Disclaimer: Nope.
Rating: As usual. Minus bad language. Well, minus the magical F.
Notes: Hah. I'm getting ideas from watching my mom play Haunted Mansion. And it scaring me. Getting ideas from it. It's an amusing game but I pretty much just watch it for ideas. Got an idea from watching her today but I'm not sure if it'll get used in this chapter. I'm thinking not. ^.^ God burn out my 'notes to self' before I do that. Okay. Here's your review answer and the next chapter. ^.^
Devlinn Reiko- o.o I really don't remember what you said but I know that you reviewed. XD So thanks for reviewing!
Obsidian Estate
3
One of the owners of the eyes meowed in greeting. It was the one with the gold eyes; a black cat that was perched on the back of one of the couches on either side of the crackling fireplace.
"Okay. So...Either the cats take care of themselves or someone else takes care of them." Rei commented.
"I think it's the former. They look awfully intelligent..." Kai murmured.
"Are you two just going to stand there? Come in." One of the cats called. Kai and Rei stared at it, not quite sure what to do. "Right, young ones. Never can get over the fact that we talk. Come in, Masters Kai and Rei. But please, do not bring your friends with you." It was the white, blue-eyed cat that spoke now. Where the black cat's voice was male, this one was decidedly female.
"Friends?" Rei said. "Oh...Right." Rei turned to Tyson, Max, and Kenny. "Stay out there." He said.
"What? Why? Is there something in there?" Tyson asked.
"Listen to Rei, you three. Either stay out there or start exploring another room." Kai told them, looking back. "Go."
Muttering, Tyson led the other two away from the door and Rei shut it. "So...Why can't they be in here?" Rei asked, stepping closer to Kai.
"Because they cannot hear us speak and they would not know who you were talking to. Besides, we do not like the feel of their presence. Humans give off an uncomfortable feel." The white feline said, stepping down from the arm of the couch on the right of the fire. The black cat was perched on the one to the left of the fire. In the middle, sitting on the edge of a worn oak table, was the green-eyed orange cat.
"And no, you are not human." The orange tabby cat said before Rei could speak.
"You are both descendants of us-and the others living here- and the former residents of this place." The white cat said.
"What is this place?" Kai asked. "I mean...The name."
"The Obsidian Estate. Named for Melas and NightWings as well as the Obsidian Shires." The tabby explained.
"Who are they?" Rei asked.
"I am Melas." The black cat said. "You, Master Rei, are a descendant of myself and IceMoon." Melas explained, flicking his tail in the direction of the white queen. "And Master Kai is a descendant of NightWings the raven and DawnWind the hawk." Melas said. "The Obsidian Shires are the guardians of the Obsidian Estate." He explained.
"We're not related...are we?" Rei asked, looking slightly worried.
"Not even close." The tabby said.
"What is your name?" Kai asked him.
"Soul."
"So...I'm not actually related to my grandfather?" Kai asked hopefully.
"No, you are not." IceMoon responded.
Kai let out a sigh of relief. "That...Is good to hear." Kai murmured.
"Do you not wish to meet your ancestors?" Soul asked Kai.
"It would be nice...But I think I would like to look around for a while." Kai said.
"Will you be staying the night?" IceMoon asked, eyes glittering with excitement.
"I think we may have to. If that's okay with you...?" Rei looked at the other two cats.
"The Estate belongs to you two and we would love for you to stay. We have been waiting for the right time to call you two here. We've wanted to tell you your whole lives that you belong here...And...even now we cannot tell you too much. Not until we have spoken to ObsidianDancer." Melas said, sighing. "Go on. We will see that your rooms are ready. But there are only three rooms fit for using at the moment. We have been fixing all of the others up. So sharing will be needed."
"We're used to it." Both Kai and Rei said. They couldn't help but smile at each other. The cats exchanged glances, pleased that they were correct in their observations.
"Then who will share with who?" Soul asked.
"Kenny can have his own room, like always." Rei said.
Kai nodded in agreement. "And no one but Rei is willing to share a room with me." Kai said, smirking.
"They can't -possibly- still think you're an asshole who's ready to kill them as soon as they blink at you." Rei said, shaking his head.
"I hope they do. I never want to share a room with either of them. Though, if I had to choose, I'd share with Max."
"Me too...Anyway. We better find the others before they get lost." Rei said.
"They probably already are. But do not worry about them. There is very little that will put them in danger and there is next to no rooms in the mansion that do not have someone watching over them. Go on. Enjoy yourselves." Melas said. Rei and Kai thanked the cats and left the room.
