Kanon
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In the Stars above Ground
-Chijou no Hoshi-
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DONT FORGET TO FOLLOW, VOTE AND COMMENT DESU~
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Ritsu looks around again. He could've sworn he saw the blonde's golden hair somewhere in the crowd, but before he could see any more a taller girl with black hair ran into his line of vision. Of course Len had chosen a day of festival to run off and decided not to come back.
It was around sunset by now, and numerous candles had already been set up along the streets and lighted.
'It's far too noisy.' Len would always tell Ritsu, who would then nod. He agreed. People are noisy, Ferae and Humans alike. Loud, and they apparently like be crowded. How the blonde had chosen this particular day, Ritsu had no idea.
The kid, yes, he reminded him of a child when he'd run and disappear from sight, hated crowded places.
Ritsu gets off the main street. If he wants any luck in trying to find Len, he would have to look through the alleys around the main road.
He knows the blonde has the entire map of the city's alleyways in his head. He could walk them blind.
I look around to find nothing. Everywhere I can see nothing but body, after body, after body. Humans, bird- and cat-Ferae, and many others. Young, old, happy ones and sad ones. Depressed ones even.
'Why are there so many people on the main road?' I mumble.
I turn around again. It is way too crowded here right now. I wonder... Is there a festival going on? Festival's are not common, but they certainly aren't unheard of in the City. This center, as the humans call it, functions just like a city. This is why I call it so, a City. The City.
A nameless City, to be exact.
A city reigned by one man, though they whisper it's a council. A Council of 7 men, who decide everything there is. Festival's included.
I turn around again when I notice someone reaching for my tail. Growling I jump back a little, I can't get far for there isn't much room, but it'll have to do. It's a small, yes, smaller than me, boy. A human with blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a green, laced up tunic and brown shorts above brown heavy boots. He smiles at me and walks forward, reaching his small hands out in front of him.
'Whaite wone!' He exclaims happily, a big smile on his pale face. 'Whaite wone!'
I frown, watching as he walks closer, though, I couldn't call it walking. It's shaky and uncoordinated, but he's not stumbling or limping. The boy's not hurt, but he walks strangely.
Is this a way children walk?
When he gets even closer he stumbles and drops down in front of my feet. I scoot back a little. What am I supposed to do now?
'Are you alr-?'
Before I can even clearly finish my sentence the boy starts crying. I clasp my hands over my ears.
Geez! That's so loud! He only fell?!
Sighing I walk closer, then set my knees down to the street next to the human boy. He sits up rubbing at his large blue eyes flooded by tears. I resist the urge to smile, he looks funny like this, all hopeless and crying. It'll get twisted when he grows older, then he'll be the one trying not to laugh at the pathetic-ness of the Ferae. For sure, the roles will switch when the boy grows older, and we grow poorer.
Just like I was laughed at.
'Are you OK?' I say, loud enough for him to hear. He stops crying immediately, and shakes his head. So, it's a no, but he's not hurt, so what is it?
Because I'm wondering I don't notice him reaching his hands out to me, if I had noticed, well, I could have gotten away within time, but I didn't.
I didn't notice, until it was just a little too late. Stupid, stupid, stupid ability...
My ears start ringing as soon as his small fingers touch my skin. My vision blurs, and my breath gets knocked out of my lungs. I can't describe it any other way than that it's like drowning. Drowning in a memory, a life, anything clinging to a person, or an object. Drowning in something flowing, like water.
I discovered it not too long ago, two weeks before my final exams, the exams I had to take to be able to call myself a real Bard. There was this lunchbox, and I know, it was "just a lunchbox" right? Now I remember my lunch always getting stolen, so had my lunch been stolen that day.
So, I thought that that lunchbox was mine. I wish it had been. I'm still shaking at the very thought of what I saw. I can only see when it's like that you see, not hear, not speak nor feel, I can only see. So now I'm stuck with the memories of a girl getting beat up by her father every day, and her then having to make lunch for herself, wiping the blood off her mouth. The lunches that lunchbox carried, just as it carried her memories. And...
That girl, is my guild's very own Rinka.
