Fan Fiction ❯ For One To Trust ❯ Chapter Two: World of the Paintings ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

For One To Trust
By Kimberly Lucker
All characters and parts of this story are original so don't take them!

Chapter 2: World of the Paintings

Crystal appeared in another place. She looked down the hill to see a city. Crystal looked bewildered on the ruined city below. It must of been once beautiful but now it was disastrous. The walls were all crumbling. Once the walls might of been a brilliant white, now their surface was covered with mold and dirt. She noticed the palace in the center of the city. She stood there in her black silk nightgown, very confused. The palace was of an imperial style, just like in those paintings. This can't be happening, she thought.

It was so real. The moonlight reflected off each building. She pitied the dying city. She finally recognized the palace. It was the most intact part of the city. She knew the palace was the one from the first painting. But it was so beautiful in the painting, what had happened? And how did she get here?

The painting of it was etched into her mind. Crystal assumed she was dreaming. It was so vivid, she began to walk through the city. Crystal established it was real because she could feel the stones under her feet. But still a part of her needed more proof. It was very dark and Crystal had no idea where to go. If only it was a dream.

She found a pub with its' lights on. It was just as totaled as the rest of the city. There were several shady people within the pub, but people not aliens or monsters. She went to the barkeeper. Everyone in the pub stared at the foreign woman.

"I'm lost, can you tell me where I am?" Crystal asked the barkeeper as she walked up to the rotted wooden bar.

"The Shinro Empire." The barkeeper smirked a smirk just like Jake would give her, "And where are you from, pretty lady?"

"New York."

"Never heard of it," the barkeeper looked to the other men.

Crystal noticed the men started to corner her. She ended up backing into one of the dirty men. They grabbed at her.

"Release me! You low-life-" Crystal's mouth was covered by one of the men's hands.

She struggled against the five men. She managed to let out a blood-curdling scream.

A dashing young man entered with his sword drawn. His black hair tied back and pinned up. His blue kimono was bright and not dirty and torn like the men in the pub's clothing. He had a golden pin in his hair. His face was unemotional.

"Is there a problem here?" The dashing man asked with a young crisp voice.

"Mind your own business." The barkeeper grunted with his croaking voice.

"Do you need help, miss?" He asked Crystal softly trying not to frighten her any more than she already was.

Crystal nodded against the men.

"That's that. Let the lady go!" The young man swung his sword warning the men that he was through talking.

"Get out of here, boy."

The man in one swift motion knocked the five men unconscious without drawing blood.

Crystal smiled at the younger man, pulling her sleeve up, "Thank you."

"My name is Kojo. I should escort you home." Kojo, the dashing young warrior bowed politely. His dark eyelashes fluttered showing his golden amber eyes.

"I'm Crystal. I wish you could but I don't live around here." Crystal ran her hands down her nightgown straightening it.

"Come with me then, Crystal." Kojo held out his pale hand offering it to her.

"But I don't know you," Crystal said nervously looking over the beautiful man.

The rich golden threads made a pattern of roses on his kimono. The gold thread told her he wasn't poor like the men who now laid on the floor. She observed his black silken hair which seemed extremely dark against his light pale skin. His black hair was tied in a braid and wrapped into a bun held up by the golden pin.

"You'll have to trust me. These guys will wake up soon," Kojo took her hand gently, "I am a protector to the emperor. I'll take you to the palace."

Crystal looked into the young man's amber eyes and agreed.

Kojo led the mysterious foreign girl to the imperial ivory palace in the center of the city. It looked like an ancient temple from Rome that was now slowly falling apart from the years of lack of care. It was made of ivory and had golden trim. The gold had faded, the walls were falling apart and the ivory was covered in dirt.

"It's late. You'll have to stay with me." Kojo entered the main hall of the palace with Crystal following.

She looked in awe of the gorgeous palace. The palace interior seemed better kept than the exterior but still it was not beautiful like it should be. The walls were faded, it looked as if it was hundreds of years old.

Crystal observed every detail as that was her job. There were beautiful tapestries and paintings lining the walls but the colors had faded and they were slowly falling apart. Kojo opened the door to his room. It was in the same condition as the rest of the palace. The bed was a canopy bed with thin white drapery. It was kind of feminine. The bed linen looked elegant just like his clothing.

Kojo smiled trying to comfort Crystal, "Take the bed. I will sleep on the floor."

Kojo was definitely fit to be a guardian of the emperor. He had muscles covering his strong young body. His eyes were strange, though. The golden amber color was anything Crystal had seen, but this was, of course, another world.