"It would seem that we were right." IceMoon purred, leaping up and on to the couch that Melas sat on. Melas leapt down to curl up beside her. Soul, their eldest son, joined them and they all curled up together.
"It would seem so. It is good to see one of our family finally connecting with one of Night and Dawns' kin. We are very fortunate that we called Kai to us now and did not wait any longer. If only we had not made that agreement with Night not to interfere or follow them. I would love to see what they thought of the mansion..." Melas murmured against his son's shoulder.
"You never agreed for me not to follow them." Soul said, swishing his tail.
"This is true. But wait a while before you go. This is comfortable..." Melas said, snuggling closer to his mate and son.
Kai paused at the two giant double doors. Rei stood beside him, thinking the same thing. How big would the room be if it was guarded by such large doors? Kai looked over at Rei and their eyes locked briefly, sending a shiver down Kai's spine. Tearing his gaze away from Rei's, Kai pulled open the door. Both stood there, staring at the dome-shaped room in pure awe. It was a library. In the center of the room were four tables and off to the left, next to the first set of shelves, was a circle of cushions. On either side, against dark blue-gray walls, were curving staircases leading up to a catwalk with more bookshelves. The whole top of the dome, to just about a fourth of the way down the walls, was made of thick glass windows. All that could be seen through them now was the fog. Scattered along the lower walls were oval-shaped windows as well as a few paintings of draft horses, wild cats, and birds.
"This is...Incredible..." Kai whispered.
In a sudden swell of excitement, Rei's hand found Kai's and he tugged him off towards some of the shelves of books. Rei never released Kai's hand as they walked through the rows of book shelves and he even seemed to have forgotten that he held the of blader's hand. Kai ignored the sensation in his arm the best he could, trying to focus on the books and see if he recognized any of them.
"Look at this, Kai." Rei said, gently tugging at Kai's hand to bring him closer. "It's a book of legends...with Dranzer and Drigger on the cover..." Rei murmured. "Come on. Let's go read it..." Rei said. Once more, he gently tugged Kai's hand and led him to the circle of cushions near the double doors. Rei said down, pulling Kai down beside him. Rei-reluctantly now, having realized he had held Kai's hand the whole without Kai objecting- released Kai's hand and opened the book. The first legend in the book was titled 'Moonlight and Fire' with a picture of Drigger sitting down and looking to the left and Dranzer standing beside him, looking to the right.
"You want me to read it out loud?" Rei asked, feeling slightly shy now with Kai so close.
"It would be easier if you did. We don't read at the same pace." Kai said.
"Alright..." Rei started to read.
Moonlight And Fire
If the Stars had not chosen to create the time called night , then the Moon would never have had somewhere to spill his silver-white light. The Moon would never have found a better place to watch over, to guard, guide, and protect. And, had the Skies not created the time called day, the Sun would have never found a place to spread his warmth, to chase away the storms of sorrow and pain. Never had a place to shed his kindness. And, had the Gods not tried to destroy the land of man, The Moon and the Sun would never have found one another.
So the story of Drigger and Dranzer begins. Now, the Gods had never truly felt that man was any danger to them. In fact, they felt that man was a necessity if balance of the realms was to be kept. Without man, the God of Death would have a dull job, without man, rarely would the God of Life have the pleasure of sending a soul to the living land. And, without man, the God of Chaos and the God of War would have very dull lives indeed.
But all was not always well with the Gods and man. Man seemed to grow increasingly intelligent and always braver. The Gods did not care for either aspect in man. Their bravery could one day bring them to defy the Immortals! The Gods thought. Man could one day become too intelligent and cunning for the Gods to stand against. Yes, the Gods had power. But, if man grew too intelligent, they would find ways around the powers of the Gods.
The Sun heard of the problem from the Stars, who had been there when the Gods had spoken of man and his evolution in to power. The Sun knew the Gods well enough to recognize the fact that they were thinking of destroying the land of man. This frustrated the Sun. If the Gods destroyed the land of man, where would he go to? Without man, the Sun had no purpose.
Not long after the Sun heard the news, the Skies told the Moon the same thing that the Stars had told the Sun. The Moon's feeling towards this were very much the same as the Sun's. Where would he be if the land of man was gone? After stressing over the situation for a fairly long time, the Moon decided to ask the Skies a question.
"Skies of Man, I have something to ask of you." The Moon called to the Skies.
"What is it you wish to ask us, Moon?" The Skies called back, curious as to what the Moon might sound so upset about.
"Please, tell me now. Might you know another who loves the land of man just as I do? Another who could help me convince the Gods to allow them to live?" The Moon asked.
