Fan Fiction ❯ The Path to Adventure ❯ Stalker ( Chapter 5 )

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

HAHAHAHA I’m writing another chapter now....this is like the second one today...I have no life....oh well ... Enjoi.


Chapter 5: Stalker


The day was going to be beautiful. Everyone was sleepily beginning to awaken as Kira served breakfast and Karl made coffee. Laura, Shuijin, and Kat, readily accepted the scrambled eggs, bacon strips, and bread they were given, which, when coupled with freshly brewed coffee, made an amazing wake-up breakfast for the famished teens.

After they ate their fill, the gang packed up and set off into the tall grasses once again. They set off in direction of the rounded hills about half a mile ahead of them. The plan was to follow the winding dirt path toward wherever it was leading, hopefully a town or even better a city.

After what seemed like hours (really it was only like forty-five minutes, go figure!) of endless walking through the high grass they finally reached the hills. Now free of the grass they hurriedly ran to the top of the first hill. At the top five jaws practically hit the ground. They were standing on top of one hill....out of what looked like a hundred....each one had a valley between the hill next to it. Each hill was about twenty or thirty feet high. They all ran up slope after slope, taking several “breathers” along the way.

It was almost dusk when they reached the top of the last hill, which was almost fifty feet high. They were amazed at the sight before them. At the bottom of the gigantic hill rested a bustling night-time city. All around as far as the eye could see were neon lights and bright street lamps.

The weary teens rushed down the hill the city’s welcome gates. At the large neon signed gate they were greeted by a lanky man in a black uniform with silver stripes on its sides.

The man welcomed them in saying, “Welcome to Sparkville, here is a map of the area, please enjoy your stay.”

Shuijin accepted the map and everyone entered the gates. Kat took the map and took the role of “tourist guide.” They first decided to get a hotel room at the Shining Star Inn. They got two separate rooms, one for the guys and one for the girls.

Laura and Kira rushed into their room and Laura pushed Kira aside yelling, “I get the bed by the window!”

Kira just looked at her friend with a look of sarcastic sympathy for her simple-minded ness then shrugged it off. That’s ok, now I can sneak off into the night with random bachelors and I won’t even wake you up with my sneakiness.

Laura quickly reconsidered her previous bed claim and sympathized, “Oh that’s ok Kira I was just seeing if this bed was good enough for you because...its far too good for me...so I’ll have to take that horrible bed by the door...”

“Well....if you insist,” Kira reasoned before bolting to the window bed.

“HEY! You tricked me!” Laura pouted and put the puppy face on.

“Sorry Laura but that face won’t work with me...cause I’m the master!” Kira put on an even better puppy face which would make a cold-blooded killer drop to his knees and shed tears (well maybe not that far)

“Hahaha, I guess you’re right Kira!” The girls continued to make silly faces causing more giggling and laughing. Both were grabbing their sides and were crying with laughter.

The boys room was somewhat similar. As the boys walked to their room next to the girls, they all walked calmly making comments about the girls crazy behavior over a bed.

Sadly the second they set foot in the door everything changed. Karl ran for the bed near the window, but Katsumoto put his foot out and tripped him, then took off for the bed himself. Meanwhile Shuijin stepped over Karl, who grabbed Shuijin’s leg, pulling him down. As Shuijin fell he grabbed Kat’s right leg and also pulled him down, just out of reach of the bed.

Eventually a pillow fight broke out which resulted in Karl having the window bed, Kat having the second bed from the door, and Shuijin having the bed by the door. (A/N What in the world is so bad about the bed by the door? Huh WHAT!?)

After the girls settled down and had their things neatly placed near their beds they walked over and knocked on the boys’ room. Shuijin answered the door, just as a pillow hurled by Karl flew over his head and hit Laura followed by a pillow from Kat, which knocked Shuijin out into the hall.

Shuijin turned to protest but the door quickly closed and locked from the other side. Putting on a chibi-like puppy face he turned to look at the girls who were rolling on the floor laughing...again.

Eventually the guys opened the door and let them in the room. They all decided that they needed a break from traveling and agreed to check out the city. They decided to go in pairs. Kat would go with Karl and Laura would go with Kira. Shuijin was going by himself because he had some business to do here. No one questioned his choice.

