Kei - Part 8
Kei yawned and opened her eyes. Still dark. Something had woken her..but what? She looked around the room. Her eyes fell to Carol, asleep on the extra futon. Kei got up and walked to her window, opening it and looking into the garden below. Nuthing. A light knock at the door. Kei turned around, staring at her door. Silence. It was nuthing, just her imagination. Kei slowly walked back to her bed, but there it was again. As she was about to sit down, the knock at the door came again. She looked up. This wasn't her imagination. She walked over to the door and opened it slightly. "Katsura!" Kei said as she looked into the face of Hiko. He stare down at her for a few moments before taking her hands and pulling her from the doorway. "Wha..? Where are we..?" Kei tried to ask as he pulled her down the hallway, away from her room. "Shh" was all Katsura said. Kei shut up and watched as she was dragged to the dojo. He pulled her in and shut the door behind them. "Ok," he said, "you know what I want." "uhh..I do?" Kei asked, quite confused. Kei's eyes opened wide and she jumped back. "Nooo...I don't think so!" she said crossing her arms over her chest. He raised an eyebrow and stood there staring at her. "Kei, you remember what I told you before, don't you?! The jewel..where is it? Have you even been trying to find the sword?" Kei stared, dumbfouded, for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Oooohh! Ehe, I though you..uhh..were a pervert or something. Umm..sorry..I uhh..yeah, the jewel? Its right here." Kei reached for the gold chain around her neck and pulled the black jewel from her shirt. "So umm..you want it back or what? Thaqts what your here for? To tell me you were mistaken, or its all just a joke?" "No..I'm here to train you. To help you." "Uhh..right. I'm still a lil foggy on this whole thing. Explain again please." She grinned up at him. *sigh* Katsura looked down at her. "You don't understand...I see. Let me try to simplify it for you. Take this jewel, and find the sword. Simple enough?" "But how? I mean..its not exactly something they teach you in school, finding swords by using jewels." "Your just going to have to feel it. Try to feel the jewel, feel the sword through the jewel. They are part of you." "Uhh..right. Ok Katsura, whatever you say. I'm really sleepy right now, so you know...I'm going back to bed." Kei turned and started towards the door of the dojo. Katura caught her wrist and pulled her to him. He held her wrist tightly and looked down at her. "Please, Kei. You have to try. I know you don't understand any of this, but you will, you have to! If you don't, then my home, your former home, is lost." Kei stared up at him for a moment before pulling her hand away and leaving the dojo. She went back to her room and curled up in her bed. "What is with that guy? He really believes this.."
"What was that?" Kei looked at around her, then to her friend Carol at her side. "What was what?" Carol asked. "I thought I saw something. A shadow." "Hah! I shadow?" Carol played her hand in front of a light making little shdow puppets on the wall. "Like this Kei?" Carol grinned at Kei. "No..like, big. It wasn't a normal shadow." "Oh Kei, silly Kei. Your imagining things." *carol grabbed Kei's hand and pulled her along. Come on! If we don't hurry, we won't make it in time! I don't wanna miss any of the movie!" Kei stumbled after Carol, digging in her pockets. "Carol? You do have money right. I can't find my wallet!" "Money?" Carol laughed, "What do you need money for silly?" "Umm..just a wild guess..but to pay for the tickets maybe?" "Come on Kei, don't tell me your still paying to get in! Little Kei is still a good little girl. Well I can change that!" Carol pulled Kei around the corner of the theater and shoved her into a corner. "Wha-" "shh!" Carol cut her off and pulled her into the shadows. Kei shut up and stood there for a second and watched as the officer walked past them and rounded the corner. *phew* "Carol? Why are we- Carol?" Kei looked beside her. "Uhh..Carol? Caarool? Umm..Carol? No jokes ok?" Kei looked around the corner. "Carol? Where the hell are you? Stop with the disappearing act! Come on Carol!" Kei ran around the corner of the theater, running straight into Katsura. "Katsura!" "Kei..you ok? You look a little...panicked" "I can't find Carol! She was just there and then..gone! Poof! Just like that!" "Where were you, what were you doing?" Kei looked down at her shoes. "We were, well, we were around the corner, in the shadows. We were...hiding." "Hiding? From what?" "Uhh..the officer.." "Officer? What were you two up too?" " Well...nuthing really. We were just going to, well, sneak into a movie." " Oh..heh..tsk tsk." "Thats all you have to say? My friends missing and all you can say is 'tsk tsk'??" "Oh yeah, your friend. Where were you standing exactly?" Kei pulled him around the corner and showed him the corner that