BP: Had writer's block for this one, but I am not giving up! I am going to finish the very first story I started, and no one is stopping me! Nobody, you hear? I am just closing my eyes and writing whatever that came up on my mind so please bear with me!
Pretty Little Liars Theme Song
Got a secret?
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you'll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you, then I know you
Won't tell you what I said
Cause two can keep a secret
If one of them is dead...
Ryoma returned home, hands full of store-bought goods. He had the piece of paper in his pocket, along with Tezuka's glasses. Nanako spotted him, and said brightly, "Ah, thanks a lot, Ryoma-san. I…" she trailed off when she saw the look on Ryoma's face. It was one of rage, full of pure hatred. "This is all your fault." He hissed, before climbing up the stairs, slamming the door behind him. Nanako was puzzled. What is he talking about? Meanwhile, Ryoms dumped his bag on the bed, and quickly took out the note he found on the grocery store floor. He read the following words, which he recognized as his brother's handwriting.
Chibisuke,
Come seek me where she likes to dwell
You especially like the place's bell
And while you're searching ponder this;
I've taken what you'll sorely miss,
Three days alone you'll have to look,
And to recover what I took,
But past three days, the prospect's black,
Too late it's gone, it won't come back.
Try and figure out where I've taken your boyfriend to. The person I am referring to in the riddles is someone you know very well, and I am sure you miss her very much. I set a password to the place where I have taken your boyfriend. Try and crack it, if you can.
Each morning I appear
To lie at your feet,
All day I will follow
No matter how fast you run,
Yet I nearly perish
In the midday sun.
This is the password to unlock the place. I'll be waiting there.
P.S: We end this once you arrive, so arm yourself.
Great. Riddles? He isn't very good at solving riddles. Only Shizuka is good at these. He sighed. He'll leave it for tomorrow. He has homework to do. He prayed hard his brother wouldn't do anything to his Kunimitsu. He placed the note between the pages of his notebook, betting that he would have morning and lunchtime to solve both riddles.
Meanwhile, a pair of eyes opened, and brown orbs can be seen through them. The first thing he noticed was he wasn't tied up, like he expected; rather, he was caged in some…force field? He tentatively touched the force field, but retracted his hand immediately, as if he was burned. "You're awake." said a familiar voice. The person stepped out of the shadows. The first person he thought of was Ryoma, but then dismissed it as even though the person had the same hair and eye color as Ryoma, he was much taller and muscular than Ryoma. "We've met before." said the person. Tezuka widened his eyes. Ryoga! Ryoga saw the looks of realization dawn on his captive's face, and smirked. "Glad you found out." he said. "When I met you on the ship, I thought you were the honor student who only cares about your studies and sports. Who knew you are in a relationship, and with my own little brother, too!" He laughed manically. "Tell me, what do you like about my little brother? He's a professional assassin, consumed by darkness, and yet you still want to date him?"
"He may be a professional assassin, but unlike you, he's not twisted and evil." Tezuka spat. "And what business is it of yours, anyway, as to whom Ryoma is dating? I love him, so that's all it matters."
"How sweet, Tezuka." Ryoga sneered. "But unfortunately, I deem him unworthy of being an assassin, and therefore, unworthy of his life, so I'm going to kill him when he gets here. If he doesn't come, then I'll kill you. I'll love to see the look on his face when he sees your dead body." Tezuka clenched his fists at that. He wished he could just punch Ryoga in the face right then and there, but the force field is preventing him from doing so….
He looked out the window. It was night. 'Ryoma…'
The night whispered of distant thunder. It was muggy, hot and a miserable night for sleeping. Twice Ryoma had awakened hoping that it was time to be up, but each time the night had been total blackness with no hint of a graying dawn. Ryoma sighed. The hot weather plus the worry he felt towards Kunimitsu was overwhelming his sleep. He merely stared at the ceiling, and alternated between closing his eyes and lying there and getting up and pace around his room until morning.
