Author's Note-Thankies for the review, Unknown11! Now, I'm just gonna say
that I own nothin...'cept Taro, Sakura, Kiyoshi, and Hyotoko... Now read while
I go get some sleep... ^_^;
Taro blinked, then shrugged and walked the rest of the way home alone. He opened the door. "Oi, mom, dad! I'm home!" he called. His mother, a woman with long golden hair, walked into the room.
"Hi." She said. She looked around. "Where's Riku?" In the couple months' time that Riku had been with them, it was as if he was by now a part of the family. Riku and Taro by now were practically like brothers.
"Out." Taro replied. He had already shown his parents the trophy he'd won-they had watched him at the race. He turned to go to his room.
"By the way, Taro?" Mrs. Kimoto said. Taro turned to see her smile. "We're real proud of you, kid. Congratulations."
Taro grinned. "Thanks, mom." He said. He went off to his room and set the trophy next to several others on the shelf. He then sat down on the bed and tore open the package. Black leather and cotton spilled out and flowed onto the floor.
Taro stood up and lifted it up in front of him. It was a black jacket, just like Riku's. "Oh, awesome..." he breathed. He slipped the jacket on and looked at it in the mirror. The jacket was long and buttoned. Taro pulled the hood up. The surrounding blackness seemed to pale his skin by a lot, making him look quite ominous.
He grinned and pulled the hood back, lying back down on the bed. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the oath orb Sakura had given him.
"If you look into the orb, you can see an image that only you can see." Sakura had said. Taro blinked, then shrugged and held it up to his eye. All at once, his surroundings became black. Everything, black.
He was suddenly in a castle, low to the ground as he practically slid across the marble. He neared the boy holding a large key, getting closer and closer...
Flash! He was holding a sword and springing across the giant lion head made of sand, about to slash at the man with black hair and a small red hat. The desert was his territory and he had orders to slay this intruder. The man turned, raising his sword...
Flash! He was big, tall, and round. Shockwaves sent out by his feet wounded his opponents! He stomped around the forest of grass and flowers. Wait. Why was he here? Oh well. Didn't matter. He swung his fist to catch the dog creature creeping up on him, the large fist catching its jaw. He turned just in time to have a fireball fill his vision...
Flash! He was in the jungle, hopping up and down. H e slid across the grass and the dirt, one foot out, and knocked the tanned man on all fours off balance. He jumped onto the treetops, searching, seeking out a new victim as his keep eyes scanned the leafy branches. Hm...a flash of brown and silver! There! He leaped...
Flash! He stomped around the arena, a huge rabid black dog. He could see in three different directions! But what did it matter when his prey was standing right there? He snapped at the man in armor. He was vulnerable-a man was slung over his shoulder. He reared up on his hind legs...
Flash! He was waving around, fluid and bendy. His eyes lit up the dark caverns inside the whale. His arms suddenly flew out to hit his opponent...
Flash! He was nothing but bones as soon as he leapt nimbly from tombstone to tombstone. He spun quickly, hitting the pale main in a suit. The man flinched. Lightning began to suddenly rain down...
Flash! He glided through the air above the ship, following the redhead clad in green. The Jolly Roger flew nearby. His wings outstretched, he swooped down, sword raised, only to have the boy turn and at the last minute stab forward with a dagger...
Flash! He was floating again! Not through air this time though, but through water. He swished his tendrils and slowly, gracefully lifted a couple to sting the fish girl before him. She suddenly sped at him, twirling, a fishy torpedo...
Flash! There was nothing before him except rocks. And a boy with a humanoid duck and dog. He swiped at the boy with a huge, jagged sword. The boy blocked. He landed and stabbed the sword into the ground, chanting an incantation...
Flash! He was floating around, zipping this way and that while making a chiming sound. He was in a town. The humanoid duck from earlier raised his staff and yelled, "Freeze!" ...
Flash! He scampered up the tree and leapt to the next tree limb. He reached for the belt and pulled off a robe with a double-sided hook on the end-a kaginawa. He tossed it at the wall nearby. With a firm tug, he swung over to the wall silently. He hoisted himself up and over the wall to look at the younger boy beside him. Kiyoshi. Wait...what?
