Chapter 2
At first, it seemed like an ordinary morning when one's back ached from a bad nights sleep. Then, the aching became quite strange, for there was an unusual stiffness, as if there was something poking out of on one's back throughout the whole night.
Rika shifted onto her back, but sat up immediately, as if she just lied on a fragile part of her body. She looked back at her back, and there stood a pair of snow-white wings. The feathers were unruffled by the slumber. Rika sighed.
"I guess…it wasn't a dream…" Rika whispered to herself. Then she looked at her alarm clock. It was nearly 9:00.
Cursing under her breath, Rika bolted out of bed and ran in the washroom. 5 minutes later, she rushed to her closed and pulled out some random garments. She tried to put them on, and was rewarded by the sharp pain coming from her wings.
Oh, just great…I can't go anywhere with my wings…Rika bit her lips. To make the matter worse, Rika's mother was taking a day off. That means wherever she goes around the house, except her room, people would freak out because of her wings. Dressing was easier; Rika would just cut slits in her clothing for her wings. But…facing people…
Then, she realized: It was Saturday. Rika felt stupid for getting up in a hurry and worrying about things. Yet, her mother and grandmother would still see her wings.
Rika took at deep breath. Mother understood some things before…so…perhaps…I could tell her…Sliding her bedroom door open, she walked into the hallway that led into the kitchen, where her mother and grandmother were.
"Oh, good morning Rika, honey." Rumiko smiled at her. Rika closed her eyes and expected a surprised gasp, and perhaps a comment of her wings. But it didn't come. Rika cautiously sat at the table in silence and waited for 15 more minutes, then, she stood up.
"Mom…" Rika said, shocked. "Aren't you going to say something about my wings?"
Rumiko looked at her daughter with a strange expression. "Wings? What wings? Rika, I think you've been reading too much fiction."
That's when it came to her.
No one could see her wings.
No one could, except her and the creatures of her own kind.
…Where were they?
"Anyways…" Rumiko continued. "The boy who just moved in the neighborhood, Ryo, found you out on the street last night. He brought you back in, so today if you see him, you should at least thank the young gentleman."
"…Ryo…?" Rika blinked. What does Ryo have to do with this? This is becoming way to lucky to be a coincidence.
- - -
The ring of the phone startled Rika, who was reading her usual junk load of fiction. She picked up the phone and pressed on.
"Hello, Nonaka residence. Rika speaking."
"Rika, you've got to stop answering the phone like that. It doesn't suit you." The voice replied. It was Alice…typical…
"I can't help that my mother's company and the fashion shooters still call our home phone. If I said hello, they would consider it rude and yell at me in an Italian or French accent. " Rika grumbled.
"Didn't your mother tell them her cell?"
"Yeah, but recently, some new people got a hold of our home phone, because no body bothered updating the models' list that tells which number to call to get a hold of them."
"Ah…pity…I always thought they were just slightly smarter and more organized than that…"
"Anyways…why did you call?"
"Since its SATURDAY, maybe we could…I don't know…go out with Henry, Takato, Jeri, Kazu – you know, the usual gang and goof around."
"Eh…Kazu, Kenta and Goggle-head are going?"
"They've matured…"
"Right."
"Still, it'll be fun for a change."
Rika sighed. "Why not."
A sharp squeal from the other line nearly deafened Rika. Alice sighed, "be right back," she said.
Then came the distant and muffled shouts of Alice to Jeri, who was eavesdropping on the other phone.
"Now…where were we?" She said as she returned after 2 minutes.
"Where do we meet?"
There was silence as Alice thought about it. "We'll come to pick you up at 8." She said after a short period. Rika sighed.
"Alright then…see ya."
Rika hung up. Her hand touched the soft white feathers of her wings. Going out with these could be a little problem…
Sighing, Rika looked at the time. She had 2 hours before the group would arrive. She thought about the last time she went out on a 'goof off'. First, they went around, sticking stickers onto random parked cars. They made sure that the bumper sticker was the exact opposite mood as the car. Then, they got caught and ran away into an alley and stayed there for 10 minutes before they decided that they wanted to play truth and dare.