He skipped breakfast that day; he didn't have the appetite to eat. He grabbed his lunchbox and notebook and ran out. He grasped more firmly his notebook, where he had kept the note in between, and his lunchbox of cornbread and oil sausages. He shifted the lunchbox from his right hand to his right wrist and his notebook from his left hand to his left armpit, he pulled at the high collar of his gakuren with exasperation. The weather didn't help either; it's only 6.45a.m and already, the sun was scorching hot. Finally, he reached the school, and headed straight to his classroom; he didn't want to go for morning practice that day, he needs to solve those two riddles.
Meanwhile, in the tennis courts…
"Eh? Where's buchou and Ochibi?" said Kikumaru. "Momo, have you seen them?"
Momoshiro shook his head. "I don't know. By the time I came to fetch Echizen, his cousin said he had already left for school, so I assumed he came here. Strange he isn't here…."
Fuji opened his eyes. "Saa…I wonder what happened? Tezuka's parents said that he didn't return home last night."
"DIDN'T RETURN HOME?" the others shouted in unison.
"Yeah. I wonder what could have happened though. Whatever it is, I don't have a good feeling about this….maybe we should ask Echizen. He was the last person with Tezuka after all…."
Ryoma yawned as he finished his lunch at the rooftop. He took out a dark purple pen, and started scribbling possible places where Tezuka is held. Come seek me where she likes to dwell, he especially likes the place's bell…..now who could he be referring to? As far as he knows, he doesn't like bells at all….Ryoga says it's someone he misses very much and whom he knows very well….the bell….he hummed the tune of a usual bell, then it clicked. The tune he hummed was the same as the tune of one of the songs Shizuka liked to sing. He smiled. He knew where he was taken to. It was the place Shizuka liked to go to sing her heart out, and the bell actually meant her singing. Ryoma had loved her singing when she was alive. It helped comfort him, soothe him. Now for the next riddle…
Each morning I appear
To lie at your feet,
All day I will follow
No matter how fast you run,
Yet I nearly perish
In the midday sun.
'To follow no matter how fast I am…now, that's interesting…" Ryoma thought. 'It lies at my feet and they perish in the midday sun….' He looked down at his feet. 'Shoes? No, I can take them off anytime. Floor? No, they don't vanish even in midday. To follow…hmm…it follows no matter how fast…hair? No….hair does not vanish either…..could it be…..a shadow? Yes that's it! The password is Shadow!' Ryoma recorded down the location and the password. He smiled. Now he has the information he needs to save Kunimitsu.
A boy around age 14 gritted his teeth in pain as the whip hits him, breaking the silence in a loud crack. The whip cut into his skin deeply, and blood began to flow. He wouldn't show any weaknesses here. He merely glared at his torturer. "Che, you do not scream at all. You're no fun." said Ryoga, running the whip with his hand, splattering Tezuka's face with his own blood. He coiled the whip, and walked away, but not before pressing the button that activated the force field. "Well, at least I don't need a guard while I have this force field." He muttered, walking away.
Tezuka sighed, leaning against the wall. Hopefully, he would be able to withstand a few more hits. He couldn't bear to imagine the look on Ryoma's face if he sees the state he is currently in.
"Echizen!" Ryoma snapped out of his reverie. It was the regulars.
"Did you see Tezuka?"said Fuji. "You were the last person with him."
Ryoma contemplated this. Should he tell them what he knows? No….that seemed dangerous. Also, although he knew they care for Tezuka, he mustn't let them in on his secret. He already lost many people that he loved, and he was on the verge of losing the person he loved the most. He mustn't let them in as well. They will die.
He bit his lip. "No, I didn't see him. We separated ways at the train station. I didn't see him after that."
"I see. Did he call you after that or something?" said Fuji.
Ryoma shook his head. Just then, the bell rang. "I got to go for class….see you tomorrow." With that, he walked away, leaving the regulars behind.
Ryoma walked towards his classroom, resolutely looking at the space ahead, or rather, glaring at the space in front of him. He had come to a decision.
He is going to rescue Kunimitsu himself, even if it costs his life.
BP: I know, not my best work, because of writer's block. Do review though, because reviews encourage me to write more.