Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction ❯ Where Fate Turns ❯ Chapter 2: Into the Abyss ( Chapter 2 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Splash 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.24.2004 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 467 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction / Ragnarok Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 06.24.2004 | Pages: 4 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 467 | Status: Completed
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Where Fate Turns
Chapter 2: Into the Abyss
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Ooo, reviews!! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback! The Takouji begins here, sorry if I disappointed you specialties in the first chapter ^^; And Taito in this chapter as well, as well as MANY other familiar characters. Like I previously said, the mixing is because plot needs to be explained. ^^;
Sarah: If it'll be on any site the earliest... it'll probably be Fanfiction.net. But I'm going to use the same website link that is used on Got Taito for Burning Light as well, so it saves some work for me... hehe.
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~Even the rock that refuses to move will turn into sand eventually~
****
They had forgotten how long they have lived like this. They resided in the backskirts of the houses in Morroc, never seen by the townspeople who were so occupied. People knew them well personality-wise in this town, but no one knew any of their basic information. No one knew anyone else in their family, or even knew if they HAD family. They didn't know where they lived, or what plans they had for the future. They just knew that these boys existed and prospered by working rightfully. No one knew that they were Thieves and at one point or another they had probably been looted from them.
Not too long ago they had established a small business, which was highly unlike many of the thieves of the town. After all, why work when you can just steal? However, it worked to their advantage, since no one would suspect such business boys would also be Thieves, and they made large profits on top of it.
The two had discovered the wonderful material that came from Picky feathers. In their early days they struggled with gathering the feathers; the Picky would peck back pretty hard. The more intelligent of these tiny hopping birds kept their eggshells from their birth, using them as headshields. The boys had weak weapons at the time, but as they progressed their profits earned them improved weapons. Eventually Picky were slaughtered with one blow. The Thieves would pluck out their feathers before they respawned in a flash.
The boys always resided in places with a roof above them. There were several unoccupied buildings in Morroc, and one couldn't tell from first glance since all of the buildings were made from rock material and there was no difference from a new or old building.
They had little relavity to society's way of keeping time; they relied on the sun and moon. They knew of which times the most peopl were out in the streets selling or buying... they knew the rich people in town, and of course took their routine "welfare" from them. They wouldn't notice if a couple hundred zeny disappeared from their trouves every once in a while...
This particular day, Takuya had just returned from exchanging a load of Picky feathers to the seamstresses of Morroc. He wiped his forehead, lifting his goggles to relieve himself. his partner had not arrived "home" yet, so he decided to count their savings. He opened the jars full of coins and the bags in his pockets. And as he counted, he dreamed...
For the past few weeks, a clear cut routine had been established between Takuya and Kouji. When the sun began to show itself after the moon left, the two would wake up and eat breakfast together, then venture out to gather feathers. With their powerful Damascus daggers, they never worried about getting severely hurt doing their work. They would meet back when the sun was directly above them. They had even found a place that would suit them more than a temporary area, and they could almost call it "home." It was the remains of an abandoned building that was torn down; the two sides of wall they had supported the small roof. The boys had hung a feather blanket along some of the roof, enclosing the side that was absent of a wall. It was as cozy as the playhouses the children made with with blankets and chairs. Better yet, it was located in a lonely corner of Morroc that no one ever went near, so they had complete privacy.
Several hours later, he heard the sound of shoes shifting sand.
" Picky are getting very boring," the newcomer said blandly, a large bag in his tow. " I probably got enough feathers to last us a full week, and the sun is still high in the sky."
The boys did learn the social form of telling time, but they were so used to their own system that it would take them much thought to realize it was noon. They simply measured by the location of the sun or moon in the sky, as they did to count the days. They did take the simplicities of "weeks" "months" and other intervals higher than so.
" I just sold a bundle I made earlier this sun. It was also enough to last us a week," Takuya added, finishing up his counting results.
The other boy sat down near Takuya, temporarily abandoning his load. " What's with the money spread?"
" Um..." Takuya itched the side of his ear near his firey brown sideburns. " You look tired."
" The wild PecoPeco were giving me a hard time."
" PecoPeco!" Takuya exclaimed in an admonishing tone, " You know how protective they are of each other. Birds of a feather flock together."
" Well, at least the Picky don't have the brains for that," the other replied, peeling off his constraining top. Spending a long time in the hot sun reflecting off sand was painful.