Truth and dare…you may think its not bad. Well, it is when you have the group of friends that Rika did. After the madness, screaming and nearly strangling each other, some teenager thieves cornered them. But Rika kicked the crap out of them, so no worries. (She does well for a 14-year-old, you know…)
Afterwards they went to the ice cream shop, but were kicked out by the owner because of Kazu having ice cream coming out of his nose when he laughed. It was truly a disturbing sight. Afterwards, they wandered around the small alley, and nearly got hit by a wandering car and a drunken motorcycle driver.
As if that couldn't get any stranger, the next day, the police who was chasing them found them and apologized. The guy who owned the car liked the bumper stickers.
Rika wondered if it would be weirder this time.
After what seemed like 15 minutes, but was really 2 hours, the doorbell rang. Rika looked at the clock – it was time to go! Time flies when you are staring into space. She ran into the living room, forgetting about her wings, and swung the door open. There stood Alice with her mouth open, about to say hi. Rika quickly slid the door shut again, and ran to her room. She pulled out her shoes and her wallet. She rushed into the living room and slid opened the door again.
Alice stood there, tapping her foot and her arms were crossed.
"Eh…oops…" Rika said and shrugged. "Mom! I'm going out with Alice and co."
"Alright Rika, be back before midnight!"
"Right…sure…" Rika said in a hurried manner and slid the door behind close her. She sighed, inhaling the fresh air of dusk. She looked at the pinkish sky, and closed her eyes. She turned to Alice as she opened her eyes again.
"So, where are we going?"
"I'm not sure…Takato, Jeri, Kazu, Kenta and Henry are right outside. Why don't you ask them?"
"If they suggest the mall, I ain't going." Rika said firmly.
"The mall does have food shops, and Digimon card stores…" Alice pointed out.
"True…but if we are going there, I am not taking one step into a clothing shop where there are pink frilly dresses." Rika crossed her arms stubbornly. "I get ENOUGH of them at mum's fashion shoots. I mean, if they are going to give me free clothes, at least give me something I'd wear."
"Well, they are idiots…aren't they?" Alice said as they reached the corner where the others were standing.
"HEY! Who did you call idiots?" Kazu cried.
"You." Rika immediately replied.
"No you weren't…" Kazu scoffed.
"If you know, then why did you ask?" Alice said challengingly.
Kazu muttered something not audible. Everyone knew it was either a complaint or a comment about killer mushrooms taking over the world.
"Well, Kazu…" Kenta said, pushing up his glasses. "Too much fiction is bad for you."
Kazu stared at his best friend with disbelief.
"However…" He continued. "You can start on science fiction!"
Everyone, excluding Rika, fell – anime style.
Jeri giggled. "Isn't fiction and science fiction almost the same thing?" she asked Takato, who blushed furiously because he didn't really know the difference either. Henry sighed.
"Am I the only one here that is SANE?" He asked no one in particular.
"Do I look INSANE to you?" Alice asked the blue haired boy, who 'heh'ed nervously.
"Not really…but hey, you know what I mean…" Henry said as he gave Alice a playful shove. Rika sighed and brushed a strand of loose hair out of her eyes. "Can we get going now? This is great that we are having quality time, but…I prefer trashing cars and dumping garbage in mailboxes."
Alice laughed. "Sure…so, where to first? The alley or the old ice cream shop?"
"THE MALL!!!" Jeri squealed.
"I don't believe that was one of the choices…" Rika muttered.
"Hey, the mall could be fun!" Takato said, sticking up for Jeri, as he thought of the torture times when Jeri dragged him into the shopping center. Hey, anything for one's crush, even f it means spending 2 horrible hours in the dress department.
"Clothing…eh…not my style…" Kazu said as he shook his head. He turned to Kenta. "Comic R Us?"
"YEAH!" Kenta cheered.
Henry groaned. "I don't want to be surrounded by frilly pink…things…they call garments. "
"Ditto…" Rika mumbled.
"We could go to the alley and paint graffiti…" Alice suggested and laughed.
Rika smirked. "Count me in."
"Alright then." Henry concluded. "We all meet back here in 2 hours, then we can all go for a late snack or something. You guys can go eat something, but don't eat too much. I want to freak the shop keeper out by showing him how much you clowns eat."