The two pairs shrugged it off and Shuijin gave them each 100 munny. He carried the group’s funds which still consisted of well over 1,000 munny. The groups set off on their separate ways and would meet back at the hotel later.

Kira and Laura got a map from the hotel lobby and went to the Sparkle Ridge Strip Mall on the west side of the large night-city (They entered Sparkville at the south entrance). Kat and Karl had different plans for fun. They were going to go to the city’s battle facility because it was advertised that a battle tournament was being held there tonight. Both anticipated on entering and winning some munny. Kat used a katana for battle but he was unaware of what Karl used, so he asked.

“So Karl, I still don’t know what kind of weapon you use.”

“Oh, me, I use a few things. I can use the long sword and crossbow, but I prefer to engage openhanded,” Karl answered.

“Isn’t it hard going up against weapons?” the curious Katsumoto questioned.

“At first it was, but once you learn the basics it’s no big deal,” Karl replied in a matter-of-fact way.

Shuijin grabbed a grey hooded sweatshirt from his things then left the hotel room. He walked up the stairs to the roof of the hotel. He walked over to the ledge. He was up four stories from the ground. Unlike most hotels, this one had four floors below ground also, most of the city was also below ground.

He peered to the eastern horizon. The sky was now completely dark, and it would be impossible to see if it weren’t for the numerous neon lights on practically every building. The next building over to the east was a four story apartment building. It had a flat roof that was four stories up and slanted downward, away from the direction of Shuijin, to the third story. Next to that building was another flat-roofed building that was tree stories tall. Each building was only about four to five feet across in length.

Shuijin knew what he would do. He ran from the west side of the building and leapt across the five foot gap onto the slanted roof of the apartment building. For some odd reason, he loved daring stunts like such. He slid down the roof until it almost ended at the third floor. Again he leapt across the gap from one building to the next. He landed easily on the flat-roofed building. He walked over to the buildings roof elevator and took it to the underground level, an intent expression forming upon his face.

Virtually all of Sparkville was located and connected underground. Some places could only be accessed by traveling below ground. Subways ran underground and also went up top, allowing transportation around the city to be easy. The people of the city spent most, if not all, of their time enjoying the night life, which for Sparkville, was all the time. The people slept during the day and went out at night to have fun. Few people worked because most won money from betting on battles, gambling, or earned it by other means.

Laura first spotted the mall, but Kira reached it first. They shoved each other through the spinning doors and went to the first store they saw....the shoe store! But they failed to notice someone following them.

Kat and Karl had both signed in for the tourney and warmed up in the training area. They sparred a bit, neither trying very hard or using energy moves. Kat was up first. He polished his katana quickly and stepped into the ring. He was up against what appeared to be a ninja who wielded a small two foot katana. Kat knew what ninja’s where capable and what to expect, everything from the hidden shuriken to the well concealed second sword. He could see that his opponent’s second sword was about three feet in length.

Kat bit his lower lip while his opponent charged. Kat had yet to draw his katana. The ninja leapt into the air with his short katana drawn back, above his head. Time seemed to slow as the ninja hovered through the arena air. He was about three feet from Katsumoto when he struck. Time went even slower as the small katana was brought down with an incredible force few ninjas possessed.

Everyone watched Kat’s smug look. “What was he doing?” seemed to be the only thing on anyone’s mind.

When the sword was inches from Kat’s face, he withdrew his katana and held it over his head with his left hand resting on the flat of the blade giving him a more sturdy defensive position. The ninja’s conceited expression changed in a split second to complete fear, when katana hit katana.

Sparks shot everywhere as the crowd grew wild. Kat contemplated giving them a better show or terrifying his next opponents. Terrifying his opponents won hands down.

Kat stepped to his right side and swung his katana straight toward the ninja’s open chest. He stopped half an inch from the trembling aggressor. The ninja dropped his weapon in defeat. Kat won the match without drawing blood, a first for the city’s arena.