Takuya scooted over, facing the other's back. " Here," he said, placing his hands on the tight shoulders. Takuya began to massage them, loosening the tension from his back.
The other immediately felt sleepy, drooping bangs tickling his nose.
Takuya was contemplating, he had been for quite a while, but had not felt motivated to voice his ideas until now. " Kouji..."
" Hm?"
" I've been thinking... do you want to go outside the Morroc area?"
Kouji snapped out of his dazed state. " Outside Morroc..."
He didn't know what to say to that. Of the many years he had spent with Takuya, his mind was set on making a living. They had struggled so much in the beginning that he wasn't sure to do with their new sense of freedom. Adventure and leisure were completely out of question until now... It would be a huge change... and Kouji was afraid of it, though he didn't like to admit it.
" What's wrong with staying in Morroc?"
" Nothing's wrong with Morroc," Takuya replied. He began to massage more strenuously, " but I feel like we're missing out on a lot of things we can do with our lives."
Kouji shifted to sit Indian-style, and tilted his head forward. " Hmm..."
Takuya knew he was having doubts. " Kouji... I'll DIE if I stay here... I'll die of an unsatisfied soul. I want to see what's out there... I want to know what I'm missing."
" You're free to go if you want," Kouji said, " I'm not going to keep you back."
That hurt the brunette. He didn't reply to that; he ran his hands lightly over Kouji's back, brushing past his ponytail.
Kouji had to catch his breath when he felt two arms envelop him from behind. Takuya rested his chin on Kouji's shoulder.
" I'm not going without you," Takuya murmured.
Ever since both sets of parents had left for Geffen and never come back, Takuya and Kouji have had to live on their own. They mastered the art of thievery together, they suffered the hardships of poverty together... they went through grief, through helplessness, through loneliness...
" We have almost 300,000 zeny now... we have more than enough to survive out there. Why do you think we've been saving all this money? Will it all go to nothing at the end?"
Kouji slowly raised a hand and covered one of Takuya's on his chest. " Yes, you are right on that..." he said slowly.
A hint of a smile appeared on Takuya. " Kouji...?"
The darker-haired boy took a big breath, concluding his thoughts. " We'll go tomorrow morning. How about that?"
That just made Takuya grin gleefully. " Kouji!"
He hugged the dark-haired boy tighter, and nuzzled Kouji's neck.
Kouji turned hot red. He was slightly used to Takuya's cuddly behavior, but sometimes he wondered if there was a specific reason for it. Like now, Takuya was lingering a little too long...
But unlike most times when they were occupied with other activities, Kouji didn't have any excuse this time. And he didn't want to push Takuya away for his own reasons...
He could hear his own heart pounding in close sync with Takuya's. He found his hand on Takuya's tightening without notice. There was silence for a long while, only the light wind blowing through the golden sand creating noise. Most of the townsfolk had gone home to eat, so they could not be heard through their home walls.
Kouji's head was spinning in mixed feelings. For years he had waited for a moment such as this. He had always admired Takuya, not necessarily for his wisdom (although he was the innovator for the Picky business), but for his energy. Takuya never failed to cheer him up, and be there for him when he was lonely. And well, they HAD no one else except each other. That was what scared Kouji... if they were to adventure, others might interfere. He needed the reassurance that Takuya would stay with him no matter what happened.
Kouji's breathing jerked again as he felt something more than nuzzling on his neck. He could feel Takuya's heated breath arousing him to the core. There was no way he could hold it any longer... He turned around in Takuya's grasp, and before he knew it their lips met in searing passion. Kouji wrapped his arms around Takuya, creeping his hands past the thin tank top Takuya was wearing and ran them against his spine. It sent a thrilling chill through Takuya, and he groaned in response.
Takuya pushed Kouji against the wall of their haven, still hidden by the shade. And they continued to release everything they had held back for so long...
****
" Damascus?"
" Check."
" Clothes?"
" Check."
" Food?"
" Check."
" Zeny?"
" Check."
" Takuya?"
" ..."
Kouji gave a small smile; it was the smile Takuya constantly longed to see. He did not see it when he first met Kouji, and rarely saw it in general. It brought him great angst that he could not give Kouji enough happiness to have him reveal that smile more often, but seeing it at this moment brought him much contentment. " Check, Kouji."
Takuya ran his hand across Kouji's clad back before picking up his traveling load. The guard near the Morroc exit gave him a nod and salut; he knew they were bidding a prolonged farewell. " Good luck to you two."