Flash! He looked over at the redhead. She grinned at him. "Nice work, Kiyoshi. Dad's gonna be impressed. Mom, too." Sakura frowned. "Now, just make sure that you ready yourself for-" She ducked a punch. "That!"
Flash! He tapped a pencil to his chin and frowned. Square root of eighty? This math homework was incomprehensible. His hand began to reach towards the mystery book he had been reading. Mom and dad wouldn't know- they were out at a town meeting. Misaki-his little sister-was spending the night at a friend's house. He hand the entire house to himself. The door opened behind him. So soon? Why would his parents be back so soon? He spun in his chair to see...
Flash! A deep calm settled over the area. The blue waves rolled in and out. A boy climbed up to the platform. A boy with spiky brown hair and blue eyes.
"Hey, Sora. We still need a name for the raft. I suggest the Highwind." He said.
"Hm..." The boy thought for a moment. "How about...Friendship!"
"How 'bout..."
"...The usual?"
Flash! Taro fell. He fell and fell through darkness. Nothingness. The air whipped through his hair. He flipped, slowly, and landed on his own two feet. He was standing on darkness, in darkness. A void of blackness and dispair.
"Hello?" He called, his head still spinning. Who was he? Where was he? What was he? He shook his head to recollect. Taro. Taro Kimoto of Twilight Town. Human. But where was he now?
He involuntarily shivered slightly. The darkness. It was cold and unforgiving. Wait. What was that? He blinked as a light floated down before his eyes.
It was small. In fact, so small, that if it hadn't been glowing, he would have mistaken it to be a snowflake. He caught the light in his hand. It was warm-the only thing with heat in this stark, cold place.
Suddenly, light spilled through his closed fingers of his closed fist. He held it out just as it seemed to explode, forcing his hand open, all leaving colorful spots in front of his eyes like a camera flash. He stumbled back as the light exploded and then began to dim, then slowly withdrew the arm that had been shielding his amber eyes.
"What the hell...? He murmered. Suddenly, and instant flash in front of his eyes and his mind. Not of light, but of memory. Memories not his.
He was thankful that he was merely a spectator instead of looking though someone's eyes.
Still was confusing.
On an island, a red-haired girl sat with the spiky-haired brunette from before. He tried to recall the name. Sora. And the girl? One word drifted into his mind: Kairi.
"Sora, don't ever change." The girl said, standing up. "I just can't wait...once we set sail...it'll be great..."
Taro looked around as everything fell dark, then blurred, then focused.
"They'll come at you out of nowhere." A man with long brown hair and clad in leather said.
Sora took a step back.
Blur. Focus.
"Who's Kairi? I'm the great ninja Yuffie." A girl with short black hair said, looking down at Sora. Then, to the man in leather, "I think you overdid it a little, Squall."
"That's Leon." The man said, crossing his arms and leaning against the door.
Blur. Focus.
"Off with their heads!" The insane yell came from a woman wearing red and white. Cards leapt for the boy and his friends, a humanoid duck and dog.
Blur. Focus.
"I'm looking for my friends. Frieeends..." Sora said, sounding out the word for a tanned man that stood on all fours.
Blur. Focus.
"Five words. You guys ain't heroes." A goat man said.
Blur. Focus.
"Setting your sights a little high...aren't you, boy?" a tall man said contemptuously.
Blur. Focus.
"But Sora, I thought you liked games." The voice caught Taro by surprise. Riku? He was here?
A silver-haired boy walked out of the shadows. He was smiling. It was Riku! Only this Riku had shorter hair and his skin was more tanned than pale. He was without the jacket and the blindfold. Crystal blue eyes watched the brunette. It must have been when he was a bit younger.
"Or," Riku said, "have you become too cool to play them ever since you got that..."
Taro frowned. He couldn't hear the last word. Everything began to go black. "Wait! Riku!" Taro called, taking a step forward and reaching out for the boy. Nobody noticed him. It was like he was watching a TV screen! He wasn't there...not really, not physically. Everything faded to complete darkness again. "No...!"
