Chapter Two---Conspiracy Theory
Cale sat on a rock, looking at the ball in front of him. It was a nice ball. Not to big to carry, not to small to lose. It was sparkly too. He wanted to play with the ball. But Dante and Stone told him to stay on his rock and not to move until they came back. However, everytime they said that, they were gone for ages. Cale really wanted to play with the ball. So, looking around, he jumped off his rock, snatched up the ball and ran away victoriously. This victory was short lived when he ran straight into someone's legs. Cale thought it would be Edea or Dante. It would happen that the one time that he actually disobeyed, they decided to show up. However, Cale looked up into the violet eyes of a boy he'd never seen at the orphanage before.
"Hey there. Nice ball." The boy smirked at him and then looked down at the little girl beside him.
"Say hi Rae." The little girl looked up at the older boy, down at Cale who sat on the ground with the ball in his lap, and then back up at the boy.
"He's too little to bite, go on and go play. Matron already said we could." The girl did not seem enthused. Cale stood and wrinkled his nose, as if studying her. She wrinkled her nose back. He stuck out his tongue. She rolled her eyes. Cale narrowed his green orbs at her and stood very still for several minutes.
"Wanna play?" He asked suddenly, looking down at his feet. The girl smiled, grabbing the ball.
"Sure!" She called over her shoulder, running as fast as her 6-year old legs could carry her. Cale dashed after her.
Dante watched the exchange from the rock Cale had been sitting on ealier. Looking at the new boy he frowned slightly. Something wasn't quiet right about him. Or maybe it was just the way those violet eyes seemed to laugh at him.
Stone stood waist deep in churning ocean water. A soft breeze curled itself around him as he stared out to sea, lost in his own thoughts, his own escape. Closing his eyes, he listened carefully. For that soft, sweet laughter he longed to hear once more.
Sometimes it came, filling his heart with warmth once again, reminding him life was indeed worth living. Sometimes it eluded him, as if punishing him for an unknown wrong. Still, he listened.
However, this time he heard nothing save the crashing of the waves along boulders and the shoreline. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Stone wondered where Dante had gone.
The boy had the most unnerving habit of disappearing and reappearing suddenly. Stone wished he was that graceful. This was not so. Stone pretended to be graceful and coordinated when in truth he was really quite clumsy. Stone sighed and closed his eyes again, knowing Dante would return later, silent as always, scaring him out of his mind.
"What are you doing?" The voice was not Dante's but it still startled Stone from his tranquil state. Cracking one eye open he looked upon the figure of a boy he'd never seen before. One with laughing amethyst eyes and hair the color of moonbeams.
"Listening." Stone replied, closing his eyes once more, willing himself away from everything; longing for that detachment he felt when the sea carried him away.
"For what?" Stone decided not to answer. Even Dante didn't bother to ask what Stone was listening for now. He simply stood in the cool water, eyes closed and let his mind crash into the sea.
Cale ran to the top of the hill, ball clutched victoriously in his little arms. Stopping at the top, he caught sight of Aden and Stone, standing in the ocean, still. Ethereal. Cale watched them for a while, sitting on the cold grass, wondering why Stone always seemed to return to the sea. It was as if he were only visiting Dante and the others but when the day was done, he left again.
"What's he doing?" Rae asked, standing above Cale. Cale didn't answer her as the wind whipped his long silver locks about his face.
"He's searching for something." Cale's attention turned to the voice of his older brother, who stood behind him looking out at the pair in the angry waters.
"For what?"
"He hasn't found it yet." Dante said simply. The truth was, Dante didn't know what Stone was looking for. But he knew Stone was looking for something.
"I hope he finds it." Rae told him softly, sitting beside Cale. Dante looked down at the girl who was 6 years his junior and smiled.
"I'm going to help him." Even at 10, Dante dreamed of becoming the hero his father and uncle had been. Only he would do it on his own.
Without SeeD.
Edea looked out the kitchen window and paused, her lips turned into a slight frown. So odd, these children. So unlike the others. More quiet,thoughtful. Understanding of the world around them, even though their years were far to little for such untimely wisdom. But perhaps that was how it was meant to be, when all was taken from them so soon. They grew up far to quickly, understood to much and expressed too little.
As she stepped out onto the porch, the closing of the door drew the boys' attention and they smiled at her, turning to splosh their way out of the water. A smile tugged at her lips as the sound of feet came thundering nearer. Dante, Cale and Rae skidded into view, narrowly escaping collision with each other in the process.
"Go on and get cleaned up for dinner...Cale, go find Eden and Shaine. Stone, Aden don't you dare come in the house dripping like that, wait here. Dante go get them some towels. Rae, go wash your hands sweetie." Edea grinned at the group and all was still for a moment before each burst into motion with their assigned tasks.
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Edea watched as Aden looked from Dante to Stone. Dante looked to Stone whose eyes were carefully expressionless. As always. Yet somehow, Dante had learned to dechiper those stoic eyes and read the message behind them. Suddenly all three boys' faces split into grins as Dante ran off to get towels, leaving two wet, shivering boys laughing in the fading light of day.
A.n: Woot! It took me forever to figure out the second chapter because its important that I don't take too long to get to the main point but I don't want to rush the story either. / So. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and don't worry, it's not as pointless as it seems. I left you little foreshadowings in the text of this chapter and hopefully you picked up on them. I know it's a bit darker then the first chapter started but no worries.
Sorceress Fujin: -huggles- Yay! I got the second chappie up! Yay for us! -falls off your lap laughing- Oh and as for that little demand you gave me...you'll just have to read and see. -plops in your lap again with skittles- review! I know you will but I had to say soemthing after the skittle bit. -.-
Jasmine: First, score for making you cry twice. Lol. And 2) Yay for chappie two! Hope you like!
Jack Hanek: I hope you like. I promise it'll get better...At least I hope it will. It's important that I focus on the secondary characters as well because they are really rather important to the future of this story and if I didn't build on their personalities you would be lost in future chapters as to why they did such and such. But as always your reviews are enjoyed and appreciated.
Matron Raenee: Heheeh hope you enjoyed this one!
i Ultimate!