You know, I've got to have the best reviewers in the world. Seriously. Just
yesterday I had five reviews, and wasn't, of course, going to update until
I had ten, and then boom, in less than twenty four hours I've got twelve
reviews. I mean, WOW! That is totally awesome! I LOVE ALL YOU GUYS!
Now, hang on a minute while I go get the sake.
All right, I'd like to make an announcement. *Ahem*
Everyone, I'd like to announce. . . THE RETURN OF KEETRA! YAY! And not just the Keetra in the story, but Keetra the fanfic authoress! That's right people, SHE'S BACK! So here's to ONE of my favorite reviewers. Cheers!
*drains bottle*
Now (hic) on with the (hic) rest of this chapter! (hic) *passes out*
*~*
How can you see into my eyes like open doors
*~*
Nami ignored his own wounds as he dropped to his knees at Haku's side. He desperately attempted to stem the flow of blood from the wound with his hands. Once he had, he proceeded to tear his shirt into long strips, which he used to bandage the wound. With that accomplished, he carefully moved Haku beneath a copse of pine trees, which provided them some shelter from the rain.
*~*
Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb
*~*
It didn't stop raining until late that night. The first few minutes, Nami didn't even notice, but the absence of the steady and relentless patter soon struck him. He carefully got to his feet and looked over at Haku. After several tense hours, his condition seemed to have stabilized, and he was breathing deeply and evenly. He had not, however, woken up. Nami moved out from underneath the trees and sat down in the middle of the clearing, looking up at the sky. The clouds had cleared to reveal a myriad of stars, each shining with its own special purpose. Nami had always liked to think that his family, wherever they were, were looking up at those same stars. It made him feel close to them, almost as if they were sitting there beside him. Vaguely, he wondered if Chihiro was looking at the stars too.
*~*
Long ago, the land of Kanrika had been a place of unmatched beauty. The rolling hills, graces with tall, stately trees, the sparkling, pristine rivers, and the peaceful, quiet villages all lent a sense of peace and serenity to the land. It was a place the people associated with laughter, festivals, and holidays. People there were happy, and hopeful that each day would be better than the last.
Now, however, everything had changed. No longer was laughter heard around every corner. One was far more likely to encounter despair than hope. The people lived brutal, pointless lives. They were a people who had lost their soul.
*~*
Without a soul
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
*~*
It was not a change that had happened over night. No, although its origins could be found in a single night, it had taken much longer for hope to vanish. When the royal family had been slaughtered by the outsider, the people had been enraged. They had demanded that the princess- turned- queen should find the outsider and take revenge. The same people who had for so long been fierce advocates of peace now girded themselves up for war.
*~*
Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
Call my name and save me from the dark
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from the nothing I've become
*~*
Keetra knew that he people could not win. They had absolutely no experience whatever in war, and going into battle against an already proven sorcerer would be suicide indeed.
Then he came.
*~*
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
*~*
He had arrived in her palace late one night as she had lain awake. He had come with promises of an alliance that would benefit the both of them. He would tell her the name of the outside, and in exchange she would give his people a place in her kingdom, and would make him her chief, and only, advisor. She had agreed.
*~*
Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
Call my name and save me from the dark
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from the nothing I've become
Bring me to life
*~*
As time passed, with Keetra busy searching for the outsider, the man had slowly pulled the throne out from underneath her. He put his own people into places of power, and removed or executed those who were still loyal to her. They were cruel, unjust and harsh, demanding the worst punishments for the smallest infractions. In her desperate quest for revenge, she had blinded herself to the suffering of her people, allowing him to gain an even greater foothold in her land. At first he had been weak, but now there was no way she could safely and effectively get rid of him. So she ignored him, allowing him to make her a puppet ruler with no power over the people who had trusted her with their lives.
And still she searched.
*~*
Chihiro opened her eyes, panicking for a moment before realizing that, in fact, she wasn't blind, but that it was simply night. She sighed before snuggling beneath the warm covers of the bed, than sat bolt upright.
{Where am I?} She panicked, jumping out of the bed and running to the window before realizing that all she had on was a nightshirt, and one several sizes to small for her, at that. She hastily got dressed in the clothes that were lying out, realizing with wonder that they were made out of what appeared to be the finest silk. Once dressed, she stepped out onto the balcony.
