Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Shifter ❯ Vision of Warmth ( Chapter 2 )

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

I would call this the real beginning of the story. I hope you like my characters so far because I'm quite found of them. Please read and enjoy the first of the real story.

Miscellaneous: Original Stories Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 12.31.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 185 | Status: Work In Progress

Chapter 2 - I own all of these characters because I created them. I do not, however, own the concept of the multiple elements. I have, however, tried to put my own spin on them and I hope that you'll still enjoy my story!

This is the real beginning of the story so I'm gonna need lots of reviews please!

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“Will you let it go? They couldn't find the person that bag belonged to anyway…” Ari growled, scowling out the window, his arms crossed and a white towel hanging around his neck. “It was extremely rude.” He criticized angrily as Ren and Tommy continued to fall over each other in hysterics.

“Oh please! You had no idea!” Tommy cackled.

“You shoulda seen your face! That poor bag! It didn't stand a chance!” Ren joined in.

“It was amazing!” They shouted together falling again into hysterics. This time Ari blushed and mumbled incoherently under his breath still glaring out the window. The pink in his cheeks throwing off his pale-skin and giving his face a warmer glow then it usually had.

Finally, Ren and Tommy pulled themselves together and leaned across the compartment's small table in unison, they're chins resting on their hands.

“So.” Said Ren lightly.

“What brings you this way,” said Tommy in the same light, friendly tone.

“To the center of the world?” Ren finished. Her tone changed, became a bit richer and more mysterious. Ari composed his face and sighed in an annoyed fashion. He closed his eyes. Why would they need to know? It's my business. How rude. He thought scornfully, keeping his face straight. Both Ren and Tommy watched him carefully.

“Told yah he wouldn't know.” Ren thought tauntingly at Tommy. A scowl crossed her face at this but disappeared instantly.

“Be quiet Ren. I never said he would.” Tommy shot back. Ren stuck her tongue out mentally. Ari opened his eyes and stared at the twins. His face showed nothing.

“I'm going to the `center of the world' ” he coughed curtly, “to attend the Academy. And may I be rude as to ask why you two are headed this way?” His royal upbringing told him that he should at least make the effort to be polite. Ren and Tommy smiled mischievously back in unison. Their eyes closed and their faces took on a slightly chershier-cat-like appearance. Ari grimaced for a second but composed himself again quickly. What do they want? They've got to be after something… That's the only explanation. They simply have a very… different way of getting it. He watched their faces. And yet… there is something…

“I see.” Tommy mimicked his slightly sarcastic, royal tone. “That's a very interesting destination. And no, you may not.”

“Please excuse my suspicion, but I would be interested to know why you ask my destination?” his upbringing was kicking in again. He had been taught by living in the political environment of the palace to be suspicious of everyone.

“He would be interested to know…” Tommy's thought was amused and taunting as it entered Ren's mind and their faces split into their toothy grins again.

“Why do you think?” They asked in unison. Ren opened her eyes but continued to smile widely while Tommy's face fell into a knowing smirk. Ari looked from one to the other carefully. Well… He thought, growing a bit worried but concealing it well. Ren tilted her head and gazed out the window at the dark trees after throwing a careful glance towards Tommy.

“The truth is,” she began in her light friendly tone, “that's where we're headed too.”

“What are you doing…?” Tommy's thought lashed through her mind but she ignored it. Ren liked Ari. There was something about him. She couldn't put her finger on it. Sure, he was stuck-up, arrogant and really pretty annoying, but she liked him. Okay master. She glanced at Tommy who was busy fuming mentally, literally throwing mental fireballs at Ren and yet, she knew Tommy felt it to. Connection.

CRASH!

Ari was hurled over the table onto Ren and Tommy who had been thrown back against their seat with one loud shriek each. More shrieks could be heard from other compartments as other passengers were jostled and one woman began a loud string of words I will not repeat. It was completely silent, not to mention a bit awkward, for a moment inside Ari's little compartment. Then a horrible sound rumbled through the stelto. It was a sort of retching, gurgling noise that followed the horrible sound of something screeching along the smooth stone of the stelto's exterior. Ari felt Tommy shudder beneath him and felt Ren's sharp intake of air at the harsh noises, but they soon stopped and it was once again silent. Ari counted to ten, trying to keep control of his tempter, and blinked carefully removing himself from the two small twins and releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

“Is ery' one okay?” A steward had opened the door and poked his freckled head in. His voice sounded harsh in the stark silence.

