"Well, let's get to it!" Minirai said. Once again, they were all crowded in front of a stage. but the stage was bigger and round. "Good job all of you once again! I just can't believe how smart and agile everyone is!"
I held back a snicker.
"We are now at the last test! I'm sure everybody is tired, but I'm also sure you can hold out!" A few people rolled out carts just below the stage. The carts were covered in weapons, fighting materials, and one had an upturned hat on it. "For this last test, we'll randomly select two students." He plucked the hat off of the table and smiled again. "Those two students will fight until one gives up, passes out, or is knocked off of the stage. But, if someone dies, the other will be disqualified, and must come back next year." The atmosphere suddenly turned uncomfortable, but nobody said anything for the sake of their pride. I hoped that I didn't get sicked against anyone I knew well.
Minirai stuck his hand into the hat, dug around a bit, and then pulled out two slips of paper. He pushed his glasses up and read the two names aloud.
"Benjamin Bahnai and Nathaniel Salai. Please pick a weapon and come up here!" Two boys pushed their way to the front of the crowd. I recognized the boy with blue hair that was picking on Luce the day before. He examined the table and picked up an Eku -- a long weapon that looks like a boat oar, almost. It was taller than he was, but he held it confidently and walked onto the stage.
The other boy that walked to the table was tall and thin, but still muscular. His clothes were plain and dark, but still looked good on him. His hair was white, like mine, and puffed out just a bit. It looked pretty badass, I'll admit. His face was handsome and sharp and mature. He grabbed a long sword nonchalantly and continued up to the stage.
The two boys walked to stand on either side of Minirai and faced each other. The blue-haired boy -- Benjamin -- smirked arrogantly. Nathaniel's face stayed straight, his eyes burning into Benjamin's. Minirai raised his hand up.
"Ready, set," The boys crouched. "Go!" Minirai jumped backwards off of the stage at lightning speed. Right away, Benjamin swept at Nathaniel's feet. Nathaniel hopped up, avoiding tumbling to the ground. He landed and made a quick slash for Benjamin's stomach. Benjamin pulled back and avoided injury, but his blue T-shirt drooped, for it had been damaged. He drew back the Eku and lunged forward with it, but stopped as Nathaniel put his hand up in front of his mouth, palm facing the crowd and all fingers touching. He whispered something.
For a moment, I thought nothing had happened, but then I turned my attention back to Benjamin and he looked sick. He swooned and then fell straight forward, flat on his face. A few people walked out from behind the stage, two holding a stretcher, and the other one picking up the Eku, and laying it back on the table for somebody else to pick. I blinked. Was that a spell he used? I had never seen one used, before. It was kind of impressive, beating your enemy while hardly touching him. And the fight ended so quickly! Minirai patted Nathaniel on the back and handed him a belt with a sheath attached to it. Nathaniel put on the belt, still without emotion, and sheathed his sword. He walked back out and disappeared into the crowd again. I heard a couple girls squeal. "So cool!" I rolled my eyes.
Minirai clapped his hands approvingly and grabbed two more names out of the hat.
"Chayley Nin'e and Ennie Kale!" My stomach lurched. Chayley was at the top of my class, not to mention a total snot. She'd never been beaten once, and she's won anything and everything that was a challenge for everyone else. She was witty, too. It seemed like she was invincible. I felt bad for the poor sap who had to fight her.
I remembered trying to act nice and friendly when I was young in hopes of making friends. I lost it one day, though, because I hated being underestimated and Chayley was doing just that. Her arrogance caused me to yell at her, and it just so happened that everyone in the class followed her orders. People ignored me more than ever after that.
Chayley stopped in front of the table of weapons and tapped her smooth chin with a long, thin forefinger. She was beautiful, as well as skilled. Her hair was rich gold and it curled around her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her skin was smooth and had a nice complexion. Her body was well-built and she practically glided when she walked. The only unappealing thing about her is her personality.
She picked two metal fingernails and slipped them over her fingertips. Amazingly, they fit her slender fingers. The weapon was perfect for her petite, elegant façade. She strided up to the stage and another girl scampered up to the table. She was small and wiry and worried-looking. She ignored the table and walked straight up to the stage. Minirai put his hand up again and "ready, set, go!"ed them.
Chayley immediately lunged towards Ennie like an eagle. Ennie dodged, a surprised grimace on her face. She jumped to the edge of the stage and clapped her hands together in a praying postition. She muttered a few words and then flattened her hands by weaving her fingers together and pulling them by her elbows. She turned her palms toward Chayley and swung her arms outwards, letting her hands part. A great burst of wind blew from Ennie and knocked Chayley off of her feet. Chayley back-flipped and dug her metal fingernails into the stage floor, stopping herself before she flew right off of the stage. Ennie's face fell.
Chayley landed in a crouched position, like a cat. She lunged again, faster, this time. Ennie dodged, but a gash appeared on her arm. She held it and cast another spell. She muttered while doing the hand signs, this time. She let her left arm hang limp, blood dripping down it, while her right hand made a slitting move across her throat and then swooped back to point at Chayley. A point of yellow energy built at the tip of her middle finger and shot out at Chayley. She stepped to the side, easily avoiding the bolt, and stepped forward, close enough to touch Ennie. Ennie swung her hand to the side, as if trying to chop at Chayley's head. Chayley gracefully arched her whole body backwards, landed on her hands, and kicked Ennie's chin. Ennie flew high into the sky as the bolt of energy was cut off.
Chayley straightened herself up as Ennie hit the floor. She looked drained of energy. She was carried out on a stretcher. A large cheer went up for Chayley. Larger than my old class. She had obviously made friends yesterday, or maybe even before that. More fights went by. There were some that dragged on and some that hardly lasted two minutes. Some people passed out, some were knocked off of the stage, but nobody gave up willingly, and nobody died. The sun was quite low in the sky when they finally called someone I knew well.
"Cameron Nejra and Issac Tenshai."
"Yes! Finally!" Cammy hopped a bit on her toes. Then rushed forward before I could even wish her good luck. I watched her run up to the table, grabbed a dagger, and hurried up to the stage. Another boy with light blond hair walked up to the table. He looked normal enough. I'd seen many boys with his hairstyle and fashion. He was thin and at a normal height. He picked a Kwandao, a Chinese weapon that was basically a pole with a rounded blade at the end. Cammy and Issac faced each other.
"Go!"
Issac took the first shot. He swiped at her feet and she jumped. She spun herself around in the air and her foot shot out to kick his cheek. You could hear the fump! all the way where I was standing in the middle of the crowd. Issac flew to the side, but scrambled to his feet. Cammy ran at him and swiped at his stomach.Careful, Cammy. Don't kill him! I thought. Issac's shirt ripped, but he was uninjured. He stabbed at her stomach. She turned her body to the side and grabbed the pole, yanking it forward. Issac, surprised, flew forward as well. Cammy punched his stomach and he doubled over. She kneed him in the face and his head flew backwards. She took the final blow, spinning and kicking him in the stomach again. He shot backwards from the force and tumbled right off the stage.
Cammy punched the air energetically. She ran off the stage and pushed her way through the crowd. A few people patted her on the back and said, "Good job!" She arrived in front of Luce and me and I slapped high fives with her.
"Nicely done, Cammy!" I praised her. "You're a great fighter!" She grinned.
"Thanks! I can't wait to see you!" Luce coughed. Cammy sighed. "Or you, Luce." She patted him on the head and he swiped at her hand and pouted. They began to call the next names.
"Shui Huang and Lucy Theay!"
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Chapter seven -- Riddles and hotties
A few more people came out of the small buildings and after a small wait, Minirai walked up onto another small stage.
"Congrats, congrats to all that have passed the first test!" He said cheerily. "You are all doing wonderfully!" A few people grumbled. "Are you ready for the second test?" I sighed. The tests were easier than I thought they would be.
He smiled sweetly. I saw a few people exchange annoyed glances. No doubt they thought they were wondering why they were stuck here. The pumped and excited air that was around us when we were starting was completely gone now.
"This sucks. Losers." I heard Luce mumble. Cammy smirked and elbowed him lightly. Cammy was the only one I could see who was still willing to happily continue. The aura she omitted made me a bit more willing to go on. Maybe it gets better?
"Now, the next test is based on knowledge." Minirai said. "And for it, I'm asking you..." He trailed off and let the statement sit. Kids leaned forward in anticipation. I had to admit, the guy had a talent for making people want to do things. "... a riddle."
The crowd burst out laughing. A riddle? They gave us harder things to do in the acadamy! Piece of cake.
