Post by Sokenfused on Jan 27, 2008 20:25:09 GMT -5
This is a story I’ve been working on that’s based on a bunch of dreams I had. There’s not a lot of build up or background to it, but you should still be able to get what’s going on. This is Part One-
Requiem
--------------------------------------
Kuro bound up the stairs to Kin's room taking the steps two at a time and finally coming to a heavy-breathed halt outside Kin's sliding door. After making a feeble attempt at knocking, Kuro threw the door to the side and rushed in with a wide grin on his face, shouting "Come on Kin! It's time to train!"
After waiting a second for his friend's usual bemoaned response, Kuro realized that Kin wasn't in the room. Looking around, Kuro noticed that Kin's bed was still made, having obviously not been slept in, and Kin's bag and weapons were missing. Kuro figured Kin had already gone out to the training grounds early, a bit out of the ordinary but nothing to worry about, and turned to leave when he paused at the door.
Kuro could hear the faint sound of crying and sobs coming from somewhere in the room. He turned around and scanned the room again when he noticed the bathroom door slightly ajar. Kuro walked cautiously to the door and gently pushed it open. He was surprised to see a small figure curled up on the floor in the farthest corner of the bathroom trying desperately to muffle their sobs. Kuro stepped into the bathroom and flicked on the lights. It was then he realized who it was crying at his feet.
"Tetsuai!" Kuro said in an alarmed tone, as he took a step forward and then knelt down by the crying girl's side. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
The small girl responded only by turning towards the wall, hiding her face under her long, dark hair and beginning to sob uncontrollably. Kuro was taken aback by her reaction and reached out to comfort her. Tetsuai threw a hand up to stop Kuro, but only succeeded in falling to her side where she began to shake while she sobbed even harder. Kuro gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her upright, which allowed him to get a look at the girl's face for the first time. The girl's usually brilliant green eyes were completely bloodshot and dark lines ran down her cheeks from where tears flowed freely.
"What's wrong?" Kuro asked her in the gentlest voice he could muster considering the wave of concern that was welling up inside him. He waited for her to respond.
Tetsuai turned her gaze away from Kuro and continued to sob. After a minute or so of patience from Kuro, the girl finally looked up at him and tried to choke out a few words through her sobs.
"K...K...Kin!" She was finally able to gasp.
Kuro immediately succumbed to the torrent of panic that now overwhelmed his senses. "What about Kin? What's wrong?" he pleaded.
"H...H...He's gone!"
"What do you mean?" Kuro asked fervently.
Tetsuai now concerted every ounce of energy she had left in her to speak clearly. "H...He left!" She gasped. "I came by to see him this morning and he was packing his stuff. He said he was leaving. I thought he was joking, so I asked him 'where?' and he said 'Away from everything I love and hold dear'. Th-...then, he started walking away a-...and he had this look in his eyes. I knew he was serious."
Kuro was now in a complete state of panic and he began to stammer himself as he tried to speak, “W-…Where did he go, Tetsuai? Please, tell me!”
Tetsuai could no longer respond though as she again broke down in a fit of sobs and tears. The only thing she could think to do was to feebly hand over the token Kin had thrown to her as he walked out to Kuro. Kuro accepted it with trembling hands and looked it over carefully, and then a wave of anger began to roar deep within him. Had anyone but he or Tetsuai looked upon the simple silver-chained necklace, which dangled in Kuro’s hand as he held it up to his eyes, they’d of thought it nothing more than a memento of a lost loved one. The necklace was something much more than that though.
Kuro clumsily shoved his free hand down his collar and extracted a necklace of his own that was identical to the one he now held in his hand, save the fact that they bore different symbols from one another. The necklace had been given to Kin by Kuro and another one had been given to Tetsuai by Kin when they finally confessed their love for one another. Kuro’s necklace bore the symbol for Honor, Tetsuai’s bore the symbol for Love, and Kin’s bore the symbol for Family, which is what he, Kuro, and Tetsuai had become over the years- a family. The fact that Kin had thrown his necklace to Tetsuai and left was tantamount to him stabbing her and Kuro in the back.
