gazed at all the birds flying around, I noticed we weren't alone. I spotted something flying in the thermals. It wasn't a bird and by its length, I'd thought it was a plane. But something was different. There were wings on the back of it. White wings.
It was soon I recognized him. Takehiro. He was flying with me.
Suddenly, the sky turned black. I heard thunder not far from where I was flying. It was then I saw something in the clouds. Something glimmering.
A sword? I was flying right towards what ever it was. I tried to stop but not in time.
I saw a gleam of something pass my eyes. I suddenly felt pain. I saw blood spill behind my back. I looked over my shoulders. There were wings. Raven wings. They were my wings. Just not connected to me anymore.
I turned my head away from the bloody sight. I gasped.
There standing in midair, in front of me, was myself, only different.
She wore a strange armor and a headgear that looked out of this world. Not only that, she was dark-tanned and had these long ears, like an elf with a suntan. Her hair was extremely long but loosely braided halfway. On her cheeks were painted scratch marks. Or looked like they were put there on purpose.
She looked actually like me but different. She had eyes of a maniac and held the bloody sword. She stared coldly at me.
The birds cawed wildly. Was Zack watching this?
I felt gravity take me down. I was falling. Down to earth.
An ocean was below me. I was sure if I would safely dive into the water.
I saw something shining. Something gleaming over the waters. Glass. A panel of glass shielded over the ocean like a dome. I was heading towards it! I crashed into it. Broken glass shattered everywhere. I was screaming. In pain? In fright? I wasn't sure.
The vision terrified me so much that I bolted out of bed that morning, sweating.
Afterwards, I went downstairs into the kitchen, a bit groggily. And a bit concerned about the vision. I heard a swoosh and immediately, I caught the swinging bamboo sword in my hands.
"Ah. Good morning, Kaoru," Grandpa greeted, surrendering his bamboo sword.
"Do you always have to do that every morning?" I asked, outraged.
"Well, you needed to be focus now and then."
I just looked away.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "You look a bit pale."
"I'm okay. Just a bit sleepy," I replied, taking a seat.
I heard footsteps coming down from upstairs.
"Morning, Kaoru," Zack mumbled with a yawn as he scratched his head, not even noticing Grandpa's surprise attack. "Ouch!"
Grandpa shook his head. "Still not focusing, Takehiro?"
He growled in pain, holding his head. "You old man! Do you always have to do that?"
"Hey, that's the same question I asked," I laughed. "Only without the old man."
"Now you two are awake, breakfast will be ready," Grandpa said, turning to the kitchen stove.
Zack took a seat at the table, still rubbing the bump on his head. He looked like he didn't get enough sleep. "Man, what a night... Kaoru, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"What about you? You look the same," I told him. "Do you really want to know?"
He nodded his head. Grandpa was busy with breakfast so he didn't overhear us.
"Listen. Last night, I had another dream. It was weird. I was flying in the sky. And these several different birds were flying. You were there with me," I whispered. His face turned from a puzzled face to a dumbfounded face. "What's wrong?"
"Did anything bad happen in your dream?" he asked.
"Bad? What'd you mean?"
"Like some weird samurai with pointy ears that looked alm�re-" I looked up to the boy who, um, was a little taller than me. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to say that. Hey, are you alright?"
"Yes. I amThis has been the tenth vision so far. The fourth vision was the weirdest. I was sitting on the beach, alone. I heard someone calling me. Someone in the ocean. Faraway, too faraway to go and see who. The strange thing was it was like a voice talking to your mind. It was like the same voice Zack and I heard in the construction site. Only sounded different.
Some visions I told Zack, some I didn't. They were much too freaky to tell him.
A lot of visions kept piling on me like a ton of bricks. They all meant something, but what?
After that talk with Zack that morning, he left. Usually on a Saturday, I would stay home but I went to the mall instead. I needed some time alone. Some time to think about the visions. Or at least to lighten the load off me.
I gazed around the mall. It was crowded. Nothing exciting happens here. I never usually come here. I mean shopping for stuff just for fun isn't one of my natures.
The next thing I knew when I turned a corner...
"Omph!" I bumped into a boy who rammed into me. I think I nearly broke my nose that time. "Hey! Watch where you're-" I looked up to the boy who, um, was a little taller than me. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to say that. Hey, are you alright?"
"Yes. I am fine. F-finne," he answered. Boy, did this kid have an English problem.
He was quite unique. He looked medium build and his skin was the color of brown sugar. His hair was brown and golden, plus a bit curly. And he looked kind of...cute.
"Are you lost or something?" I asked him.
"Lost? I am here. Hee-yar."
"Uh-huh..." I shrugged. "Well, I'll take you to the information centre. Maybe someone's looking for you there. Whenever I find someone lost in a mall, I'd take him or her there. It's a habit."