The streets far below were empty, and a strange stillness hung like a heavy blanket over the city. She could see that at one time, it must have been very beautiful, but those days had long since disappeared beneath the thick layers of grime and dirt. Simply looking at it made her feel sad and depressed.
{What could have happened to make this place this way?} she wondered. She heard the door to her room unlock and open, but she did not turn around.
"What happened here?" she asked, surprising herself with her own daring.
"It hasn't always been this way." The voice behind her was sweet but tired. There was such sorrow in it that Chihiro suddenly had an overwhelming urge to see the source. She turned around and found herself face to face with a young girl, no more than ten, with eyes that betrayed a weariness that could only come with the agony of endless time. She was thin, and wore a simply, green outfit that matched her eyes. Her skin was almost impossibly pale, and it soon became clear that she could not look Chihiro in the eyes.
"My mistress sent me to take care of you. It will be my job to see to it that you have everything you require to make you comfortable. If you need anything, all you have to do is call." She removed a ring from her finger and handed it to Chihiro, making sure not to touch her. "This will allow you to call me no matter where I am or what I'm doing." Chihiro nodded, then noticed that there was food set out on the table.
"Have you eaten yet?" she asked, startled when she heard the girl start and begin to stammer, looking down once more at the floor. Softly, Chihiro repeated herself.
"Milady, that food is not for someone of my low position. It would be most improper for me to eat with you. People have been sent to the salt mines for crimes far less than that." Her tone of voice betrayed how truly embarrassed she was.
"Nonsense. I won't sit here and eat while you go hungry. Go get a chair." The girl, for Chihiro did not yet know her name, stammered a protest, but one glance from her proved that it was futile. She went and got a chair and pulled it to the table, never once looking up.
"Now, eat."
*~*
The young girl that had been sent to serve Chihiro was in no way an enigma. She was not an anomaly, in fact, she was the norm. The people of Kanrika had for so long been forced to bend the knee to him that they had lost their sense of identity. They went through each day as though in a nightmare.
*~*
Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead
*~*
They were a people who had been beaten, raped, and tortured into submission. They had long ago been deprived of their voice, and now lived each day in silence. No happiness, no joy, just pain.
*~*
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
Don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life
*~*
The overlords and warlords ransacked and pillaged their own villages, kidnapping and killing. They imposed harsh taxes and demanded servitude in repayment of debts. Pity the poor debtor, for they were horrific taskmasters, demanding the impossible and punishing severely those who failed to deliver. They were a cancer on the land, growing more malignant with each passing day. They humiliated, beat, and degraded the life out of anyone who had the misfortune to cross their path. This was the so-called Liberated Kanrika.
The Kanrika were dreams had long ago turned to nightmares.
*~*
Well, that's it for this chapter. Oh, and by the way, since TME is officially passed out, I guess it's my turn to work on this fic. My name is Deuce, and I've been proofreading this story for all of you out there. So anyways, until TME is back, it's up to me to keep this going. He is going to do the writing; I'm just going to do the intro. Now, here are some of the review replies, and the VOTING! Oh yeah, I really can't forget the CONTEST!
*~*
Basically, what we want to know are your all-time favorite creations of TME's. Your choices are: Jumari, Link, Knoma, Sky, Aki, Nami, Grace, Keetra, the other Grace in my other story, Rama, and I think that that's about it. Unless of course I'm missing someone.
*~*
Now, the contest is pretty straightforward. All you guys out there have to do is tell me what the name of the new book out in Great Britain is right now, the new Magical book thingy, the one that they're saying is the next big thing in that genre since Harry Potter, and you win.
Personally, I'm not really expecting any of you to win this one, but in case you do, you get to decide what role a specific character will be playing in the rest of this story. That Character will be revealed at a later date.
By the way, the next update will come when I get to, say, twenty reviews.
So anyways, that's it for this chapter; tune in next time to find out what happens to Toruma when he reports failure to his master, and what happens to Haku and Nami when they try to board the ferry. And, of course, we can't forget Chihiro, stuck all alone in the middle of a literal hell hole of a country, in danger every minute that she stays there. And what IS this mysterious third party's fascination with ridding themselves of Haku. Surely he can't be THAT important, can he?
