This next chapter is going to come in two parts, because I couldn't really think
of any other way to do it without making it incredibly long or letting it lose its
potency. Of course, it really didn't have that much to begin with, I guess, but
still, as I think I've said before, it's the thought that counts. And the reviews.
^.^:; Thanks for 'em so much!
*^*^*^*^*^*^
The Casting of Shadows
By Phoenix Cubed
Chapter 9a - Take Home Test
*^*^*^*^*^*^
In general terms, Cye had nothing against Physical Education in school. In
specific terms, it was possibly the worst class on the High School League List
of Required Courses. And there was no way out of it. Joining the swim team
hadn't excused her, and the frequent trips to the dojo got her only a one-way
ticket to the front of the class to demonstrate her skills. She had a feeling that
showering the teacher with a hefty dose of Torrent's Super Wave Smasher
might get her out of the daily torture, but it would also get her out of school as
well--permanently. The only positive aspect of the class was its convenient
time at last period of the day.
Today's tedious routine, however, wasn't so bad. They were playing a new
game; sort of an odd cross between Ultimate Frisbee and football. Teams
were divided into even numbers with two separate goals. Goalies were
allowed, but most were out maneuvering the ball with elbows and knees, trying
to keep the ball off the ground and out of the opponents' clutches. The basic
rule was that anything went, but the gym instructor made clear that
unnecessary roughness or extreme unsportsman-like conduct would not be
tolerated. Ten penalties had been called in the second half alone.
The game was fun and exhilarating, allowing Cye to express the agility as well
as ability that she possessed, but was often unable to bring out during the day.
Keeping up with her classmates and the ball was wonderful exercise, and the
comradery the temporary teams formed was faintly akin to the friendship she
had formed with the other four warriors who had been sucked into Destiny's
constantly turning wheel.
"Head's up, Cye!" A classmate called out to her, snapping the sprightly female
out of her reverie and back to the ball, which was currently headed straight
towards her.
"Got it!" Jumping into the air, she twisted about and pushed her momentum
into her elbow, delivering a hefty blow to the ball and sending it flying towards
other team's goal. Sailing into the net, the goalie jumped from its path to avoid
what would have been most certainly a bruising impact. Her teammates
cheered as another point was chalked onto the board and the ball was tossed
back into play.
She followed the game up and down the field a few more times before
branching off from the downfield plays to take a breather by the goal.
"If only the battles could have been like this," came a voice behind her, "we
could have scored points against Talpa. Maybe even taken home a trophy."
Cye turned and looked to the sidelines. A tall and handsome blonde stood
resting comfortably against a well-grown Sakura tree, dressed in pressed
khakis and a dark green overcoat, half-closed to protect against the unseen chill
of the outdoors.
"Sage."
The boy nodded a hello and continued, "a big trophy. Or maybe five little ones.
Kento would want a plate most likely. What do you think?"
She shook her head and smiled at her friend. "I think you've been in the fresh
air too long. What are you doing out here, class isn't over for another ten
minutes."
"Teacher let us out early. I was on my way to pick Rowen out of his tree when I
saw you acting out a miniature Dynasty battle. Thought I'd come cheer you
on."
Cye chuckled a bit, "the analogy's not far off. What with the way some of these
kids get into the game and all."
Sage quirked his eyebrow slightly, but his voice betrayed the amusement he
felt, "kids?"
"You know what I mean, Sage." Cye leaned against the goal post and watched
the players down the field. A few of the more athletic teens had formed a plan,
and were haphazardly acting it out. Their faces were determined and set, but
the grins that spontaneously crossed their lips and lit up their faces betrayed
their age every time. Growing into the world, they were approaching adulthood
quickly, but that didn't change the aura of youthful exuberance--innocence--
that surrounded the players in whatever they did. Cye didn't have that
anymore. It was the final and ultimate price she had paid for picking up a
small, aqua marble so many years ago.
"Regrets?"
Torrent continued to study the game, "sometimes I sit on the sidelines and
wonder what it's like to be normal, without knowledge of the Dynasty or Talpa.