“Yes. We're okay.” Tommy was the first to recover, followed of course by Ren.

“We only want to know-” Ren began but was cut off this time by Ari.

“What that was.” He tone had sprung a small leak of concern for they could now make out the various reactions of quite a few other passengers. One was flat out sobbing. The steward sighed and gave them a regretful look.

“Can say I know meself sir. Great bla' thing rises up out of not nowhere and bang! Ere we is sir.” Ari blinked.

“Thank you.” He said politely. His concern leak had been successfully plugged and his tone was back to its normal cold temperature.

“Tommy, you don't think…?!” Ren shot at her sister. Tommy ignored her. They would deal with it later.

The woman sobbing was getting louder. The steward looked over his shoulder, said something to some who answered and then turned back to Ari and the twins.

“Be begin yus pardons, yah sees the othr passengers, theys not bein' so appy.” He informed then in what appeared to be a pour attempt at humor but he got no response. “I'll juz be showin meself out then.” He muttered nervously and shut the door.

The compartment was silent again for a minute as the three passengers all looked in different directions.

“Are you two okay?” Ari muttered reluctantly still glaring very angrily up at the luggage rack above Ren and Tommy's head. “I didn't mean to land on you like that. I'm sorry.”

His tone changed again into real concern although he didn't move or change his gaze.

Ren looked up in surprise but Tommy moved her gaze to Ari's face slowly. Thinking hard.

A black thing? That noise… Master what is this? She thought just before Ren's surprised thoughts entered her mind. Something was off.

A breeze tossed the boy's hair. It shown bright brown in the sun of mid-day. Blue sky reflected in his bright chestnut eyes. Clouds of thought that matched the ones that dotted the sapphire blue sky drifted through his head as he sat on a grassy knoll over-looking the wide, clean River Luch. The water sparkled and flowed around him. A smile rested on his lips and he was happy, truly happy.

He was strong and fragile at the same time. He felt one with everything, although he knew he mustn't be. He was so happy and everything else was not. The boy blinked and looked out over the river. He listened to the crisp tinkle as the liquid flowed over a few smooth pebbles near the green bank. Somewhere, a bird sang one note and the boy listened to the note and sang back, just as sweet. Why am I so lucky? He gently lay back against the fresh, thick grass and listened again as the bird whistled its simple melody. Why is the world so troubled? Again he answered. His long hair spread around his head in a curly, shining halo and he was still happy. Even as he knew the world, he was happy. His heart swelled at the thought of the world and how he, himself, got to live in a place to wonderful. His heart swelled and threatened to engulf everything around him in its effortless warmth. The boy closed his balmy eyes and drifted off into a simple, content nap there in the grass under the golden sun.

Ari's eyes fluttered open and focused on the outlines of Ren and Tommy across the compartment curled around each other on the bottom bunk of the bunk bed that had been squeezed into the cramped compartment. Ari reluctantly felt a smile on his face as the strange boy's glowing face appeared once again when he closed his eyes again.

No. You shouldn't be happy. He's a commoner, maybe worse. He was glad it hadn't faded. He wasn't sure he ever wanted it to fade. He also wasn't sure if he liked that. Why was he happy? This was strange. Maybe he should be worried or something.

His ears picked up the bird's song from his dream and he was aghast to find it was coming from him. He immediately stopped humming. One of the lumps across the way shifted and sighed in its slumber. Ari shifted un-easily in the dark compartment onto his back and looked up at the ceiling with steadily clearing vision and thoughts. Who is he though? Why did I just dream about him? Oh! It must have been my vision… Ari's brow furrowed as he thought all this.

“He must mean something…” He whispered to the ceiling as quietly as he could manage. The ceiling had no answer. “Even if he shouldn't be there…” He added hastily. He was uneasy feeling so attached to some one he had never met. He had never really felt attached to anyone really, let alone any one he had just dreamed about. He worried a bit more but the dream was so pleasant and calming. Why did he need to worry? In fact, as he thought back over the odd clip, he felt again, the warmth of the boy's heart and sleep washed over him again. He was asleep again before he had enough time to remember the dream in its full entirety.