They had a general idea of where to go, but neither of them had ventured out of the desert area before. In fact, neither of them had ever seen grass, although they knew it existed. They weren't COMPLETE losses.
For several hours they walked with ease. They sank every reminisce of the desert that they were slowly walking away from. They were accustomed to the heat, adored it, and now they would try themselves in the cold outdoors of the unknown. They brought little food with them, and they were mainly fresh fruits and vegetables.
" So how much do you know about the world out there, Takuya? Hopefully you've done some research since it was your idea."
" Enough to get us around... there aren't many resources in Morroc, but travelers are usually around the exchange merchants... I learned a lot from them."
They went several minutes in silence afterwards, then Takuya randomly stopped in his tracks. " We should camp out here tonight. We can get into Prontera sometime tomorrow morning, it should be around here."
They killed several Condor birds for meat, cooking them over the deadwood trees around the area. The sun set over their remaining fire, carrying away the desert heat to leave it deathly cold. Takuya remembered the last time he had slept in Sograt Desert at night... it certainly wasn't pleasant. There was howling that kept him awake most of the time...
But now, Kouji was there with him. The dark boy's presence gave Takuya a high sense of security.
Kouji laid out several blankets, then urged Takuya over. " It's going to be exceptionally cold tonight... I can feel it."
Takuya believed him, since Kouji had a sense for those types of things; he was always amazed with Kouji's connection to nature.
They had extremely comforting blankets, as extra Picky feathers provided great insulation against the cold nights of the desert. Takuya snuggled in as the sun set and gazed at the radiant sky, blazing red and purple streaking across. Kouji laid right next to him, noticing his intentional closeness. Takuya smiled and leaned his head on Kouji's shoulder, loving the feeling that was brought to his being. ' Life is beautiful...'
And for the first time, the howling of the night didn't phase him.
****
Several minutes later, Taichi gazed at the limp head resting on his shoulder, and Yamato's arms resting on his sides.
" Oh, God..." he looked around desperately for someone who could help. Everyone in town appeared to be Swordsmen or Merchants... he wouldn't find any Acolytes here.
He got up from the bench (not remembering how he had come to be there in the first place) and was about to bring Yamato onto his back...but a light groan halted him. The blonde's head was pressed against Taichi's neck as he stirred into consciousness.
" The Goddess of Strength called me..." was the first thing Yamato mumbled. Taichi just stood still, not sure what to do or say. So much had already happened to him, and the impact of these events had just begun to hit him.
Yamato leaned lifeless on Taichi's back, breathing onto his neck. Stranger yet, he didn't feel uncomfortable...
" Y... Yamato, weren't we on our way out?"
" Yeah."
Taichi's voice wavered, slightly nervous. " Shouldn't we get going?"
The blonde blinked. " Oh... Oh yeah."
He hesitantly lifted himself up, then led the way across the Izlude bridge outside the town.
****
As soon as they entered through the gates, Taichi had an incredible feeling of being overwhelmed. He had heard about the vastness of the capital city Prontera, but he had no idea that it would surpass what he had imagined. Almost every yard was occupied with people or buildings. People talked and played in the streets, Merchants rattled off tales of their products, and the townsfolk seemed happy.
As Yamato passed the south entrance, he ignored the swarming activity and immediately bee-lined a path through the crowd.
" Wait up, Yamato!" Taichi called. ' Why is that guy always in a hurry? Even I don't rush that much though my mother needs help.'
Taichi was more alert this time and didn't fall behind, however. He didn't even spend the time to observe the dazzling fountain in the center of the icyt. They breezed past some walls separating the inner and outer parts of the city, then took a sharp right. Soon they had arrived at one of the larger buildings in the city... Prontera Church.
They went into the church and entered a smaller room. " Yamato Ishida, transitional Archer has arrived," the blonde stated to a large man at the entrance.
The large man checked off something on his clipboard, then nodded without looking at Yamato. He didn't bother to ask about Taichi's presence with him. The two Archers wandered until they found unoccupied seats next to each other, and by some natural notion they faced the honorable figure standing in front of the room. Taichi saw that they were surrounded by other Acolytes, but there were a few people... he couldn't tell what they were. He hadn't seen such unfamiliar clothing...
" Citizens of Midgard," the figure announced, silencing the small conversation in the room, " We are gathered here today for business of extreme importance to the future of this world. We have received many signs of something vast stirring the skies. Aggressive monster attacks have been reported with casualties, and just recently the Vagabond Wolf has reappeared."
