Book of Fire - Chapter One - Re: Birth
I drummed my fingers against the white bars that were my cage. This place, wherever this actually is...whatever this place actually is, seemed to be completely emersed in white colors. It was dull. The only things in the entire room seemed to be this cage, and this white bunny plushie sitting on a stool. In front of my prison. Staring. WITH A GODDAMN SCYTHE STRAPPED TO IT"S BACK! Creepy.
It's probably been awhile since I ended up in this prison, although I can't even tell how much time has passed since I died. Nothing changed. At all. If I could go crazy, then I would have, but then I'm dead. And dead people, don't go crazy...do they?
Suddenly, the room shifted. Physically, no, but something did. My senses were screaming out at me, telling me to run, to get away from here, to go anywhere at all!
"PROSTRATE."
I clutched my head, and screamed out. The pain was unbearable. It felt like ten-thousand needles spiking my mind. Even though I strained to keep standing, my knees buckled and slowly they fell. Then the feeling vanished. Try as I might, I couldn't get up.
Horrified, then scared, then angry; all sorts of emotions seemed to race through my body, going in then out. Except one lingered. Excitement.
I don't know why. I should be feeling scared, or nervous, or breaking out in sweats. Except I don't. Seriously, how much worse could it get since I'm already dead.
My musings ended when the voice came back. "THY NAME IS UZUMAKI NARUTO. THY CRIME IS DESTRUCTION OF WORLD 34R7H. THY PUNISHMENT IS IMPRISONMENT IN THE NEGATION CUBE OF THE NINTH LEVEL OF THE NINTH FLOOR OF THE NINTH GATE OF THE NINTH DEPTH. SO DECLARED BY ME, SO IT SHALL BE!" A bright light blinded me, but I could just barely make out an outline of a giant phantom-judge behind a phantom-potium swirl out of the crazy-bunny's body. I was too stunned at his appearance so it took me a minute to process what he just said. My eyes were attached to the hammer coming down on the podium to officially initiate my punishment.
"Wait," a soft voice commanded. The hammer halted without hesitation. My heart thumped loudly in my ears, and I swear that these two beings could hear it as well.
A moment of strained silence passed. "Messenger Wyn. To what may I have the pleasure of your visit."
The voice changed in a swift one hundred and eighty degrees turn. He actually sounded frightened.
"Judge Erien. Release thy prisoner. His punishment is delayed." The voice was soft, much too soft. It sent shivers down my back, not that I dared to actually make a single movement right now. Whoever this 'Cherubim Petit' is, I know that he's not a person I would want to mess with.
"No! His punishment is one that cannot simply be delayed. His crime is one that cannot be ignored. He is Sekai no Shi (Lit. World's Death)! He must pay-." An overwhelming presence filled the room. I heard a voice scream. It took a moment before I realised it was my own, and then everything became blissfully black.
"They're orders from above. Zephyr has pronounced it."
I woke up sweating, and my heart beating hard. It was the third time this past month. The same dream. I clung to my bedsheets, my nails digging into the fabric. I drew around me, and cloaked it like a cocoon. I took some deep breaths. In and out. In and out. In and out...
"Teehee, wake up sleepy head. Destiny cannot be kept waiting~!"
"Young Master. Young Master. NARUTO!" I groaned as light peeked through my curtains and into my bedroom. "Naruto," an irritated voice said, "Come. Wake! It is your's and Prince Zuko's 10th birthday!"
I moaned again and covered my head with my pillow. I mumbled something incomprehensible.
"No! You may have five more minutes. You must get ready! The parade is going to start soon, and you must meet up with Master Piandao in two hours!"
I snorted. Master Piandao can suck my not-yet-so-hairy-.
My thoughts were blown away as a sudden coldness enveloped me. Apparently, someone had the bright-eyed idea to yank my covers away from me.
I yelled in fury. "Argh! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU-. Oh. It's you, Eve. Morning!" I smiled sheepishly.
"Oh. Morning, is it now?" A vein popped on her forehead as she faked a smile back. Not good. MORE SMILING!