"Now, now, settle down." Minirai said through the microphone, not the least bit fazed. When the crowd quieted, Minirai explained more. "We're giving you three riddles. Answer all of them and pass." He motioned toward ten stalls with curtains as doors. A small rail was about ten feet in front of them. Cammy, Luce, and I were closer than we were to the last test's building. In fact, if we pushed a little, we could be first. But we didn't. We just waited for a while. Maybe thirty minutes later, we reached the rail. A boy left the stall in front of me, so I took his place after a small good luck! nudge from Cammy. I swiped the curtain aside and stopped when I was inside. It was fairly dark, but I could still see -- see the man with the green sunglasses pushed up into his blond hair sitting with his legs crossed behind a small wooden table. He raised his eyebrows when I came into view.
"Well, well, we meet again." His voice was still silky smooth and flawless, despite the cigarette hanging from his mouth. He was still just as handsome as he was an hour ago, and his bright blue eyes almost entranced me. I kept my face and -- hopefully -- my eyes expressionless, to let him know I meant business, and not to let him know I thought he was very beautiful.
A lovely laugh escaped from his lips. "Relax, my dear, you look intelligent enough." The remark caught me by surprise. No one had ever said that, and it flattered me. "Please, take a seat." I glanced at the chair in front of the table and took it.
I raised my eyebrows, waiting for the first riddle. He sighed dramatically. "I suppose there will be no chit chat beforehand, yes? You are too serious. Well, here it is, then: You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. What am I?" I let out an exasperated sigh. This was way too easy!
"Oh my, did you not like that one?
"An onion." I said, ignoring his remark.
"Very good." His smile shone in the dark room. I frowned. He was trying to charm me, and I wouldn't let it work. "Okay, try this on for size: What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, and has a bed but never sleeps?"
I thought. That one was tougher, but I didn't show complete confusion. It runs, has a mouth, has a head, and a bed. Well, if it runs, maybe... water? So it flows. A mouth... opens up... A head? It starts somewhere... and it must lay somewhere, if it has a bed... Let's see... It flows, opens up somewhere, starts somewhere specific, and is laying to rest... A river!
"A river." I said, not letting bravado show anywhere. His smile stayed, but now his eyes showed a challenge.
"All right, last one, then," He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. They flashed. "It's no sooner spoken than broken. What is it?"
Damn, I thought it would be easier. I opened my mouth and took a breath, then stopped. But... there are two answers! I thought. I looked deeply into his eyes. They held no tricks or jokes. For once, in fact, they were serious.
"It's..." I said. "A trick question." He looked actually surprised for the first time. "Unless you intended two answers."
"Oh? And what would those two be?" He asked, interested.
"The two most important aspects of a ninja: silence and secrets."
Everything was quiet. Neither of us spoke for a moment. Then, he started snickering. Snickering turned into chuckling, which slowly turned into all-out laughter. His sunglasses fell forward low onto his nose. I finally let emotion show and that was annoyance.
Still chuckling, he looked up and pushed his sunglasses back into his hair. He opened his eyes and wiped away a tear. Then, to my surprise, he spoke.
"Ha ha, what's your name, honey?"
"Lucy Theay." I said cautiously.
"Oh my, it's a pleasure, Lucy Theay, to meet you! Please, I am Seki Matsuu." He held out his hand. I reached out mine as well and he grabbed it, but instead of shaking, he pulled it up and kissed it. I knew I was blushing and hated myself for it. But, I guess he wasn't really a very bad guy, so I dismissed it from my mind. Seki smiled sweetly. "I do hope we meet again."
There was true sincerity in his voice, and I was touched by it, but I really wanted to continue. So I glanced at his smiling face once more and then left the stall.
I had gotten out safely. Passed. Finished. I felt intelligent and victorious and like I could jump into the air with a whoop! But I settled for just a smile, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I waited patiently for Cammy and Luce. Actually, I was worried that they would not make it out. Worried... what a strange feeling. I don't often worry about people. Who am I kidding? I thought, and began to walk away.
"Lucy!" I heard. I turned and, to my surprise, saw Cammy running toward me with her usual big grin on. "I'm so glad you passed!" Luce walked up behind her. I looked around Cammy so I could see Luce clearly.
"Oh, you passed? I thought you would get the first one wrong." He furrowed his brow and looked away. Knowing him, he almost failed because of his temper. And I was almost glad he didn't. Almost.
"Well," Cammy said enthusiastically. "one more test and we're outa here, yeah?"
"Yeah." I said, and smiled gratefully for her happy attitude.
"Congrats, congrats to all that have passed the first test!" He said cheerily. "You are all doing wonderfully!" A few people grumbled. "Are you ready for the second test?" I sighed. The tests were easier than I thought they would be.
He smiled sweetly. I saw a few people exchange annoyed glances. No doubt they thought they were wondering why they were stuck here. The pumped and excited air that was around us when we were starting was completely gone now.
"This sucks. Losers." I heard Luce mumble. Cammy smirked and elbowed him lightly. Cammy was the only one I could see who was still willing to happily continue. The aura she omitted made me a bit more willing to go on. Maybe it gets better?
"Now, the next test is based on knowledge." Minirai said. "And for it, I'm asking you..." He trailed off and let the statement sit. Kids leaned forward in anticipation. I had to admit, the guy had a talent for making people want to do things. "... a riddle."
The crowd burst out laughing. A riddle? They gave us harder things to do in the acadamy! Piece of cake.
"Now, now, settle down." Minirai said through the microphone, not the least bit fazed. When the crowd quieted, Minirai explained more. "We're giving you three riddles. Answer all of them and pass." He motioned toward ten stalls with curtains as doors. A small rail was about ten feet in front of them. Cammy, Luce, and I were closer than we were to the last test's building. In fact, if we pushed a little, we could be first. But we didn't. We just waited for a while. Maybe thirty minutes later, we reached the rail. A boy left the stall in front of me, so I took his place after a small good luck! nudge from Cammy. I swiped the curtain aside and stopped when I was inside. It was fairly dark, but I could still see -- see the man with the green sunglasses pushed up into his blond hair sitting with his legs crossed behind a small wooden table. He raised his eyebrows when I came into view.
"Well, well, we meet again." His voice was still silky smooth and flawless, despite the cigarette hanging from his mouth. He was still just as handsome as he was an hour ago, and his bright blue eyes almost entranced me. I kept my face and -- hopefully -- my eyes expressionless, to let him know I meant business, and not to let him know I thought he was very beautiful.
A lovely laugh escaped from his lips. "Relax, my dear, you look intelligent enough." The remark caught me by surprise. No one had ever said that, and it flattered me. "Please, take a seat." I glanced at the chair in front of the table and took it.
I raised my eyebrows, waiting for the first riddle. He sighed dramatically. "I suppose there will be no chit chat beforehand, yes? You are too serious. Well, here it is, then: You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. What am I?" I let out an exasperated sigh. This was way too easy!
"Oh my, did you not like that one?
"An onion." I said, ignoring his remark.
"Very good." His smile shone in the dark room. I frowned. He was trying to charm me, and I wouldn't let it work. "Okay, try this on for size: What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, and has a bed but never sleeps?"
I thought. That one was tougher, but I didn't show complete confusion. It runs, has a mouth, has a head, and a bed. Well, if it runs, maybe... water? So it flows. A mouth... opens up... A head? It starts somewhere... and it must lay somewhere, if it has a bed... Let's see... It flows, opens up somewhere, starts somewhere specific, and is laying to rest... A river!
"A river." I said, not letting bravado show anywhere. His smile stayed, but now his eyes showed a challenge.
"All right, last one, then," He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. They flashed. "It's no sooner spoken than broken. What is it?"
Damn, I thought it would be easier. I opened my mouth and took a breath, then stopped. But... there are two answers! I thought. I looked deeply into his eyes. They held no tricks or jokes. For once, in fact, they were serious.
"It's..." I said. "A trick question." He looked actually surprised for the first time. "Unless you intended two answers."
"Oh? And what would those two be?" He asked, interested.
"The two most important aspects of a ninja: silence and secrets."
Everything was quiet. Neither of us spoke for a moment. Then, he started snickering. Snickering turned into chuckling, which slowly turned into all-out laughter. His sunglasses fell forward low onto his nose. I finally let emotion show and that was annoyance.
Still chuckling, he looked up and pushed his sunglasses back into his hair. He opened his eyes and wiped away a tear. Then, to my surprise, he spoke.
"Ha ha, what's your name, honey?"
"Lucy Theay." I said cautiously.
"Oh my, it's a pleasure, Lucy Theay, to meet you! Please, I am Seki Matsuu." He held out his hand. I reached out mine as well and he grabbed it, but instead of shaking, he pulled it up and kissed it. I knew I was blushing and hated myself for it. But, I guess he wasn't really a very bad guy, so I dismissed it from my mind. Seki smiled sweetly. "I do hope we meet again."