A look of understanding washed over Kuro’s face as he knelt silently by Tetsuai’s side and considered the implications of his dear friend’s actions. He’s going to try and do it alone! Kuro told himself. The waves of anger and panic that had been building up inside of Kuro now crashed against one another with the latter being completely consumed within the torrent of anger and rage that swept through Kuro’s body. Kuro now gripped Kin’s necklace tightly and turned to rush out of the room, but he paused and looked back at Tetsuai who looked up at him with tear-drenched eyes. Kuro didn’t want to leave her alone, but he knew that if he didn’t leave now then he’d never catch up to Kin.
Kuro leaned down to comfort Tetsuai again, but she held up a hand to stop him then looked at him with a determined look in her eyes and said, “Please bring him back, Kuro. This can’t be how this ends and…I think you’re the only one he’ll listen to.”
A single tear then ran down Tetsuai’s cheek and Kuro had to catch himself before he too shed a tear. Kuro then stood while holding a fist out in front of him and said, “I promise, Tetsuai. I promise I’ll bring Kin back, no matter what.”
With that, Kuro spun around quickly, dashed out the room and sprinted down the stairs out of the building. Kuro knew that Kin could only be headed one way if he really was leaving the village since there was only path that led to the outside world- The Valley of the End. Knowing this, Kuro felt confident he could catch up to Kin before he reached the outer boundary of the village despite the fact that Kin had a substantial lead on him. After all, Kuro had always been a bit faster than Kin. Kuro smiled to himself as he thought about the countless footraces he and Kin had had as they grew up.
--------
Kin and Kuro knelt down next to one another at the end of a short side street. They both tried to stare the other down, but only succeeded in grinning widely at one another.
“Okay, it’s your turn to say ‘Go’ Kuro.” Kin said, still grinning.
“Nuh-uh!” Kuro protested. “I said ‘Go’ last ti-“
Before Kuro could finish his sentence, Kin had taken off down the street at a full sprint. Kuro immediately followed after him and had caught up to him about three-quarters of the way down the street. As the two youths reached the end of the street, Kuro had pulled ahead by a hair. After running through the makeshift finish line they both came to an abrupt halt and looked over at one another.
“I can’t believe I fell for that again.” Kuro said between deep, gasping breaths.
“I can’t believe you beat me again.” Kin answered back. “I don’t know how you always beat me Kuro. I mean, I usually have a head start on you too.”
Kuro finally stood and looked over at Kin, who had a look of disappointment and frustration on his face.
“I don't know. I guess it's cause I always play expecting to win.” Kuro said as he playfully punched Kin in the arm. “I think sometimes you just expect me to win and from there it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Kin smiled grimly back at Kuro and punched him in the arm a little harder than he usually might. “Well, next time I’m definitely gonna win. You can’t count on that.”
“I don’t doubt it Kin.” Kuro said with a smile, then he jumped on Kin’s back in a half-hearted attempt to tackle him and the pair walked away laughing.
---------
Kuro snapped out of his mused daydream and the reality of the situation at him made his body and mind feel heavy- Kin had left and he had to bring him back. Thinking about this fact made Kuro double his efforts to catch up to Kin before he reached the outer boundaries of the village. Kuro made his way through the crowds of people that wandered the village’s main street with a grace and agility that seemed almost superhuman. He snaked his way through the drones of people, bobbing, weaving, and dodging when it was needed to avoid running children and hazards until he came to the large front gate of the village.
Kuro paid no mind when the sentry posted at the gate called out to him to stop as he sprinted through the large oak doors that protected the village. From the front gate it was about a mile to the Valley of the End- a mile from Kin. Kuro was exhausted by this point and his legs began to cramp, but despite all that he pushed himself even harder up the hilled path that led to the End. Just another half a mile now. It was then that Kuro started to wonder about what he was going to say to Kin once he caught up to him to convince him to stay. Thinking ahead had never been Kuro’s style, but considering the circumstances of his current situation he thought it might be a good idea to have some sort of plan.
