Seeing Truth

Chapter 19: Apprentice

My eyes closed as I grimaced, waiting for the sharp blade to penetrate me. I could still feel Ryuichi's boot jabbing hard into my back. I was too scared to call out for help as I heard something cut through air, unfortunately, swooping downwards. I felt something prick my back before it disappeared. Metal clattered to the floor next to me and I began gasping for air when the foot from my back vanished. I could hardly move as pain shot throughout my body. I turned my head to see what had happened, but all I made out were two Kenny's. I thought I was going insane. I groaned in pain and frustration.

"Hello, little brother. I was expecting you sooner." Ryuichi said scornfully as he stepped in front of me.

"What did you do, Ryuichi?" that voice sounded so familiar.

"I thought it would've been quite clear by now." Ryuichi held his hand out. I didn't know exactly what he was doing, but in a second, his sword had flown straight into his hand.

"Leave her alone. She doesn't belong here."

"Then why was she sent here? It wasn't like us, was it, Kenny?" my eyes widened.

"She has nothing to do with us-…"

"You don't know that."

"You brought her into this, now. That's what you always do. Why did you have to follow them? You dragged me into this and all of our friends. Look what happened to them?"

"You dragged yourself into this. No one told you to follow me."

"I wasn't going to let you destroy a whole planet." Ryuichi sighed and I wondered where this was going as I slowly crawled away from him.

"That's like you, little brother. Always looking out for others, but… you didn't look after one person so well…" Ah, great… I felt myself slowly being pulled back. I clawed the floor, trying to hold on for dear life. My whole body jerked back as it flew up in the air and into Ryuichi's grip. I tried to pry his hands from my neck, but it didn't seem to work as much as it had from the last time. I heard a sword being unsheathed and I turned my attention to the boy on the other side of the room. I could hardly make out Kenny, but his glare on Ryuichi was clear enough. I expected to see a sword in his hand, but there wasn't any, his katana was still strapped to his back, and that was when my attention turned to beyond the boy. Link stood behind him, sword unsheathed as he glared angrily at Ryuichi. His hair, face and clothes were matted with mud.

"Let her go." Link said angrily. Kenny glanced towards him than unsheathed his kitana.

"You heard him." Kenny followed. I gagged, shutting my eyes tight, as I began to feel even more lightheaded and my whole body beginning to feel weak.

"I guess I have no choice than…" I heard Ryuichi say as he let go of my neck. I fell to the floor in a heap as I gasped for air. The entire room spinned around me as I finally went unconscious.

XxxxXxxxX

I groaned in pain as my eyes squinted from the blinding light. My hands shot up to my head as I turned it away from the sunlight. I felt a hand on my arm and I quickly winced in pain as I tried to back away from the sudden interaction. My whole body ached and I didn't even understand why. The hand quickly shot back and I heard a familiar voice.

"Jade?" before he could say anything else, I had opened my eyes to stare up at Link. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"You're awake…that's good." He feigned a smile. Something was definitely not right.

"What's wrong?" I asked; my voice was raspy.

"Nothing," his smile faded, "Why do you say that?"

I shrugged as much as I could without pain searing throughout my body. Looking around, I realized I was in my bed in my room in the castle.

"Are you feeling alright? Do you need anything?" he asked and I just shook my head. I felt something rough when I placed my hand on my stomach. I raised the covers and raised my shirt. My entire abdomen had been bandaged. Not entirely, though. So, that was a relief.

"What happened?" I asked, I could hardly remember what had happened.

"You were pretty beat up when we got to you. Well, not as much as Ryuichi, but you have a couple of broken ribs and bruises. You'll be fine, though." He answered simply.

"We...?" I repeated a bit curiously. He raised an eyebrow and nodded to my other side. I craned my neck to see Kenny slouched on a chair next to my bed. His elbow rested on the armrest as his head rested on his fist. His knee bent up as his foot rested on the side of the bed, and his eyes were closed. He looked even kind of cute that way.