"Yes. Maybe. Mmaybee."
"First off, let's introduce. My name is Zoe. Yours?" I asked, kindly. He seemed like a nice boy.
"It is Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill," he said. I looked dumbfounded at him for a short moment of silence. What kind of name is that?
"...Nice to meet you...Ax," I said, flabbergasted. "Come on. It's this way."
I motioned him to the way to the information centre. It was about a few metres away. I guess along the way, I thought of getting to know him better.
"So which country do you come from?" I asked, looking over my shoulder.
One minute he was there, the next, he was gone.
"What the-? He's gone?" I shrieked.
I retraced my steps and found him in a jewelry shop. "Phew... Don't run off like that. I almost got a fright." I noticed that he was looking at something. "What are you looking at?"
"What are those? Tthosse." Ax pointed at a box of rings placed neatly in order. I guess he didn't know rings. I wonder what country he's really from.
"Those are called rings. You wear them around your finger like this," I explained showing him how it's done. "You like them, don't you?"
"They are quite beautiful. Beauutifull. Especially this one. Oone."
He was pointing a small silver plain ring like a little kid would do if he saw something nice. I giggled. He was quite funny for someone who can't speak proper English.
"Wait here." I told him and took the ring. I went to the cashier and brought it. I took off one of my leather ribbons and slipped the ring around it, making it like a necklace.
"Here. This is for you." I held the necklace to Ax. He gave me a curious face.
"What is this? Thiss."
"You don't know what a necklace is?" I shrugged in disbelief. "You wear it around your neck. Like this."
I swung the necklace around his neck and looked at his face close up. I blushed and quickly backed away.
"Why are you giving this to me? Givvving."
"I-It's a gift. Seeing you're not a bad guy, well, thought I might just give you one. I hope you like it." I was still blushing. I quickly shook my head. "We better head to the information centre now."
We left the jewelry shop and headed to the centre. Again, he ran off to a nearby shop. Sigh, can't he stay still?
"Would you PLEASE stop running off like that?" I snapped and pulled him away from the cashier. "Now I know why you're not with your friends."
"Excuse me," the cashier called. "You haven't paid for your bun."
I blinked several times before eyeing at Ax. "Tell me you didn't ask?"
"Did what? W-hat?" he said as he ate the Cinnamon bun in his hand.
"Never mind," I sighed and paid the cashier. Damnit. Since when did buns become so expensive? They're even more expensive than that ring! I turned back to Ax and took his hand. "Come on. This time, don't run off."
We finally, and I do mean finally, reached the information centre without Ax running off. I looked back at him and realized I was still holding his hand. I quickly drew back my hand. I must have been very red.
"This is where I drop you here," I told him
"Why?" he asked. He looked serious this time.
"I...I need some time alone. It's just...I've been having a hard time later," I told him, then quickly said, "And I think by now, your friends maybe worried about you. They might come here and look for you."
"Yes... Maybe."
A pause.
"I'd better go now. I hope your friends find you. I'll see ya around." I waved him a goodbye and left.
What a weird kid. But he seems nice. Not to mention cute... Wait a second. Did I just think he's cute?
"Whoa!" I screamed. Why? Be'cos I fell down an escalator.
Okay, so I'm clumsy. I'm a klutz.
"Oww!" I moaned and took notice of a lot of people staring at me. I just laughed and quickly ran away, embarrassed.
After that, nothing interesting happened while I looked around. I had wished something exciting would happen in this boring mall.
"Stop!" a mall cop yelled.
Typical. My wish came true.
I looked up and saw a boy running away from the mall cops. I couldn't see his face. He must have shoplifted or something. As I turned away, three kids ran pass me. It took me a few minutes to realize who they were.
Wait a minute. Was that Zack? Jake and Marco? What are they doing here?
I followed them to the entrance of the mall. I don't know why. Instincts, maybe.
I looked ahead and my heart almost stopped beating. The kid that was running away from the cops, had legs growing out of his chest!
I didn't get a glimpse of his face because it was changing too. He slowed down as his other legs were changing. His spine elongated into the beginnings of a tail. He fell forward, tangling in his own mutating legs. From a kid to a mutated creature, changing right before my eyes.
Screams filled the mall. People were screaming and running, dropping everything they had. I just stood there, watching this freak show occur. I was shivering.
This creature had extra eyes on stalks and it looked like a centaur, blue in color. And the tail was as deadly as ever.
Wait a minute! He looked familiar. I remembered. It was the same creature from the site. But something was different about this one. Something...
But I shivered when I saw its stinger. The blade. The sharpness... I shouldn't be remembering that dreadful past! I quickly snapped out of my fright when someone yelled, "Andalite!"
Was that what that creature was called? How come he knew what it was? He drew a gun and was ready to shoot but the creature's tail fired fast and cut off his hand. The other cops were drawing their guns.