"Ah, Moon. I know just the one who can help you. He is the Sun. Dranzer we call him. Do you know the Sun?" The Skies asked the Moon.
"I believe he is the beautiful luminary that I see in my rotations, is he not?" The Moon wondered, intrigued. He had always wanted to meet the mighty luminary that he shared the land of man with. Could the Sun really love the land of man as the Moon himself did?
"Yes, that is Dranzer. He is very fond of the land of man and is becoming increasingly worried that the Gods will destroy it. Will you speak to him?" The Skies asked the Moon.
"I must. Is he kind?" The Moon asked, his curiosity growing.
"Dranzer is kinder than even we are. Almost as kind as the Stars themselves."
"Then I will talk to him. I thank you, Skies. You have aided me greatly. I owe you much."
"You owe us nothing. We are part of the land of man and we wish to keep our place here with you and Dranzer here with us. Go now. Man will not miss you if you and Dranzer are quick." The Skies said.
Pleased with the reply of the Skies, the Moon formed itself in to it's preferred tiger form and bounded off to meet the Sun.
Dranzer's first thought at the sight of the tiger-formed Moon coming towards him was that something had gone wrong somewhere. Of course, the Gods were already a problem, but had something else gone wrong?
"Salute, Moon. What is it that brings you to see me?" Dranzer asked, taking on his phoenix form.
"Ah, Sun...The Skies have told me of your love of the land of man and your worry as well. I have come to ask for your assistance in convincing the Gods not to harm the land of man." The Moon sounded sorrowful and his expression matched his tone.
"If that is what you have come for, I am very willing to assist you. The land of man is all we have to live for. Without it, neither of us has a place. Come, let us find the Gods. And please, call me Dranzer, my friend."
"Ah, yes. Then you must call me Drigger." The Moon-tiger purred as the Sun and Moon started off to search for the Gods that threatened their beloved land of man.
Rei paused to take a breath. Kai wished he would keep going. He loved the sound of Rei's voice when he read aloud. "This is kind of weird...Reading this...Do you think Drigger and Dranzer..."
"Are the Sun and Moon? We may have to ask Melas, Soul, and IceMoon once we see them again..." Kai responded. After a moment, he realized that he was almost leaning on Rei. Swallowing, Kai straightened and stretched, causing his back to crack.
"I hate I when I do that." Rei commented.
"Heh. It feels good." Kai replied, leaning back on one hand.
"Will you read this time? My mouth is dry." Rei asked.
"Sure." Kai said, trying not to sound disappointed. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
The Sun and the Moon did not find the Gods until two years after their departure. By the time they did find the Gods, that had become very close and had come to know each other very well. Which was a surprise for the Gods.
"We have always seen the Sun and the Moon as opposites. We never thought that we would find you two to be close friends. What has brought you two together and what brought you to search for us?" The God of Life wanted to know.
"God of Life, we have come to speak to you of the land of man." The Sun said boldly, lifting his great head to gaze at the Gods before the Moon and himself.
"Ah, the land of man. What is it that you have come to say of this place?" The God of Death questioned.
"We wish to ask you not to harm the land of man." Drigger said, stepping up to Dranzer's side. "The land of man is a very important place to us. We love it like we would love a child. In truth, I consider it a child. When my turn to shed my light on it comes, I feel that I am guarding man, protecting their home. The Sun feels the same as I." The Moon told the Gods.
"The land of man is not a bad place and man is not a bad creature. Have you not thought that, if man can become more intelligent and powerful, so also...can you?" Dranzer said.
The Gods exchanged looks, speaking to each other in a way unknown to the two friends. They looked at each other, their anxiety growing.
"We take in to consideration the fact that you have both guarded the land of man well and you must know man better than we ever could. But you must tell us, is there any other who wishes us not to harm the land of man?" The God of Life asked.
"Yes. The Skies have told me that they, too, care very much for the land of man and it's creatures." The Moon assured the Gods.
"If you will allow us to speak, Gods..." Came a lilting voice.
"The Stars may speak." The God of Life said.
"We who have created the Moon wish our child to be happy and therefor ask of you to bring no harm to the land of man that our child loves so much. We ask of you also to not harm man who our child and his mate guard so well. And finally, we ask of you never to think that man can become more intelligent than you. Though you cannot feel it, your own intelligence grows with every day that man lives." The Stars told the Gods.
That settled it. The Gods agreed not to harm the land of man or man itself and sent Drigger and Dranzer back to where they were needed. Guarding the land of man with moonlight and fire.