"What?" My head jerked back to Link's direction.

"What?" I repeated.

"You were smiling." A small smile played at the edge of his lips.

"Oh… I was just thinking of how… funny he looks." Link looked back up at Kenny with a raised eyebrow.

I faked a cough, "Anyway, um, how long have I been out?"

"Not that long actually. It's only eight something."

"EIGHT?" Link slightly jumped from his seat.

"What? What? What is it?" he asked, bewildered as he gripped the edge of the armrest and leaned forward.

"I have to go…" I made a move to get up, but Link just pushed me back with my shoulders.

"You're not going anywhere. You're beat up like he-. I mean, well, you're not in any condition to go anywhere."

"But, but, I…" I turned from Link to Kenny in confusion, "Kenny, yeah, he'll vouch for me. He knows where I have to go."

"He knows where you have to go? Why don't I know where you have to go?" He frowned slightly before hiding any emotion.

"I uh, I'm going to sleep, now. Goodnight…" I closed my eyes and tried to fake sleeping.

"Jade." Link snapped and I jumped, "Where did you have to go today?" It was like he was talking to a baby. Mind you, I'm not.

"The…market, yeah..."

"Jade." Link crossed his arms and stared at me with an unreadable expression.

"None of your business..."

"Yes it is. It's important for me to know where you are if you get into any danger."

"What are you, my mother?"

He looked at me confused.

"Ok, sorry…What are you, my father?"

"I don't think I'd be here if I were your parents."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'd be pulling my hair out."

"Ha, hah, ha…eh…"

"I agree with Link. I actually think they deserve an award." I jerked my head to see Kenny with eyes open, staring at us boringly.

"Very funny, Kenny. Why don't you just go back to sleep so you won't get cranky?"

"Nice sense of humor, but didn't you say you wanted me to vouch something for you?"

"You heard me?"

"Apparently…"

"Since when?"

"Since you said, 'EIGHT?'" my eyes widened in shock. Did my eyebrow just twitch?

"Ugh, you're such an a-…" before I could finish, Link's hand was over my mouth and I had finished with a muffle.

"Why do you always do that? Cause next time you do that, you're going to regret it." I threatened after Link had pulled back his hand.

He only shook his head and sat back down, "Uh, anyway, do you two know each other?"

"That's an understatement…" I mumbled.

"Oh, shut up. We only met the day before." Kenny's bored expression turned to one of annoyance as he glanced at me.

"Yeah, and that's enough…" I rolled my eyes at him and he stood up in his chair.

"Don't underestimate me. I could have you gone in a second."

"Oh, yeah? Well, I can…have you…running for your life in a minute." I said as I tried pushing myself up without falling back down in pain.

"A second is way faster than a minute." He crossed his arms and stared at me matter-of-factly.

"So? I won't even give you a second during the minute that I'm taking so you can run for your life."

"What are you going to do? Threaten me with a carrot stick."

"No, maybe a clover. Taste of your own medicine." I muttered.

"That's it. I don't care even if you are a girl- that is, if you are one? You're going down."

"Then I'm taking you down with me." I retorted.

"Fine, get your ass off that bed and we'll take this outside."

"Fine." I was half way up when Link pushed me back down. He had been watching the whole time doing nothing. Grr, I just wanted to punch Kenny in the face so badly. Take that cute smirk and shove it back up-… Okay, bad, bad thoughts…

"Knew you were too chicken…" that was it. I jumped up and grabbed Kenny by the collar, shoving him down onto the ground at the same time.

"Who are you calling chicken, now?" I asked angrily, still pushing Kenny harder on the ground.

"Apparently, you." He grabbed my collar and rolled me over onto my back. I winced as pain seared throughout my body once more. His ruby-red eyes just glared at me with that same expression he had on the day before.

"Hey, I wouldn't start a fight with him. He actually saved your life last night." My expression softened when I heard those words.

"You actually… did that?" I asked.