A general gasp erupted from the crowd, and Taichi reddened at the reference.
" Now, the reason for these occurences is still quite vague," the figure continued, " Our travelers here have arrived with updates on the situation."
Taichi looked at Yamato in slight confusion as the blonde stood up along with the foreign-clothed people. The blonde glanced at his hands, then peeled off his gloves and stuffed them in his pockets.
" Koushirou Izumi, Merchant," the one most front said, " Jyou Kido, Wizard, and I have been studying artifacts in Geffen Tower."
" It's overcrowded with poison spores now!" Jyou chimed in, almost frantic. " I almost couldn't keep my Ice Wall up."
" Takato Matsuda, traveling with Jenrya Lee, Swordsmen. We have explored the mysterious ship near Alberta... it's filled with Pirate Skeletons. We barely made it back alive but this is the first place that we announced it."
Another murmur shot through the crowd. Even Taichi was finding it difficult to swallow the details.
" Daisuke Motomiya and Ken Ichijouji, Assassins. There are monsters in the Pyramids and Sphinx of unimaginable proportions..."
By now there was such loud chatter in the contained room, the head figure had to try to quiet everyone. " All right... we have the power to do something about this. Calm down..."
Taichi, who was simply too bewildered to be joining in the chatter, noticed that Yamato had his arms crossed as he often did in his pensive moods. This time he had an air of annoyance with him...
" People!" the figure finally shouted. A silence ensued.
" Yamato Ishida, Archer," the blonde said in dark calmness. " Who has information on...Ymir?"
And silence still ensued. Yamato turned on his heel and looked around for someone who knew anything... " Anything at all?"
Koushirou had his hand on his chin. " There are only legends... the one closest to being proven is that Ymir can be found in pieces throughout the world when it is in turmoil. But even that is quite vague... there are no clues as where to find these pieces or what to do with them."
" Or what these ' pieces' are in the first place," Taichi said outloud. The entire room turned to face him.
Yamato also jerked his head in the brunette's direction and flustered. " Uh... this is Taichi Yagami, beginning archer. He is my apprentice..."
Taichi stood up and took a new stance. " My mother was victimized by the Vagabond Wolf, so I am on a quest to find someone who can revive her. I am in need of a Priest to-"
He had not said an extra word before he found himself slammed against the wall outside the meeting room, Yamato getting close to his face.
" What the hell do you think you're doing?!?"
" I was just-"
Again he was interrupted, this time by Yamato covering his mouth with an ungloved hand.
" No... why did I bother asking you that?" the blonde said, deeply irritated, even more so than he was with the jabbering crowd. " We are in the most important meeting in a thousand years and you think you can ask them a personal favor at your advantage? It's selfish! It's-"
Taichi forced Yamato's hand off and countered his words. " I don't want my mother revived just because she's my mother! There must be some reason why the Vagabond Wolf chose to attack our household, perhaps my mother knows! When I was young, she told me our family had a similar experience during the war 1,000 years ago..."
Yamato looked back at him in surprise. " You didn't tell me that..."
" I don't know what it was that attacked our family that long ago," Taichi continued, giving himself some room from the wall. " I just know that it haunts us even as I speak."
" Oh... I'm sorry..." Yamato turned his back on him, shame-faced. " Guess I screwed it up this time... I'm so sorry..."
Taichi felt compassionate all of a sudden to see Yamato so sincerely expressing himself. " Yamato, it's okay, I'll just go back and ask them again..." Something evoked him to place his hand on Yamato's shoulder, and was shocked to feel the shoulder trembling.
Yamato didn't turn back over, avoiding eye contact.
" Taichi..."
A distant chorus of screams cut him off. Immediately Yamato snapped into action, heading toward the main church room. Taichi followed, and the two opened the church doors at the same time...
The first three rows of seats in the church were filled with Acolytes, standing in scared positions. At the head of the room, there was... a creature. It couldn't have been more than 2 feet tall. It had a gruff beard, stood on two hooves and carried a scythe... to its side laid a body of a man in dark robes, his small round hat fallen.
" Humans of Midgard," the creature said in a miniscule, yet intimidating voice. It turned its head to do a sweeping gaze around the room, as if making sure every person was paying attention. And of course, they were... " Spread the word... OUR MASTER HAS RETURNED!!!"
The creature lunged head on to the targets straight ahead... Taichi and Yamato.