"Do you think our ancestors worship Drigger and Dranzer? I mean...The entrance door...and the marble floor...The colors of the walls and everything..." Rei said. He had a hard time not asking Kai to read again just so Rei could hear his voice.
"I'm thinking that might be it...You know...Both of us seem to be taking this whole thing really easy..." Kai commented, looking over at Rei.
"I was thinking about that, too. But somehow...I just -know- it's true. It's one of those feelings...You know what I mean?"
"Yeah. It's the same way for me. As if I already knew it but I had just forgotten." Kai said.
"Exactly." Rei murmured. "I'm really tired. Maybe we should go back out and see if we can find the others." Rei said.
"No need! We're here!" Tyson yelled from the door. "WHOA! This place is COOL!"
"It's a library, Tyson. You're allergic." Kai told him, annoyed at the interruption.
"I am?"
"Tyson, don't think about it." Kenny said. Then to Kai, "How are we going to get home in this fog?" He asked.
"We aren't. We're staying here." Kai responded.
"Okay...Where do we sleep?" Tyson asked.
With a sigh, Rei explained the whole thing with the cats and, surprisingly, the three of them believed him. "Usually, I would think you were mental. But, for some reason, I know you're telling the truth. So...Where are the cats?" Max asked.
"Masters? Are you ready to sleep?" Soul called from open door.
"Yes, Soul." Rei said, smiling thankfully at the tabby.
The cat twitched it's whiskers in a smile and turned, trotting out the entry. Kai stood up, offering Rei a hand. Rei accepted it. They did their best not to look at each other and let go of each other's hands as soon as Rei was on his feet. Only Max seemed to noticed that their actions seemed a bit off. "Come on. I'm exhausted." Rei said. He and Kai led the others out of the room.
Rei closed the door to the room and moved to stand by Kai. Both gazed around the room. The carpet was crimson in color and the walls were painted white. The bed that sat in the middle of the right wall was a four-poster with crimson sheets and curtains and silver pillows. Any wood in the room was polished mahogany. To the left was a bathroom which was mostly white. The window across from the bedroom door looked out on a giant pasture that was connected to a stable. Rei wondered if there was anything in the stables.
"Rei..."
Rei turned to Kai and their eyes locked. "Yeah?"
"Do you..." Kai didn't have to finish his question. With their eyes locked as they were, Rei could practically hear the rest of the sentence.
"I...Yes..." Rei murmured.
"Me, too...I mean...You know..." Kai gave a weak half-smile.
"Either we have problems or we have big problems. Take your pick." Rei said.
"If I say both, will we have really big problems?" Kai asked.
Rei laughed lightly. "Yes. I suppose we would. Now, either you say it first or I say it first. And feel like we're in some type of soap opera or something along those lines." Rei said.
"Me too. You first."
"Hey. That's not fair. Why should I have to say it first?"
"Because I had the guts to ask you in the first place." Kai retorted.
"Fine." Rei stepped closer to Kai and grabbed his shoulders. "Kai, I love you. There. See. We always seem to find humor in the strangest situations."
"Yeah, well. It's a bad habit. I don't find humor in funny things and I find humor in serious situations."
"No changing the subject. Your turn."
"I don't need to say it. You said and I didn't object." Kai replied.
Rei lightly kicked Kai. "Say it."
"Fine, fine." Kai shrugged Rei's hands off of his shoulders and grabbed Rei's shoulders. "Rei, I love you. Look, I'm going to start laughing hysterically if I don't kiss you soon." Kai said.
"Me too. So kiss me, damn it. Or I'll be the brave one and kiss you and I'll get to call you a chicken all week."
"I don't think so." Kai responded before pulling Rei closer and kissing him. "You know, of all places for this to happen...it had to be here in an abandoned mansion with talking cats."
"No kidding." Rei murmured, leaning on Kai and resting his cheek on Kai's chest. "Hey, Kai?"
"Hmm?"
"There's only one bed."
"Damnit."
XD Do you have any idea how fun that was? The Legend was a TON of fun to write and the end bit there...I was having trouble not laughing. Why? Because it sounded really weird as I typed it. Sorry if it was kind of strange at the end but I figured I might as well do it now. I'm not good at making to people confess to each other. Especially when one is as quiet as Kai's supposed to be. O.o And, about chapter 2. I'm going to murder myself! I did a terrible job with my tenses. O.o Everything was messed up. I started out in past tense and went to present...Or something like that. ;.; So, sorry if it slowed some of you down. I hope I didn't make many mistakes in this chapter. I'm re-reading it in a moment but who knows what I'll catch? Thanks for reading and please review.
Melas = Salem backwards.