There was true sincerity in his voice, and I was touched by it, but I really wanted to continue. So I glanced at his smiling face once more and then left the stall.
I had gotten out safely. Passed. Finished. I felt intelligent and victorious and like I could jump into the air with a whoop! But I settled for just a smile, not wanting to draw attention to myself. I waited patiently for Cammy and Luce. Actually, I was worried that they would not make it out. Worried... what a strange feeling. I don't often worry about people. Who am I kidding? I thought, and began to walk away.
"Lucy!" I heard. I turned and, to my surprise, saw Cammy running toward me with her usual big grin on. "I'm so glad you passed!" Luce walked up behind her. I looked around Cammy so I could see Luce clearly.
"Oh, you passed? I thought you would get the first one wrong." He furrowed his brow and looked away. Knowing him, he almost failed because of his temper. And I was almost glad he didn't. Almost.
"Well," Cammy said enthusiastically. "one more test and we're outa here, yeah?"
"Yeah." I said, and smiled gratefully for her happy attitude.
Chapter six -- Finally, some action!
"Welcome graduates!" Minirai yelled out over the teens milling about. We were all packed together in a smaller space than necessary. Most the training grounds were taken up, they said, but it didn't look like that.
"I do hope you're all ready for today!"
"Ouch, Luce! stop elbowing me!" I hissed.
"Shut it, Bangs." Bangs?
"Well! Since I explained what would be examined yesterday, today, I'll explain how it will be examined. First," He held up a finger. "is ability. You will be put through a course with many surprises. To get through this, you'll have to know what to look out for and look past the obvious. Expect the unexpected. Make sure you're extra careful on your feet!" He smiled casually and shrugged. "At the moment, that's all I'll explain. If you get through the course, you will find out the next one!"
A few people shifted uncomfortably at the word if. Minirai kept smiling cheerfully, as if no one was tense at all.
"The first exam is right over there. Good luck!" He said finally, and walked away. Everyone looked around. There were five small buildings nearby, and everyone walked there.
"These exams sure are nice and organized." I said.
"You got that right..." Cammy replied. We were at the back of the crowd with about one hundred-or-so kids in front of us -- not exaggerating. I sighed.
"Looks like we'll havta wait a bit longer, eh, Lucy?" Cammy said to me. I looked at her.
"Yeah." I felt eyes on my back and looked around. Luce was glaring at me. "What?" I asked in alarm.
"Why d'you havta hang 'round us all the time?" He asked.
"What! If you don't like me, go away yourself! Go find some guys to hang around, or whatever!"
"Maybe I will! It'll be a lot better than listening to you girls ramble on and on! Yah know, I'm sick o' girls! Why are yah always so--"
"Look who's rambling!" I retorted. He was talking an awful lot....
"Ah! Shut up!"
"Why don't you--!" I stopped when I heard snickering. I looked around. Cammy was covering her mouth and practically dying.
"Ha ha, Luce, you sure are starting to like Lucy, aren't yah?" She began to laugh again.
"L-like?" I asked. These people are going to drive me insane....
* * *
We were finally to the front. Only me, Cammy, Luce, and a few other teens were left. I swallowed and tried to keep my cool. Cammy and Luce walked to the other buildings and we exchanged glances with each other. We all knew what it meant. Good luck. The man sitting by my door had slicked back blond hair and green sunglasses. He wore neat clothes and sat in a dignified manner. Though I was hiding it as best as I could, he saw how nervous I was and smirked.
"Go ahead." He said in an amused, silky smooth voice. We met eyes, then I advanced into the open darkness. The door closed behind me, and it was pitch black. It didn't bother me because I haven't been scared of the dark since I started in the academy. Five seconds later, lights flickered on. I was startled. All it seemed to be was a hallway. I looked down at the tile flooring. I didn't realize they'd make it so... plain. I knew there would still be traps, though. I observed my surroundings as best I could, but I couldn't find any clues as to where the traps were. I cautiously took a step. Nothing happened. I took another. Still nothing. There was no sign of any change. I kept walking as cautiously as I started. It was not too long into my pleasant walk that something finally happened. Startled, I looked down.
The tiles below my feet were disappearing quickly. For some odd reason, there was a dark abyss below. I forgot about the oddity and ran down the hall before I fell in. I felt the last tile fall below my foot, but I made it. The challenge was finally on. Darts shot out from holes that appeared in the wall. I dodged every one of them, gracefully leaping into complicated flips and ducking into rolls. When I was past that, lasers appeared before me. I slipped through them and ran forward, ready for anything. I kept running forward and stopped when I heard a rumbling. The floor below me was moving again,but now it was splitting apart. I got on one side and sprinted to the end.
I remembered what Minirai had said. "Make sure you're extra careful on your feet!" So was this supposed to be a test on how talented your feet are? I quickly leaped across a gap, using a horizontal bar so propel myself further. I landed on the balls of my feet and crouched for a moment. Everything had become dead silent. All was still in the hallway. I was more than halfway through, now. I began walking again. The only sound in the hall was the small tap of my shoes on the tile.
Suddenly, I was falling. I gasped and grabbed the edge of the floor, quickly pulling myself up. I looked around, shocked. The floor was completely normal. I got up and looked down. Cautiously, I stuck my foot out and tapped the floor. It swung open on a hinge, like a fake wall that spins around when you touch it; one you can only really see in old horror films with haunted houses. I looked forward and thought, This is probably the last obstacle. The door's right there!
I tapped the trap door with my foot again. When it had settled into it's starting position, I focused and leaped through the air. I landed in the exact middle of it -- just barely. It was wobbly, but more-or-less kept my balance. Then, I let it tip forward just the slightest bit and launched myself off. I rolled and looked at the door confidently. I reached for the handle, a smug look on my face. My hand swiped the metal cylinder and the ground under my feet disappeared again. I rolled my eyes and sighed in exasperation. I avoided the drop by grabbing the door handle and hanging. The ground swung back into place about ten seconds later. I turned the handle and walked out into the sun. The lights turned off behind me and loud sounds came on while the traps reset themselves.
I looked around. About half the kids made it out. I rubbed my temples. All that caution gave me a headache! I sat down on a nearby rock and closed my eyes, relaxing a little. I heaved a sigh and looked up. The sun was much lower than when we first started. I hoped momentarily that the next two exams would go more quickly due to the small loss of kids. I looked over at the building next to mine as the door opened and Cammy jumped out, breathing a little more heavily than normal. I smiled, happy that she made it through. A couple of darts stuck out of her arm, but she was otherwise unharmed. I walked over to help her.
"H-hey!" She said at my approach. "Glad yah made it out alright! Ow ow ow!" She grabbed her arm.
"Here..." I grabbed the darts and yanked them out. She grimaced in pain and guhed. I pulled a couple of band-aids out of my pocket and put them on her arm, then pulled her sleeve down again.
"You sure came prepared!" She said, probably incredulous that I brought band-aids to the Exams. I shrugged. "Well! It helps!"
We looked up as Luce sprung out of the door beside us. He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. The end of his scarf was burnt and ripped, and quite a few darts stuck out of his arms and side. I sighed.
"Honestly," I said to Cammy, but just loud enough so he could hear. "it wasn't that hard. Don't you agree? I mean, even the darts were fairly easy to evade." I smiled innocently. "Of course, just getting a couple in your arm is okay." Luce climbed to his feet, his face, or what was visible of it, began to redden.
"Are you saying I suck?" He yelled. I looked over, a smug smirk on my face.
"You catch on quick." I said innocently.
"I do hope you're all ready for today!"
"Ouch, Luce! stop elbowing me!" I hissed.
"Shut it, Bangs." Bangs?
"Well! Since I explained what would be examined yesterday, today, I'll explain how it will be examined. First," He held up a finger. "is ability. You will be put through a course with many surprises. To get through this, you'll have to know what to look out for and look past the obvious. Expect the unexpected. Make sure you're extra careful on your feet!" He smiled casually and shrugged. "At the moment, that's all I'll explain. If you get through the course, you will find out the next one!"
A few people shifted uncomfortably at the word if. Minirai kept smiling cheerfully, as if no one was tense at all.
"The first exam is right over there. Good luck!" He said finally, and walked away. Everyone looked around. There were five small buildings nearby, and everyone walked there.
"These exams sure are nice and organized." I said.
"You got that right..." Cammy replied. We were at the back of the crowd with about one hundred-or-so kids in front of us -- not exaggerating. I sighed.
"Looks like we'll havta wait a bit longer, eh, Lucy?" Cammy said to me. I looked at her.
"Yeah." I felt eyes on my back and looked around. Luce was glaring at me. "What?" I asked in alarm.
"Why d'you havta hang 'round us all the time?" He asked.