Kojo took a satin pillow off the bed and tossed it to the floor. He unpinned his dark braid and let the silky strands flow to his waist. He begun to run his long fingers through his braid to pull the strands free. Soon his hair was free and just as long as Crystal's hair if not longer.

"Thank you, Kojo," Crystal limped because of her ankle.

"Are you injured?" Kojo kneeled, his blue kimono flapped to the ground behind.

"I twisted my ankle, that's all." Crystal looked away from the boy's intense stare.

"Do you mind?" Kojo reached his hand out to her ankle but waited for her permission.

Crystal shook her head. Kojo placed his soft gentle hands around her injured ankle. A yellow light shone around her ankle within his hands similar to the one she saw just before she was taken to the strange world. He had healed her ankle.

"Thank you, Kojo," Crystal got into the bed and pulled the white silk sheets over herself.

The cloth felt so smooth and soft against her bare arms. She was very tired so she instantly fell asleep. She assumed she would wake up in her own bed, this just being a dream.

Crystal woke to find a sparkling silver gown laid out for her, along with shoes. She was still in the white satin-sheeted bed. She picked the gown up off the chair and held it to her body. She looked in the full-length mirror in the corner. Never had she seen a dress so fine. It was fit for a princess.

Kojo entered shortly after she had woke, "I've readied your bath."

A woman with shoulder-length blond hair entered, a servant.

The servant escorted Crystal to her bath taking the gown and shoes. Crystal was a little uncomfortable allowing someone to bathe her.

"The emperor wants to meet you. You're very lucky to be able to meet him."

"Why?"

The servant helped Crystal dress, " Emperor Aolan is only the most eligible man in the empire."

Crystal imagined the young emperor as a handsome, rich, powerful man. An emperor must be grand, Crystal thought. He would be different.

Crystal's long brown hair fanned out about her thin waist. The silver gown was tight up top and belled out at the bottom. The servant took Crystal back to Kojo.

Kojo then led Crystal to the throne room. Crystal was startled to see a beast-like creature on the throne. His face was wolf-like. His fur was a beige-brown except for some silver hair on his head and tipping his tail. He was monstrous and covered in fur. He had dark hooves on his hind legs and his front paws were almost like hands but more like a bear claw. Around his neck was a lion-like mane. He had lynx ears that stood straight up from the top of his head. He wore a silver robe with golden threads. This was the emperor?

"Sire, I have brought Lady Crystal as you requested," Kojo bowed and Crystal followed his example.

"Lady Crystal, please explain yourself." The emperor's voice was strong and commanding yet it had a gentle tone. A strangely gentle tone for a beast.

"Well sire, I come from another world and I have no idea how I got here. I just appeared." Crystal stood upright and spoke very carefully her voice with a slight tremble seeing that the emperor was a very powerful beast.

"What is the place you come from?" He asked his ears perked up.

"New York City," She said softly looking at the emperor straight in his blue eyes, his human-like eyes.

"Not the town," He said abruptly as if searching for a certain answer.

"The planet Earth." She continued to look into his calm eyes.

"No, that is not it. Is it called something else?" He asked calmly almost serenely as Crystal noticed his pointed teeth.

"3rd planet for the sun, and er... Terra." Crystal said her voice now quaking with fear.

"Terra? Then you do come from Terra. You are the one I thought you to be." The emperor smiled which almost seemed unnatural for him. His fang-like teeth jutted out.

"What are you talking about?" Crystal asked rudely.

"There is a legend about a woman who appears from a land called Terra. She is to save the empire from falling." Emperor Aolan answered still keeping his calm composure.

"Me? How do you expect me to do that?" Crystal said almost shouting. But Crystal remembered the dying city compared to the painting and how bad she felt about it slowly dying.

"We will have to visit the temple of the gods," Kojo interjected.

Crystal looked to Kojo surprised, "We?"

"I cannot allow you to go alone so Kojo and I will accompany you as you protectors," Emperor Aolan stood from his throne. His massive body could be barely kept straight on his hind legs. He stood over seven feet tall on his hooves.

"But you are the emperor, shouldn't you stay here?" Crystal asked innocently truly afraid to travel with the beast-like emperor.

His blue eyes sparkled like sapphires and he smirked, "My duty is now to you, princess of Terra." He bowed to her.

She was startled by his comment and gesture, "I'm not a princess."

"To us you are." Kojo interjected, once again.

"But-" Crystal looked confused feeling the weight of an entire world placed on her shoulder.