Then I realize, I'd have to imagine life without the Armor of Torrent, without
those trips into the ocean depths." She turned to her friend, "or without you
fellas. No. I look out to that field and realize that if we weren't there two years
ago, they wouldn't be either. I'm glad I did what I did, and I'll never change my
mind."
Sage laughed softly. "Cye the Poet. You'll go down in the history books for
that one."
"Nah. I prefer the title of 'She Who Kicked Ass.'"
"With the punch you pack in practice, it's a safe bet."
"Let's hope it stays practice."
A whistle pierced the air, and the game stopped. Students began to jog to the
sidelines, ready to call it a day. The Phys Ed teacher began hollering at the
slower ones, threatening pushups for the last to return inside. Not wanting the
extra duties, Cye began jogging with the rest, slowing only to call goodbye to
Sage over her shoulder.
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Mia came home later than she expected, full of exhaustion and low on food.
Wishing hard, she came in through the kitchen door, hoping that Kento had left
her at least a morsel to slate her ravenous stomach. Noticing the oven slightly
ajar, she opened it fully to reveal an answered prayer: a Cye brand dinner
wrapped securely in cellophane waited patiently in the still warm conventional
cooker. Thanking her lucky stars, she stole into the fridge for some tea before
heading into the living room to eat.
What she walked into was an interesting sight. Ryo and Cye were sitting
around a low coffee table, their heads bent over sheets of paper so thoroughly
marked in red ink that she cringed to think of the stains they would leave
should they even touch her immaculate floor. Not wanting to disturb them, she
settled into the chair close to fireplace, relaxing in its warmth.
"Good Evening, Mia." Came the dual chime from the working pair.
"Good night," she replied. "Isn't it a bit late to be doing your homework?"
Cye looked up from her work and let out a forlorn gust of air. "We don't have
much say in the matter, Mia. Our Chemistry professor went a bit bonkers
today, and he'll have our heads if we don't redo this correctly."
Ryo snorted, "or whatever we're supposed to do with these things."
Mia gave them a sympathetic look, "what did he say was the matter with
them?"
Exasperated, Cye threw the paper into the air, only to have it land right back in
front of her. "That's the problem, we don't know."
"He just told us there were a bunch of mistakes and that we had to fix them."
Ryo said, "called us an assortment of names and told us to look over the things
a thousand times if we had to, just as long we fixed 'em."
Mia was astonished, "a teacher called you names? Like what?"
"Oh, nothing real bad. Told us we're brash and too defiant, or something to that
effect."
Mia humphed a bit, "those sound more like compliments to me. How much
longer do you think you'll be working on those papers?"
Cye shook her head, "until we get them done. Though frankly, I'd say that'll
take forever and a day with the progress we're making."
"Studying, I will tell you, was never the greatest strength of your group. How
are you going about it?"
Ryo shrugged, "staring at the papers and willing them to get better."
Mia gave him a look.
"Maybe not."
Ignoring her leader, Cye turned to Mia, "do you have any suggestions? We're
open to anything that'll give us some progress."
"Well," the guide responded, thoughtfully chewing on a French fry. "When I
was in school, my teachers would have us write down all our mistakes, and
then we would go through the list and correct them one by one."
Ryo and Cye exchanged shrugs, "worth a shot. Who wants to do what?"
"I'll write down your mistakes, Cye, and you can list them for me."
"Oh sure."
Picking up a pen, Ryo turned to a fresh sheet of paper in his notebook. Cye
looked at him.
"Ready?"
"Yup, give me the first word."
"Right," Cye glanced down at her paper. "Wouldn't you know it? He circled my
name."
Ryo chuckled, "don't feel bad, he did the same on mine."
"Makes me feel all better."
Mia shook her head, "you're never going to get this done."
"Next mistake, Cye."
"Lets see, there's an O and an FT. Hm, he circled the word 'he," and a
sentence later there's a T and another O, and a couple of R's and an ENT-"
"Cye..."
The girl stopped reciting her letters. "Yeah?"
Slowly, Ryo put down the notebook and slid it over to his friend. Curious, she
looked down at it, searching for what would put such an upset expression on
her leader's face.