"What! If you don't like me, go away yourself! Go find some guys to hang around, or whatever!"
"Maybe I will! It'll be a lot better than listening to you girls ramble on and on! Yah know, I'm sick o' girls! Why are yah always so--"
"Look who's rambling!" I retorted. He was talking an awful lot....
"Ah! Shut up!"
"Why don't you--!" I stopped when I heard snickering. I looked around. Cammy was covering her mouth and practically dying.
"Ha ha, Luce, you sure are starting to like Lucy, aren't yah?" She began to laugh again.
"L-like?" I asked. These people are going to drive me insane....
* * *
We were finally to the front. Only me, Cammy, Luce, and a few other teens were left. I swallowed and tried to keep my cool. Cammy and Luce walked to the other buildings and we exchanged glances with each other. We all knew what it meant. Good luck. The man sitting by my door had slicked back blond hair and green sunglasses. He wore neat clothes and sat in a dignified manner. Though I was hiding it as best as I could, he saw how nervous I was and smirked.
"Go ahead." He said in an amused, silky smooth voice. We met eyes, then I advanced into the open darkness. The door closed behind me, and it was pitch black. It didn't bother me because I haven't been scared of the dark since I started in the academy. Five seconds later, lights flickered on. I was startled. All it seemed to be was a hallway. I looked down at the tile flooring. I didn't realize they'd make it so... plain. I knew there would still be traps, though. I observed my surroundings as best I could, but I couldn't find any clues as to where the traps were. I cautiously took a step. Nothing happened. I took another. Still nothing. There was no sign of any change. I kept walking as cautiously as I started. It was not too long into my pleasant walk that something finally happened. Startled, I looked down.
The tiles below my feet were disappearing quickly. For some odd reason, there was a dark abyss below. I forgot about the oddity and ran down the hall before I fell in. I felt the last tile fall below my foot, but I made it. The challenge was finally on. Darts shot out from holes that appeared in the wall. I dodged every one of them, gracefully leaping into complicated flips and ducking into rolls. When I was past that, lasers appeared before me. I slipped through them and ran forward, ready for anything. I kept running forward and stopped when I heard a rumbling. The floor below me was moving again,but now it was splitting apart. I got on one side and sprinted to the end.
I remembered what Minirai had said. "Make sure you're extra careful on your feet!" So was this supposed to be a test on how talented your feet are? I quickly leaped across a gap, using a horizontal bar so propel myself further. I landed on the balls of my feet and crouched for a moment. Everything had become dead silent. All was still in the hallway. I was more than halfway through, now. I began walking again. The only sound in the hall was the small tap of my shoes on the tile.
Suddenly, I was falling. I gasped and grabbed the edge of the floor, quickly pulling myself up. I looked around, shocked. The floor was completely normal. I got up and looked down. Cautiously, I stuck my foot out and tapped the floor. It swung open on a hinge, like a fake wall that spins around when you touch it; one you can only really see in old horror films with haunted houses. I looked forward and thought, This is probably the last obstacle. The door's right there!
I tapped the trap door with my foot again. When it had settled into it's starting position, I focused and leaped through the air. I landed in the exact middle of it -- just barely. It was wobbly, but more-or-less kept my balance. Then, I let it tip forward just the slightest bit and launched myself off. I rolled and looked at the door confidently. I reached for the handle, a smug look on my face. My hand swiped the metal cylinder and the ground under my feet disappeared again. I rolled my eyes and sighed in exasperation. I avoided the drop by grabbing the door handle and hanging. The ground swung back into place about ten seconds later. I turned the handle and walked out into the sun. The lights turned off behind me and loud sounds came on while the traps reset themselves.
I looked around. About half the kids made it out. I rubbed my temples. All that caution gave me a headache! I sat down on a nearby rock and closed my eyes, relaxing a little. I heaved a sigh and looked up. The sun was much lower than when we first started. I hoped momentarily that the next two exams would go more quickly due to the small loss of kids. I looked over at the building next to mine as the door opened and Cammy jumped out, breathing a little more heavily than normal. I smiled, happy that she made it through. A couple of darts stuck out of her arm, but she was otherwise unharmed. I walked over to help her.
"H-hey!" She said at my approach. "Glad yah made it out alright! Ow ow ow!" She grabbed her arm.
"Here..." I grabbed the darts and yanked them out. She grimaced in pain and guhed. I pulled a couple of band-aids out of my pocket and put them on her arm, then pulled her sleeve down again.
"You sure came prepared!" She said, probably incredulous that I brought band-aids to the Exams. I shrugged. "Well! It helps!"
We looked up as Luce sprung out of the door beside us. He collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. The end of his scarf was burnt and ripped, and quite a few darts stuck out of his arms and side. I sighed.
"Honestly," I said to Cammy, but just loud enough so he could hear. "it wasn't that hard. Don't you agree? I mean, even the darts were fairly easy to evade." I smiled innocently. "Of course, just getting a couple in your arm is okay." Luce climbed to his feet, his face, or what was visible of it, began to redden.
"Are you saying I suck?" He yelled. I looked over, a smug smirk on my face.
"You catch on quick." I said innocently.
Chapter five -- A fairly SHORT journey
I closed the bathroom door and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Had something changed? Maybe it was the fact that my hair wasn't in my face? I un-clipped my long bangs and shaped them into their usual style across my eye. There was hardly even a difference. Combing out my braid, I thought about the gathering. No-one had ever taken so much interest in me before! Not at school, not even at home. I was hardly ever asked how my day was or what was going on. Cammy was the only one. Ever.
Could she be up to something? I thought. She seemed devious, and, after all, was friends with Luce....
I let the thought go, thinking about the ceremony, instead. Tomorrow... I thought. Tomorrow my whole destiny awaits me. I sighed and slammed my head into the bathroom counter. Ha! My whole destiny! Yeah right! Surely you get more than one try!
The next day.
I yawned as I walked down the street alone. Though I had been psyched since I woke up, I was never fully awake. I stuck my hands into the pockets of my blue shorts and shivered. Maybe I should have worn a jacket.... I sighed and kept walking, twitching my head to flick my bangs aside. I watched a bird flying in front of me. Sometimes I wished I could be a bird. To have the ability to fly was man's greatest dream, after all. They didn't know how good they had it. Something caught my foot. I cartwheeled safely back to my feet. That's the second time in two days that I've tripped! I need to start watching my step.
"Y'know," A familiar voice said behind me. "whenever I see ya, your always fallin'!" I turned to see Luce standing behind me.
"Stalking me again, I see." I said. He looked surprised for a moment, but then was back to normal.
"No, I live 'round here," He said.
"Hmm, you seem to be talking differently,"
"Yeah? What's it to ya?" He scowled. I shrugged and began to turn again, but he grabbed my bangs, which covered my right eye, and tugged. "What's with these bangs, anyway?"
"Ow, ow! Why are you pulling on them?"
"'Cause they're long! And they're coverin' your face! Bangs shouldn't cover your face!" I slapped his hand, but it did no good, for he wore black leather gloves. I reached up and squeezed his wrist. For a moment, it did nothing, but then his grip loosened and his hand was limp. I kept squeezing, even though he had already fallen to his knees.
"Stop, stop, stop!" He screamed. I let go and he gasped. "Jeez! All I did was grab your bangs!"
"Yeah, and it hurt!"
"You hurt!" He said, climbing to his feet. "You almost broke m'wrist!"
"You're exaggerating!" I waved my hand as if it were nothing.
"Ah, fighting agin I see." An unfamiliar voice said. No-- not an unfamiliar voice, an unfamiliar accent. I looked around Luce incredulously.
"Cammy?" I asked. There stood Cammy, but she look like a completely different person. Her dark pink hair was shaggy, now. Loose and out-of control bangs almost covering her tinted snowmobile goggles. She wore an orange, baggy T-shirt over a white, button-up dress shirt. The dress shirt's sleeves were rolled up, the collar sticking out, and the bottom hanging down. Her too-big jeans were ripped up at the knees, and her old high-tops could stand to be cleaned, or maybe just replaced.
"Yeah!" She answered with a British accent that wasn't there yesterday. "Don't you recognize me?"
"Uh..." I wasn't sure what to say, so I just said my thoughts. "Since when do you have an accent?"
"Wot?" She said. "Always! Of course... I was hiding it yesterday.... See, me mum doesn't like me having such an 'informal' accent, so she makes me hide it at events like yestaday."
"Oh. O-okay..." She must have a strange mother. She began to walk my way and passed me. She looked back.
"Well, come on, then!" She said. "We can walk together!" I stood still for a moment longer, then I started walking, too. I heard Luce pacing along behind us.
"Uh..." I replied. She looked at me.
