O_O I seriously think I fell in love with writing again. O_O
?Riku!?? Reina and Raiden said at simultaneously.
Reina and Raiden looked at Riku dumbfounded, Riku looking back towards them with the same expression. Deirous, meanwhile, looked back and forth, not sure which one of them to stare at, but at the same time not knowing if he should be surprised, considering he had no idea what was going on.
Riku stammered, trying to find the right words, ?I thought you were dead!? He realized that they didn?t come out quite as he hoped, but then he locked his gaze directly on Raiden, ?We all thought you were dead before I even left!?
Raiden looked around, noticing other trainees mumbling, ?Let?s talk about this back home.?
~
?So... you never actually went to the academy?? Riku asked, more than a little confused by Raiden?s explanation.
?I did, but only for a week,? Raiden began, ?I didn?t leave when Reina was born, I left when you two were about five, maybe six. I went to the academy, but... it wasn?t the place for me. They were killers, all of them; it was just a place to slaughter whoever was weaker than you. You didn?t become stronger, just heartless, that place did nothing but stole your apathy. Even after only two out of the... god knows how many years I would?ve been there, I felt myself becoming... less of myself. I bet they told you I became like that and died right??
Riku nodded, and then Raiden continued, ?I left. After leaving the Academy, there was no way I?d be welcomed back into the village. So I snuck back into the village, saw Reina, told my family what was going on, and left.?
?When you were only eleven or twelve?? Riku asked skeptically.
?Twelve, and didn?t you leave even earlier than that?? Raiden countered.
?True.?
?Anyway, I didn?t go through the Lich?s Tundra like you, I went by sea, there were a few docks in the area, so it was just a matter of sneaking onto one of the boats. The one good thing that I learned in my two years at the Academy was how to sneak around. The boat dropped me off somewhere in the northern Fire Country, and I ended up here. I was aiming for Konoha actually, but that?s what happens when you don?t have a map. And then Reina came along and-?
Reina interrupted, ?I?d like to be a part of story time too,? she said, walking over to the table that Riku and Raiden were sitting at.
?Just try to tell it right,? Raiden said, getting up from the chair.
Reina stood in the doorway between the room they were in and the small kitchen as Raiden walked past her and up the stairs. She looked towards him for a moment, then looked back to Riku, ?Before they burned down the village and you left,? she said, putting a subtle emphasis on the part about Riku leaving, making him look down at the sudden guilt he felt, ?Some of us escaped.?
Riku looked back up, ?How??
?The waterway,? she said, using a voice that made it sound as if the answer should have been obvious.
And of course it should have. Their village was protected by a translucent dome instead of walls like other villages, due to the eternal snow. But there were three openings. One was the main gate, which, of course, was only opened when necessary, and a river that ran under the dome. There were two openings on opposite sides of the gate so that the water flow wouldn?t be disrupted. It would only make sense for them to escape out of one of those.
?After that, we did practically the same thing that Raiden did, though we, of course, didn?t have to sneak on a boat, they let us on one, all of the adults put together whatever they already had in their pockets, some even sold small parts of their clothing like gloves or hats, to pay for a boat for everyone. After we made it there, we wandered around the Fire Country, since we didn?t have a very detailed map of the area either, until we, too, came to this village. I met Raiden here, and I almost immediately recognized him from when I used to see him and from a picture he left. He was older of course, about our age, but I knew it was definitely him. The others, though, finally bought a detailed map of the Fire Country and wanted to go on to Konoha. Raiden, though, was too accustomed to his life here to leave, and I couldn?t leave knowing that he was still alive and that I could stay here if I wanted to, especially since...? her voice trailed off, ?Since my parents weren?t part of the group that escaped. I had to stay with him. Some of them stayed with us, they still live here, but most of the others went on to either Kumogakure or Konohagakure.?
Riku still had an incredulous look on his face, unable to believe that his best friend for so long was still alive, and that he had found her. Reina then continued, ?So what?s your story.?
Riku was caught off guard, not expecting to make an explanation of his own, ?Ah, you know. Went to the tundra, found some dude, got trained, he was captured, I left, went to Kumogakure, found another dude,? he said, pausing to indicate Deirous who was leaning against the wall tossing a ball of clay into the air and catching it as he had been doing lately, ?And here I am.?
Reina blinked at Riku, disappointed by the vague explanation, but decided not to press the subject, ?I can?t believe you?re here. Do you still have the picture??
?Picture...?? Riku questioned, thinking for a moment. And then rememberance washed over him as he dropped the bag over his shoulder onto the floor, quickly shuffling through it, ?I know I have it...? He finally felt his hand grip something that felt like a box, pulled it out and opened it, and inside was a picture of Riku and Reina, back when they were eight, maybe nine years old.
Riku showed her the picture and she smiled, ?Good.?
Deirous, obviously bored by the entire conversation and feeling more comfortable around Raiden and in this village now that Riku knew exactly who these people were, walked out of the room. As he went past Riku, who was getting up as well, he quickly brushed against him and whispered, ?Riku?s got a girlfriend.?