Kat could have easily struck the ninja in the chest and finished him, which would have been a mortal wound in a different world. But in their world, the only world they knew of, there were very advanced medical techniques that could instantly heal a person, even if they have a mortal wound. Potions, X-Potions, Phoenix Downs, and many other technologically advanced items were available to regular people at Item Shops and hospitals.

Because of his amazing victory Katsumoto was honored with a complimentary 200 munny and the special title “Expert Ippon,” which had never before been given out (ippon is an aikido term used in battle scoring, it means “one point,” which also means a win).

Katsumoto dropped out of the tournament, which was a relief for many fighters, saying, “I have already accomplished something far greater than winning a tournament. I am the first to receive a new honor and I have paved the road for future fighters to follow, and maybe even pave their own roads.” The crowd went insane, while Karl excitedly congratulated Katsumoto.

Karl was up next and he decided to enter barehanded, which got him a round of admirable applause. His opponent appeared to be a knight clad in plate mail armor, with no helmet. He held a great broadsword in his two hands.

Karl appeared to be horribly at the disadvantage. Kat watched observingly at Karl’s actions and moves. The ironclad knight charged the unarmed teen. He swung from his right, across his body to the left. Karl easily feigned backward and while the knight was busy stopping the inertia of the large weapon, he took to offense. He charged the man and leapt into the air four feet from the man. Karl’s feet landed upon the knight’s iron chest. He pushed off with both feet on the man’s breast plate, causing him to hit the ground hard.

Although Karl could have continued attacking, he waited for his opponent to get up and charge again. The knight swung from the ground up. Once again time seemed to slow. Karl saw the shining metal coming up between his legs. He jumped backwards into a tucked back flip and landed gracefully on his feet (in the position a sprinter would start in) and charged the knight who now had the sword above his head ready for the finish move.

Karl concentrated deeply. His hands burst alight, as green flames seemed to generate from them. The knight brought the broadsword down at full force with a loud grunt. The crowd grew silent as the sword was on a direct course to bash in the teen’s skull.

At the last moment Karl’s fiery green hands gripped the sword on its flat edges, holding it firmly in place, just a hair from giving him an ugly nose job. The knight’s expression was in utter disbelief and soon turned to complete fear. Karl smirked. His left flaming hand let go of the sword while the right still held it in place. His free hand curled into a stone fist. It swung from the far left side of Karl’s body directly toward, and through, the knight’s breastplate into his stomach. The knight gasped and fell.

The crowd went insane, shouting, whistling and shattering beer bottles were all that could be heard. Kat’s face was in complete disbelief. He never knew such things were possible without a weapon. He congratulated his, now shirtless, blonde haired friend.

For his seemingly impossible victory, Karl was awarded with the honorary title of “Fists of Fire” and 200 munny. Karl also dropped out of the tourney. Karl and Kat walked home with the 200 munny they had taken with them and with the 400 they had just won, which gave them 600 munny to bring back.

The young warriors returned to the hotel to find the girls back in their rooms with many bags of stuff, mostly clothing. They told them their stories of fame and victory.

The boys also failed to notice they were being followed the whole night.

Eventually they noticed Shuijin was at the door, a smug look upon his face as he heard their exciting stories come to an end.

“What’s up with you?” Kira asked

“Oh, nothing, just finished some business that’s all, congrats on your victories guys.”

“Thanks,” both Karl and Kat responded giving him the 600 munny they had.

Shuijin turned and preceded to enter his room.

“Now I can finally rest, I’ve had my revenge.” he thought while turning out the hotel room light.

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They all were being watched now by many eyes. Small yellow eyes peered in from the windows and dark corners in the room. Flying heartless were stealthily circling the Shining Star Inn. Gargoyle-like heartless were perched upon the three story hotel. Dark eyes, filled with hatred of the happy teens, watched from all around.

The wicked sorceress gazed through her evil mirror at the disgustingly cheerful sight. That boy was becoming to be too much...he was ruining her plans unknowingly...she would have to do something about that Shuijin sooner than planned...

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But....what exactly did Shuijin do?

******************* Chapter end *******************


I hope you liked this mostly happy/fun chapter. Please give me feed back on what you think. Also im sorry if there are any mistakes or words I left out because I didn’t have much time to proof read this....I just wanna get it out there for everyone to read. Enjoi.