YAY! Next chapter! Over 220 hits! Yippee! I'm so happy, considering how not popular this is! Besides, I love this story and I'm gonna do my best! Oh, and with the OCs in this story, I'm not going to make them have much of a role besides the -clasps hands over mouth- and that's it. Although, the OCs aren't truly OCs, they're just extremely unknown characters On with the show! And thanks a bunch for reviewing, Sakura Sista!
Disclaimer: You know what disclaimers are here to do. So yeah.
War on My World
Chapter 6: An Ice Heart Won't Ever Melt; Part 1
"I think we're in..."Carmaine looked around. Yep, snow and ice as far as the ice could see. There was mountains in the distance, the peaks scraping the moon and seemed to touch the stars. They seemed to come to the world at night, which was alright. Of course, there were weird icicle-tree things, but that was alright, too. "Glacier."
"H-How c-come you know t-this world?"Chihiro asked, her teeth still chattering.
"My best friend lives here. I know this world like the back of my hand." Carmaine said.
"Great! So, now lead us SOMEWHERE BEFORE WE FREEZE TO DEATH!" Asbel shouted. Carmaine looked around once more.
"Hmm...I think it's that way. Yeah, I'm sure it is! C'mon!" Carmaine said, running towards a random direction.
"H-Hey C-Carmaine, since I-it's dark are y-you in your 'D-Dark Mode'?" Chihiro asked, Carmaine shook his head.
"I don't know why I'm not, but I'm not. You better be grateful." He said. Chihiro nodded, but she didn't know why she should be grateful.
"Why would she be grateful?" Haku asked. Carmaine smiled.
"Just...she better be. Ah! There it is! That's where Laura and Daryl live!" Carmaine said, shielding his eyes from the snow, and pointing. Nausicaä gasped.
"WOW! Are they royalty?" She asked. She could see the faint outline of a giant castle. Carmaine nodded.
"Laura's the Princess of Mirage; most of the land that's in Glacier, and Daryl used to be the Prince of a country, Altier, in a world in ruins, Czurrea.. I was sent to try to save the ancient relic of that world, since all the worlds have at least one. Anyways, I was surprised to find out that the Prince of Alteir was still alive. So, I took him back instead, Mother said to save any remaining survivors. Anyways, so me and him came here because Mother said that this was the world all of the Gate Princes and Princesses learned their educations; and since Daryl and I were still 15; we still needed an education. Enrolled in that school with us was Laura." Carmaine said.
"W-Wait...how o-old are y-you?" Chihiro asked. After all, she was his sister. She had a right to know.
"Eighteen. Anyways, Daryl and Laura fell in love; not surprisingly, and Daryl voted to stay here when we could've gone back to Gate. And yes, Gate is a place no one can get to without teleport magic, and yes, people besides royalty live up there. And YES, Chihiro, I did give Daryl a device to contact him with. Any more questions?" Carmaine asked. Chihiro shut her mouth. How did he know every question she was going to ask?
"N-No, but l-let's hurry!" Chihiro chattered, and the rest hastily agreed, running towards the castle. Reaching it, which seemed to take eternities later. The castle was marble white, and you could see your reflection in it if your looked hard enough.
"Are you sure it's ok to just go inside?" Nausicaä asked, looking up at the castle in awe.
"Nah, I'm best friends with Daryl, need I remind you?" Carmaine said once they started walking in the castle, and to the throne room, which Carmaine claimed he knew where it was located at.. "I also know Laura pretty well, too. I hooked them up." Chihiro started snickering at the last comment. Haku and Carmaine stared at her.
"Chihiro, are you ok?" Haku asked. He had let go of her sometime ago, and now placed his hand on her shoulder. Chihiro nodded, and stopped laughing.
"I just thought of something...but I'm fine." She said, and while they were getting led by Carmaine, she giggled now and then. Finally, she composed herself when they reached the Throne Room.