Looking at what Ryo had taken down, she stopped wondering. There,
scrawled in boldfaced writing was Professor Naiso's first set of circled words:
CYE OF THE TORRENT
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Review me! Review me! ^.^;;
of any other way to do it without making it incredibly long or letting it lose its
potency. Of course, it really didn't have that much to begin with, I guess, but
still, as I think I've said before, it's the thought that counts. And the reviews.
^.^:; Thanks for 'em so much!
*^*^*^*^*^*^
The Casting of Shadows
By Phoenix Cubed
Chapter 9a - Take Home Test
*^*^*^*^*^*^
In general terms, Cye had nothing against Physical Education in school. In
specific terms, it was possibly the worst class on the High School League List
of Required Courses. And there was no way out of it. Joining the swim team
hadn't excused her, and the frequent trips to the dojo got her only a one-way
ticket to the front of the class to demonstrate her skills. She had a feeling that
showering the teacher with a hefty dose of Torrent's Super Wave Smasher
might get her out of the daily torture, but it would also get her out of school as
well--permanently. The only positive aspect of the class was its convenient
time at last period of the day.
Today's tedious routine, however, wasn't so bad. They were playing a new
game; sort of an odd cross between Ultimate Frisbee and football. Teams
were divided into even numbers with two separate goals. Goalies were
allowed, but most were out maneuvering the ball with elbows and knees, trying
to keep the ball off the ground and out of the opponents' clutches. The basic
rule was that anything went, but the gym instructor made clear that
unnecessary roughness or extreme unsportsman-like conduct would not be
tolerated. Ten penalties had been called in the second half alone.
The game was fun and exhilarating, allowing Cye to express the agility as well
as ability that she possessed, but was often unable to bring out during the day.
Keeping up with her classmates and the ball was wonderful exercise, and the
comradery the temporary teams formed was faintly akin to the friendship she
had formed with the other four warriors who had been sucked into Destiny's
constantly turning wheel.
"Head's up, Cye!" A classmate called out to her, snapping the sprightly female
out of her reverie and back to the ball, which was currently headed straight
towards her.
"Got it!" Jumping into the air, she twisted about and pushed her momentum
into her elbow, delivering a hefty blow to the ball and sending it flying towards
other team's goal. Sailing into the net, the goalie jumped from its path to avoid
what would have been most certainly a bruising impact. Her teammates
cheered as another point was chalked onto the board and the ball was tossed
back into play.
She followed the game up and down the field a few more times before
branching off from the downfield plays to take a breather by the goal.
"If only the battles could have been like this," came a voice behind her, "we
could have scored points against Talpa. Maybe even taken home a trophy."
Cye turned and looked to the sidelines. A tall and handsome blonde stood
resting comfortably against a well-grown Sakura tree, dressed in pressed
khakis and a dark green overcoat, half-closed to protect against the unseen chill
of the outdoors.
"Sage."
The boy nodded a hello and continued, "a big trophy. Or maybe five little ones.
Kento would want a plate most likely. What do you think?"
She shook her head and smiled at her friend. "I think you've been in the fresh
air too long. What are you doing out here, class isn't over for another ten
minutes."
"Teacher let us out early. I was on my way to pick Rowen out of his tree when I
saw you acting out a miniature Dynasty battle. Thought I'd come cheer you
on."
Cye chuckled a bit, "the analogy's not far off. What with the way some of these
kids get into the game and all."
Sage quirked his eyebrow slightly, but his voice betrayed the amusement he
felt, "kids?"
"You know what I mean, Sage." Cye leaned against the goal post and watched
the players down the field. A few of the more athletic teens had formed a plan,
and were haphazardly acting it out. Their faces were determined and set, but
the grins that spontaneously crossed their lips and lit up their faces betrayed
their age every time. Growing into the world, they were approaching adulthood
quickly, but that didn't change the aura of youthful exuberance--innocence--
that surrounded the players in whatever they did. Cye didn't have that
anymore. It was the final and ultimate price she had paid for picking up a
small, aqua marble so many years ago.
"Regrets?"
Torrent continued to study the game, "sometimes I sit on the sidelines and
wonder what it's like to be normal, without knowledge of the Dynasty or Talpa.
Then I realize, I'd have to imagine life without the Armor of Torrent, without
those trips into the ocean depths." She turned to her friend, "or without you
fellas. No. I look out to that field and realize that if we weren't there two years
ago, they wouldn't be either. I'm glad I did what I did, and I'll never change my
mind."