Just make sure that you all keep on reading.
Deuce
Now, hang on a minute while I go get the sake.
All right, I'd like to make an announcement. *Ahem*
Everyone, I'd like to announce. . . THE RETURN OF KEETRA! YAY! And not just the Keetra in the story, but Keetra the fanfic authoress! That's right people, SHE'S BACK! So here's to ONE of my favorite reviewers. Cheers!
*drains bottle*
Now (hic) on with the (hic) rest of this chapter! (hic) *passes out*
*~*
How can you see into my eyes like open doors
*~*
Nami ignored his own wounds as he dropped to his knees at Haku's side. He desperately attempted to stem the flow of blood from the wound with his hands. Once he had, he proceeded to tear his shirt into long strips, which he used to bandage the wound. With that accomplished, he carefully moved Haku beneath a copse of pine trees, which provided them some shelter from the rain.
*~*
Leading you down into my core, where I've become so numb
*~*
It didn't stop raining until late that night. The first few minutes, Nami didn't even notice, but the absence of the steady and relentless patter soon struck him. He carefully got to his feet and looked over at Haku. After several tense hours, his condition seemed to have stabilized, and he was breathing deeply and evenly. He had not, however, woken up. Nami moved out from underneath the trees and sat down in the middle of the clearing, looking up at the sky. The clouds had cleared to reveal a myriad of stars, each shining with its own special purpose. Nami had always liked to think that his family, wherever they were, were looking up at those same stars. It made him feel close to them, almost as if they were sitting there beside him. Vaguely, he wondered if Chihiro was looking at the stars too.
*~*
Long ago, the land of Kanrika had been a place of unmatched beauty. The rolling hills, graces with tall, stately trees, the sparkling, pristine rivers, and the peaceful, quiet villages all lent a sense of peace and serenity to the land. It was a place the people associated with laughter, festivals, and holidays. People there were happy, and hopeful that each day would be better than the last.
Now, however, everything had changed. No longer was laughter heard around every corner. One was far more likely to encounter despair than hope. The people lived brutal, pointless lives. They were a people who had lost their soul.
*~*
Without a soul
My spirit sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
*~*
It was not a change that had happened over night. No, although its origins could be found in a single night, it had taken much longer for hope to vanish. When the royal family had been slaughtered by the outsider, the people had been enraged. They had demanded that the princess- turned- queen should find the outsider and take revenge. The same people who had for so long been fierce advocates of peace now girded themselves up for war.
*~*
Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
Call my name and save me from the dark
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from the nothing I've become
*~*
Keetra knew that he people could not win. They had absolutely no experience whatever in war, and going into battle against an already proven sorcerer would be suicide indeed.
Then he came.
*~*
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
*~*
He had arrived in her palace late one night as she had lain awake. He had come with promises of an alliance that would benefit the both of them. He would tell her the name of the outside, and in exchange she would give his people a place in her kingdom, and would make him her chief, and only, advisor. She had agreed.
*~*
Wake me up inside
Wake me up inside
Call my name and save me from the dark
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from the nothing I've become
Bring me to life
*~*
As time passed, with Keetra busy searching for the outsider, the man had slowly pulled the throne out from underneath her. He put his own people into places of power, and removed or executed those who were still loyal to her. They were cruel, unjust and harsh, demanding the worst punishments for the smallest infractions. In her desperate quest for revenge, she had blinded herself to the suffering of her people, allowing him to gain an even greater foothold in her land. At first he had been weak, but now there was no way she could safely and effectively get rid of him. So she ignored him, allowing him to make her a puppet ruler with no power over the people who had trusted her with their lives.
And still she searched.
*~*
Chihiro opened her eyes, panicking for a moment before realizing that, in fact, she wasn't blind, but that it was simply night. She sighed before snuggling beneath the warm covers of the bed, than sat bolt upright.
{Where am I?} She panicked, jumping out of the bed and running to the window before realizing that all she had on was a nightshirt, and one several sizes to small for her, at that. She hastily got dressed in the clothes that were lying out, realizing with wonder that they were made out of what appeared to be the finest silk. Once dressed, she stepped out onto the balcony.