"That is all I shall permit you to hear, to see." A soft voice that came out at him from all sides said. "...For now..."
A warmth was felt through Taro's shoes. Taro looked down to see that he was standing on a stained-glass platform of a woman with long, golden hair and a pink dress, clutching a blood red rose to her heart. A princess. As if standing on a stained-glass platform didn't make Taro nervous enough (because the whole place just kind of gave off this feeling that he was standing in a holy, sacred place), this voice out of nowhere yet everywhere at once didn't help any.
"Who's there?!" Taro demanded, reaching for the two kodachis-short swords-strapped to his back. "Show yourself!"
"It begins..."
"What?" Taro demanded, looking around yet seeing nothing. "What begins?! What are you?! Who are you?!"
"The oath was not made...destiny will shatter..."
"You're not making any sense! What oath?! What begins?!"
"This..."
A large white robot appeared suddenly out of nowhere. Well, at least it looked somewhat like a robot. Huge shoulders, an almost domed-shaped head. It towered over Taro by at least two or three feet. On its chest was a dark, purple mark. A marking like a heart...
Taro barked out a laugh, taking a few steps backwards as the creature neared him. "This can't be real..."
"It is..."
Taro opened his mouth to argue when he noticed that this creature had suddenly appeared in front of him. He began to back away. Too late. The creature drew back a fist...
...And connected with the boy's jaw. Hard.
Cold metal made contact with flesh and suddenly Taro noticed faintly through the haze of pain and disorientation that he was flying across the platform. His body made contact with the smooth glass. He tried to press his hands to create friction, but it was no use, god it was no use, his head was still spinning from the shock and the pain. He slid over the edge but his hand suddenly caught the platform. Hanging by one hand!
Suddenly he realized that this wasn't just a dream. This was very real. And he was going to die.
Author's Note-Mwhahaha! *likes to make cliffies like this* Ahem...anyways, I'm gonna be goin out of town for the weekend, so I'll try to get a chapter or two posted before leaving...or maybe I'll be able to post when I get to a computer... *shrug* Either way, I'll try to post at least once more before leavin. So anyways...please review! Ja ne!
Taro blinked, then shrugged and walked the rest of the way home alone. He opened the door. "Oi, mom, dad! I'm home!" he called. His mother, a woman with long golden hair, walked into the room.
"Hi." She said. She looked around. "Where's Riku?" In the couple months' time that Riku had been with them, it was as if he was by now a part of the family. Riku and Taro by now were practically like brothers.
"Out." Taro replied. He had already shown his parents the trophy he'd won-they had watched him at the race. He turned to go to his room.
"By the way, Taro?" Mrs. Kimoto said. Taro turned to see her smile. "We're real proud of you, kid. Congratulations."
Taro grinned. "Thanks, mom." He said. He went off to his room and set the trophy next to several others on the shelf. He then sat down on the bed and tore open the package. Black leather and cotton spilled out and flowed onto the floor.
Taro stood up and lifted it up in front of him. It was a black jacket, just like Riku's. "Oh, awesome..." he breathed. He slipped the jacket on and looked at it in the mirror. The jacket was long and buttoned. Taro pulled the hood up. The surrounding blackness seemed to pale his skin by a lot, making him look quite ominous.
He grinned and pulled the hood back, lying back down on the bed. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the oath orb Sakura had given him.
"If you look into the orb, you can see an image that only you can see." Sakura had said. Taro blinked, then shrugged and held it up to his eye. All at once, his surroundings became black. Everything, black.
He was suddenly in a castle, low to the ground as he practically slid across the marble. He neared the boy holding a large key, getting closer and closer...
Flash! He was holding a sword and springing across the giant lion head made of sand, about to slash at the man with black hair and a small red hat. The desert was his territory and he had orders to slay this intruder. The man turned, raising his sword...
Flash! He was big, tall, and round. Shockwaves sent out by his feet wounded his opponents! He stomped around the forest of grass and flowers. Wait. Why was he here? Oh well. Didn't matter. He swung his fist to catch the dog creature creeping up on him, the large fist catching its jaw. He turned just in time to have a fireball fill his vision...