Sage laughed softly. "Cye the Poet. You'll go down in the history books for
that one."
"Nah. I prefer the title of 'She Who Kicked Ass.'"
"With the punch you pack in practice, it's a safe bet."
"Let's hope it stays practice."
A whistle pierced the air, and the game stopped. Students began to jog to the
sidelines, ready to call it a day. The Phys Ed teacher began hollering at the
slower ones, threatening pushups for the last to return inside. Not wanting the
extra duties, Cye began jogging with the rest, slowing only to call goodbye to
Sage over her shoulder.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Mia came home later than she expected, full of exhaustion and low on food.
Wishing hard, she came in through the kitchen door, hoping that Kento had left
her at least a morsel to slate her ravenous stomach. Noticing the oven slightly
ajar, she opened it fully to reveal an answered prayer: a Cye brand dinner
wrapped securely in cellophane waited patiently in the still warm conventional
cooker. Thanking her lucky stars, she stole into the fridge for some tea before
heading into the living room to eat.
What she walked into was an interesting sight. Ryo and Cye were sitting
around a low coffee table, their heads bent over sheets of paper so thoroughly
marked in red ink that she cringed to think of the stains they would leave
should they even touch her immaculate floor. Not wanting to disturb them, she
settled into the chair close to fireplace, relaxing in its warmth.
"Good Evening, Mia." Came the dual chime from the working pair.
"Good night," she replied. "Isn't it a bit late to be doing your homework?"
Cye looked up from her work and let out a forlorn gust of air. "We don't have
much say in the matter, Mia. Our Chemistry professor went a bit bonkers
today, and he'll have our heads if we don't redo this correctly."
Ryo snorted, "or whatever we're supposed to do with these things."
Mia gave them a sympathetic look, "what did he say was the matter with
them?"
Exasperated, Cye threw the paper into the air, only to have it land right back in
front of her. "That's the problem, we don't know."
"He just told us there were a bunch of mistakes and that we had to fix them."
Ryo said, "called us an assortment of names and told us to look over the things
a thousand times if we had to, just as long we fixed 'em."
Mia was astonished, "a teacher called you names? Like what?"
"Oh, nothing real bad. Told us we're brash and too defiant, or something to that
effect."
Mia humphed a bit, "those sound more like compliments to me. How much
longer do you think you'll be working on those papers?"
Cye shook her head, "until we get them done. Though frankly, I'd say that'll
take forever and a day with the progress we're making."
"Studying, I will tell you, was never the greatest strength of your group. How
are you going about it?"
Ryo shrugged, "staring at the papers and willing them to get better."
Mia gave him a look.
"Maybe not."
Ignoring her leader, Cye turned to Mia, "do you have any suggestions? We're
open to anything that'll give us some progress."
"Well," the guide responded, thoughtfully chewing on a French fry. "When I
was in school, my teachers would have us write down all our mistakes, and
then we would go through the list and correct them one by one."
Ryo and Cye exchanged shrugs, "worth a shot. Who wants to do what?"
"I'll write down your mistakes, Cye, and you can list them for me."
"Oh sure."
Picking up a pen, Ryo turned to a fresh sheet of paper in his notebook. Cye
looked at him.
"Ready?"
"Yup, give me the first word."
"Right," Cye glanced down at her paper. "Wouldn't you know it? He circled my
name."
Ryo chuckled, "don't feel bad, he did the same on mine."
"Makes me feel all better."
Mia shook her head, "you're never going to get this done."
"Next mistake, Cye."
"Lets see, there's an O and an FT. Hm, he circled the word 'he," and a
sentence later there's a T and another O, and a couple of R's and an ENT-"
"Cye..."
The girl stopped reciting her letters. "Yeah?"
Slowly, Ryo put down the notebook and slid it over to his friend. Curious, she
looked down at it, searching for what would put such an upset expression on
her leader's face.
Looking at what Ryo had taken down, she stopped wondering. There,
scrawled in boldfaced writing was Professor Naiso's first set of circled words:
CYE OF THE TORRENT
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*
Review me! Review me! ^.^;;