****
Nyaaa.... I like writing Taito angst more and Takouji fluffiness more... is that bad? XD
Splash
gottaito.cjb.net
Where Fate Turns
Chapter 2: Into the Abyss
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Ooo, reviews!! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback! The Takouji begins here, sorry if I disappointed you specialties in the first chapter ^^; And Taito in this chapter as well, as well as MANY other familiar characters. Like I previously said, the mixing is because plot needs to be explained. ^^;
Sarah: If it'll be on any site the earliest... it'll probably be Fanfiction.net. But I'm going to use the same website link that is used on Got Taito for Burning Light as well, so it saves some work for me... hehe.
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~Even the rock that refuses to move will turn into sand eventually~
****
They had forgotten how long they have lived like this. They resided in the backskirts of the houses in Morroc, never seen by the townspeople who were so occupied. People knew them well personality-wise in this town, but no one knew any of their basic information. No one knew anyone else in their family, or even knew if they HAD family. They didn't know where they lived, or what plans they had for the future. They just knew that these boys existed and prospered by working rightfully. No one knew that they were Thieves and at one point or another they had probably been looted from them.
Not too long ago they had established a small business, which was highly unlike many of the thieves of the town. After all, why work when you can just steal? However, it worked to their advantage, since no one would suspect such business boys would also be Thieves, and they made large profits on top of it.
The two had discovered the wonderful material that came from Picky feathers. In their early days they struggled with gathering the feathers; the Picky would peck back pretty hard. The more intelligent of these tiny hopping birds kept their eggshells from their birth, using them as headshields. The boys had weak weapons at the time, but as they progressed their profits earned them improved weapons. Eventually Picky were slaughtered with one blow. The Thieves would pluck out their feathers before they respawned in a flash.
The boys always resided in places with a roof above them. There were several unoccupied buildings in Morroc, and one couldn't tell from first glance since all of the buildings were made from rock material and there was no difference from a new or old building.
They had little relavity to society's way of keeping time; they relied on the sun and moon. They knew of which times the most peopl were out in the streets selling or buying... they knew the rich people in town, and of course took their routine "welfare" from them. They wouldn't notice if a couple hundred zeny disappeared from their trouves every once in a while...
This particular day, Takuya had just returned from exchanging a load of Picky feathers to the seamstresses of Morroc. He wiped his forehead, lifting his goggles to relieve himself. his partner had not arrived "home" yet, so he decided to count their savings. He opened the jars full of coins and the bags in his pockets. And as he counted, he dreamed...
For the past few weeks, a clear cut routine had been established between Takuya and Kouji. When the sun began to show itself after the moon left, the two would wake up and eat breakfast together, then venture out to gather feathers. With their powerful Damascus daggers, they never worried about getting severely hurt doing their work. They would meet back when the sun was directly above them. They had even found a place that would suit them more than a temporary area, and they could almost call it "home." It was the remains of an abandoned building that was torn down; the two sides of wall they had supported the small roof. The boys had hung a feather blanket along some of the roof, enclosing the side that was absent of a wall. It was as cozy as the playhouses the children made with with blankets and chairs. Better yet, it was located in a lonely corner of Morroc that no one ever went near, so they had complete privacy.
Several hours later, he heard the sound of shoes shifting sand.
" Picky are getting very boring," the newcomer said blandly, a large bag in his tow. " I probably got enough feathers to last us a full week, and the sun is still high in the sky."
The boys did learn the social form of telling time, but they were so used to their own system that it would take them much thought to realize it was noon. They simply measured by the location of the sun or moon in the sky, as they did to count the days. They did take the simplicities of "weeks" "months" and other intervals higher than so.
" I just sold a bundle I made earlier this sun. It was also enough to last us a week," Takuya added, finishing up his counting results.
The other boy sat down near Takuya, temporarily abandoning his load. " What's with the money spread?"
" Um..." Takuya itched the side of his ear near his firey brown sideburns. " You look tired."
" The wild PecoPeco were giving me a hard time."
" PecoPeco!" Takuya exclaimed in an admonishing tone, " You know how protective they are of each other. Birds of a feather flock together."
" Well, at least the Picky don't have the brains for that," the other replied, peeling off his constraining top. Spending a long time in the hot sun reflecting off sand was painful.
Takuya scooted over, facing the other's back. " Here," he said, placing his hands on the tight shoulders. Takuya began to massage them, loosening the tension from his back.