"You guys ready to go in? I know we have our resident Royalties," Carmaine said, nodding to Asbel and his -cough- girlfriend-cough. (Man...I need to get rid of that cough...) "SO I know they'll know how to act in a throne room. Now, Chihiro, promise me not to giggle, alright? Laura and Daryl will think you have mouth spasms or something." Carmaine said.
"Mouth spasms?" Chihiro asked. Haku bent down and whispered what that meant, and Chihiro nodded in understanding. "Don't worry! I won't say anything! I'll compose myself!" She said, taking a deep breath and nodding. Carmaine nodded, as he opened the door to the Throne Room. They walked down the room, and Carmaine bowed in front of a girl who has blue hair with a silver headband and a yellow-red ribbon in the side, and a boy in the seat next to her who had black hair.
The others followed suit. 'Wow...is that the King and Queen? They look awful young...' Chihiro thought, but maybe this world's people looked younger than they actually were.
"Hey, Carmaine! No need to bow to us!" The girl said. "After all, we owe you a lot!" Carmaine looked up, and stood up, as everyone followed.
"I'll introduce you to some people. Chihiro, my little sister, her boyfri-"Carmaine didn't finish his sentence before Chihiro stomped on his foot.
"Carmaine! Don't say that! Haku's not my boyfriend!" She hissed, slightly mad even though her face was brilliant crimson.
"Yes?" Haku asked, hearing his name, which made Chihiro turn even redder, if possible. Carmaine cleared his throat, and continued.
"Um, that's Haku with the blue hair, Prince Asbel and Princess Nausicaä are over there. Er...oh, right! Everyone, Daryl and Laura." Carmaine finished introducing them, so the introductions were all said and done.
"Your Highnesses, where are Their Majesties?" Chihiro asked, trying to be as polite as possible. She didn't want to offend them, but since they were chummy with Carmaine she didn't think she needed to be. Laura looked surprised, then got a downcast look and fidgeted nervously as she looked at her clasped hands in her lap.
"Um, Laura's parents..." Daryl started. Chihiro cocked her head, then realized it must be a painful matter. She looked at Carmaine, who looked confused, to.
"Why don't you guys go on the 7th floor? There are plenty of rooms up there, and a maid will escort you there. Carmaine, please stay behind. We have a lot of catching up to do." Laura said, then looked for a maid, and saw none, then turned to her royal retainer. "Twilight, may you please escort our guests to their Sleeping Chambers? I'm sorry if it's a tedious task, but there's no one else available at the moment." Laura said to a short- strawberry-blonde haired woman who nodded as she led the group out of the room. Before they exited, Twilight bowed back at them.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Pleasure to be of service." She said as she started walking, and the group followed.
"Haku, did I say anything wrong?" Chihiro asked Haku. But when she looked up at him, she saw no one there. She looked around, alarmed. Nausicaä noticed her alarmed state, and turned around towards her.
"Chihiro, is something wrong?" She asked, as Asbel turned around, too. Twilight didn't seem to notice as she kept on going.
"Haku's missing!" Chihiro said, panicking. "I could've sworn he was right beside me when we left the Throne Room!"
"Well, let's go back and check." Asbel said, going back to the Throne Room with Nausicaä and Chihiro following. He opened the doors a crack, and only saw Laura, Daryl and Carmaine. He shut them, and shook his head. "Not in there."
"Maybe he got lost, Chihiro?" Nausicaä suggested, shrugging slightly. Chihiro looked around. This castle was huge, so it was a possibility that he could've gotten lost in the labyrinth-like castle.
"I'm going to go look for him." Chihiro stated valiantly. Asbel and Nausicaä nodded, impressed by her bravery to wander an unknown place, that could have hidden dangers lurking in its' depths.
"We'll come with you, Haku'll never forgive us if we let you get hurt intentionally." Asbel said.
"Alright, let's search this floor, first." Chihiro said, taking lead immediately as they retraced their steps which soon lead to three hallways-one south, one northwest, and a door.