"Ha!" She laughed. I looked at her curiously. "You look do a lot more different than I thought you would!" I almost asked what she meant, but then remembered that, without her goggles, she was blind to details.
"Oh, how?" I asked her.
"Well, for one, your hair!!" She started laughing. I blushed and bowed my head, letting the bangs cover my face. "I mean, it's pretty! But -- how did you get it so... silver?"
"It's... natural," I said self-consciously.
"Really?" She exclaimed. "No fair!" I blushed even redder. I'd never liked my hair much. I thought it was one of the reasons people didn't like me. We chatted while we walked the rest of the way. Luce was completely silent the whole time.
Cammy and I were right in the middle of a debate about whether using shaved kittens for school projects was a good idea or not when we reached the training grounds. I stopped talking for a moment to pull my watch out of my pocket. It was 11:55, perfect timing. We entered, continuing our debate.
Could she be up to something? I thought. She seemed devious, and, after all, was friends with Luce....
I let the thought go, thinking about the ceremony, instead. Tomorrow... I thought. Tomorrow my whole destiny awaits me. I sighed and slammed my head into the bathroom counter. Ha! My whole destiny! Yeah right! Surely you get more than one try!
The next day.
I yawned as I walked down the street alone. Though I had been psyched since I woke up, I was never fully awake. I stuck my hands into the pockets of my blue shorts and shivered. Maybe I should have worn a jacket.... I sighed and kept walking, twitching my head to flick my bangs aside. I watched a bird flying in front of me. Sometimes I wished I could be a bird. To have the ability to fly was man's greatest dream, after all. They didn't know how good they had it. Something caught my foot. I cartwheeled safely back to my feet. That's the second time in two days that I've tripped! I need to start watching my step.
"Y'know," A familiar voice said behind me. "whenever I see ya, your always fallin'!" I turned to see Luce standing behind me.
"Stalking me again, I see." I said. He looked surprised for a moment, but then was back to normal.
"No, I live 'round here," He said.
"Hmm, you seem to be talking differently,"
"Yeah? What's it to ya?" He scowled. I shrugged and began to turn again, but he grabbed my bangs, which covered my right eye, and tugged. "What's with these bangs, anyway?"
"Ow, ow! Why are you pulling on them?"
"'Cause they're long! And they're coverin' your face! Bangs shouldn't cover your face!" I slapped his hand, but it did no good, for he wore black leather gloves. I reached up and squeezed his wrist. For a moment, it did nothing, but then his grip loosened and his hand was limp. I kept squeezing, even though he had already fallen to his knees.
"Stop, stop, stop!" He screamed. I let go and he gasped. "Jeez! All I did was grab your bangs!"
"Yeah, and it hurt!"
"You hurt!" He said, climbing to his feet. "You almost broke m'wrist!"
"You're exaggerating!" I waved my hand as if it were nothing.
"Ah, fighting agin I see." An unfamiliar voice said. No-- not an unfamiliar voice, an unfamiliar accent. I looked around Luce incredulously.
"Cammy?" I asked. There stood Cammy, but she look like a completely different person. Her dark pink hair was shaggy, now. Loose and out-of control bangs almost covering her tinted snowmobile goggles. She wore an orange, baggy T-shirt over a white, button-up dress shirt. The dress shirt's sleeves were rolled up, the collar sticking out, and the bottom hanging down. Her too-big jeans were ripped up at the knees, and her old high-tops could stand to be cleaned, or maybe just replaced.
"Yeah!" She answered with a British accent that wasn't there yesterday. "Don't you recognize me?"
"Uh..." I wasn't sure what to say, so I just said my thoughts. "Since when do you have an accent?"
"Wot?" She said. "Always! Of course... I was hiding it yesterday.... See, me mum doesn't like me having such an 'informal' accent, so she makes me hide it at events like yestaday."
"Oh. O-okay..." She must have a strange mother. She began to walk my way and passed me. She looked back.
"Well, come on, then!" She said. "We can walk together!" I stood still for a moment longer, then I started walking, too. I heard Luce pacing along behind us.
"Uh..." I replied. She looked at me.
"Ha!" She laughed. I looked at her curiously. "You look do a lot more different than I thought you would!" I almost asked what she meant, but then remembered that, without her goggles, she was blind to details.
"Oh, how?" I asked her.
"Well, for one, your hair!!" She started laughing. I blushed and bowed my head, letting the bangs cover my face. "I mean, it's pretty! But -- how did you get it so... silver?"
"It's... natural," I said self-consciously.
"Really?" She exclaimed. "No fair!" I blushed even redder. I'd never liked my hair much. I thought it was one of the reasons people didn't like me. We chatted while we walked the rest of the way. Luce was completely silent the whole time.
Cammy and I were right in the middle of a debate about whether using shaved kittens for school projects was a good idea or not when we reached the training grounds. I stopped talking for a moment to pull my watch out of my pocket. It was 11:55, perfect timing. We entered, continuing our debate.
Chapter four -- Now it's all explained...
Everyone took their seats as the graduation started. The lord mayor, Russ Minirai, walked out onto the stage and stopped in front of the podium that stood in the middle. He wore the suit he always wore at work with all his badges pinned to his chest. He was not old, but not young; his brown hair was speckled with gray and his face was slightly lined. Wrinkles at the corner of his eyes and mouth showed he smiled often. Everyone's eyes were on him as he spoke his first sentence.
"My, my, we sure are formal today. I feel like the only casual one here!" He smiled at us. A small chuckle came up from some of the people in the crowd. Most people smiled, probably glad not to have a serious lord mayor.
"Well then," He continued. "Welcome soon-to-be-ninja graduates! You must all be very excited to become adults! I am happy to host yet another graduation this year. I know all of you will succeed tremendously! But first, let me explain how you'll graduate." I saw a lot of kids look at each other.
"What?" Someone whispered behind me. "I thought this was all!"
"Oh ho!" Minirai laughed. "You didn't think a simple ceremony would make you ninjas, did you? Oh, no no no! This is just where we explain what will happen!" Most of the kids made surprised noises.
"There are three tests you must pass before becoming a real ninja. The first tests your abilities. The second tests your knowledge. And the third tests your skill. If you cannot pass all of the tests..." He paused. "you must go back to the academy." A large gasp emitted from the crowd. I gaped at him.
"Well, we have some surprised faces in the audience!" His eyes swept over the audience. "Only the best will pass. But! You do have time to prepare. I suggest you gather your nerves and get a good night's sleep tonight!" He laughed alone.
"So, then. If you pass, you will be given a Cloth." He held up a thin, long piece of black fabric. "This will officially announce you as a ninja. And the more you get, the higher your rank." Okay, now I get it. That's why Lev had always had those things tied to his bag! But why the secrets? I wondered in my mind.
"I bet you're all wondering why we kept this secret!" Minirai suddenly said. I started. "Well, we wanted to see how you prepared yourself for the unknown. We wanted to see whether you worked hard to take on anything that suddenly came up unexpectedly, or if you just did what you were told so you could pass..." I saw some kids look at their feet, away from the lord mayor. Hmm... I thought. So how long are the--
"The tests -- or exams, as we call them -- will only last a day." He said. Jeez! I thought. That's incredibly creepy! How does he keep reading my mind? "That day," He continued. "is tomorrow." The crowd gasped again.
"You can't expect us to be ready by tomorrow!" Someone shouted.
"Yeah!" Another voice came up. "How are we supposed to prepare ourselves?" Sounds of agreements came from all around.
"Didn't I explain the surprise just now?" Minirai asked. The sounds of anger and nervousness ceased, replaced by an uncomfortable silence. Minirai looked across the audience.
"So, ability, knowledge, skill. Easy, right?" He said.
"Tch..." I quietly said to no-one. Probably not. I thought.
"You will, as you may know, be assigned to a dorm until you're at least 3rd Level. That could take any amount of time, depending on how talented you are. You will have a room mate, too, of course." A few people raised their eyebrows, but there were no loud sounds. "After the exams, your roommate and team members will be determined by your skills so you are divided evenly. I hope you all get along!" I sighed pessimistically. Ooh, lets all get along!
"Your roommate will be on your team. The teams will be made up of four beginners and a 5th Level as the leader/teacher. Make sure you can get along with your teammates, you'll be with them until you die, or are no longer a ninja, which will be a very long time from now, unless you are a traitor." He emphasized the last word with an unfamiliar emotion.
There was a quiet murmur traveling over the crowd. Once everything was silent again, the lord mayor spoke.
"Well, I do hope I mentioned everything! Further details will be explained tomorrow! Until then..." He raised his hand in farewell. "12:00 at the training grounds, don't be late!" He walked slowly to back stage. Voices of worried students and amused parents rose almost instantly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lev, Mother, and Kedai look at me. I kept the thoughtful expression on my face.