Chapter Dedicated To Salem
Rating: As usual. Minus bad language. Well, minus the magical F.
Notes: Hah. I'm getting ideas from watching my mom play Haunted Mansion. And it scaring me. Getting ideas from it. It's an amusing game but I pretty much just watch it for ideas. Got an idea from watching her today but I'm not sure if it'll get used in this chapter. I'm thinking not. ^.^ God burn out my 'notes to self' before I do that. Okay. Here's your review answer and the next chapter. ^.^
Devlinn Reiko- o.o I really don't remember what you said but I know that you reviewed. XD So thanks for reviewing!
Obsidian Estate
3
One of the owners of the eyes meowed in greeting. It was the one with the gold eyes; a black cat that was perched on the back of one of the couches on either side of the crackling fireplace.
"Okay. So...Either the cats take care of themselves or someone else takes care of them." Rei commented.
"I think it's the former. They look awfully intelligent..." Kai murmured.
"Are you two just going to stand there? Come in." One of the cats called. Kai and Rei stared at it, not quite sure what to do. "Right, young ones. Never can get over the fact that we talk. Come in, Masters Kai and Rei. But please, do not bring your friends with you." It was the white, blue-eyed cat that spoke now. Where the black cat's voice was male, this one was decidedly female.
"Friends?" Rei said. "Oh...Right." Rei turned to Tyson, Max, and Kenny. "Stay out there." He said.
"What? Why? Is there something in there?" Tyson asked.
"Listen to Rei, you three. Either stay out there or start exploring another room." Kai told them, looking back. "Go."
Muttering, Tyson led the other two away from the door and Rei shut it. "So...Why can't they be in here?" Rei asked, stepping closer to Kai.
"Because they cannot hear us speak and they would not know who you were talking to. Besides, we do not like the feel of their presence. Humans give off an uncomfortable feel." The white feline said, stepping down from the arm of the couch on the right of the fire. The black cat was perched on the one to the left of the fire. In the middle, sitting on the edge of a worn oak table, was the green-eyed orange cat.
"And no, you are not human." The orange tabby cat said before Rei could speak.
"You are both descendants of us-and the others living here- and the former residents of this place." The white cat said.
"What is this place?" Kai asked. "I mean...The name."
"The Obsidian Estate. Named for Melas and NightWings as well as the Obsidian Shires." The tabby explained.
"Who are they?" Rei asked.
"I am Melas." The black cat said. "You, Master Rei, are a descendant of myself and IceMoon." Melas explained, flicking his tail in the direction of the white queen. "And Master Kai is a descendant of NightWings the raven and DawnWind the hawk." Melas said. "The Obsidian Shires are the guardians of the Obsidian Estate." He explained.
"We're not related...are we?" Rei asked, looking slightly worried.
"Not even close." The tabby said.
"What is your name?" Kai asked him.
"Soul."
"So...I'm not actually related to my grandfather?" Kai asked hopefully.
"No, you are not." IceMoon responded.
Kai let out a sigh of relief. "That...Is good to hear." Kai murmured.
"Do you not wish to meet your ancestors?" Soul asked Kai.
"It would be nice...But I think I would like to look around for a while." Kai said.
"Will you be staying the night?" IceMoon asked, eyes glittering with excitement.
"I think we may have to. If that's okay with you...?" Rei looked at the other two cats.
"The Estate belongs to you two and we would love for you to stay. We have been waiting for the right time to call you two here. We've wanted to tell you your whole lives that you belong here...And...even now we cannot tell you too much. Not until we have spoken to ObsidianDancer." Melas said, sighing. "Go on. We will see that your rooms are ready. But there are only three rooms fit for using at the moment. We have been fixing all of the others up. So sharing will be needed."
"We're used to it." Both Kai and Rei said. They couldn't help but smile at each other. The cats exchanged glances, pleased that they were correct in their observations.
"Then who will share with who?" Soul asked.
"Kenny can have his own room, like always." Rei said.
Kai nodded in agreement. "And no one but Rei is willing to share a room with me." Kai said, smirking.
"They can't -possibly- still think you're an asshole who's ready to kill them as soon as they blink at you." Rei said, shaking his head.
"I hope they do. I never want to share a room with either of them. Though, if I had to choose, I'd share with Max."
"Me too...Anyway. We better find the others before they get lost." Rei said.
"They probably already are. But do not worry about them. There is very little that will put them in danger and there is next to no rooms in the mansion that do not have someone watching over them. Go on. Enjoy yourselves." Melas said. Rei and Kai thanked the cats and left the room.