"I say let's take the door." Asbel said. Chihiro looked at Asbel, then the door.
"Alright, then." She said, opening the door. Nausicaä peeked inside.
"Hmm...is it just me, or is there nothing in this room?" Nausicaä said. Asbel nodded.
"Yeah. Maybe this used to be a storage room or something. Let's take another fork." Asbel said. Chihiro frowned.
"Wait, guys! There's something here!" Chihiro said, stamping her foot as she pointed to the far back wall. The floor of the room was iced-over, and created a mirror-like effect through-out the whole room. At the end of the room, was a pile of snow and a mirror resting on it, encrusted with diamonds, sapphires and onyx.
"Huh?" Asbel and Nausicaä took a second look.
"Oh, yeah! I see it now! There's a...um, I can't tell what it is, but there's something in the back of this room. But even if we were to investigate, we'll slip on the ice." Nausicaä said. Chihiro shook her head.
"I'm a good ice skater! I have an idea: Why don't you two take separate forks, I'll check out this mirror, and if either of you find Haku, bring him back to this point, ok?" Chihiro said. The royalties nodded, yet again impressed by her decision-making and leadership skills. Once they went their separate ways, Chihiro wondered how stable the ice was before stepping on it.
She kneeled down and placed her hand on the surface. Then, with all her might, she pushed into the ice, waiting for it to crack. Getting up and deciding it was safe, she stepped on the ice gingerly. Then, she gracefully skated towards the mirror.
"Geez, I'm not seeming to reach the mirror. It's not like it's getting any closer than it was when I started." Chihiro said to herself, looking back. No, she was far away from the door. She looked back at the mirror. Now she was standing at the edge of the snow bank, where before when she looked at the door she was far away from it.
"Hmm...strange." She said to herself, stepping on the snow. The snow, and heck, the whole room disappeared. Chihiro looked up, to see snow falling.
"Wait-what's-AH! I FELL THROUGH THE FLOOR!" She screamed. Then she landed on the floor below the one she was previously on. Chihiro stood up, dusted herself, and then surveyed her surroundings. It was a room filled with light, not blinding-light, but light you would have to sort of adjust your eyes to see perfectly light.
Other than that, it wasn't really a 'room'. Just a stone corridor, with that strange light emitting from seemingly nowhere. "Hmm...I can't see where the end of this corridor leads to. Guess I'll have a little farther." Chihiro said to herself, just starting to walk.
-
After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, Chihiro saw something. Not just anything, but...
"HAKU!" Chihiro shouted. She could see Haku, in his dragon form. But something seemed to be wrong, as when he turned around there was blood all over his face and dripping from his mouth on the floor. It was a really gory sight. "Haku! Are you alright?" She yelled, and started to run towards him. When she reached him, Haku was already unconscious. But what was really wrong was that he was still in his dragon form.
"Haku, can you hear me? Wake up, Haku!" Chihiro said, shaking him gently. No response. 'He can't be out, or else he'd revert back to his human form! What's wrong with this world?' She demanded to herself. Deciding that Haku needed some medical attention, and he needed the wounds to be wrapped up and cleaned before they got infected, Chihiro grabbed his head and started to drag him.
After about five minutes, though, Chihiro stopped, and looked back at Haku, who was still bleeding. She was getting nowhere with dragging him around. "Haku, I'll be right back, ok? Hang in there while I get some help!" She said, hoping he could hear her, and broke out into a dead sprint. The corridors seemed to be endless. Chihiro was starting to get mad. After another eternity, she couldn't take it anymore. The fact that this castle was a stupid maze and the fact that her lungs were going to burst really weren't making her frown turn upside down.
"I JUST WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!" She yelled with all of her might. Something really hard hit the back of her head, and she went down like a ton of bricks. Well, it seems she got her wish.
-
When Chihiro woke up, she was in a really fancy room. She tried to move, but she failed, her body was sore all over and aching like no tomorrow. "Ow...what happened?" She asked out loud. Not being able to get a full view of the room, she couldn't see who was in it.