The other immediately felt sleepy, drooping bangs tickling his nose.
Takuya was contemplating, he had been for quite a while, but had not felt motivated to voice his ideas until now. " Kouji..."
" Hm?"
" I've been thinking... do you want to go outside the Morroc area?"
Kouji snapped out of his dazed state. " Outside Morroc..."
He didn't know what to say to that. Of the many years he had spent with Takuya, his mind was set on making a living. They had struggled so much in the beginning that he wasn't sure to do with their new sense of freedom. Adventure and leisure were completely out of question until now... It would be a huge change... and Kouji was afraid of it, though he didn't like to admit it.
" What's wrong with staying in Morroc?"
" Nothing's wrong with Morroc," Takuya replied. He began to massage more strenuously, " but I feel like we're missing out on a lot of things we can do with our lives."
Kouji shifted to sit Indian-style, and tilted his head forward. " Hmm..."
Takuya knew he was having doubts. " Kouji... I'll DIE if I stay here... I'll die of an unsatisfied soul. I want to see what's out there... I want to know what I'm missing."
" You're free to go if you want," Kouji said, " I'm not going to keep you back."
That hurt the brunette. He didn't reply to that; he ran his hands lightly over Kouji's back, brushing past his ponytail.
Kouji had to catch his breath when he felt two arms envelop him from behind. Takuya rested his chin on Kouji's shoulder.
" I'm not going without you," Takuya murmured.
Ever since both sets of parents had left for Geffen and never come back, Takuya and Kouji have had to live on their own. They mastered the art of thievery together, they suffered the hardships of poverty together... they went through grief, through helplessness, through loneliness...
" We have almost 300,000 zeny now... we have more than enough to survive out there. Why do you think we've been saving all this money? Will it all go to nothing at the end?"
Kouji slowly raised a hand and covered one of Takuya's on his chest. " Yes, you are right on that..." he said slowly.
A hint of a smile appeared on Takuya. " Kouji...?"
The darker-haired boy took a big breath, concluding his thoughts. " We'll go tomorrow morning. How about that?"
That just made Takuya grin gleefully. " Kouji!"
He hugged the dark-haired boy tighter, and nuzzled Kouji's neck.
Kouji turned hot red. He was slightly used to Takuya's cuddly behavior, but sometimes he wondered if there was a specific reason for it. Like now, Takuya was lingering a little too long...
But unlike most times when they were occupied with other activities, Kouji didn't have any excuse this time. And he didn't want to push Takuya away for his own reasons...
He could hear his own heart pounding in close sync with Takuya's. He found his hand on Takuya's tightening without notice. There was silence for a long while, only the light wind blowing through the golden sand creating noise. Most of the townsfolk had gone home to eat, so they could not be heard through their home walls.
Kouji's head was spinning in mixed feelings. For years he had waited for a moment such as this. He had always admired Takuya, not necessarily for his wisdom (although he was the innovator for the Picky business), but for his energy. Takuya never failed to cheer him up, and be there for him when he was lonely. And well, they HAD no one else except each other. That was what scared Kouji... if they were to adventure, others might interfere. He needed the reassurance that Takuya would stay with him no matter what happened.
Kouji's breathing jerked again as he felt something more than nuzzling on his neck. He could feel Takuya's heated breath arousing him to the core. There was no way he could hold it any longer... He turned around in Takuya's grasp, and before he knew it their lips met in searing passion. Kouji wrapped his arms around Takuya, creeping his hands past the thin tank top Takuya was wearing and ran them against his spine. It sent a thrilling chill through Takuya, and he groaned in response.
Takuya pushed Kouji against the wall of their haven, still hidden by the shade. And they continued to release everything they had held back for so long...
****
" Damascus?"
" Check."
" Clothes?"
" Check."
" Food?"
" Check."
" Zeny?"
" Check."
" Takuya?"
" ..."
Kouji gave a small smile; it was the smile Takuya constantly longed to see. He did not see it when he first met Kouji, and rarely saw it in general. It brought him great angst that he could not give Kouji enough happiness to have him reveal that smile more often, but seeing it at this moment brought him much contentment. " Check, Kouji."
Takuya ran his hand across Kouji's clad back before picking up his traveling load. The guard near the Morroc exit gave him a nod and salut; he knew they were bidding a prolonged farewell. " Good luck to you two."
They had a general idea of where to go, but neither of them had ventured out of the desert area before. In fact, neither of them had ever seen grass, although they knew it existed. They weren't COMPLETE losses.