Kazu, Kenta and Takato grinned.
Ape-like.
But that would be insulting Apes…
They grinned Kazu, Kenta and Takato like.
Rika turned away. "My eyes burn." She mocked.
"Alright, see you guys in two hours!" Jeri waved as she dragged Takato off in the 'dresses' department.
- - -
Rika shook her can of spray paint they just purchased at a nearby store, which is owned by a friend of a friend of Alice's cousin. The can of spray-paint, when shook, produced a sound you would hear if you shook an old fashioned must-shake white out.
"What color do you guys have?" Alice asked and peeked over Henry's shoulder, trying to see his.
"I got…red and whitish gold." Rika said.
"Blue and black." Henry said.
"Black…and white…cool colors! So, what should our next beautiful work of art be?" Alice stared at the blank piece of wall.
"Something with…red, blue, whitish gold and black?" Rika said, staring at the wall as well.
"Um…I'm haven't the best ideas, if you haven't realized…" Henry laughed dryly.
"Oh! I've got it! How's about a girl with black and blue hair and wings, and she is drowning in a pool of blood!" Alice snapped her fingers.
"Yeah! That'll be cool. Her robe can be white…and we can draw lightning above her head." Rika nodded slowly.
"Alright…" Henry nodded and pulled his black. He offered it to the girls, seeing if they wanted to draw the outline.
Rika and Alice shook their head unison and took a step back as he offered the bottle to them.
"YOU DRAW." The girls said firmly. Henry sighed as he turned to start drawing. However, the moment his paint touched the wall, he dropped the tool.
"AH!" He cried as he clutched his hand – it was burnt black. However, it was not burnt by heat, but by coldness. "What the hell was that?" He looked at his burnt hand, and then at the wall. Suddenly, a cold feeling bathed Rika, Alice and Henry in its body. Rika stood there, wide eyed.
"It's the shadows…" She whispered to herself. She took a step back, to give her feet a good grip. She couldn't attack, or do anything, for Alice and Henry were there. She looked at her two friends; there was only one way out of this. "RUN!" She yelled.
No complaints came as the 3 started to run, and they arrived at a bigger alley. However, the wall they came upon stopped them from going anywhere. The 3 took steps back, away from the wall, but the shadow was right behind them. The 3 turned to face the shadow. It was black, and it took no shape in specific. It floated and walked, it was so dark, darker than the night itself.
A silvery sheet of moonlight fell upon the three, but it clung onto Rika as if the moonlight was children hugging their favorite aunt. The moon showed its face, it peeked out from behind the dark grey mass of clouds. Rika winced and closed her eyes: could this be because she was about to die again?
Alice and Henry looked at Rika, who was almost glowing with light blue and silver.
"I can't let them…kill the innocent…again!" Rika said through gritted teeth. She felt so useless; there was nothing she could do. Until, someone, or something, from behind shot a wave of grey at Henry and Alice. Alice and Henry froze; a sheet of dull grey covered them. Rika stared, wide eyed, at her fallen friends. She slowly turned to look at who was responsible.
It was a boy, no older then 15.
He had brown hair.
He took a step into the moonlight; his blue eyes glistened with anger and determination.
Behind him was a pair of wings.
Snow white wings, with its snow white feathers that gently swayed with the night breeze…
It was Ryo.
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Thank you to all who reviewed for the previous chapter:
Dragon star: I am so flattered that you would call this fic brilliant. Yes, it's true I need to improve in many ways…but hey: I'm only me. And also, about Yami Ryuki…that might even be true…
Luzr-Gurl13: Thank you for the compliment…I do hope that this story will turn out to be a success. Maybe it will be someday…someday…nod, nod
Old Penguin: You think Rika is in character? Well…you MIGHT change your mind after this chapter…ne? Well…thank you for the compliment.
Ao-Senshi: I tried to do as you warned me: not putting author's notes everywhere. What could I say? I like to talk…-.-; I agree…Ryuki FOREVER!!! XD
Kari-124: I apologize that this story is confusing…I'll try to put more descriptions for the Shadow. Thank you for your compliment though.
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Anyways…Yeah…I don't really have anything else to say. I hope you enjoyed that. Ja!