Flash! He was in the jungle, hopping up and down. H e slid across the grass and the dirt, one foot out, and knocked the tanned man on all fours off balance. He jumped onto the treetops, searching, seeking out a new victim as his keep eyes scanned the leafy branches. Hm...a flash of brown and silver! There! He leaped...
Flash! He stomped around the arena, a huge rabid black dog. He could see in three different directions! But what did it matter when his prey was standing right there? He snapped at the man in armor. He was vulnerable-a man was slung over his shoulder. He reared up on his hind legs...
Flash! He was waving around, fluid and bendy. His eyes lit up the dark caverns inside the whale. His arms suddenly flew out to hit his opponent...
Flash! He was nothing but bones as soon as he leapt nimbly from tombstone to tombstone. He spun quickly, hitting the pale main in a suit. The man flinched. Lightning began to suddenly rain down...
Flash! He glided through the air above the ship, following the redhead clad in green. The Jolly Roger flew nearby. His wings outstretched, he swooped down, sword raised, only to have the boy turn and at the last minute stab forward with a dagger...
Flash! He was floating again! Not through air this time though, but through water. He swished his tendrils and slowly, gracefully lifted a couple to sting the fish girl before him. She suddenly sped at him, twirling, a fishy torpedo...
Flash! There was nothing before him except rocks. And a boy with a humanoid duck and dog. He swiped at the boy with a huge, jagged sword. The boy blocked. He landed and stabbed the sword into the ground, chanting an incantation...
Flash! He was floating around, zipping this way and that while making a chiming sound. He was in a town. The humanoid duck from earlier raised his staff and yelled, "Freeze!" ...
Flash! He scampered up the tree and leapt to the next tree limb. He reached for the belt and pulled off a robe with a double-sided hook on the end-a kaginawa. He tossed it at the wall nearby. With a firm tug, he swung over to the wall silently. He hoisted himself up and over the wall to look at the younger boy beside him. Kiyoshi. Wait...what?
Flash! He looked over at the redhead. She grinned at him. "Nice work, Kiyoshi. Dad's gonna be impressed. Mom, too." Sakura frowned. "Now, just make sure that you ready yourself for-" She ducked a punch. "That!"
Flash! He tapped a pencil to his chin and frowned. Square root of eighty? This math homework was incomprehensible. His hand began to reach towards the mystery book he had been reading. Mom and dad wouldn't know- they were out at a town meeting. Misaki-his little sister-was spending the night at a friend's house. He hand the entire house to himself. The door opened behind him. So soon? Why would his parents be back so soon? He spun in his chair to see...
Flash! A deep calm settled over the area. The blue waves rolled in and out. A boy climbed up to the platform. A boy with spiky brown hair and blue eyes.
"Hey, Sora. We still need a name for the raft. I suggest the Highwind." He said.
"Hm..." The boy thought for a moment. "How about...Friendship!"
"How 'bout..."
"...The usual?"
Flash! Taro fell. He fell and fell through darkness. Nothingness. The air whipped through his hair. He flipped, slowly, and landed on his own two feet. He was standing on darkness, in darkness. A void of blackness and dispair.
"Hello?" He called, his head still spinning. Who was he? Where was he? What was he? He shook his head to recollect. Taro. Taro Kimoto of Twilight Town. Human. But where was he now?
He involuntarily shivered slightly. The darkness. It was cold and unforgiving. Wait. What was that? He blinked as a light floated down before his eyes.
It was small. In fact, so small, that if it hadn't been glowing, he would have mistaken it to be a snowflake. He caught the light in his hand. It was warm-the only thing with heat in this stark, cold place.
Suddenly, light spilled through his closed fingers of his closed fist. He held it out just as it seemed to explode, forcing his hand open, all leaving colorful spots in front of his eyes like a camera flash. He stumbled back as the light exploded and then began to dim, then slowly withdrew the arm that had been shielding his amber eyes.
"What the hell...? He murmered. Suddenly, and instant flash in front of his eyes and his mind. Not of light, but of memory. Memories not his.