"I should've thought twice…should've let my brother beat you to a pulp a bit more before saving you. Maybe then some sense would get knocked into you." He leered with an expression I couldn't quite figure out.

"Did, did you just say your, 'brother'?"

"Yes." He stated flatly.

"I don't understand."

"It's a long story." He said as he finally stood up. He stretched out his hand in front of me and I took it, though a bit confused. He pulled me back up onto my feet.

"No, I want to know."

"I already told you, it's a long story."

"I know, you told me that the day before. Now, how did you get here?" I asked, almost demanding to know.

He sighed, grabbing his head in frustration then groaning.

"Tell me." I said as I stepped towards him.

"Alright, alright. Fine." I sat down on the bed, getting comfortable, followed by Link.

"When I was a kid, my parents always told us about these shadow people that held strange powers that no one else could control. They always told my brother and me these stories. The thing was- they were talking about our past. I had no idea about it until I was probably around five. My brother was around ten and he had already found out about it and had learned to control his powers since he was eight. Our parents didn't know that he had been practicing behind their backs. When he was eighteen he found a book in the attic that taught him all the spells… that's when he decided on taking over the world."

I snorted after he had said that and their attention turned towards me. I coughed, "Sorry, just sounds so cliché."

"That's what I said once I found out," Kenny continued, "but he didn't care. Eventually, he realized it was too much of a problem, so he came here. I told my parents after he had been gone for a few days. After some yelling and lecturing, they sent me to go after him. I was only fourteen."

"So, you've been here three years?" Link asked and Kenny nodded.

"That sucks." I mumbled.

"You're telling me."

"You two must obviously hate this place…" Link breathed as he shook his head without turning to us.

I glanced at Kenny as he looked at me than ran a hand through his hair. I stared down at my shoes, "We're sorry, Link, but imagine yourself in our shoes…going to a whole different world… it's not that easy."

"You told me this whole place was fake in your world and that you knew pretty much everything about it, then you should know that I have been to a completely different world…and more than twice… get some rest, Jade, you'll need it." Link stood up and exited the room without another word. I turned to Kenny once more and gave him a frazzled expression. He shrugged and sat back in his chair.

"Never thought a hero could be so sensitive…" he observed.

I glanced at him with a slight glare. I slid off the bed and tried to push myself off. My whole body ached as it shot up my back and throughout my body.

"You should be careful. You were beaten up pretty bad." Kenny remarked.

"Why should you care?" I inquired boringly as I staggered to the mirror.

"I don't. I just thought you should know…" he replied with the same tone.

I stumbled over to the dresser with the mirror and leaned against it for support. I reached up to the collar of my turtleneck shirt and pulled it down. I grimaced as I stared at my neck. It was covered in blue and purple bruises with some swelling in areas where Ryuichi's hands had been. I let it go than turned to my face. A cut about two inches long ran the side of my forehead near my hairline while another small cut decorated under my cheek. I turned around and kneeled down. My jeans were torn and ripped at the bottom as I lifted it up to inspect my leg. Just as I thought from the sharp pains shooting through my legs, bruises from light blue to dark purple dotted my lower leg. Two large, dark purple bruises circled my knee, which solved the reason why I continued to wince every time I bent down. I rolled my tattered jeans back down and stood back up only to lose my balance and fall backwards. Kenny jumped up from his chair in a second, his body only a dark blur as he raced to my side to help me from tipping backwards any further.

I didn't want to glance up at him, but I did anyway. I couldn't take my eyes off of his red ones. I had expected some serious or irritated look from him but I could see the small smile forming on his lips.

"I told you- you should be careful." He said with a small grin.

I didn't want to smile back, but I did anyway, which seemed to mess with my patience and hostility to a lot of people. After all, I was always like this so why did I ever change in the first place?

"I knew you cared." I said as he helped me back to the bed. I crawled on and plopped onto my back as carefully as I possibly could, which was impossible, by the way. Something shuffled next to me and I craned my neck. Kenny was lying next to me with his hands resting behind his head.