The streets far below were empty, and a strange stillness hung like a heavy blanket over the city. She could see that at one time, it must have been very beautiful, but those days had long since disappeared beneath the thick layers of grime and dirt. Simply looking at it made her feel sad and depressed.
{What could have happened to make this place this way?} she wondered. She heard the door to her room unlock and open, but she did not turn around.
"What happened here?" she asked, surprising herself with her own daring.
"It hasn't always been this way." The voice behind her was sweet but tired. There was such sorrow in it that Chihiro suddenly had an overwhelming urge to see the source. She turned around and found herself face to face with a young girl, no more than ten, with eyes that betrayed a weariness that could only come with the agony of endless time. She was thin, and wore a simply, green outfit that matched her eyes. Her skin was almost impossibly pale, and it soon became clear that she could not look Chihiro in the eyes.
"My mistress sent me to take care of you. It will be my job to see to it that you have everything you require to make you comfortable. If you need anything, all you have to do is call." She removed a ring from her finger and handed it to Chihiro, making sure not to touch her. "This will allow you to call me no matter where I am or what I'm doing." Chihiro nodded, then noticed that there was food set out on the table.
"Have you eaten yet?" she asked, startled when she heard the girl start and begin to stammer, looking down once more at the floor. Softly, Chihiro repeated herself.
"Milady, that food is not for someone of my low position. It would be most improper for me to eat with you. People have been sent to the salt mines for crimes far less than that." Her tone of voice betrayed how truly embarrassed she was.
"Nonsense. I won't sit here and eat while you go hungry. Go get a chair." The girl, for Chihiro did not yet know her name, stammered a protest, but one glance from her proved that it was futile. She went and got a chair and pulled it to the table, never once looking up.
"Now, eat."
*~*
The young girl that had been sent to serve Chihiro was in no way an enigma. She was not an anomaly, in fact, she was the norm. The people of Kanrika had for so long been forced to bend the knee to him that they had lost their sense of identity. They went through each day as though in a nightmare.
*~*
Frozen inside without your touch, without your love, darling
Only you are the life among the dead
*~*
They were a people who had been beaten, raped, and tortured into submission. They had long ago been deprived of their voice, and now lived each day in silence. No happiness, no joy, just pain.
*~*
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul
Don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life
*~*
The overlords and warlords ransacked and pillaged their own villages, kidnapping and killing. They imposed harsh taxes and demanded servitude in repayment of debts. Pity the poor debtor, for they were horrific taskmasters, demanding the impossible and punishing severely those who failed to deliver. They were a cancer on the land, growing more malignant with each passing day. They humiliated, beat, and degraded the life out of anyone who had the misfortune to cross their path. This was the so-called Liberated Kanrika.
The Kanrika were dreams had long ago turned to nightmares.
*~*
Well, that's it for this chapter. Oh, and by the way, since TME is officially passed out, I guess it's my turn to work on this fic. My name is Deuce, and I've been proofreading this story for all of you out there. So anyways, until TME is back, it's up to me to keep this going. He is going to do the writing; I'm just going to do the intro. Now, here are some of the review replies, and the VOTING! Oh yeah, I really can't forget the CONTEST!
*~*
Basically, what we want to know are your all-time favorite creations of TME's. Your choices are: Jumari, Link, Knoma, Sky, Aki, Nami, Grace, Keetra, the other Grace in my other story, Rama, and I think that that's about it. Unless of course I'm missing someone.
*~*
Now, the contest is pretty straightforward. All you guys out there have to do is tell me what the name of the new book out in Great Britain is right now, the new Magical book thingy, the one that they're saying is the next big thing in that genre since Harry Potter, and you win.
Personally, I'm not really expecting any of you to win this one, but in case you do, you get to decide what role a specific character will be playing in the rest of this story. That Character will be revealed at a later date.
By the way, the next update will come when I get to, say, twenty reviews.
So anyways, that's it for this chapter; tune in next time to find out what happens to Toruma when he reports failure to his master, and what happens to Haku and Nami when they try to board the ferry. And, of course, we can't forget Chihiro, stuck all alone in the middle of a literal hell hole of a country, in danger every minute that she stays there. And what IS this mysterious third party's fascination with ridding themselves of Haku. Surely he can't be THAT important, can he?
Just make sure that you all keep on reading.
Deuce