Disclaimers: Huh?
Warnings: Krad and Dark… argue… and they meet Riku and Risa. Whoopee.
Other: Uh… yeah… that's it.
000
"Thirteen years, thirteen stars. Foul separate souls destined from the start. One dreaded prophecy; waiting to come true…"
Fragment Seven: Welcome to the Mortal Realm
As the last remnants of the Gate were swept away by a strong breeze, Krad stood there, waiting for her eyes to adjust with the sudden dimness of the night's influence. Dark had already adapted to it, probably due to where he'd lived all his life, and was looking around already.
"I can't believe that that actually happened," he whistled, impressed, to say the least. The blonde shook her head at this and managed to hit him over the head when he passed by.
"How can you be so calm?" she asked, "I mean, sure, we're running away, but still…"
Dark rubbed his head and stared at her, "But this way they can't bug the hell out of us. And it's much better than being locked in those freaking big buildings that they call our homes."
Well, she really couldn't complain about that, could she? Krad inclined her head and shrugged, readjusting the cloak she was wearing to cover her hair. Underneath she had managed to grab a dark brown tunic of sorts, so that was good enough. But considering the fact that the only Gate was now broken and there was no way for anyone to get there or back…
Better safe than sorry.
She looked around herself and noticed that they were hanging in the middle of nowhere; literally. "Okay, smart guy. Where do we go first and what do we do, hm? This is the first time I've been out anywhere in thirteen years, and never on my own."
"Geez, do you think that I'm any better off!" Dark tugged at his hair in agitation, "We'll just have to make it up on the way then, huh?" Without waiting for her to answer, he began to walk forwards in a random direction.
Krad could only stare after him in disbelief.
"I can't believe that I actually allowed you to come with me…"
000
In a small cottage, placed in the middle of nowhere, two sisters hung around the window. It was a clean little place with a small garden and fence. It had no resemblance to the gingerbread house, or anything close to it – a very pointless piece of information on my part – but it did have that homely sort of feel to it, so that was all that mattered.
The younger sister turned away from the window. She was quite pretty, nevertheless, with her long brown hair done into a simple braid that swung just past her shoulders. Her wide, chocolate brown eyes seemed to scream impatience and she implored to her older sister.
"Why are they taking so long? Riku, can't they just hurry up?" she complained.
Riku, her older twin with short brown hair, merely waved it off with an air of patience, "Risa, just be quiet a moment. I thought I sensed something." This made the other girl pout, but it was promptly ignored, "Besides, you're the one with the abilities, not me."
"You know that's a lie, sis!"
"Yeah, you know it. But I though I heard something. Give me a second," Riku pulled the window open and poked her head out, right over a couple of flowerpots and frowned, "Oo—kay…"
"Okay what?"
"I think they're coming."
Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Risa smiled happily, changing mood instantly. It was kind of scary, actually. "Ooh! Can I go out and greet them? Please! I want to!"
"Right, okay," the short-haired twin shrugged her consent and was pulled into a brief hug before the other ran out. Hiding a smile, Riku closed the window and watched as, in the darkness that plagued the night, her younger sister practically bolted into the unknown.
How long had they been waiting for this? The nineteen-year-old no longer knew. Sure, it could have been much longer, but their parents had passed away at a young age, leaving them to defend themselves.
Also, they failed to notice the abilities that the two girls had possessed. Strange happenings: but visits from one seer made it a lot more bearable, and when they did enter the villages close by, they were greeted courteously. That was enough for them.
Still, what would life had been if she had been normal?
What an interesting question; too bad they would never know the answer.
Turning, her eyes fell on a photo of the two girls when they were fourteen. She smiled.
Either way, as long as she was with her sister, she wasn't going to complain.
Besides, they had a job to do.
Towa had entrusted it on them, after all.
000
"Where the hell are we now?" Dark turned his head to direct the question to the blonde following behind him. Krad sniffed loftily and shifted the weight of her bag, glaring at the boy.
"How should I know? You're the one leading." She pointed out icily.
This made the boy stop and he seemed to notice this for the first time, "Well, what do you know. I am leading."
"Moron!" unable to take the pressure, the blonde swung her – rather heavy – bag and hit him square on the back of the head, making him stagger forwards and he groaned, tripping over his own feet. "How can you treat this like we're just going to be okay! We can't get back and it's impossible, might I add! God, did you think that this was just going to be a game! I suddenly have the urge to kill you!"
"Whoa, calm down!" getting up, Dark tried to pacify the fuming girl, "I know this is serious! And we'll be fine, okay?"
She snorted at this, but didn't say anything because another voice cut in before her:
"You kids really do have a lot to learn, ne?"
The person who had just appeared behind of Dark smiled widely, her brown hair flapping in the same direction of the wind that swept past them. The simple dress she wore looked well-kept and she seemed to hold natural beauty that no one other than Krad could possess.