"It would seem that we were right." IceMoon purred, leaping up and on to the couch that Melas sat on. Melas leapt down to curl up beside her. Soul, their eldest son, joined them and they all curled up together.
"It would seem so. It is good to see one of our family finally connecting with one of Night and Dawns' kin. We are very fortunate that we called Kai to us now and did not wait any longer. If only we had not made that agreement with Night not to interfere or follow them. I would love to see what they thought of the mansion..." Melas murmured against his son's shoulder.
"You never agreed for me not to follow them." Soul said, swishing his tail.
"This is true. But wait a while before you go. This is comfortable..." Melas said, snuggling closer to his mate and son.
Kai paused at the two giant double doors. Rei stood beside him, thinking the same thing. How big would the room be if it was guarded by such large doors? Kai looked over at Rei and their eyes locked briefly, sending a shiver down Kai's spine. Tearing his gaze away from Rei's, Kai pulled open the door. Both stood there, staring at the dome-shaped room in pure awe. It was a library. In the center of the room were four tables and off to the left, next to the first set of shelves, was a circle of cushions. On either side, against dark blue-gray walls, were curving staircases leading up to a catwalk with more bookshelves. The whole top of the dome, to just about a fourth of the way down the walls, was made of thick glass windows. All that could be seen through them now was the fog. Scattered along the lower walls were oval-shaped windows as well as a few paintings of draft horses, wild cats, and birds.
"This is...Incredible..." Kai whispered.
In a sudden swell of excitement, Rei's hand found Kai's and he tugged him off towards some of the shelves of books. Rei never released Kai's hand as they walked through the rows of book shelves and he even seemed to have forgotten that he held the of blader's hand. Kai ignored the sensation in his arm the best he could, trying to focus on the books and see if he recognized any of them.
"Look at this, Kai." Rei said, gently tugging at Kai's hand to bring him closer. "It's a book of legends...with Dranzer and Drigger on the cover..." Rei murmured. "Come on. Let's go read it..." Rei said. Once more, he gently tugged Kai's hand and led him to the circle of cushions near the double doors. Rei said down, pulling Kai down beside him. Rei-reluctantly now, having realized he had held Kai's hand the whole without Kai objecting- released Kai's hand and opened the book. The first legend in the book was titled 'Moonlight and Fire' with a picture of Drigger sitting down and looking to the left and Dranzer standing beside him, looking to the right.
"You want me to read it out loud?" Rei asked, feeling slightly shy now with Kai so close.
"It would be easier if you did. We don't read at the same pace." Kai said.
"Alright..." Rei started to read.
Moonlight And Fire
If the Stars had not chosen to create the time called night , then the Moon would never have had somewhere to spill his silver-white light. The Moon would never have found a better place to watch over, to guard, guide, and protect. And, had the Skies not created the time called day, the Sun would have never found a place to spread his warmth, to chase away the storms of sorrow and pain. Never had a place to shed his kindness. And, had the Gods not tried to destroy the land of man, The Moon and the Sun would never have found one another.
So the story of Drigger and Dranzer begins. Now, the Gods had never truly felt that man was any danger to them. In fact, they felt that man was a necessity if balance of the realms was to be kept. Without man, the God of Death would have a dull job, without man, rarely would the God of Life have the pleasure of sending a soul to the living land. And, without man, the God of Chaos and the God of War would have very dull lives indeed.
But all was not always well with the Gods and man. Man seemed to grow increasingly intelligent and always braver. The Gods did not care for either aspect in man. Their bravery could one day bring them to defy the Immortals! The Gods thought. Man could one day become too intelligent and cunning for the Gods to stand against. Yes, the Gods had power. But, if man grew too intelligent, they would find ways around the powers of the Gods.
The Sun heard of the problem from the Stars, who had been there when the Gods had spoken of man and his evolution in to power. The Sun knew the Gods well enough to recognize the fact that they were thinking of destroying the land of man. This frustrated the Sun. If the Gods destroyed the land of man, where would he go to? Without man, the Sun had no purpose.
Not long after the Sun heard the news, the Skies told the Moon the same thing that the Stars had told the Sun. The Moon's feeling towards this were very much the same as the Sun's. Where would he be if the land of man was gone? After stressing over the situation for a fairly long time, the Moon decided to ask the Skies a question.
"Skies of Man, I have something to ask of you." The Moon called to the Skies.
"What is it you wish to ask us, Moon?" The Skies called back, curious as to what the Moon might sound so upset about.
"Please, tell me now. Might you know another who loves the land of man just as I do? Another who could help me convince the Gods to allow them to live?" The Moon asked.