He was thankful that he was merely a spectator instead of looking though someone's eyes.
Still was confusing.
On an island, a red-haired girl sat with the spiky-haired brunette from before. He tried to recall the name. Sora. And the girl? One word drifted into his mind: Kairi.
"Sora, don't ever change." The girl said, standing up. "I just can't wait...once we set sail...it'll be great..."
Taro looked around as everything fell dark, then blurred, then focused.
"They'll come at you out of nowhere." A man with long brown hair and clad in leather said.
Sora took a step back.
Blur. Focus.
"Who's Kairi? I'm the great ninja Yuffie." A girl with short black hair said, looking down at Sora. Then, to the man in leather, "I think you overdid it a little, Squall."
"That's Leon." The man said, crossing his arms and leaning against the door.
Blur. Focus.
"Off with their heads!" The insane yell came from a woman wearing red and white. Cards leapt for the boy and his friends, a humanoid duck and dog.
Blur. Focus.
"I'm looking for my friends. Frieeends..." Sora said, sounding out the word for a tanned man that stood on all fours.
Blur. Focus.
"Five words. You guys ain't heroes." A goat man said.
Blur. Focus.
"Setting your sights a little high...aren't you, boy?" a tall man said contemptuously.
Blur. Focus.
"But Sora, I thought you liked games." The voice caught Taro by surprise. Riku? He was here?
A silver-haired boy walked out of the shadows. He was smiling. It was Riku! Only this Riku had shorter hair and his skin was more tanned than pale. He was without the jacket and the blindfold. Crystal blue eyes watched the brunette. It must have been when he was a bit younger.
"Or," Riku said, "have you become too cool to play them ever since you got that..."
Taro frowned. He couldn't hear the last word. Everything began to go black. "Wait! Riku!" Taro called, taking a step forward and reaching out for the boy. Nobody noticed him. It was like he was watching a TV screen! He wasn't there...not really, not physically. Everything faded to complete darkness again. "No...!"
"That is all I shall permit you to hear, to see." A soft voice that came out at him from all sides said. "...For now..."
A warmth was felt through Taro's shoes. Taro looked down to see that he was standing on a stained-glass platform of a woman with long, golden hair and a pink dress, clutching a blood red rose to her heart. A princess. As if standing on a stained-glass platform didn't make Taro nervous enough (because the whole place just kind of gave off this feeling that he was standing in a holy, sacred place), this voice out of nowhere yet everywhere at once didn't help any.
"Who's there?!" Taro demanded, reaching for the two kodachis-short swords-strapped to his back. "Show yourself!"
"It begins..."
"What?" Taro demanded, looking around yet seeing nothing. "What begins?! What are you?! Who are you?!"
"The oath was not made...destiny will shatter..."
"You're not making any sense! What oath?! What begins?!"
"This..."
A large white robot appeared suddenly out of nowhere. Well, at least it looked somewhat like a robot. Huge shoulders, an almost domed-shaped head. It towered over Taro by at least two or three feet. On its chest was a dark, purple mark. A marking like a heart...
Taro barked out a laugh, taking a few steps backwards as the creature neared him. "This can't be real..."
"It is..."
Taro opened his mouth to argue when he noticed that this creature had suddenly appeared in front of him. He began to back away. Too late. The creature drew back a fist...
...And connected with the boy's jaw. Hard.
Cold metal made contact with flesh and suddenly Taro noticed faintly through the haze of pain and disorientation that he was flying across the platform. His body made contact with the smooth glass. He tried to press his hands to create friction, but it was no use, god it was no use, his head was still spinning from the shock and the pain. He slid over the edge but his hand suddenly caught the platform. Hanging by one hand!
Suddenly he realized that this wasn't just a dream. This was very real. And he was going to die.
Author's Note-Mwhahaha! *likes to make cliffies like this* Ahem...anyways, I'm gonna be goin out of town for the weekend, so I'll try to get a chapter or two posted before leaving...or maybe I'll be able to post when I get to a computer... *shrug* Either way, I'll try to post at least once more before leavin. So anyways...please review! Ja ne!