What was going on? He couldn't move, couldn't speak. But Niina was in trouble! He couldn't just be laying around here, up against a chimney! That elf was attacking her, successfully blocking the blows from her sword with some sort of long, metal arm band. Niina needed his help, and then, suddenly, they went on the other side of the chimney. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was only a few more moments until they reappeared. His eyes, if it were possible, would have widened when he saw the elf flip backwards. He was a ninja! And he now had Niina trapped in some sort of purple bubble with him!
She looked scared, terrified even! Panic was creased into every line of her body, but it didn't seem to be because of the man. No, there was something else. But he was unable to figure out what it was, she was so far away.
And something else was wrong. The man wasn't attacking. Niina had stopped trying to escape, and now she was sitting down, as if in defeat, facing the elf.
"What th-?!" Keru said within his mind.
They were drinking tea! The ninja had pulled the tea out of the air, and now they were drinking it! Something was completely wrong here, but Keru just didn't know what it was...
"So, Niina, how have you been lately? Still being Rook's little lapdog?"
"...." Niina said nothing, gently sipping the raspberry tea that Doreeton had pulled out. Doreeton just smirked slightly, and sipped his own tea. Many moments passed before another sound was made.
"... I'm changing..." Doreeton looked up, to find that tears were in Niina's eyes. "I don't want to change, but I am... Doreeton, won't you help me?"
Doreeton watched her for a few moments, then sipped his tea again. After he was done, he said, "I don't want to."
More moments passed by before hiccuping sobs drifted out of Niina's mouth. Tears streamed down her face, her tea fell to the ground, and her hands clenched her skirt. "B-b-but, Dor-oreeton! I-I-I don't want... hic... to change..."
"I don't care." he said, his eyes closed. "Niina, haven't you realized that change is good? In this case, change is the best course of action. Niina..." He opened his eyes back up and leaned towards Niina, his face three inches away from her nose. "... you're planning on killing him. One more death shall solve the bloodshed of the Rooks, but it is not the Raging Tiger's death. Don't you see? You have to kill Him. You know who I'm talking about."
Niina didn't answer, she just continued crying. But Doreeton continued.
"It's all His fault, all this bloodshed, all the burning villages. We all could be so much happier, if it wasn't for the Rooks. He's the one you have to kill."
Niina stammered, "Bu-But-"
Doreeton placed his finger over her mouth, shaking his head. "No, Niina. I'm right. What you were bred to believe, is wrong. Change is good. Change your way of thinking, Niina, your way of life. Change the path you are taking, and save Keru."
He took his finger away, and slowly Niina's tears retreated. "I... can't... I don't... want to..."
Well, something inside him snapped. Doreeton gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and shot up. "THAT'S JUST THE LAPDOG TALKING!" he shouted, though nothing outside the purple bubble could hear. "YOU ARE ABLE TO! BUT YOU'RE AFRAID! CAST AWAY YOUR FEAR, DAMMIT! THROW AWAY THE SHACKLES THAT BIND YOU TO YOUR PATH THAT YOU ARE WALKING RIGHT NOW! LET YOUR MIND BE FREE, OR YOU'LL REGRET IT!" He exhaled and inhaled quickly, not quite hyperventilating, but somewhere in between, glaring at Niina, who looked like she was about to cry again.
He kneeled back down, calmed down once more, and gently hugged Niina, who rested her head on his shoulder.
"You're still my pillar..." she murmured, giving a feeble smile. Doreeton smiled too, and then he sat back, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "Niina... you've got to learn to follow what your heart says... And yes, that may sound very corny-" They both cracked another small smile. "-but it's true, and you should keep that advice inside your heart. Know what is right, not by what your learning tells you, but by what your heart whispers."
Niina smiled again. "Doreeton, you know too much. You were always telling me what I should have already known..." She closed her eyes, then opened them a few seconds later.
"I'll try..." she murmured, "I'll try... to try..."
Doreeton smiled, then brushed some more hair out of her eyes. "So, tell me... what does your heart say now?" Niina looked up at him, with a slightly surprised expression on her face.
He looked hopeful, yet there was a look of slight fear upon his face. "Tell me." he whispered, and so Niina closed her eyes.
Doreeton waited, silently wishing for a certain answer, and when Niina opened her eyes back up, he leaned forwards, still watching her with that slightly fearful, very hopeful look on his face.
"I... think you're very dear to me..." she began, but the soft words could not block what was coming next. Doreeton knew it, and he closed his eyes, his face falling with the weight of the next words. "But... I don't love you... I'm sorry..." Niina looked away, rubbing her arm nervously.
'I'm sorry, Doreeton, but I can't return your love... I know you've loved me for a while... I remember those nights that you snuck back into Rooks, just to watch me sleep, even thought I wasn't really sleeping, and then you left, leaving your tears on the floor... I know you love me, but... I don't love you... I'm sorry...'
"It's Keru, isn't it?" Doreeton's voice cut into her thoughts, and she looked up, though he was still looking at the ground. A slight blush spread across her cheeks as she said, "How-"
"I can tell." he said, lifting up his head. "It's just so obvious... I'm surprised Keru hasn't realized it yet. Is he really an idiot, or just a moron when it comes to you?" Niina blushed even deeper, and mumbled, "The second one..." Doreeton cracked a small, desperate smile, then leaned in closer to Niina, who looked up.
He kissed her.
Her already deep blush deepened to become a bright, bright red once his lips touched hers, and she felt as if her own body had become stone. She was frozen until Doreeton broke away from her, and stood up. She looked up at him, wide eyed, and he said,
"I should have asked, " he began, looking first at the sky, then at Niina, "but I wanted your first kiss for myself. Even if it's not your love I feel in your lips, I enjoyed it." He smiled, Niina was still shocked, and he walked to the edge of the roof, to the edge of the purple bubble.
"If all ends well, may Keru enjoy your loving kiss." he said softly, and with a raise of his hand, the purple bubble disappeared, and Doreeton jumped down, disappearing amongst the crowd. Niina watched the air for a while, still in slight shock, the sudden wind pulling at her hair.
"Niina?"
Her head spun around, to see Keru standing beside her, an uncomfortable look on his face. "Er... who... was that?"
Niina almost blushed as images of Doreeton's kiss came back into her mind, but she waved them away. Then she answered Keru's question, "Oh, that was just a friend, from my childhood. Doreeton. My, I haven't seen him in a while. Quite a shock I got!" she said, laughing. It was almost obviously fake, but it seemed to calm Keru down, at least until he noticed the cut on her cheek.
"Ah! You're bleeding!" Niina blinked and glanced down at her cheek, where she had cut it on Doreeton's spikes before, while Keru hastily pulled out a cloth and a sealed cup full of water. He wet the cloth and began cleaning the cut, while Niina stared back into the sky.
"Follow your heart..." Doreeton's voice still echoed in her head. ... If I follow my heart, what path shall I end up at?'
View User's Journal
Story Booklet
Currently featuring the sci-fi story 'A.L.P.H.A', a drama swirled in with a bit of comedy, romantic entanglements, and webs upon webs of secrets.
 |