"So, um, listen… I'm…I'm sorry…" I said in a low voice as I glanced the other way.

"What for?"

"Just for…well, for…" I just couldn't find the right words.

"Being such an ass and not listening?" he inquired with a smirk.

I turned to him again and scowled. His eyes met mine and I turned away and sighed.

"Yeah, I suppose…"

"What's the matter with you?"

"I don't know, but believe it or not this is how I end up acting towards people."

"What? No dead arms?"

My eyes widened, "Do you want a dead arm? Cause I seriously will?" I sat up and pinned his arm to the bed with a fist in the air.

"If you give me a dead arm you will so regret it." He said in a playful yet icy tone.

"Ooh, I'm scared." I retorted sarcastically then rolled my eyes.

"Oh, you should be."

"And what are you going to do exactly?"

"Are you ticklish?" my eyes widened and I backed away.

"Uh…no?" He smirked evilly.

"Liar…"

"You can't hurt me, that'll ruin my nervous system. I'm in pain, Kenny, pain…" I grabbed my side and keeled over.

"Just imagine what you were like before you got here." He said, rolling over on his side.

"Ha, ha... Not. Funny."

"And you are?"

"You know? You're just asking for it."

"Am I?" he just looked up at me innocently with a smile playing at the edge of his lips.

"You know? I still don't understand how you led a pretty normal life by having red eyes."

"Oh, well, see, I used to have blue eyes, but it was just magic or what some people call, glamour. Like that one book, you know?"

"Oh, yeah that…one…book…" I looked around uneasily.

Kenny sighed next to me and more questions just began to flood in. I couldn't resist asking.

"So, you actually worked at that jerk's farm for three years?" I asked, still not believing it.

"Yeah, but if you're wondering how I've handled it, you could just say I've done a share of pranks."

"You're kidding…? Right?" Once Kenny's face showed that sly look with that same wry smile I began to laugh, "What the heck did you do?"

"Well, I know I've done that bucket with water on the door prank more than once. I was an amateur back then. Hmm, I've also taken small needles and propped them up on a chair. It never got old, but soon enough he began checking his chair before he sat. It's not that easy, though since we're not back home. Or else I'd think he would be getting some unexpected phone calls…heh…" I shook my head and smiled.

"So, did you ever get caught?"

"Nah, this one guy always took the blame. He never liked me in the first place so, meh..."

"Did he know it was you?" I inquired curiously, gazing at him with steady eyes.

"No, well, now he does. He caught me loosening a couple of ties on Pierre's saddle on his horse one day. I had to pay him 300 rupees so he would keep quiet."

"You were blackmailed?" I could hardly contain myself from laughing.

"Shut up, okay. It was a very distressful moment for me." Kenny sniffed and clutched his chest as if he was about to cry.

"Whatever…" There was a moment of silence before I spoke up again, "You're going to have to teach me a few of these pranks, master. So I can be such a professional like you."

Kenny wrapped an arm around my shoulder and leaned in and replied, "Ah, my dear apprentice, you're going to need a lot of training to become as good as me."

"I doubt that." I remarked as I pushed him away and began laughing.

XxxxXxxxX

The chilling breeze cut me to the bone as I stood on my balcony the next day. Kenny had said he would come by the gate to pick me up to go to work. Even in my condition I had to go to the farm. Link had given me a red potion, which tasted horrible by the way, this morning.

I rubbed my arms absentmindedly while my teeth chattered. Cold air is good. I don't mind cold air…………Nevermind… I took one last glance at the rolling hills and the picturesque view of Death Mountain, which wasn't very picturesque if you think of the name they've given it. My head was still turned when I bumped into someone, I assumed. I pictured Link standing there. He must've walked in the five minutes that I had been outside. I opened my eyes expecting to see green garb, but was greeted by black garb…and red eyes.

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Walla! Extra long for the extra long wait! Hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the long wait. BTW, if anyone begins to get confused by my stories, please tell me what it is so I can explain or if not, then you're just going to have to wait until upcoming chapters. Thank you!