For several hours they walked with ease. They sank every reminisce of the desert that they were slowly walking away from. They were accustomed to the heat, adored it, and now they would try themselves in the cold outdoors of the unknown. They brought little food with them, and they were mainly fresh fruits and vegetables.
" So how much do you know about the world out there, Takuya? Hopefully you've done some research since it was your idea."
" Enough to get us around... there aren't many resources in Morroc, but travelers are usually around the exchange merchants... I learned a lot from them."
They went several minutes in silence afterwards, then Takuya randomly stopped in his tracks. " We should camp out here tonight. We can get into Prontera sometime tomorrow morning, it should be around here."
They killed several Condor birds for meat, cooking them over the deadwood trees around the area. The sun set over their remaining fire, carrying away the desert heat to leave it deathly cold. Takuya remembered the last time he had slept in Sograt Desert at night... it certainly wasn't pleasant. There was howling that kept him awake most of the time...
But now, Kouji was there with him. The dark boy's presence gave Takuya a high sense of security.
Kouji laid out several blankets, then urged Takuya over. " It's going to be exceptionally cold tonight... I can feel it."
Takuya believed him, since Kouji had a sense for those types of things; he was always amazed with Kouji's connection to nature.
They had extremely comforting blankets, as extra Picky feathers provided great insulation against the cold nights of the desert. Takuya snuggled in as the sun set and gazed at the radiant sky, blazing red and purple streaking across. Kouji laid right next to him, noticing his intentional closeness. Takuya smiled and leaned his head on Kouji's shoulder, loving the feeling that was brought to his being. ' Life is beautiful...'
And for the first time, the howling of the night didn't phase him.
****
Several minutes later, Taichi gazed at the limp head resting on his shoulder, and Yamato's arms resting on his sides.
" Oh, God..." he looked around desperately for someone who could help. Everyone in town appeared to be Swordsmen or Merchants... he wouldn't find any Acolytes here.
He got up from the bench (not remembering how he had come to be there in the first place) and was about to bring Yamato onto his back...but a light groan halted him. The blonde's head was pressed against Taichi's neck as he stirred into consciousness.
" The Goddess of Strength called me..." was the first thing Yamato mumbled. Taichi just stood still, not sure what to do or say. So much had already happened to him, and the impact of these events had just begun to hit him.
Yamato leaned lifeless on Taichi's back, breathing onto his neck. Stranger yet, he didn't feel uncomfortable...
" Y... Yamato, weren't we on our way out?"
" Yeah."
Taichi's voice wavered, slightly nervous. " Shouldn't we get going?"
The blonde blinked. " Oh... Oh yeah."
He hesitantly lifted himself up, then led the way across the Izlude bridge outside the town.
****
As soon as they entered through the gates, Taichi had an incredible feeling of being overwhelmed. He had heard about the vastness of the capital city Prontera, but he had no idea that it would surpass what he had imagined. Almost every yard was occupied with people or buildings. People talked and played in the streets, Merchants rattled off tales of their products, and the townsfolk seemed happy.
As Yamato passed the south entrance, he ignored the swarming activity and immediately bee-lined a path through the crowd.
" Wait up, Yamato!" Taichi called. ' Why is that guy always in a hurry? Even I don't rush that much though my mother needs help.'
Taichi was more alert this time and didn't fall behind, however. He didn't even spend the time to observe the dazzling fountain in the center of the icyt. They breezed past some walls separating the inner and outer parts of the city, then took a sharp right. Soon they had arrived at one of the larger buildings in the city... Prontera Church.
They went into the church and entered a smaller room. " Yamato Ishida, transitional Archer has arrived," the blonde stated to a large man at the entrance.
The large man checked off something on his clipboard, then nodded without looking at Yamato. He didn't bother to ask about Taichi's presence with him. The two Archers wandered until they found unoccupied seats next to each other, and by some natural notion they faced the honorable figure standing in front of the room. Taichi saw that they were surrounded by other Acolytes, but there were a few people... he couldn't tell what they were. He hadn't seen such unfamiliar clothing...
" Citizens of Midgard," the figure announced, silencing the small conversation in the room, " We are gathered here today for business of extreme importance to the future of this world. We have received many signs of something vast stirring the skies. Aggressive monster attacks have been reported with casualties, and just recently the Vagabond Wolf has reappeared."
A general gasp erupted from the crowd, and Taichi reddened at the reference.