"Um, you and Haku were found unconscious in the Forbidden Corridors of the Castle, where we keep things no one should touch there. That's why Haku was bleeding, when he unlocked the door that lead to the mirror, he unleashed the prisoner inside of that mirror. And that person obviously had a fight with him, and he probably won, or maybe lost. I know that the prisoner is still alive in this castle." The Princess, Laura, was in the room with Chihiro. It was probably her room anyway.
"I'm sorry, I can't make heads or tails of what you're saying." Chihiro said, her head starting to hurt more than it originally had.
((WARNING: I have no idea what I'm talking about in the next two/three paragraphs with the conditions and all that. I know this could never probably happen in real life, but, hey, how many people do YOU know that have boyfriends as dragons?))
"I know. I'm talking in circles. Maybe I should start from the beginning; Yes, that would be better. A long time ago, I had an identical twin brother, Lawrence. He was born with a rare condition. His condition meant that his blood would not pump properly; therefore his life would be very painful because his heart would have to work extra-hard. The doctor said that he could do surgery to make sure his blood pumped properly, but at consequences. My parents, not wanting Lawrence to be disabled, took up on this offer." Laura said, and took a deep breath before continuing.
"My parents did not know what these consequences would be. The doctor did brain surgery, since most blood goes to his brain. The doctor took out some functions of his brain, his emotion. That part stripped all of his emotion, but the doctor still left in one emotional ability: The ability to do cruel things without guilt. The doctor couldn't reverse the surgery: My parents were devastated. They would've rather Lawrence had hear problems than emotional problems. So, Lawrence was always so very, very mean to everyone and showed no other emotion. But the doctor said there was hope, because I was his twin sister, I had a strong connection with him. I was the only one who understood what Lawrence was going through. Little by little, he showed humanly emotions to me and remained stone to everyone else. But one day-he just went to far, and my parents locked him up using a magic mirror."
"They locked the door with powerful magic, so that only a spirit or something with great spiritual power can open it. Carmaine and Daryl don't know about this. Please, Chihiro, don't tell them. I don't want to worry them. But you have a right to know. He knocked you out. Since he and I are twins...we have a telepathic communication. He's been telling me everything, everything that he's doing, hoping that I'll be happy that he's doing these things. He doesn't understand what he's doing is wrong. To him, being cruel is happiness. You understand, don't you?" Laura asked.
Chihiro nodded. She could barely understand Laura, but she understood. Chihiro never knew twins had any kind of connection like that, or maybe it was just that specific pair of twins. 'Maybe me and Leona have that kind of connection, but we never knew about it.'
"Anyways, I think he's out to kill you all-or do something really terrible! Lawrence doesn't want me to get hurt, but he still has the intelligence of a ten-year-old. It's just that-he must have some kind of weapon, how else would he be able to hurt Haku?" Laura said, sighing. "Oh, I don't understand any of this!" Suddenly, Carmaine burst through the door.
"Gray did it. I'm sure he did." Carmaine said, crossing his arms. Laura looked up.
"Daryl didn't hear us, did he?" She asked. Carmaine shook his head.
"No, but I did. Gray did it. He has mind-controlling powers and can bring the worst out of a person." Carmaine said. Laura gasped.
"Gray? Not that Gr-" Laura stopped, looking at Chihiro. 'So Carmaine knew more than he was telling! I should know this stuff! After all, if he knows, I should, too!'
"Tell me what's going on!" Chihiro demanded. Laura glanced at Carmaine, who shook his head.
"No, Chihiro. You're too young to understand." Carmaine said. Chihiro 'hmphed', and crossed her arms across her chest, wincing, not realizing how much it hurt to move.
"But I want to know!" She said defiantly.
"Maybe later, ok?" Laura said. Chihiro nodded excitedly. Carmaine glared at Laura, but Laura just winked at him, so Chihiro couldn't see.