Almost there. Kuro decided that the best course of action would be to figure out why exactly Kin was leaving, although he already had a pretty good idea, and then try and talk him out of leaving. Kuro was pretty confident in this plan of attack, but he still had his doubts because he knew that once Kin set his mind to something in was near impossible to deny him. There, finally.
On any other day, Kuro would have stopped for a moment or two when he reached the crest of the hill that overlooked the Valley of the End to admire the beauty of the scene, but today he simply ran up and over the top of the hill; ignoring the wondrous sight. The Valley of the End was named fittingly. The scene consisted of a large, circular shaped lake filled with crystal clear water, which was surrounded by a thin strip of flowing, grassy fields and guarded by sheer, towering cliffs that stood nearly fifty feet tall. With the sun shining directly over head and a strong breeze snaking its way through the fields, causing the grass to dance this way and that, it was a sight to behold.
Despite the beauty of the End, Kuro’s gaze was fixed on one singular point as he descended down the hill- a small opening in the middle of the cliffs on the opposite side of the lake and a small speck that was advancing slowly towards it. That speck, Kuro knew, was Kin. After a few seconds, Kuro had reached the bottom of the hill and was standing on the nearest side of the lake, looking over its mirrored surface at the speck, which was now a distinguishable form.
Bringing both hands up to his mouth to amplify the volume of his voice, Kuro shouted at the top of his lungs, “K-I-N!”
Kuro’s voice was carried on the wind and echoed off the End’s cliffed sides as he waited for it to reach its intended target. After a few seconds, Kuro realized that Kin wasn’t stopping and was now only fifty yards from the opening in the cliff.
Taking a few steps forward, Kuro shouted again. “KIN, IT’S KURO. STOP!”
Kuro’s voice again echoed off the cliffs, but this time his words seemed to reach Kin as the speck stopped just as it was about to fade away into the dark depths of the cliff opening. Seeing this, Kuro began sprinting around the edge of the lake towards Kin. This has got to work…
Requiem
--------------------------------------
Kuro bound up the stairs to Kin's room taking the steps two at a time and finally coming to a heavy-breathed halt outside Kin's sliding door. After making a feeble attempt at knocking, Kuro threw the door to the side and rushed in with a wide grin on his face, shouting "Come on Kin! It's time to train!"
After waiting a second for his friend's usual bemoaned response, Kuro realized that Kin wasn't in the room. Looking around, Kuro noticed that Kin's bed was still made, having obviously not been slept in, and Kin's bag and weapons were missing. Kuro figured Kin had already gone out to the training grounds early, a bit out of the ordinary but nothing to worry about, and turned to leave when he paused at the door.
Kuro could hear the faint sound of crying and sobs coming from somewhere in the room. He turned around and scanned the room again when he noticed the bathroom door slightly ajar. Kuro walked cautiously to the door and gently pushed it open. He was surprised to see a small figure curled up on the floor in the farthest corner of the bathroom trying desperately to muffle their sobs. Kuro stepped into the bathroom and flicked on the lights. It was then he realized who it was crying at his feet.
"Tetsuai!" Kuro said in an alarmed tone, as he took a step forward and then knelt down by the crying girl's side. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"
The small girl responded only by turning towards the wall, hiding her face under her long, dark hair and beginning to sob uncontrollably. Kuro was taken aback by her reaction and reached out to comfort her. Tetsuai threw a hand up to stop Kuro, but only succeeded in falling to her side where she began to shake while she sobbed even harder. Kuro gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her upright, which allowed him to get a look at the girl's face for the first time. The girl's usually brilliant green eyes were completely bloodshot and dark lines ran down her cheeks from where tears flowed freely.
"What's wrong?" Kuro asked her in the gentlest voice he could muster considering the wave of concern that was welling up inside him. He waited for her to respond.