"Well," Lev said. "are you ready?"
"No-one's ever fully ready, no matter what they think...." I replied, getting out of my seat and walking toward the door.
"That's our Lucy!" Lev said, patting my head. I looked at the ceiling and sighed.
It seems life has more surprises than necessary.
"My, my, we sure are formal today. I feel like the only casual one here!" He smiled at us. A small chuckle came up from some of the people in the crowd. Most people smiled, probably glad not to have a serious lord mayor.
"Well then," He continued. "Welcome soon-to-be-ninja graduates! You must all be very excited to become adults! I am happy to host yet another graduation this year. I know all of you will succeed tremendously! But first, let me explain how you'll graduate." I saw a lot of kids look at each other.
"What?" Someone whispered behind me. "I thought this was all!"
"Oh ho!" Minirai laughed. "You didn't think a simple ceremony would make you ninjas, did you? Oh, no no no! This is just where we explain what will happen!" Most of the kids made surprised noises.
"There are three tests you must pass before becoming a real ninja. The first tests your abilities. The second tests your knowledge. And the third tests your skill. If you cannot pass all of the tests..." He paused. "you must go back to the academy." A large gasp emitted from the crowd. I gaped at him.
"Well, we have some surprised faces in the audience!" His eyes swept over the audience. "Only the best will pass. But! You do have time to prepare. I suggest you gather your nerves and get a good night's sleep tonight!" He laughed alone.
"So, then. If you pass, you will be given a Cloth." He held up a thin, long piece of black fabric. "This will officially announce you as a ninja. And the more you get, the higher your rank." Okay, now I get it. That's why Lev had always had those things tied to his bag! But why the secrets? I wondered in my mind.
"I bet you're all wondering why we kept this secret!" Minirai suddenly said. I started. "Well, we wanted to see how you prepared yourself for the unknown. We wanted to see whether you worked hard to take on anything that suddenly came up unexpectedly, or if you just did what you were told so you could pass..." I saw some kids look at their feet, away from the lord mayor. Hmm... I thought. So how long are the--
"The tests -- or exams, as we call them -- will only last a day." He said. Jeez! I thought. That's incredibly creepy! How does he keep reading my mind? "That day," He continued. "is tomorrow." The crowd gasped again.
"You can't expect us to be ready by tomorrow!" Someone shouted.
"Yeah!" Another voice came up. "How are we supposed to prepare ourselves?" Sounds of agreements came from all around.
"Didn't I explain the surprise just now?" Minirai asked. The sounds of anger and nervousness ceased, replaced by an uncomfortable silence. Minirai looked across the audience.
"So, ability, knowledge, skill. Easy, right?" He said.
"Tch..." I quietly said to no-one. Probably not. I thought.
"You will, as you may know, be assigned to a dorm until you're at least 3rd Level. That could take any amount of time, depending on how talented you are. You will have a room mate, too, of course." A few people raised their eyebrows, but there were no loud sounds. "After the exams, your roommate and team members will be determined by your skills so you are divided evenly. I hope you all get along!" I sighed pessimistically. Ooh, lets all get along!
"Your roommate will be on your team. The teams will be made up of four beginners and a 5th Level as the leader/teacher. Make sure you can get along with your teammates, you'll be with them until you die, or are no longer a ninja, which will be a very long time from now, unless you are a traitor." He emphasized the last word with an unfamiliar emotion.
There was a quiet murmur traveling over the crowd. Once everything was silent again, the lord mayor spoke.
"Well, I do hope I mentioned everything! Further details will be explained tomorrow! Until then..." He raised his hand in farewell. "12:00 at the training grounds, don't be late!" He walked slowly to back stage. Voices of worried students and amused parents rose almost instantly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lev, Mother, and Kedai look at me. I kept the thoughtful expression on my face.
"Well," Lev said. "are you ready?"
"No-one's ever fully ready, no matter what they think...." I replied, getting out of my seat and walking toward the door.
"That's our Lucy!" Lev said, patting my head. I looked at the ceiling and sighed.
It seems life has more surprises than necessary.
Chapter three -- Taking interest
"So, what class were you in?" Cammy asked me as we leaned against a wall.
"Class 31." I replied. "You?"
"27" She said. "I've never seen you around town before, though."
"Oh! Yeah. I... I don't leave my property often. I've never really had anywhere to go with anybody but my little brother."
"Hmm... are you saying you don't have friends?"
I started. "Oh, I... I guess I am...."
"Oh, that's too bad. I don't have many friends, either. I suppose Luce is my only very good friend."
"Wow, that must be annoying."
"Yeah, it can be!" She laughed. She stared into the crowd. "People have just always thought I was weird. Nobody wanted to be around me. It was like they thought they would catch some kind of disease."
"Why? Do you know?"
She looked at the floor.
"Sort of." She said quietly. "I... I know what's different about me, but I don't know why they keep such a distance."
I studied her face, and then I noticed something.
"Oh! Your eyes..." I began.
"Are incredibly red?" She finished my sentence for me. "Yeah. That's the weird part of me. I can feel any kind of heat, even from a large distance away. I can see heat, too. I can't see your face right now, you just look like a bunch of different colors moving around in a human shape. The air is light red, too."
"So -- you technically can't see?" I asked in astonishment.
"Well, yes. I guess so. Even though colors are visible to me, I might as well be blind. But, glass and plastic can block it out just a bit, I usually like to wear sunglasses or goggles." She smiled. "But I pretty much go on what I can feel around me. It's almost like having 360 degree vision!"
"Wow! That's amazing! I wish I had that ability!" I said excitedly. How useful would it be to have 360 vision?
"Trust me," She said. "it's not all it's cracked up to be. I can only see so clearly with eye cover. It's like taking your vision and putting a layer of red paint over it."
"Oh, I see." She sounds like someone that wouldn't talk to me on normal circumstances. But she seems to have almost the same problem as me. Suddenly, she frowned.
"What the hell is he doing?" She asked, to herself, apparently.
"What?" I asked.
"Luce." She said. "His body temperature is changing rapidly. Back and forth between hot and cold.... What's going on?" She started to walk away. I followed her. I hadn't realized before, but now I saw that she looked straight ahead when she walked; like she couldn't see at all. As she walked across a the floor, she talked.
"This is odd.... There are two people with him and -- oh, not again!" She started to jog.
"Again?" I asked as we grew closer to a crowd. "What happened? It's happened before?"
"Yeah," She said in an angry tone. "and I know exactly what they're doing and who's doing it!" She pushed through the crowd, showing no mercy to anyone in her way. I walked behind her in the path she made. I caught up with her just as we got to the middle of the crowd. A space was cleared out for three boys. the one in the middle was Luce, the other two were unknown to me. The two boys I hadn't met were tugging on Luce's scarf. Luce was trying desperately to keep it in place. His hands were occupied, so he couldn't seem to fight back. There must really be something he doesn't want people to see. I thought. One of the boys, his hair bright blue, grabbed Luce's arm.
Suddenly, Luce was covered in frost. Then, the other boy, his hair as red as Cammy's eyes, touched his arm and the frost melted.
"Hey! Hey! HEY!" Cammy yelled. She yanked someone's water bottle out of their hands and threw it. For a mostly blind girl, she had some kick-a** aim. The hard, plastic bottle hit the redhead square in the forehead. He let go of Luce and fell backwards. Seeing an opening, Luce messily wrapped the scarf back around his face. He looked at the remaining boy with menace in his eyes. Grabbing the shocked boy's hand hard, he picked him up, flung him over his head, and onto the redhead. He glared at him and then turned back to the crowd and opened his arms wide.
"Anybody else?" He called triumphantly. Cammy and I rolled our eyes. Now that his guard was up and he had a winning chance, he was as cocky as ever.
"Huh? Nobody?" He said. "Come on! I can take yah!" Cammy cleared her throat. Luce glanced at her and waited a moment.
"Fine," He said quietly, eerily. "but I'm not letting my guard down again. That was a one-time thing!" He walked between us and through the crowd. Everyone cleared a path for him and Cammy, who followed him. I glanced at the two boys moaning on the ground once more and then quickly followed them.
"So... I take it you usually get into fights?" I asked Luce when I caught up with them.
"Now what would give you that idea?" Luce asked sarcastically.
"Tch..." I rolled my eyes. "Don't be sarcastic with me!"
"Why not?" He challenged as turned to face me.
"Well, why should be the question." I spat. "You don't have to be such a jerk all the time!"
"You don't have to be so nosy all the time!" His face was turning red in anger. "Why don't you go crawl back into that friendless hole you call your life!"
I was speechless. That hurt, badly. When he saw the look on my face, his eyes softened.