"Promise?" Chihiro asked. Laura nodded.
"Mmm-hmm. Well, I think I should be going now, before anything else happens. I'm going to find Lawrence and see if I can convince him to not kill everyone." Laura said, standing up.
"I know you'll be ok on your own. What should I tell Daryl? Surely you don't want him to worry?" Carmaine said. Laura sighed, and shook her head.
"Just, make up something!" Laura said, and smiled sheepishly before running off.
"Oh, how's Haku?" Chihiro asked. She had forgotten to ask about him while Laura was telling her story.
"He's doing well, but he's been transforming from a dragon to a human constantly. He doesn't keep one form for fifteen minutes, to say the least. We asked him why, but he said he didn't know." Carmaine said grimly. Chihiro stared at him, and then the stare turned into a glare.
"You know, don't you? Tell me right now, Carmaine! What's wrong with Haku?" Chihiro asked sharply, her glare seeming to drive a hole into his very soul.
"I know it's got something to do with the man that brainwashed me-Gray. I don't know how, I'm telling you the truth." Carmaine said. Chihiro nodded, her face softening up, as she drew the covers up to her chin.
"I just don't want Haku to be in any danger." Chihiro said, sighing sadly. Carmaine smiled goofily.
"Believe me, he'll be fine. You need to worry about yourself. As a water spirit, he's plenty more capable than you are." Carmaine said. Chihiro glared at me.
"So you're saying I'm not capable?" She asked.
"N-no, I'm not saying that! I'm just saying that Haku's more capable than you, that's all. Oh, and one more thing: Don't try to contact Leona. Laura said she and Lawrence have a telepathic connection because they're twins, but just because you have a twin doesn't mean you have a telepathic connection with her." He said.
"Why not? Why can't I talk to my sister?" Chihiro asked. Carmaine shook his head.
"Trying to sustain a connection with someone is easy, but not when it's a spiritual connection and when the person you're trying to contact has no recollection of you whatsoever it's very harmful. Don't try to talk to her, ok? I won't be able to intervene if you try. You could become an insomniac or an amnesiac or something like that. Your head will get messed up." He said, his goofish grin disappearing.
"How do you know that will happen?" Chihiro asked as soon as he had finished his sentence.
"Laura tried to contact Lawrence when he was in the mirror, but the connection reflected and well...Her mind got pretty messed up after that happened. That happened three years ago, and Daryl and I had no idea why the next day she seemed to be different." Carmaine said.
"But Laura seems really smart and nice!" Chihiro said.
"Yeah, like I said, that happened three years ago. When we were catching up, Daryl told me he's been helping Laura get back to her old self. Obviously, she's coming back a little at a time. And as for you, the results could be far more disastrous than personality remodification." He said.
"Wait! Her mind changed her personality? All because the connection backfired?" Chihiro asked, suddenly scared. If this is what a twin did to you, then she didn't want one!
"That's right. So don't try contacting Leona. I just met my little sister, and I don't want her to change. You got that? Oh, and don't look at me like that. Being a twin must be wonderful, always having someone to talk to, and never being alone." Carmaine said noticing Chihiro's downcast look, and winked before leaving the room, leaving Chihiro to dwell on her thoughts.
"But when I meet with Leona...for real, we'll talk about all sorts of things! My only worry is what the Toulmakians could do to her. After all, if she accidentally opens a portal to another world, the results would be terrible." Chihiro said to herself.
"Well, then I guess it's a good thing she doesn't know she has powers. But, then again, I used my Connection Wing to go into the Spirit World, and I didn't know I had any powers at the time." She bit her lip. She had never felt so guilty in her life!
"Oh, Leona! Please be ok!"
Huh? Who's there?
"What did I just do?" Chihiro asked herself in horror, hearing a voice soundingsimiliar toher's in her head.
Yay! The Ice Heart saga! It'll be alot fun doing Part 2 and Part 3. Hehehe...only I know why! Well, review!