Carol had pulled her into. "Right there. She shoved me into the corner and told me to shut up, the next thing I knew she was gone." Katsura grabbed Kei's shoulders and pushed her up against the wall. "You were in the shadows?? Did you see anything earlier? Shadows? Like something following you?" "Well..earlier..I though I saw something..but it was nuthing, just my imagination." "No it wasn't. They know..they're after you now. They found you." "Wha? Who found me? What the hell are you talking about?" Kei pulled away from Katsura and glared up at him. " And what does this have to do with Carol? WHERE IS CAROL?!" "The Evil! I told you, the evil that was ravaging my home, your home! Its found you! It knows who you are!" "But where is Carol!?!" "It took her! She was standing in the shadows right?! The shadows are like portals to my world! The places where the two worlds cross." "You mean..you can just go in through the shadows?" Kei walked over to the corner and stuck her hand into the shadow, but hit the wall. "Oww! Theres no 'portal' here! What kinda shit are you trying to pull on me?" "Damnit Kei! You don't understand! Its not an open portal! It has to be opened. Only people with the magic can open it, which is why you have to learn how to use that jewel, why you have to find the sword! You have to open the shadows to the other world! Kei, your the only one that can do it!" "If I'm the only one who can open that thing, then how come Carol isn't right here? Someone must have opened it!" "Yes, someone on the other side." Kei turned away from him and started walking towards her house. Katsura put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Come on, lets take my car, it'll be faster."
Katsura drove up to the house, Kei sitting beside him. "Somethings wrong..." Kei got out of the car and started towards the house. "Its so quiet." She opened the door and walked in. "Hello? Mom? Dad? Mark? Umm..I'm home. Where are you guys?" "Kei. Stop. Come on..lets leave." Kei turned to Katsura. "What? Why?" "Just trust me, come on." "No..I don't trust you, and I'm not leaving? What the hell are you trying to hide?!" Katsura grabbed Kei's arm, but she shruged him off and ran into the kitchen. Katsura tried to grab her before she could get away, but only succeeded in tripping. He jumped up when he heard Kei scream. "Damnit..I warned her!" Katsura ran into the kitchen where kei was sitting on the floor next to her mother and father. "Kei.." Kei looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Why? You knew..why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you do anything? You did it! You killed them!" Kei jumped up and started hitting him. Katsura grabbed her hands and made her sit on the floor. He knelt next to her. "I didn't do anything to them. I told you. They found out, the evil plaguing my world." "But why?? How can they find out about me...when I don't even know about me?? And what does this have to do with my family?? Any Carol? What does Carol have to do with this?!" "They have nothing to do with this. They're doing this to weaken you. Hitting you where it hurts. You can't let this get to you. You have to try to find the sword!" "Find the sword?!? Not let this get to me?!? This is what you tell me when my family dies?!" Kei slapped him. "What the hell is wrong with you Katsura?! Find your damn sword yourself!" Kei jumped up and left the kitchen, crying. "Kei! Stop! Your the only one! The only one that can do it!" Kei rouned the corners of her home, looking for her brother. She knew, she already knew, she wouldn't find him alive, but she had to know. "Mark? Mark, where are you?!?" Kei called to her brother. "Kei.." "MARK!?" Kei turned into a long hall and ran to the end where her brother lay. "Mark!" "Kei..you have to.." "shh, mark, don't speak." Kei looked down at Mark, a string of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Kei..please." He reached up and grabbed her hand. She felt something bettween their hands. Looking down, she saw him pass a sword into her hand. "Kei..for me, and mom and dad, do it." "Mark?! Where did you find this??" "Kei..I know *cough* about you now. Do it for us." "Mark...how? Mark? No..Mark." "Kei..." Kei dropped the sword at her side and held him to her. "No Mark..Mark" Katsura stood behind Kei, watching her cry. "Kei," he said, "the sword." Kei looked down at the swrod at her side. She layed her brother down gently and kissed his forehead. Taking the sword in one hand, she stood and faced Kastura. "What now? He found your damn sword, what now?!?" "Kei..the jewel." Kei pulled the jewel out from under her shirt and looked at it. It seemed to be giving of a glow, a black light. She looked from the jewel to the sword and back again, then to the dark corner where Mark lay. "The shadows.." "Yes Kei...you understand." "Yes.." Kei looked down at the items in her hands. Something snapped inside her. "I understand."