"Um. Good Morning, Eve? Have I ever told you how wonderfully vivid that red hair of your's is, or how shiny your smile is? 'Cuz, just so you know, your the bestest best maid I can ever have! Like, seriously, my BBMICEH! I really appreciate everything you've ever done for me. Why don't you just take the day off, and, while you're at it, go to the local hotspring and have a good time."
Twitch. "Right." More erratic twitching and freaky smiling. Ohhh, I'm in for a world of hur-.
"AHHHHHH!"
"TAKE THIS! FIRE NATION'S NUMBER ONE MAID SECRET TECHNIQUE!: FIST OF FURY!" The fist left an imprint on the spot right next to my head. Messing with Mya is a no-no. You can get seriously hurt. "So. Are you ready to cooperate now, young master? Or shall I have to do some more...convincing." Eve threatened.
"Ye-yes ma'm," She smiled predatorily, making me shiver.
"Good." An awkward silence befell us.
"So? Hop to it." She showed her fist, clenched and ready.
"Um. Can you go outside so I can change?"
"No."
Meep.
-An hour later-
"Now, was that so hard?" HELL YEAH. Most embarrasing moment of my life. Besides Zuko's 6th birthday party. Now that was bad. Flinging cake at the current Fire Lord is never a good thing, even if it was accidental. Luckily, or not so luckily, all I got for punishment was a public beating. By Eve.
Eve is the maid. She's not just a maid, but the maid. Her full name is Evelynn Bane. She was picked up by Father a couple years just after the Invasion started. She was a war-orphan and something compelled Father to take her home.
"No, Eve. In fact, that was fantastic! Because I just love people watching me strip, and change."
"Hey! It's your own fault for not being a good boy," Eve sighed. "What would your father say if he came back and saw you still in your night robes? 'Oh Eve, darling, this boy is ridiculously lazy! If not for his beloved ramen, I don't think he would even wake up!'," she mocked. "Ha! Your father has the right idea all right."
By Aguni's Fire! "Just ONE embarrassing moment, and it gets hold against you forever! What kind of maid are you Eve? Why can't you be like Zuko's? The ones who always just fuss around him with those unnaturally high giggles? Or I would even put up with Azula's! Her's just stand next to her and brood."
"Riiiiight," she smirked. "Just watch, one of these days, I going to trade places with one of them just for the heck of it. Shanon seems like a good choice. See if you'll still complain then!
"Oh Fire, don't even joke about exchanging with that...that...THING! She's probably not even human! I mean, how can a person's voice go so high that it can even shatter glass? Oh speak of the devil-"
A high pitched squeal caused me to involentarily flinch. IT'S HERE!
"ACK, SAVE ME EVE!"
She just cackled nastily. "Not a chance. You're the only one who finds her annoying. Besides, what was that about you wanting me to be swapped?" She smirked evilly. "You're on your own, kiddo. Oh! Look those cabbages are half off today!"
"Oh by the Bright Fire, MASTER NARUTO!" a shrilly voice shrieked. I flinched. Visibly, physically, with my entire body, literally flinched away from the banshee. She giggled and fluttered her eyes. "Good morning Master Naruto. I heard through the grapevine you were looking for a replacement maid, and I was hoping you would consider me!"
Wha-. It's only been a few minutes since that comment and it already heard about it? Amazing, the power of civilian gossipers. You can't get away with anything without your great-aunt's second son's (thrice-removed) ex-wife's sister's second eldest daughter hearing about it.
"Ahahaha...ha...I think you've mistaken Shanon. I remember saying how my maid was irreplacable. Especially as how nice and great she is." I didn't even react when I heard a not-so-subtle snicker behind me. I think I should get an award for my acting skills.
"So...thing-cough. I mean, uh, Shanon. Where's my cousin? Shouldn't you be attending him?"
"Cousin...? Oh! Master Zuko! Now, where could that boy have gone?"
"Yes, Shanon," A voice said sarcastically. "I do wonder where your master, the one that you should be following, has gone." Out from behind a trinket stall, comes my great prick of a cousin.