Tetsuai turned her gaze away from Kuro and continued to sob. After a minute or so of patience from Kuro, the girl finally looked up at him and tried to choke out a few words through her sobs.
"K...K...Kin!" She was finally able to gasp.
Kuro immediately succumbed to the torrent of panic that now overwhelmed his senses. "What about Kin? What's wrong?" he pleaded.
"H...H...He's gone!"
"What do you mean?" Kuro asked fervently.
Tetsuai now concerted every ounce of energy she had left in her to speak clearly. "H...He left!" She gasped. "I came by to see him this morning and he was packing his stuff. He said he was leaving. I thought he was joking, so I asked him 'where?' and he said 'Away from everything I love and hold dear'. Th-...then, he started walking away a-...and he had this look in his eyes. I knew he was serious."
Kuro was now in a complete state of panic and he began to stammer himself as he tried to speak, “W-…Where did he go, Tetsuai? Please, tell me!”
Tetsuai could no longer respond though as she again broke down in a fit of sobs and tears. The only thing she could think to do was to feebly hand over the token Kin had thrown to her as he walked out to Kuro. Kuro accepted it with trembling hands and looked it over carefully, and then a wave of anger began to roar deep within him. Had anyone but he or Tetsuai looked upon the simple silver-chained necklace, which dangled in Kuro’s hand as he held it up to his eyes, they’d of thought it nothing more than a memento of a lost loved one. The necklace was something much more than that though.
Kuro clumsily shoved his free hand down his collar and extracted a necklace of his own that was identical to the one he now held in his hand, save the fact that they bore different symbols from one another. The necklace had been given to Kin by Kuro and another one had been given to Tetsuai by Kin when they finally confessed their love for one another. Kuro’s necklace bore the symbol for Honor, Tetsuai’s bore the symbol for Love, and Kin’s bore the symbol for Family, which is what he, Kuro, and Tetsuai had become over the years- a family. The fact that Kin had thrown his necklace to Tetsuai and left was tantamount to him stabbing her and Kuro in the back.
A look of understanding washed over Kuro’s face as he knelt silently by Tetsuai’s side and considered the implications of his dear friend’s actions. He’s going to try and do it alone! Kuro told himself. The waves of anger and panic that had been building up inside of Kuro now crashed against one another with the latter being completely consumed within the torrent of anger and rage that swept through Kuro’s body. Kuro now gripped Kin’s necklace tightly and turned to rush out of the room, but he paused and looked back at Tetsuai who looked up at him with tear-drenched eyes. Kuro didn’t want to leave her alone, but he knew that if he didn’t leave now then he’d never catch up to Kin.
Kuro leaned down to comfort Tetsuai again, but she held up a hand to stop him then looked at him with a determined look in her eyes and said, “Please bring him back, Kuro. This can’t be how this ends and…I think you’re the only one he’ll listen to.”
A single tear then ran down Tetsuai’s cheek and Kuro had to catch himself before he too shed a tear. Kuro then stood while holding a fist out in front of him and said, “I promise, Tetsuai. I promise I’ll bring Kin back, no matter what.”
With that, Kuro spun around quickly, dashed out the room and sprinted down the stairs out of the building. Kuro knew that Kin could only be headed one way if he really was leaving the village since there was only path that led to the outside world- The Valley of the End. Knowing this, Kuro felt confident he could catch up to Kin before he reached the outer boundary of the village despite the fact that Kin had a substantial lead on him. After all, Kuro had always been a bit faster than Kin. Kuro smiled to himself as he thought about the countless footraces he and Kin had had as they grew up.
--------
Kin and Kuro knelt down next to one another at the end of a short side street. They both tried to stare the other down, but only succeeded in grinning widely at one another.
“Okay, it’s your turn to say ‘Go’ Kuro.” Kin said, still grinning.
“Nuh-uh!” Kuro protested. “I said ‘Go’ last ti-“
Before Kuro could finish his sentence, Kin had taken off down the street at a full sprint. Kuro immediately followed after him and had caught up to him about three-quarters of the way down the street. As the two youths reached the end of the street, Kuro had pulled ahead by a hair. After running through the makeshift finish line they both came to an abrupt halt and looked over at one another.