"Ah, Moon. I know just the one who can help you. He is the Sun. Dranzer we call him. Do you know the Sun?" The Skies asked the Moon.
"I believe he is the beautiful luminary that I see in my rotations, is he not?" The Moon wondered, intrigued. He had always wanted to meet the mighty luminary that he shared the land of man with. Could the Sun really love the land of man as the Moon himself did?
"Yes, that is Dranzer. He is very fond of the land of man and is becoming increasingly worried that the Gods will destroy it. Will you speak to him?" The Skies asked the Moon.
"I must. Is he kind?" The Moon asked, his curiosity growing.
"Dranzer is kinder than even we are. Almost as kind as the Stars themselves."
"Then I will talk to him. I thank you, Skies. You have aided me greatly. I owe you much."
"You owe us nothing. We are part of the land of man and we wish to keep our place here with you and Dranzer here with us. Go now. Man will not miss you if you and Dranzer are quick." The Skies said.
Pleased with the reply of the Skies, the Moon formed itself in to it's preferred tiger form and bounded off to meet the Sun.
Dranzer's first thought at the sight of the tiger-formed Moon coming towards him was that something had gone wrong somewhere. Of course, the Gods were already a problem, but had something else gone wrong?
"Salute, Moon. What is it that brings you to see me?" Dranzer asked, taking on his phoenix form.
"Ah, Sun...The Skies have told me of your love of the land of man and your worry as well. I have come to ask for your assistance in convincing the Gods not to harm the land of man." The Moon sounded sorrowful and his expression matched his tone.
"If that is what you have come for, I am very willing to assist you. The land of man is all we have to live for. Without it, neither of us has a place. Come, let us find the Gods. And please, call me Dranzer, my friend."
"Ah, yes. Then you must call me Drigger." The Moon-tiger purred as the Sun and Moon started off to search for the Gods that threatened their beloved land of man.
Rei paused to take a breath. Kai wished he would keep going. He loved the sound of Rei's voice when he read aloud. "This is kind of weird...Reading this...Do you think Drigger and Dranzer..."
"Are the Sun and Moon? We may have to ask Melas, Soul, and IceMoon once we see them again..." Kai responded. After a moment, he realized that he was almost leaning on Rei. Swallowing, Kai straightened and stretched, causing his back to crack.
"I hate I when I do that." Rei commented.
"Heh. It feels good." Kai replied, leaning back on one hand.
"Will you read this time? My mouth is dry." Rei asked.
"Sure." Kai said, trying not to sound disappointed. "Ready?"
"Yeah."
The Sun and the Moon did not find the Gods until two years after their departure. By the time they did find the Gods, that had become very close and had come to know each other very well. Which was a surprise for the Gods.
"We have always seen the Sun and the Moon as opposites. We never thought that we would find you two to be close friends. What has brought you two together and what brought you to search for us?" The God of Life wanted to know.
"God of Life, we have come to speak to you of the land of man." The Sun said boldly, lifting his great head to gaze at the Gods before the Moon and himself.
"Ah, the land of man. What is it that you have come to say of this place?" The God of Death questioned.
"We wish to ask you not to harm the land of man." Drigger said, stepping up to Dranzer's side. "The land of man is a very important place to us. We love it like we would love a child. In truth, I consider it a child. When my turn to shed my light on it comes, I feel that I am guarding man, protecting their home. The Sun feels the same as I." The Moon told the Gods.
"The land of man is not a bad place and man is not a bad creature. Have you not thought that, if man can become more intelligent and powerful, so also...can you?" Dranzer said.
The Gods exchanged looks, speaking to each other in a way unknown to the two friends. They looked at each other, their anxiety growing.
"We take in to consideration the fact that you have both guarded the land of man well and you must know man better than we ever could. But you must tell us, is there any other who wishes us not to harm the land of man?" The God of Life asked.
"Yes. The Skies have told me that they, too, care very much for the land of man and it's creatures." The Moon assured the Gods.
"If you will allow us to speak, Gods..." Came a lilting voice.
"The Stars may speak." The God of Life said.
"We who have created the Moon wish our child to be happy and therefor ask of you to bring no harm to the land of man that our child loves so much. We ask of you also to not harm man who our child and his mate guard so well. And finally, we ask of you never to think that man can become more intelligent than you. Though you cannot feel it, your own intelligence grows with every day that man lives." The Stars told the Gods.
That settled it. The Gods agreed not to harm the land of man or man itself and sent Drigger and Dranzer back to where they were needed. Guarding the land of man with moonlight and fire.