"I--I didn't mean that...." He said ruefully. I bowed my head. I'd heard that going around at the academy. I had better hearing than people thought. Kids had made jokes out of my loneliness and laughed like it was the funniest thing. I swallowed hard. I had hoped before I came here that it wouldn't always be like that. But I guessed I just didn't have any luck whatsoever....
"I -- but -- I --!" Luce stuttered. Cammy's fist flew out of the blue and hit his cheek, hard. He flew to the side and Cammy put her arm around my shoulder.
"Don't listen to Luce!" She said. "You know he just let anger talk! He didn't mean it!" I shook my head to clear it and looked up.
"I--I know!" I smiled, hopefully it was convincing. "It just caught me off-guard! I'm okay, really!" I walked to Luce and held out my hand. He looked at it incredulously.
"You--you're not mad?"He asked.
"Ah, no! I forgive quickly, don't worry. I know you didn't mean it, of course."
"Oh! I--uh..." He took my hand and stood up. "You--" He didn't get to finish, because then the audience was called to their seats.
"Class 31." I replied. "You?"
"27" She said. "I've never seen you around town before, though."
"Oh! Yeah. I... I don't leave my property often. I've never really had anywhere to go with anybody but my little brother."
"Hmm... are you saying you don't have friends?"
I started. "Oh, I... I guess I am...."
"Oh, that's too bad. I don't have many friends, either. I suppose Luce is my only very good friend."
"Wow, that must be annoying."
"Yeah, it can be!" She laughed. She stared into the crowd. "People have just always thought I was weird. Nobody wanted to be around me. It was like they thought they would catch some kind of disease."
"Why? Do you know?"
She looked at the floor.
"Sort of." She said quietly. "I... I know what's different about me, but I don't know why they keep such a distance."
I studied her face, and then I noticed something.
"Oh! Your eyes..." I began.
"Are incredibly red?" She finished my sentence for me. "Yeah. That's the weird part of me. I can feel any kind of heat, even from a large distance away. I can see heat, too. I can't see your face right now, you just look like a bunch of different colors moving around in a human shape. The air is light red, too."
"So -- you technically can't see?" I asked in astonishment.
"Well, yes. I guess so. Even though colors are visible to me, I might as well be blind. But, glass and plastic can block it out just a bit, I usually like to wear sunglasses or goggles." She smiled. "But I pretty much go on what I can feel around me. It's almost like having 360 degree vision!"
"Wow! That's amazing! I wish I had that ability!" I said excitedly. How useful would it be to have 360 vision?
"Trust me," She said. "it's not all it's cracked up to be. I can only see so clearly with eye cover. It's like taking your vision and putting a layer of red paint over it."
"Oh, I see." She sounds like someone that wouldn't talk to me on normal circumstances. But she seems to have almost the same problem as me. Suddenly, she frowned.
"What the hell is he doing?" She asked, to herself, apparently.
"What?" I asked.
"Luce." She said. "His body temperature is changing rapidly. Back and forth between hot and cold.... What's going on?" She started to walk away. I followed her. I hadn't realized before, but now I saw that she looked straight ahead when she walked; like she couldn't see at all. As she walked across a the floor, she talked.
"This is odd.... There are two people with him and -- oh, not again!" She started to jog.
"Again?" I asked as we grew closer to a crowd. "What happened? It's happened before?"
"Yeah," She said in an angry tone. "and I know exactly what they're doing and who's doing it!" She pushed through the crowd, showing no mercy to anyone in her way. I walked behind her in the path she made. I caught up with her just as we got to the middle of the crowd. A space was cleared out for three boys. the one in the middle was Luce, the other two were unknown to me. The two boys I hadn't met were tugging on Luce's scarf. Luce was trying desperately to keep it in place. His hands were occupied, so he couldn't seem to fight back. There must really be something he doesn't want people to see. I thought. One of the boys, his hair bright blue, grabbed Luce's arm.
Suddenly, Luce was covered in frost. Then, the other boy, his hair as red as Cammy's eyes, touched his arm and the frost melted.
"Hey! Hey! HEY!" Cammy yelled. She yanked someone's water bottle out of their hands and threw it. For a mostly blind girl, she had some kick-a** aim. The hard, plastic bottle hit the redhead square in the forehead. He let go of Luce and fell backwards. Seeing an opening, Luce messily wrapped the scarf back around his face. He looked at the remaining boy with menace in his eyes. Grabbing the shocked boy's hand hard, he picked him up, flung him over his head, and onto the redhead. He glared at him and then turned back to the crowd and opened his arms wide.
"Anybody else?" He called triumphantly. Cammy and I rolled our eyes. Now that his guard was up and he had a winning chance, he was as cocky as ever.
"Huh? Nobody?" He said. "Come on! I can take yah!" Cammy cleared her throat. Luce glanced at her and waited a moment.
"Fine," He said quietly, eerily. "but I'm not letting my guard down again. That was a one-time thing!" He walked between us and through the crowd. Everyone cleared a path for him and Cammy, who followed him. I glanced at the two boys moaning on the ground once more and then quickly followed them.
"So... I take it you usually get into fights?" I asked Luce when I caught up with them.
"Now what would give you that idea?" Luce asked sarcastically.
"Tch..." I rolled my eyes. "Don't be sarcastic with me!"
"Why not?" He challenged as turned to face me.
"Well, why should be the question." I spat. "You don't have to be such a jerk all the time!"
"You don't have to be so nosy all the time!" His face was turning red in anger. "Why don't you go crawl back into that friendless hole you call your life!"
I was speechless. That hurt, badly. When he saw the look on my face, his eyes softened.
"I--I didn't mean that...." He said ruefully. I bowed my head. I'd heard that going around at the academy. I had better hearing than people thought. Kids had made jokes out of my loneliness and laughed like it was the funniest thing. I swallowed hard. I had hoped before I came here that it wouldn't always be like that. But I guessed I just didn't have any luck whatsoever....
"I -- but -- I --!" Luce stuttered. Cammy's fist flew out of the blue and hit his cheek, hard. He flew to the side and Cammy put her arm around my shoulder.
"Don't listen to Luce!" She said. "You know he just let anger talk! He didn't mean it!" I shook my head to clear it and looked up.
"I--I know!" I smiled, hopefully it was convincing. "It just caught me off-guard! I'm okay, really!" I walked to Luce and held out my hand. He looked at it incredulously.
"You--you're not mad?"He asked.
"Ah, no! I forgive quickly, don't worry. I know you didn't mean it, of course."
"Oh! I--uh..." He took my hand and stood up. "You--" He didn't get to finish, because then the audience was called to their seats.
Chapter two -- New meetings and new headaches
We walked up to the front doors of the Kalleghi Academy for Young Warriors. There, two men from the military were standing guard on either side of the entrance. They looked us over, and when they saw Lev, they saluted, looking straight ahead. Apparently, they were avoiding eye-contact.
"S-sir!" They said in unison.
"Lieutenant!" One of them said. "May I ask what you are doing here?"
"Well," Lev answered with an easygoing smile. "I am, of course, here to witness my sister become a Level 1 Ninja!" He put his hand on my shoulder.
"O-oh!" The other said without breaking his salute. "Congratulations, sir!" Lev nodded and we continued through the doors. I inconspicuously watched them as we walked forward. They looked at each other and sighed out of relief. I raised my eyebrows and walked around a corner. Why would they fear Lev? I thought. We rounded another corner and came to the auditorium doors which were wide open. The room was full of people and "Congratulations!" signs. All of the teenagers that had gone to the K.A.Y.W. too were dressed up in nice clothes, just like me. Most of them seemed to hate it. Just like me.But there was one thing that these teens and I had difference in.
They all had friends, and I had none. Of course, I knew people. I had been in the same class as a portion of these kids since I started school at five-years-old. I had known some people of these people for about eight years, because we were always with the same people, the same teacher and students each year. But I'd always had trouble making friends. I just was never someone of interest, so people never hung around me for too long.
Perhaps there will be people from the other classes that will like me? Maybe. But now, I'll focus on where my family is going. I followed them to the middle of the audience seats and was about to enter when Mother turned around to face me.
"Lucy, you should go talk to some of your friends! We still have quite a wait!" Of course, I never told anyone I had none.
"Oh!" I said. "Uh... I d-don't see any of them! I think I'll be fine waiting with you guys!"
"Oh, that's fine," Lev said. "You should go look for them, Lu." He gave me a warm smile and sat in his seat.
"Yes! We'll sit right here, and you can have the end seat so you don't have to walk past everyone!"
"Oh -- uh... okay. Thanks." I said, giving a convincing smile. Damn!.