Riku moved his arm to push Deirous off of him, and then suddenly blushed deeply when he remembered how he referred to her as ?undeniably beautiful? earlier in the day.
~
Riku and Reina sat under a tree the week after their conversation, Riku going more in-depth with his explanation and Reina seeming fascinated by every word. They were sitting leaned back against the tree, a few inches away from each other.
?So this Shinru guy, you really liked him huh?? Reina asked.
?Yeah... he was the best. Kind of like how you feel about Raiden,? Riku said.
Reina nodded, completely understanding why Riku was so desperately trying to find his old master now. Though she hadn?t been exactly searching for Raiden before, now that they had lived together for so long, Reina had built a deeper bond with Raiden than anyone before, even greater than the one she and Riku had shared. If Raiden had gone away now, she?d search for him as long as it took, no matter what kind of danger she?d be put into.
?So you guys will have to go to Konoha soon then...? Reina stated, her voice fading away at the thought of Riku leaving so soon after he arrived. And, as annoying as he was, Reina found herself becoming friends with Deirous quickly as well during the time that they had hung out together.
Riku nodded, ?Yeah... we have to. But...?
Reina looked up, ?But what??
?What if you two came with us??
Reina wasn?t sure how to answer. The only reason why she was still here was because Raiden was, if he left, so would she, but even when she was going to go to Konoha, Raiden wasn?t keen on leaving at all, he had shot the thought down almost as soon as they asked him to come.
Just as Reina was about to answer, an answer that wouldn?t have been much different than ?I?ll have to think about it? anyway, Raiden rushed past the tree that they were standing by, seeming to not even notice them. He ran with a sword in one hand, about as long as Sasuke?s Kusunagi, and ran with both of his hands out behind him. Two other men rushed past, several seconds after Raiden, one of which Reina managed to grab a hold of, knowing that Raiden was much too quick to be able to catch up with.
?What?s going on!?? She asked in a voice that demanded an immediate answer.
?Master Ryo is in trouble!? the man answered frantically, then pulled his arm away from Reina trying to rush to assist Raiden.
Reina and Riku exchanged glances. Riku remembered who this was immediately. Master Ryo was the overseer of the dojo that he first saw Reina at, the one who had been controlling the dummies. Riku went through a few spars with him, and undoubtedly he was indeed a master, though not nearly as good as Shinru was of course.
Reina grabbed Riku?s arm and quickly ran, dragging him along until he could gain his footing and run by himself. They rushed off to go and help Ryo.
But he was already long gone before they even left.
Catching Up
?Riku!?? Reina and Raiden said at simultaneously.
Reina and Raiden looked at Riku dumbfounded, Riku looking back towards them with the same expression. Deirous, meanwhile, looked back and forth, not sure which one of them to stare at, but at the same time not knowing if he should be surprised, considering he had no idea what was going on.
Riku stammered, trying to find the right words, ?I thought you were dead!? He realized that they didn?t come out quite as he hoped, but then he locked his gaze directly on Raiden, ?We all thought you were dead before I even left!?
Raiden looked around, noticing other trainees mumbling, ?Let?s talk about this back home.?
~
?So... you never actually went to the academy?? Riku asked, more than a little confused by Raiden?s explanation.
?I did, but only for a week,? Raiden began, ?I didn?t leave when Reina was born, I left when you two were about five, maybe six. I went to the academy, but... it wasn?t the place for me. They were killers, all of them; it was just a place to slaughter whoever was weaker than you. You didn?t become stronger, just heartless, that place did nothing but stole your apathy. Even after only two out of the... god knows how many years I would?ve been there, I felt myself becoming... less of myself. I bet they told you I became like that and died right??
Riku nodded, and then Raiden continued, ?I left. After leaving the Academy, there was no way I?d be welcomed back into the village. So I snuck back into the village, saw Reina, told my family what was going on, and left.?
?When you were only eleven or twelve?? Riku asked skeptically.
?Twelve, and didn?t you leave even earlier than that?? Raiden countered.
?True.?
?Anyway, I didn?t go through the Lich?s Tundra like you, I went by sea, there were a few docks in the area, so it was just a matter of sneaking onto one of the boats. The one good thing that I learned in my two years at the Academy was how to sneak around. The boat dropped me off somewhere in the northern Fire Country, and I ended up here. I was aiming for Konoha actually, but that?s what happens when you don?t have a map. And then Reina came along and-?
Reina interrupted, ?I?d like to be a part of story time too,? she said, walking over to the table that Riku and Raiden were sitting at.
?Just try to tell it right,? Raiden said, getting up from the chair.
Reina stood in the doorway between the room they were in and the small kitchen as Raiden walked past her and up the stairs. She looked towards him for a moment, then looked back to Riku, ?Before they burned down the village and you left,? she said, putting a subtle emphasis on the part about Riku leaving, making him look down at the sudden guilt he felt, ?Some of us escaped.?
Riku looked back up, ?How??
?The waterway,? she said, using a voice that made it sound as if the answer should have been obvious.