It's strange isn't it? How fate seems to unfold? Two weeks later I met her, the Rinka from my memory, and I've never met one as strong as her. Two weeks later I found out how the Headmaster had made up our guild. Ritsu, the archer, and my friend. Rinka, the protector, and the one whose memories of childhood I'd seen. The others, Bakaito, and Usagi. All the same. All hurt and wounded, but we understood. From that day onward, we where partners. We never needed to be best friends, just partners was enough. But we're growing together slowly, I started noticing.
I do believe that there will never be a guild like ours. We are tied by our own shadows, and we fight to find our light. Everyone of us has their own reasons to cross the Labyrinth, and this time, I know, we will find our way.
As the ringing in my ears get worse, I shut my eyes tightly, knowing that by now I must be growling, but I can't hear myself anymore. Everything has gotten quiet, just the ringing remains. To have this happening again... it's been a while since last time... I suck in a last shaky breath, then everything suddenly gets bright before my eyes.
Cold...
It must be cold...
My hands... no, his hands... they're shaking...
How stupid... it's dark... in here...
No, that not true... I can see other colors...
Pink and white... petals... on the ground...
A tree?
And... and there's red...
Someone's... someone... is... bleeding...
Someone's bleeding. Someone's hurt. Someone's... dying?
As the wind picks up I look at the ground before me. For a few seconds the fallen petals of a dozen trees obscure my sight. The moonlight illuminates the iron I hold out in front of me, my hands shaking in the dying light. A few petals stick to the blade because of the... the blood?
In front me is a woman, her eyes cast downwards, her clothes torn, blood gushing out of the miniature wounds afflicted to her sides, to her arms, and to her chest. When she looks up I set a step back, still shaking. Her lips start moving again, her face scrunched up in a wicked smile, her eyes burning with hatred.
There are small lights everywhere. Firefly's, swirling over the blade, over my arms and hands. In front of my eyes, illuminating the woman further. Her blue eyes lighting up, her white teeth glimmering. I can see my own face in them. A small, delicate face. Pale, dirt sticking to it, blood-flecks in my blonde hair, my blue eyes blurred with tears in the light of the little stars flying around. I'm barely older than a year or six...
For a few seconds I do noting, then I step forward again. I step forward, bringing the blade up, and plunging down.
Again... and again... again... and again... and again... and again...
Kuso... what's going on.....
Is that kid... a murderer?
'If it is not Ritsu, you dear, come over 'ere.' Ritsu looks up at the sound of Madam Joan's voice. The barkeeper, or, innkeeper, calls out for him from the other side of the alley, close to the main road. She's breathing a bit heavily, like she's been running.
'Madam?' Ritsu asks, walking towards her. When he's close enough, he can see that she's sweating a little, her breathing is getting more even now though.
'You're looking for 'im, aren't you?'
He nods.
'T'en you better be quick. 'e's over t'ere, the main road.'
Ritsu nods again, walking passed her, but before he can walk past her completely she whispers.
'If 'e be'aves badly, bring 'im to t'e inn.'
He doesn't answer, but makes it a mental note. He already knows he'll need it.
When he walks out of the alley he notices it's already nighttime. The candle's light illuminates the less heavy crowd, but it's not quiet anymore. Somewhere he can hear people calling to each other, some people's voices high in panic, some whispering to each other.
Knowing Len is one that, if he isn't the centre of something troublesome, always is there when something's happening, Ritsu pushes through the crowd in order to get to the voices.
'Someone give him room! He's scared enough as he is!' He can hear someone calling to the others in the crowd. He can see a tall girl standing in the middle of a clearing in the crowd. Her black hair falls over her shoulders. She's wearing a kimono, but she misses the makeup to be a real Japanese. Her golden eyes fall on him, and he can see the worry in her eyes. She looks like a dog-type Ferae.
Ritsu pushes past the last few people, but what his eyes meet, is something he had hoped to never see again.
'Len, what in the name of the Goddesses...'
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DONT FORGET TO FOLLOW, VOTE AND COMMENT DESU~
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AN:
Sorry this one took so loooooong. But, I've just entered last semester, so updates are going to be bit slower than usual, since I've got to get my grades up to be able to pass. I'm afraid there isn't a subject called "creative writing" where I come from, 'cuz then I wouldn't have to worry, hehe. But, here's the new chap, so I hope you enjoyed it!