"… Yes?" said blonde asked coolly, not trusting the girl. She had a vague suspicion of the person, but then again, she could have been paranoid. Oh yeah, she was definitely paranoid. This was the first time she'd actually faced a… normal person, if you could call this brunette normal. There was something fishy about her… Krad just couldn't place it… yet.
"Ah, don't be so worried," the brunette continued to smile, stepping up and holding a hand towards them, "I'm Risa Harada, nice to meet you, Dark-san, Krad-san."
"Heya," Dark shook her hand, not noticing a thing, being as dense as he was at the moment. Maybe it had something to do with being hit hard on the head with the bag.
"How did you know our names?" Krad narrowed her eyes, growing more and more suspicious by the passing second.
"Oh, that was easy," the girl was still smiling. What an… odd person. That was all the blonde could think. "I was told about you from one Towa-sama. She's a seer, and she met you thirteen years back. Do you remember?"
"… Vaguely," she admitted grudgingly.
"My name is Risa Harada," the girl curtseyed, "I am a sorceress with my twin. I'm here to take you to our place for the night, so tomorrow we can go to the local village and find out what happens now."
"What?"
Dark was not paying any attention at all. Krad jabbed him in the stomach and he doubled over.
"The prophecy is unraveling," Risa said simply, turning her back to them, "And you are in the center of it."
000
Engrossed with a thick book that would have taken many years to read – minus the fact that the text was at size two, nevertheless – Riku didn't look up as Risa ushered the two inside their homely… cabin/home/place of residence/… place. Flipping a page, she glared at the text. Evil, evil text.
"Riku--" whined the younger girl when she noticed that her sister wasn't paying any attention. She waved a hand over to a couch, indicating the guests to sit down. "Come on… I came back with them already."
"Oh? Risa," the short-haired girl looked up and nodded in her direction. "I was just reading something very… interesting."
"Mou… are you trying to bait me again? You're so mean!"
Riku laughed at this and marked the page before shutting the book with an audible thud. Then she focused her attention on Dark and Krad, who were just looking around at the vast room before them. It had a bookcase, a table, some chairs, the odd thing or two that was necessary for life… and then the doors that led to the bedroom and the bathroom, so that was it. But it must have been a big difference from what they were used to though, so she couldn't complain about them staring.
Courteously, she bowed in their direction, "It is a pleasure to meet you. I hope that you were not hurt on the journey here?" A questioning look from Dark made her elaborate, "The Gate was completely destroyed. And it is the only way for you to get here."
Krad crossed her arms, the hood covering almost her whole face and she scowled, "Who are you?"
"I suppose you may call us errand runners," the short-haired twin said slowly, "Towa-sama was and still is our mentor, and she only spoke to us a few days prior that the prophecy would some come into play."
"And what prophecy is that?"
This time Risa stepped up, having learnt the words, "'In the coming years there will be suffering, doom will be the focus, death will be your partner. You cannot ignore this, and there is no way to avoid this. Heed the call and prepare for the worse, for you never know what will come to happen next. You must not run away, for it will always chase after you. You cannot run, you cannot escape.
"'Thirteen years from now, this pain will be in fact reality, and there is no way to change destiny's wheel. Accept it, prepare for it, and do not allow it to fill your heart with fear.'" She shrugged lightly, "It's been thirteen years since then."
The blonde didn't look convinced, and Dark was just looking hungry and/or sleepy. One couldn't really tell.
"Maybe you should stay the night," Riku offered simply. "Then we can talk it over tomorrow morning. I am sure that it will make a lot of sense when you remember."
She allowed Risa to take care of the two guests for the time being, but was well aware that Krad had no trust for either one of them. Dark seemed to be dense enough not to notice anything at all, so that could be a problem in the outside world. But he would learn. He was a fast learner in the end, so that would make everything okay.
Seating herself, Riku opened the book again, scanning the pages for but a moment. She didn't have long to do so, though, as Risa began to argue with Dark about something.
"I said no!"
"But you know that it's unsafe! Come on, you've never used it before, huh?"
"Leave me alone!"
The brunette raised a brow and Krad reentered the main room, looking highly amused. "What's going on?" she asked the blonde calmly.
"Dark's just refusing to hand his sword over," she replied, shrugging, "Seems that he's acting like an ass again. Not that I expected any less."
Smiling at this, Riku could only shake her head lightly, "Well, Risa won't be giving in anytime soon. She's stubborn beyond comparison when she wants to be. The problems she gets herself into sometimes…"
"… Hn…"
Gesturing to an extra seat, the older girl leaned over the table upon which the book sat upon and watched Krad in a calculating manner. "I know that you don't trust us. So, what questions can I answer for you that might allow you to relax while you're here?"
"What happens if we don't want to stay the night?" shot back the blonde, but sat down either way.