" Now, the reason for these occurences is still quite vague," the figure continued, " Our travelers here have arrived with updates on the situation."
Taichi looked at Yamato in slight confusion as the blonde stood up along with the foreign-clothed people. The blonde glanced at his hands, then peeled off his gloves and stuffed them in his pockets.
" Koushirou Izumi, Merchant," the one most front said, " Jyou Kido, Wizard, and I have been studying artifacts in Geffen Tower."
" It's overcrowded with poison spores now!" Jyou chimed in, almost frantic. " I almost couldn't keep my Ice Wall up."
" Takato Matsuda, traveling with Jenrya Lee, Swordsmen. We have explored the mysterious ship near Alberta... it's filled with Pirate Skeletons. We barely made it back alive but this is the first place that we announced it."
Another murmur shot through the crowd. Even Taichi was finding it difficult to swallow the details.
" Daisuke Motomiya and Ken Ichijouji, Assassins. There are monsters in the Pyramids and Sphinx of unimaginable proportions..."
By now there was such loud chatter in the contained room, the head figure had to try to quiet everyone. " All right... we have the power to do something about this. Calm down..."
Taichi, who was simply too bewildered to be joining in the chatter, noticed that Yamato had his arms crossed as he often did in his pensive moods. This time he had an air of annoyance with him...
" People!" the figure finally shouted. A silence ensued.
" Yamato Ishida, Archer," the blonde said in dark calmness. " Who has information on...Ymir?"
And silence still ensued. Yamato turned on his heel and looked around for someone who knew anything... " Anything at all?"
Koushirou had his hand on his chin. " There are only legends... the one closest to being proven is that Ymir can be found in pieces throughout the world when it is in turmoil. But even that is quite vague... there are no clues as where to find these pieces or what to do with them."
" Or what these ' pieces' are in the first place," Taichi said outloud. The entire room turned to face him.
Yamato also jerked his head in the brunette's direction and flustered. " Uh... this is Taichi Yagami, beginning archer. He is my apprentice..."
Taichi stood up and took a new stance. " My mother was victimized by the Vagabond Wolf, so I am on a quest to find someone who can revive her. I am in need of a Priest to-"
He had not said an extra word before he found himself slammed against the wall outside the meeting room, Yamato getting close to his face.
" What the hell do you think you're doing?!?"
" I was just-"
Again he was interrupted, this time by Yamato covering his mouth with an ungloved hand.
" No... why did I bother asking you that?" the blonde said, deeply irritated, even more so than he was with the jabbering crowd. " We are in the most important meeting in a thousand years and you think you can ask them a personal favor at your advantage? It's selfish! It's-"
Taichi forced Yamato's hand off and countered his words. " I don't want my mother revived just because she's my mother! There must be some reason why the Vagabond Wolf chose to attack our household, perhaps my mother knows! When I was young, she told me our family had a similar experience during the war 1,000 years ago..."
Yamato looked back at him in surprise. " You didn't tell me that..."
" I don't know what it was that attacked our family that long ago," Taichi continued, giving himself some room from the wall. " I just know that it haunts us even as I speak."
" Oh... I'm sorry..." Yamato turned his back on him, shame-faced. " Guess I screwed it up this time... I'm so sorry..."
Taichi felt compassionate all of a sudden to see Yamato so sincerely expressing himself. " Yamato, it's okay, I'll just go back and ask them again..." Something evoked him to place his hand on Yamato's shoulder, and was shocked to feel the shoulder trembling.
Yamato didn't turn back over, avoiding eye contact.
" Taichi..."
A distant chorus of screams cut him off. Immediately Yamato snapped into action, heading toward the main church room. Taichi followed, and the two opened the church doors at the same time...
The first three rows of seats in the church were filled with Acolytes, standing in scared positions. At the head of the room, there was... a creature. It couldn't have been more than 2 feet tall. It had a gruff beard, stood on two hooves and carried a scythe... to its side laid a body of a man in dark robes, his small round hat fallen.
" Humans of Midgard," the creature said in a miniscule, yet intimidating voice. It turned its head to do a sweeping gaze around the room, as if making sure every person was paying attention. And of course, they were... " Spread the word... OUR MASTER HAS RETURNED!!!"
The creature lunged head on to the targets straight ahead... Taichi and Yamato.
****
Nyaaa.... I like writing Taito angst more and Takouji fluffiness more... is that bad? XD
Splash
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