“I can’t believe I fell for that again.” Kuro said between deep, gasping breaths.
“I can’t believe you beat me again.” Kin answered back. “I don’t know how you always beat me Kuro. I mean, I usually have a head start on you too.”
Kuro finally stood and looked over at Kin, who had a look of disappointment and frustration on his face.
“I don't know. I guess it's cause I always play expecting to win.” Kuro said as he playfully punched Kin in the arm. “I think sometimes you just expect me to win and from there it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Kin smiled grimly back at Kuro and punched him in the arm a little harder than he usually might. “Well, next time I’m definitely gonna win. You can’t count on that.”
“I don’t doubt it Kin.” Kuro said with a smile, then he jumped on Kin’s back in a half-hearted attempt to tackle him and the pair walked away laughing.
---------
Kuro snapped out of his mused daydream and the reality of the situation at him made his body and mind feel heavy- Kin had left and he had to bring him back. Thinking about this fact made Kuro double his efforts to catch up to Kin before he reached the outer boundaries of the village. Kuro made his way through the crowds of people that wandered the village’s main street with a grace and agility that seemed almost superhuman. He snaked his way through the drones of people, bobbing, weaving, and dodging when it was needed to avoid running children and hazards until he came to the large front gate of the village.
Kuro paid no mind when the sentry posted at the gate called out to him to stop as he sprinted through the large oak doors that protected the village. From the front gate it was about a mile to the Valley of the End- a mile from Kin. Kuro was exhausted by this point and his legs began to cramp, but despite all that he pushed himself even harder up the hilled path that led to the End. Just another half a mile now. It was then that Kuro started to wonder about what he was going to say to Kin once he caught up to him to convince him to stay. Thinking ahead had never been Kuro’s style, but considering the circumstances of his current situation he thought it might be a good idea to have some sort of plan.
Almost there. Kuro decided that the best course of action would be to figure out why exactly Kin was leaving, although he already had a pretty good idea, and then try and talk him out of leaving. Kuro was pretty confident in this plan of attack, but he still had his doubts because he knew that once Kin set his mind to something in was near impossible to deny him. There, finally.
On any other day, Kuro would have stopped for a moment or two when he reached the crest of the hill that overlooked the Valley of the End to admire the beauty of the scene, but today he simply ran up and over the top of the hill; ignoring the wondrous sight. The Valley of the End was named fittingly. The scene consisted of a large, circular shaped lake filled with crystal clear water, which was surrounded by a thin strip of flowing, grassy fields and guarded by sheer, towering cliffs that stood nearly fifty feet tall. With the sun shining directly over head and a strong breeze snaking its way through the fields, causing the grass to dance this way and that, it was a sight to behold.
Despite the beauty of the End, Kuro’s gaze was fixed on one singular point as he descended down the hill- a small opening in the middle of the cliffs on the opposite side of the lake and a small speck that was advancing slowly towards it. That speck, Kuro knew, was Kin. After a few seconds, Kuro had reached the bottom of the hill and was standing on the nearest side of the lake, looking over its mirrored surface at the speck, which was now a distinguishable form.
Bringing both hands up to his mouth to amplify the volume of his voice, Kuro shouted at the top of his lungs, “K-I-N!”
Kuro’s voice was carried on the wind and echoed off the End’s cliffed sides as he waited for it to reach its intended target. After a few seconds, Kuro realized that Kin wasn’t stopping and was now only fifty yards from the opening in the cliff.
Taking a few steps forward, Kuro shouted again. “KIN, IT’S KURO. STOP!”
Kuro’s voice again echoed off the cliffs, but this time his words seemed to reach Kin as the speck stopped just as it was about to fade away into the dark depths of the cliff opening. Seeing this, Kuro began sprinting around the edge of the lake towards Kin. This has got to work…