“Wake up!” Ren's high, bird like chirp erupted in Ari's ear and he growled and rolled over. Why oh why did he have to share a compartment with these two? Something was off. He shoved his pillow against his face and the memories of the night before began to roll back to him.

After every one had been calmed down, a few men had gone out to check on the stelto's condition. Ari had fallen asleep before they had returned. At this, his curiosity overrode his annoyance with his `roommates' and he grudgingly rolled over and heaved himself into an upright position covering a yawn with the back of his hand and stretching with the other.

Ren was sitting on the end of his bed grinning from ear to ear, head in hands, legs crossed and elbows resting on Ari's lower legs. Yes, something was off… Ari blinked at her and cough loudly. She laughed and sat up straight.

“So how'd yah sleep?” Ren chirped again.

“Fine.” Ari replied coldly. Ren was unaffected by his harsh tone. Ari looked around the small space and when he found no Tommy, turned back to the still grinning Ren. “Where's your sister?” He really did try very hard to keep the concern out of his voice but Ren saw through it.

“She's just gone off to see if she can't find out what happened last night and to find some food. Are you hungry?” Her tone had lowered a bit from its high-pitched chirping and her face fell into a knowing smirk. Ari was glad her voice had lowered at least. The high pitch was giving him a bit of a headache. Ren lowered herself back onto Ari's legs and continued to smile at him. He stared back and coughed again. Ren didn't move.

“I guess.” His tone was still cold. Well… this is new… Ari had never really gotten this much full-on attention before from any one. It made him very uncomfortable and a bit pink. The fact that he was in nothing but a large shirt and a pair of boxers didn't help much either.

“Maybe I should get changed…” He muttered trying to inconspicuously remove his legs from Ren's elbows and failing. Ren sighed and nodded.

“I guess that means you'll want me to leave huh?” She hung her head in mock disappointment at having to miss seeing her new companion in nothing but his underwear. Ari blushed violently and stared intensely back at her, lips pressed into a very thin frown, as she slowly lifted her bright eyes back to his and laughed.

“I'm only kidding! Gosh! No sense of humor at all! Just knock when you're done Kay?” She laughed again and bounded out the door shutting it noisily behind her. Ari gazed at the door for a few seconds after it had closed and then got up. What an odd person… and yet… He let a smile slip across his lips. It felt good there. He really didn't smile very often. Maybe he could get into the habit. His thoughts continued to wander has he slipped on a pair of loose pants and pulled off his shirt.

He decided that someone who smiled should have something to smile about. What should I smile about? He thought as he slipped on a simple button up white shirt. Sunshine was always a good thing to smile about. He moved to the window and lifted the blinds. Golden rays slid into the room and he tried on another smile. This one felt good too, but still. It would take some getting used to.

He sighed and the smile fell from his lips. Yes it would take some getting used to. He walked back to the door and poked his head out. Ren was sitting against the wall next to the door quietly humming a song that sounded eerily familiar. Ari listened for a moment, his deep eyes fixated on Ren's smiling face. His dream! The song was from his dream! That boy had been singing it… It had been bird's song. He had forgotten all about the dream! How had that happened?

“What is that you're singing?” Ari blurted out loudly. Ren started. She had had her eyes closed and hadn't been paying much attention to anything. She blinked up at him then smiled again.

“Oh! Well, I think it's a folk song from the Land of the Air shifters. Pretty huh? We learned it in school once.” She smiled again and sang a bit in a clear soprano.

“Can you paint the wind?

Can you sing the rain?

Can you draw the tide?

And swallow your pain?”

Ari watched her with his deep eyes and the boy's face appeared once again in his mind. What did it mean? Maybe he's from the Land of the Air shifters…

“You have a nice voice.” He said in a tone that felt odd in contrast with his cold expression. Ren smiled.

“Thanks! I'm not that good. I sing things that pop into my head. Nothing fancy…” She grinned again and then hopped to her feet. “So! Tommy's almost back I'll bet. Yah still hungry?” Ari nodded and stepped out into the hallway proper and looked both ways. Just as he turned to look back at Ren, Tommy appeared at the end of the car and bounded down the hall toward them, her face a grinning replica of Ren's.

So there it is, the second chapter.

This one starts to actually introduce a few of the characters and a bit of what's to come.

I hope you liked it. I kinda like this one better than the first.

So please please please please please review!

In the next chapter:

A new character paints freedom.

Till next time!

Thanks!

~Radio