Damnit! I thought.
I didn't want the Andalite to be shot dead. I felt there was a strong connection between this centaur-alien and my dreams. For some reason, He could be my answer to all those dreams. And also...it was as if I knew him.
I needed to distract the cops. With quick thinking, I took the nearest shopping bag from the floor and flung it at a window shop. The glass broke and the alarm went off, catching their attention. I quickly hid behind a trashcan.
"What just happened?" Zack yelled.
"Never mind that!" Marco shouted and turned to the creature. "RUN!"
They blew out the door, running for their lives. I followed without being seen.
Do Zack, Jake and Marco know that...what did that cop say? Andalite? What's their relationship with that creature?
Sirens. The real cops were coming.
I had to follow them. I needed answers. Answers about my dreams, about everything that has happened to me. And I knew that Andalite might know something I didn't know.
I don't know why I was thinking like this but it was a good reason to follow.
They disappeared into the grocery store and in a spilt second, people hurried out of the store. The police were on their way. I couldn't go through the entrance with all those people running out.
The back door!
I scampered into the alley and slammed open the back door with my flying kick. No, I did not break the hinges but I was in. Scattered food lay all over the place. Trolleys had been pushed everywhere. It was quiet in the store. Too quiet.
Where are you? I thought.
They were around. Somewhere. I walked, aisle to aisle. But I found no one. I couldn't have lost them. Could I?
"Damnit... Where could they have gone?" I leaned against a tank filled with lobsters. How could I lose them so easier, I wondered.
I heard the sound of clashing claws behind me and looked into the tank where bubbles surfaced. A lobster suddenly jumped up and tried to claw at me.
"Yaaaaargh!" I screamed and fell back, hitting the shelves hard. I gazed up at the attacking lobster. Luckily it was still in the tank.
"It's just a lobster, it's just a lobster, it's just a lobster," I told myself for about three times and breathed deeply. It was then I noticed it had no bands around its pincers. Three more had no bands on its pincers. This was unusual.
"Hey, you!" A cop dashed in. "What are you doing here? Don't you know there's something dangerous here?"
"D-Dangerous? What do you mean?" I asked. I had to act cool but I was still shaking.
"Some weird monster just ran in. Have you seen it?"
Okay, I was struck. Should I lie or tell the truth? At the corner of my eye, I saw the lobster tapping its pincer against the glass.
"Well?" The cop was waiting for my reply. I had one choice. Lie.
"I didn't see anything. Everyone was running out of the store and I fell down and hit my head. I don't know what happened here."
"Hit your head? Do you need an ambulance?"
"No, no. I'm fine. Really."
"You should get out of here. We don't know where that monster might be hiding."
"Hang on. I dropped something. Give me a minute to look for it."
Actually, I did drop something. My mom's locket. It must have fallen out of my pocket when I fell down.
"No. What if that...that monster is around?"
"Please," I begged. I acted innocently and pleading like a damsel in distress, only with crocodile tears. "It was given from my late mom. I had always carried it since I was a child. It would break my heart if I lost it."
"Your late mother? Why... Now that's really a sad story." He was fooled. Sucker. My mom is still alive.
In a hospital.
In Japan.
But the "breaking my heart" part was true. That locket is something I can't afford to lose. Mom gave me that very locket on the day we had to catch our flight to this country. She told me that no matter what, if I hold this locket to my heart, she would always be with us. Always. I still kept true to those words. And felt that she was always there for me.
"Well, hurry up," he said. He gazed around, holding on the gun in his holster. I saw his hand shaking like a leaf. "Who knows where that thing is." I smiled and went to the lobster tank.
I bent down and searched the floor. It was somewhere. But where? As I looked up, something glittering in the tank. The tank? My mom's locket was in the tank?
No wait. It was just a reflection. The locket was sitting on the floor. I sighed with relief. I thought I had to pull the locket from the tank and get pinched by dozens of lobsters.
"Found it." I picked it up and looked at the sliver locket. My mom's locket. It had a sliver feather attached to it. And showed the picture of the whole family. Me, Zack, our mom and...our late dad. I tried not to cry.
-Thank you, Zoe.- A familiar voice echoed in my head. Was I really going crazy? I looked up at the tank. The lobsters were motionless. Were they talking?
"I think I'm getting a headache," I muttered to myself. "I'm starting to hear things."
I was leaded out of the store by the cop. The police had surrounded the store after I walked out. If only I had found the creature sooner and find out what was going on. I had no choice but to leave.
tigerlily-2250 – You know what? I feel like I've got a review from you for my first attempt of posting up this fanfic. I think I did. Thanks for reviewing and hope you like this chapter!
A/N: This is my second attempt on this fanfic cuz last time, so many people were flaming me. (sobs) But now I got good supportive reviews! Thanks all you readers!