"Do you think our ancestors worship Drigger and Dranzer? I mean...The entrance door...and the marble floor...The colors of the walls and everything..." Rei said. He had a hard time not asking Kai to read again just so Rei could hear his voice.
"I'm thinking that might be it...You know...Both of us seem to be taking this whole thing really easy..." Kai commented, looking over at Rei.
"I was thinking about that, too. But somehow...I just -know- it's true. It's one of those feelings...You know what I mean?"
"Yeah. It's the same way for me. As if I already knew it but I had just forgotten." Kai said.
"Exactly." Rei murmured. "I'm really tired. Maybe we should go back out and see if we can find the others." Rei said.
"No need! We're here!" Tyson yelled from the door. "WHOA! This place is COOL!"
"It's a library, Tyson. You're allergic." Kai told him, annoyed at the interruption.
"I am?"
"Tyson, don't think about it." Kenny said. Then to Kai, "How are we going to get home in this fog?" He asked.
"We aren't. We're staying here." Kai responded.
"Okay...Where do we sleep?" Tyson asked.
With a sigh, Rei explained the whole thing with the cats and, surprisingly, the three of them believed him. "Usually, I would think you were mental. But, for some reason, I know you're telling the truth. So...Where are the cats?" Max asked.
"Masters? Are you ready to sleep?" Soul called from open door.
"Yes, Soul." Rei said, smiling thankfully at the tabby.
The cat twitched it's whiskers in a smile and turned, trotting out the entry. Kai stood up, offering Rei a hand. Rei accepted it. They did their best not to look at each other and let go of each other's hands as soon as Rei was on his feet. Only Max seemed to noticed that their actions seemed a bit off. "Come on. I'm exhausted." Rei said. He and Kai led the others out of the room.
Rei closed the door to the room and moved to stand by Kai. Both gazed around the room. The carpet was crimson in color and the walls were painted white. The bed that sat in the middle of the right wall was a four-poster with crimson sheets and curtains and silver pillows. Any wood in the room was polished mahogany. To the left was a bathroom which was mostly white. The window across from the bedroom door looked out on a giant pasture that was connected to a stable. Rei wondered if there was anything in the stables.
"Rei..."
Rei turned to Kai and their eyes locked. "Yeah?"
"Do you..." Kai didn't have to finish his question. With their eyes locked as they were, Rei could practically hear the rest of the sentence.
"I...Yes..." Rei murmured.
"Me, too...I mean...You know..." Kai gave a weak half-smile.
"Either we have problems or we have big problems. Take your pick." Rei said.
"If I say both, will we have really big problems?" Kai asked.
Rei laughed lightly. "Yes. I suppose we would. Now, either you say it first or I say it first. And feel like we're in some type of soap opera or something along those lines." Rei said.
"Me too. You first."
"Hey. That's not fair. Why should I have to say it first?"
"Because I had the guts to ask you in the first place." Kai retorted.
"Fine." Rei stepped closer to Kai and grabbed his shoulders. "Kai, I love you. There. See. We always seem to find humor in the strangest situations."
"Yeah, well. It's a bad habit. I don't find humor in funny things and I find humor in serious situations."
"No changing the subject. Your turn."
"I don't need to say it. You said and I didn't object." Kai replied.
Rei lightly kicked Kai. "Say it."
"Fine, fine." Kai shrugged Rei's hands off of his shoulders and grabbed Rei's shoulders. "Rei, I love you. Look, I'm going to start laughing hysterically if I don't kiss you soon." Kai said.
"Me too. So kiss me, damn it. Or I'll be the brave one and kiss you and I'll get to call you a chicken all week."
"I don't think so." Kai responded before pulling Rei closer and kissing him. "You know, of all places for this to happen...it had to be here in an abandoned mansion with talking cats."
"No kidding." Rei murmured, leaning on Kai and resting his cheek on Kai's chest. "Hey, Kai?"
"Hmm?"
"There's only one bed."
"Damnit."
XD Do you have any idea how fun that was? The Legend was a TON of fun to write and the end bit there...I was having trouble not laughing. Why? Because it sounded really weird as I typed it. Sorry if it was kind of strange at the end but I figured I might as well do it now. I'm not good at making to people confess to each other. Especially when one is as quiet as Kai's supposed to be. O.o And, about chapter 2. I'm going to murder myself! I did a terrible job with my tenses. O.o Everything was messed up. I started out in past tense and went to present...Or something like that. ;.; So, sorry if it slowed some of you down. I hope I didn't make many mistakes in this chapter. I'm re-reading it in a moment but who knows what I'll catch? Thanks for reading and please review.
Melas = Salem backwards.
Chapter Dedicated To Salem