"Today I will show you our beautiful city and tomorrow we will head for the temple." Emperor Aolan insisted.

"Well, if you insist, but I'd like a sketchpad and pencil so I can take note of the city," Crystal figured while she was there she better write down everything.

"As you wish," Kojo bowed out.

The emperor took Crystal all around the city, showing her all the highlights. Explaining to her how the city used to be beautiful when he was a child. She figured out by how he spoke he must be twenty-five. She didn't do much of the talking, though. She noticed all the people were happy and loved the emperor dearly. None were frightened of him, just her. She noticed all the townspeople were normal humans.

She heard some people whisper, "Looks like the emperor has found happiness." Crystal knew exactly what they were thinking but continued to sketch each building taking notes below trying her best not to look at the frightening creature.

Her eyes did wander to the emperor though. He was like a wolf but he didn't seem the type to eat someone, like in the fairytales. His fur, she imagined was soft and his eyes were strangely human-like. His voice also seemed strange for a wolf but she had never head a wolf speak before.

He saw her staring at him and smiled, "Why don't we go outside the city? There is a beautiful lake I'd like you to see."

"Um, alright," Crystal smiled back at him surprisingly.

He took her to the crystal blue lake outside the city. He galloped on all fours excitedly. The lake was calm and clear but all the grass around it was dying. The gentle emperor sat upon a boulder looking over the calm water. His tail swished slowly.

Crystal took notice of the perfect scene. She noticed something in his eyes, sadness, no loneliness. She recognized it as something she had seen many times looking in the mirror at her own green eyes. Even though he was still just a beast, he had a heart. Crystal knelt on the grassy ground and she started to sketch. Emperor Aolan turned to see what she was doing.

"Don't move. Go back to where you were." Crystal ordered continuing to sketch.

He quickly went back to where he was. She sketched each detail of the scene before her. She noticed the emperor move slightly as if uncomfortable by her intense observations.

"You can move, now. I have it started." She stared at the sketchbook making the details come alive.

He turned to her as she continued to work diligently on the sketch. She looked happy, this place seemed to bring out a different person.

"Crystal, you seem different when you are drawing." Emperor Aolan watched her from the rock. His tail twitched along with his ears.

"Well, emperor, it is always a way to escape reality." Crystal would not look up as she continued the work.

"Do you have friends or family back home?" Aolan asked his voice gentle and calm.

"No." She said simply.

"No parents or siblings?"

"I'm an only child and my parents died when I was young." She still continued to sketch without looking up for a second.

"Same with me." The Emperor frowned his tail lowered.

"That must of been a burden on you."

"Yes," Emperor Aolan walked over and sat on the grass beside Crystal, "but it must of been hard for you too."

"Do you have any friends?" Crystal begun her questioning.

"I was raised not to rely on friendship just in case of betrayal. I am not to trust anyone for even a moment."

"I can't trust anyone either." Crystal said unemotionally.

"Why not?" Emperor Aolan tilted his head at her.

"I have my reasons." Crystal finished the sketch and showed it triumphantly to the emperor.

"Beautiful, may I try?"

Crystal shrugged and handed the emperor the sketchpad and pencil. He grabbed her hand with his furry paw. He took her to the rock and positioned her how he wanted to sketch her. Crystal sat perfectly still as Aolan drew her. He walked around her still perfecting her position. Crystal expected the emperor's sketch to be horrible because how would an emperor have any artistic talents and how could he draw with those huge paws of his. He showed her the drawing sitting beside her on the rock. It was a perfect representation of her.

She looked at the sketch surprised by the beauty, "You exaggerated."

"No I did not," He sounded offended. He touched his hand to her cheek and pushed back her brown locks. His soft fur brushing against her skin.

She looked into his eyes still frightened by his appearance, "I didn't know you could draw."

"Crystal, what happened to your parents?" He changed the subject as quickly as she did.

"They died in an accident."

"What made you so afraid of people?"

"I..." Crystal's face turned a deathly pale as she remembered the night she was raped walking home late from work.

"Did someone hurt you?" He questioned gently.

Crystal looked away from him and nodded.

"I understand."

A tear rolled down her cheek, "A man..."

"I am sorry. I shouldn't of brought it up," Aolan took Crystal into his arms gently.

She stiffened in his arms but continued to sob, "I haven't cried in awhile."

Her face was buried into his silver robe. His fur-covered arms were wrapped around her.

"Crystal, I promise I will protect you from harm."

Crystal looked up with tears in her eyes, "Why?"