I walked to the crowd and looked around for imaginary people. Once I was sure my family couldn't see me, I tried to pass through the crowd invisibly. A few people elbowed me, and I said "Sorry" or "Excuse me." I finally exited the thick part of the crowd, but something tripped me. I fell forward and quickly executed a tuck-and-roll. An old trick, I admit, but incredibly useful. Still crouching, I looked behind me to see what I had tripped over, but nothing was there. I frowned and stood up. Before I could completely straighten up, however, the surprises kept coming.
Suddenly my head felt like it was split open. I cried out in pain and squeezed my head, as if to shut the gaping hole. I looked up and saw a boy, my age, of course, who was dressed in a suit, like all of the other boys. He had dark brown hair that stuck up. His neck and half of his face was covered with a cream-colored cloth. It seemed to be a scarf, but then it was a bandanna, too, to cover his face.... I shook my head, ridding it of useless thoughts like this. He rubbed his chin under the cloth. His eyebrows came together in a frown.
"Watch it!" He said angrily. "I think you broke my jaw!"
"Oh," I replied, brushing myself off. "don't be a baby. If I had broken your jaw, you wouldn't even be able to speak. Besides, if you don't want to get hit, then watch where you put your face!" He got right in my own face.
"Why were you on the ground in the first place, eh? You wouldn't have hit me if you weren't crawling around on the floor!"
"Well, if you weren't stalking me, you wouldn't have leaned over and gotten hit!"
"Stalking? You're kidding right? Who in their right minds would want to stalk you?"
"Look bub, if you don't want to have your throat torn out before you even become a ninja, shut the hell up!"
"I think you should be the one to shut up!"
"Well, well..." A new voice interrupted the argument over our little train wreck. I looked behind me. A girl stood with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. Her red violet hair was cut short and fashioned with too much hairspray to make it look decent. She wore a blue dress and blue slip-on dress shoes. She had a beauty mark under her right eye and her skin was very tan. "Luce, you haven't been here five minutes and you're already in a fight." Luce's eyebrows evened out.
"Cammy," He said, not surprised. "How did you know I've only been here five minutes?" Cammy calmly walked over to Luce's side and stood for a moment. Then she punched the back of his head. He stumbled forward and I moved out of his way.
"I saw you enter, dummy!" She said.
"Gah!" He yelled. "You don't have to hit me!"
"Well, I was following you and calling your name! You can't tell me you didn't hear..."
"Maybe I didn't want to be seen around you..." Cammy delivered another punch to the back of his head. He yelped and stumbled again. Then, Cammy seemed to notice me.
"Hi, there!" She said happily, picking up Luce and holding him up under an arm. "I'm Cammy and this temper-mental jerk is Luce.
"I think I have brain damage now..." Luce murmured under Cammy's arm.
"Oh, shut up, you had brain damage before this." Cammy said.
"I'm Lucy." I laughed.
"Ah, hear that, Luce? There's a person that almost shares your name, but will never share your idiotic-ness." She chuckled. "Don't be fooled by his appearance, he's really a sweetheart." Luce wiggled out of Cammy's grasp and stood up straight, trying to regain his balance and his pride all at the same time.
"Shut up, woman." He said and walked away. We laughed again.
"He is, though." Cammy went on. "He was in my class, and he used to be such a crybaby! But we're real close, so I can usually predict what will happen. He's really sympathetic if there's no-one but me around."
"Wow, hard to believe that." I said.
"Yeah, I know. But, he won't show his real self unless you're really close."
"Oh." I said.
Well, I suppose that probably wont happen.
"S-sir!" They said in unison.
"Lieutenant!" One of them said. "May I ask what you are doing here?"
"Well," Lev answered with an easygoing smile. "I am, of course, here to witness my sister become a Level 1 Ninja!" He put his hand on my shoulder.
"O-oh!" The other said without breaking his salute. "Congratulations, sir!" Lev nodded and we continued through the doors. I inconspicuously watched them as we walked forward. They looked at each other and sighed out of relief. I raised my eyebrows and walked around a corner. Why would they fear Lev? I thought. We rounded another corner and came to the auditorium doors which were wide open. The room was full of people and "Congratulations!" signs. All of the teenagers that had gone to the K.A.Y.W. too were dressed up in nice clothes, just like me. Most of them seemed to hate it. Just like me.But there was one thing that these teens and I had difference in.
They all had friends, and I had none. Of course, I knew people. I had been in the same class as a portion of these kids since I started school at five-years-old. I had known some people of these people for about eight years, because we were always with the same people, the same teacher and students each year. But I'd always had trouble making friends. I just was never someone of interest, so people never hung around me for too long.
Perhaps there will be people from the other classes that will like me? Maybe. But now, I'll focus on where my family is going. I followed them to the middle of the audience seats and was about to enter when Mother turned around to face me.
"Lucy, you should go talk to some of your friends! We still have quite a wait!" Of course, I never told anyone I had none.
"Oh!" I said. "Uh... I d-don't see any of them! I think I'll be fine waiting with you guys!"
"Oh, that's fine," Lev said. "You should go look for them, Lu." He gave me a warm smile and sat in his seat.
"Yes! We'll sit right here, and you can have the end seat so you don't have to walk past everyone!"
"Oh -- uh... okay. Thanks." I said, giving a convincing smile. Damn!.
I walked to the crowd and looked around for imaginary people. Once I was sure my family couldn't see me, I tried to pass through the crowd invisibly. A few people elbowed me, and I said "Sorry" or "Excuse me." I finally exited the thick part of the crowd, but something tripped me. I fell forward and quickly executed a tuck-and-roll. An old trick, I admit, but incredibly useful. Still crouching, I looked behind me to see what I had tripped over, but nothing was there. I frowned and stood up. Before I could completely straighten up, however, the surprises kept coming.
Suddenly my head felt like it was split open. I cried out in pain and squeezed my head, as if to shut the gaping hole. I looked up and saw a boy, my age, of course, who was dressed in a suit, like all of the other boys. He had dark brown hair that stuck up. His neck and half of his face was covered with a cream-colored cloth. It seemed to be a scarf, but then it was a bandanna, too, to cover his face.... I shook my head, ridding it of useless thoughts like this. He rubbed his chin under the cloth. His eyebrows came together in a frown.
"Watch it!" He said angrily. "I think you broke my jaw!"
"Oh," I replied, brushing myself off. "don't be a baby. If I had broken your jaw, you wouldn't even be able to speak. Besides, if you don't want to get hit, then watch where you put your face!" He got right in my own face.
"Why were you on the ground in the first place, eh? You wouldn't have hit me if you weren't crawling around on the floor!"
"Well, if you weren't stalking me, you wouldn't have leaned over and gotten hit!"
"Stalking? You're kidding right? Who in their right minds would want to stalk you?"
"Look bub, if you don't want to have your throat torn out before you even become a ninja, shut the hell up!"
"I think you should be the one to shut up!"
"Well, well..." A new voice interrupted the argument over our little train wreck. I looked behind me. A girl stood with a hand on her hip and a smirk on her face. Her red violet hair was cut short and fashioned with too much hairspray to make it look decent. She wore a blue dress and blue slip-on dress shoes. She had a beauty mark under her right eye and her skin was very tan. "Luce, you haven't been here five minutes and you're already in a fight." Luce's eyebrows evened out.
"Cammy," He said, not surprised. "How did you know I've only been here five minutes?" Cammy calmly walked over to Luce's side and stood for a moment. Then she punched the back of his head. He stumbled forward and I moved out of his way.
"I saw you enter, dummy!" She said.
"Gah!" He yelled. "You don't have to hit me!"
"Well, I was following you and calling your name! You can't tell me you didn't hear..."
"Maybe I didn't want to be seen around you..." Cammy delivered another punch to the back of his head. He yelped and stumbled again. Then, Cammy seemed to notice me.
"Hi, there!" She said happily, picking up Luce and holding him up under an arm. "I'm Cammy and this temper-mental jerk is Luce.
"I think I have brain damage now..." Luce murmured under Cammy's arm.
"Oh, shut up, you had brain damage before this." Cammy said.
"I'm Lucy." I laughed.
"Ah, hear that, Luce? There's a person that almost shares your name, but will never share your idiotic-ness." She chuckled. "Don't be fooled by his appearance, he's really a sweetheart." Luce wiggled out of Cammy's grasp and stood up straight, trying to regain his balance and his pride all at the same time.
"Shut up, woman." He said and walked away. We laughed again.
"He is, though." Cammy went on. "He was in my class, and he used to be such a crybaby! But we're real close, so I can usually predict what will happen. He's really sympathetic if there's no-one but me around."
"Wow, hard to believe that." I said.
"Yeah, I know. But, he won't show his real self unless you're really close."
"Oh." I said.
Well, I suppose that probably wont happen.
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