"Ah, Master, there you are! Where'd you go? I was looking all over for you."
"Where did I go? WHERE DID I GO? I should be asking you that!" Zuko said, irate. "Shanon, you're always like this! It's as if you sense when Naruto," He glances in my direction and I give him a smirk. He bites his lip. I know that look, it's meant to hide his frustration, but instead it just makes it more obvious. He flicks back towards Shanon. "When Naruto takes a step a out his front gate! Do you smell him or something?"
"Ehehehe, you're so funny Master Zuko." She replied, seemingly oblivious to her master's obvious irritation.
"Hey Zuko, nice robes," I might have sounded sarcastic when I said it, but they really were nice-looking robes. It was in anticipation for today's ceremony. I gave him a smirk. "You look like a burning chicken."
Zuko glared at me, and retorted,"You mean a phoenix? I always knew you weren't all that smart, but to mistake such a legendary bird for the common chicken? I am shocked. Besides, your robes aren't much better. What is that color supposed to be? Did the seamstress suddenly have a heart attack and threw up pumpkins along with the blood?"
I chuckled. "Well, excuse me for mistaking your oh-so elegant robes for some hideous common bird. And my robes are perfectly fine. They just...faded a little when one of the servants left it out in the sun too long." He merely rolled his eyes at me. I caught Eve's eye, and signaled her.
"Oh, dear me, I seem to have forgotten to buy some cabbages for tonight's dinner! Shanon, won't you be just a darling and come with me? The cabbage cart is just over there." Eve took Shanon by the arm and swept her away with the grace of a cat. She barely gave Shanon enough time to look at Zuko for permission-which, of course, he gave.
"She's quite the...unique individual isn't she, your maid." I grinned wickedly at him. I know he likes his maid just about a much as I do. In other words, very little.
"Oh shut up. Let's go to Master Piandao's place before they come looking for us. They'll find us as long as Shanon retains her sense of smell...or whatever she uses to sense you. I swear, she must have psychic powers or something." He grimaced, and started along without even a backwards glance at me.
I chuckled and followed him up the street.
Oh for the love of-
"Zuko, for the last time, please leave the poor bird alone. The pigeon isn't doing anything to you!" I exclaimed.
Zuko replied without breaking eye contact with the bird, "Don't you find it so annoying? That suspicious beady eye, and suspicious orange beak. It's like it's staring at you as if you killed it's mother or something."
I closed my eyes, trying to keep myself from rolling my eyes, trying not to look unsightly while waiting for Master Piandao to finish his preparations. I did it anyway, and I get the feeling Fat, the butler, did the same. "Once again, Zuke, it's only a regular goddamn bir-." In a flurry of dust and wind, the said bird dived into my face, wings wildly flapping at my face, and beak pecking at my eyes.
"ARGHHH!"
"See? What'd I tell you?" Zuko said smugly. Bastard.
"Just help get him off!" A sharp whistle resounded in the area, and the bird seemed to reluctantly back off.
"Well, this wasn't quite I was expecting when I heard that the two noble prince had finally come for the preparations." He raised an eyebrow. "Come, we don't have much time. The sun's going to be in position soon, so we'll need to hurry."
We followed him through several corridors, and I tried to subtly pull out the feathers tangled in my hair. I noticed that each corridor seemed to match the movement of the sun at a time of day. From the entrance to the very back of the hold, the color of the walls seem to brighten then fade. Although from the outside, the building already seemed huge, the inside was a different matter. The ceiling was so high up, and at the center of the hold was a dome, decorated like the sky. I couldn't help but stand there, staring at in the middle of the painted sun. It almost seemed as if-.
"Ahem." Master Piandao motioned us to stand on the two rings positioned on opposides of the room. He himself stood in the center.
"Close your eyes."
We did.
"Now, the ceremony will begin."
Hey guys...Well, it's been a while. A LONG while. I apologize for not updating till several years afterwards. Writing is harder than it seems. I'll do my best, though, to continue because I really love where this is going. In my mind it's all wonderfully played out, but putting into writing is extremely hard.
PERSEVERANCE!