And of course it should have. Their village was protected by a translucent dome instead of walls like other villages, due to the eternal snow. But there were three openings. One was the main gate, which, of course, was only opened when necessary, and a river that ran under the dome. There were two openings on opposite sides of the gate so that the water flow wouldn?t be disrupted. It would only make sense for them to escape out of one of those.
?After that, we did practically the same thing that Raiden did, though we, of course, didn?t have to sneak on a boat, they let us on one, all of the adults put together whatever they already had in their pockets, some even sold small parts of their clothing like gloves or hats, to pay for a boat for everyone. After we made it there, we wandered around the Fire Country, since we didn?t have a very detailed map of the area either, until we, too, came to this village. I met Raiden here, and I almost immediately recognized him from when I used to see him and from a picture he left. He was older of course, about our age, but I knew it was definitely him. The others, though, finally bought a detailed map of the Fire Country and wanted to go on to Konoha. Raiden, though, was too accustomed to his life here to leave, and I couldn?t leave knowing that he was still alive and that I could stay here if I wanted to, especially since...? her voice trailed off, ?Since my parents weren?t part of the group that escaped. I had to stay with him. Some of them stayed with us, they still live here, but most of the others went on to either Kumogakure or Konohagakure.?
Riku still had an incredulous look on his face, unable to believe that his best friend for so long was still alive, and that he had found her. Reina then continued, ?So what?s your story.?
Riku was caught off guard, not expecting to make an explanation of his own, ?Ah, you know. Went to the tundra, found some dude, got trained, he was captured, I left, went to Kumogakure, found another dude,? he said, pausing to indicate Deirous who was leaning against the wall tossing a ball of clay into the air and catching it as he had been doing lately, ?And here I am.?
Reina blinked at Riku, disappointed by the vague explanation, but decided not to press the subject, ?I can?t believe you?re here. Do you still have the picture??
?Picture...?? Riku questioned, thinking for a moment. And then rememberance washed over him as he dropped the bag over his shoulder onto the floor, quickly shuffling through it, ?I know I have it...? He finally felt his hand grip something that felt like a box, pulled it out and opened it, and inside was a picture of Riku and Reina, back when they were eight, maybe nine years old.
Riku showed her the picture and she smiled, ?Good.?
Deirous, obviously bored by the entire conversation and feeling more comfortable around Raiden and in this village now that Riku knew exactly who these people were, walked out of the room. As he went past Riku, who was getting up as well, he quickly brushed against him and whispered, ?Riku?s got a girlfriend.?
Riku moved his arm to push Deirous off of him, and then suddenly blushed deeply when he remembered how he referred to her as ?undeniably beautiful? earlier in the day.
~
Riku and Reina sat under a tree the week after their conversation, Riku going more in-depth with his explanation and Reina seeming fascinated by every word. They were sitting leaned back against the tree, a few inches away from each other.
?So this Shinru guy, you really liked him huh?? Reina asked.
?Yeah... he was the best. Kind of like how you feel about Raiden,? Riku said.
Reina nodded, completely understanding why Riku was so desperately trying to find his old master now. Though she hadn?t been exactly searching for Raiden before, now that they had lived together for so long, Reina had built a deeper bond with Raiden than anyone before, even greater than the one she and Riku had shared. If Raiden had gone away now, she?d search for him as long as it took, no matter what kind of danger she?d be put into.
?So you guys will have to go to Konoha soon then...? Reina stated, her voice fading away at the thought of Riku leaving so soon after he arrived. And, as annoying as he was, Reina found herself becoming friends with Deirous quickly as well during the time that they had hung out together.
Riku nodded, ?Yeah... we have to. But...?
Reina looked up, ?But what??
?What if you two came with us??
Reina wasn?t sure how to answer. The only reason why she was still here was because Raiden was, if he left, so would she, but even when she was going to go to Konoha, Raiden wasn?t keen on leaving at all, he had shot the thought down almost as soon as they asked him to come.
Just as Reina was about to answer, an answer that wouldn?t have been much different than ?I?ll have to think about it? anyway, Raiden rushed past the tree that they were standing by, seeming to not even notice them. He ran with a sword in one hand, about as long as Sasuke?s Kusunagi, and ran with both of his hands out behind him. Two other men rushed past, several seconds after Raiden, one of which Reina managed to grab a hold of, knowing that Raiden was much too quick to be able to catch up with.
?What?s going on!?? She asked in a voice that demanded an immediate answer.
?Master Ryo is in trouble!? the man answered frantically, then pulled his arm away from Reina trying to rush to assist Raiden.
Reina and Riku exchanged glances. Riku remembered who this was immediately. Master Ryo was the overseer of the dojo that he first saw Reina at, the one who had been controlling the dummies. Riku went through a few spars with him, and undoubtedly he was indeed a master, though not nearly as good as Shinru was of course.
Reina grabbed Riku?s arm and quickly ran, dragging him along until he could gain his footing and run by himself. They rushed off to go and help Ryo.
But he was already long gone before they even left.