"Oh, I'm not that stupid," Riku smiled serenely, "You two have been living in your respected castles almost your whole lives, so I can't really expect you to know that much about self-survival in the world. Especially the Mortal Realm."
"… Fine. Give me a clear answer as to how you know about the two of us."
"That's easy. Thirteen years ago, both your parent's and Dark's parents went to a carnival set up by a local village close by here. As it was, that was the time that you met with one Towa-sama, who is a seer, and she prophesized one thing or another that has now brought you here."
Krad raised a brow, "But we came here on our own free will. It had nothing to do with prophecies or the like."
"Ah, that's what you think," the brunette shook her head and stood up, "But what do you think caused those earthquakes? Why is it that the Gate is now destroyed? Your parents knew this all along and wanted to try and avoid it, as we've been told, and that's why you're here now."
"…" the blonde got up abruptly, obviously not believing what she was hearing, "So you're saying that this is happening because of fate?"
"And destiny."
"Hmph, that's what you say," she huffed and stalked back into the other room, where Dark and Risa were still arguing.
Riku watched her go, the smile having never left her face, and she sighed lightly, "Ah… teens these days…"
000
Risa pointed a finger at Dark, who was by the furthermost corner of the small, boxed room, "I bet you don't even know how to use a sword! Now hand it over or you're going to hurt yourself!" she commanded him sharply.
He shook his head bluntly. "As if! That's not even a possibility!"
"When it's him, anything's a possibility," Krad commented as she entered the room and went over to him. Without much say, she grabbed the hilt of the sword – as he was holding onto the sheath – and tugged it free, allowing the point to wave in front of the other teen.
"Hey! Give it back!" Dark yelled, but made no move to grab it off her because the point of the blade was too close for comfort. "Come on, Krad! Don't be so mean and stuff!"
"And what happens if I say no?" the blonde shot back coolly, watching her hesitant friend with amusement.
"KRAD!"
Risa whistled on the sidelines, "You sure now how to keep him in his place huh, Krad-sama?"
"And what are you trying to imply there?" the blonde whipped the blade around without hesitation and pointed it in the long-haired girl's direction. The girl shrugged and then smiled.
"Well, seeing as you're both in the guest room already…" she trailed off and fell thoughtful, "And again, I'd really advise that you don't sleep with your weapons still equipped. You'll impale yourself on that sword." She swept out of the room and closed the door behind her.
The thick silence that followed after that was almost comical.
Dark coughed lightly and then held out his hand to Krad, "Mind handing that back now?"
Inclining her head, Krad swung the sword around experimentally, finding out how easy it was to control the blade, "Why? It's not like you could ever use it anyway?"
"That's what you say!" he protested heatedly, "I so can use a blade like that!"
She smirked at this, but handed it over, hilt first, "Whatever you say, Dark, whatever you say." The biting sarcasm that mixed with this line made the boy scowl at her, but then turned away in a huff.
Ignoring him, Krad pulled off the cloak she'd been wearing and the bag that held what little essentials she actually needed. Underneath she wore a tunic with accompanying belt and some pants – why she had them in her wardrobe, no one knew – and she kicked her boots off before crawling into the small bed and pulling the rough blankets over her head.
Standing by the window, Dark turned his head to watch the blonde as she pretty much began to drift off. Life was so strange sometimes, he had to admit, and then there was the fact that the Gate had blown up and his parents would most likely be freaking out.
But then again, they were always freaking out about one thing or another, so that made no difference in the end.
Following his friend's example, he pulled off his boots and lay the sword and sheath close by. What an odd place; nothing like his home… if he could even call it that. He had grown up in that sort of surrounding, so this was definitely something… new to him. Krad, too, but she seemed to adapt a lot faster than one would have expected.
Lying on the second bed, Dark closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.
He had absolutely no idea what was going on.
000
"Do you really think that they'll accept it, sis?" asked Risa as she took the seat that Krad had been upon just a few moments before. The short-haired girl shrugged at this, but then spoke up after a brief minute's pause.
"They'll have to, won't they, though." She looked up to meet her twin's gaze, and knew that they were in silent agreement. "Otherwise both kingdoms will fall; and the surrounding world's with it."
000
Meanwhile, back at the Sun Kingdom, all four adults were freaking out.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY'RE GONE!"
000
Ahahaha… we're very slowly getting there. I'm so happy! I think…
Reviews:
Hakudoshi-chan: Well, she's a very… er… independent nutter.
kittenoftime: XD Thank you so much!
kyo's little koneko: Uh-huh (nods head). Well… Satoshi is a more toned down kinda vampire… so yeah…
neko-nya: yup, that's the biggest problem. Well… er… rain is good? Eheh…
animefreaktyan: Well… it was kinda longer… so yeah. Next chapter next week… I wonder how much longer I can keep this up…?