"What was that?" Kei looked at around her, then to her friend Carol at her side. "What was what?" Carol asked. "I thought I saw something. A shadow." "Hah! I shadow?" Carol played her hand in front of a light making little shdow puppets on the wall. "Like this Kei?" Carol grinned at Kei. "No..like, big. It wasn't a normal shadow." "Oh Kei, silly Kei. Your imagining things." *carol grabbed Kei's hand and pulled her along. Come on! If we don't hurry, we won't make it in time! I don't wanna miss any of the movie!" Kei stumbled after Carol, digging in her pockets. "Carol? You do have money right. I can't find my wallet!" "Money?" Carol laughed, "What do you need money for silly?" "Umm..just a wild guess..but to pay for the tickets maybe?" "Come on Kei, don't tell me your still paying to get in! Little Kei is still a good little girl. Well I can change that!" Carol pulled Kei around the corner of the theater and shoved her into a corner. "Wha-" "shh!" Carol cut her off and pulled her into the shadows. Kei shut up and stood there for a second and watched as the officer walked past them and rounded the corner. *phew* "Carol? Why are we- Carol?" Kei looked beside her. "Uhh..Carol? Caarool? Umm..Carol? No jokes ok?" Kei looked around the corner. "Carol? Where the hell are you? Stop with the disappearing act! Come on Carol!" Kei ran around the corner of the theater, running straight into Katsura. "Katsura!" "Kei..you ok? You look a little...panicked" "I can't find Carol! She was just there and then..gone! Poof! Just like that!" "Where were you, what were you doing?" Kei looked down at her shoes. "We were, well, we were around the corner, in the shadows. We were...hiding." "Hiding? From what?" "Uhh..the officer.." "Officer? What were you two up too?" " Well...nuthing really. We were just going to, well, sneak into a movie." " Oh..heh..tsk tsk." "Thats all you have to say? My friends missing and all you can say is 'tsk tsk'??" "Oh yeah, your friend. Where were you standing exactly?" Kei pulled him around the corner and showed him the corner that Carol had pulled her into. "Right there. She shoved me into the corner and told me to shut up, the next thing I knew she was gone." Katsura grabbed Kei's shoulders and pushed her up against the wall. "You were in the shadows?? Did you see anything earlier? Shadows? Like something following you?" "Well..earlier..I though I saw something..but it was nuthing, just my imagination." "No it wasn't. They know..they're after you now. They found you." "Wha? Who found me? What the hell are you talking about?" Kei pulled away from Katsura and glared up at him. " And what does this have to do with Carol? WHERE IS CAROL?!" "The Evil! I told you, the evil that was ravaging my home, your home! Its found you! It knows who you are!" "But where is Carol!?!" "It took her! She was standing in the shadows right?! The shadows are like portals to my world! The places where the two worlds cross." "You mean..you can just go in through the shadows?" Kei walked over to the corner and stuck her hand into the shadow, but hit the wall. "Oww! Theres no 'portal' here! What kinda shit are you trying to pull on me?" "Damnit Kei! You don't understand! Its not an open portal! It has to be opened. Only people with the magic can open it, which is why you have to learn how to use that jewel, why you have to find the sword! You have to open the shadows to the other world! Kei, your the only one that can do it!" "If I'm the only one who can open that thing, then how come Carol isn't right here? Someone must have opened it!" "Yes, someone on the other side." Kei turned away from him and started walking towards her house. Katsura put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "Come on, lets take my car, it'll be faster."
Katsura drove up to the house, Kei sitting beside him. "Somethings wrong..." Kei got out of the car and started towards the house. "Its so quiet." She opened the door and walked in. "Hello? Mom? Dad? Mark? Umm..I'm home. Where are you guys?" "Kei. Stop. Come on..lets leave." Kei turned to Katsura. "What? Why?" "Just trust me, come on." "No..I don't trust you, and I'm not leaving? What the hell are you trying to hide?!" Katsura grabbed Kei's arm, but she shruged him off and ran into the kitchen. Katsura tried to grab her before she could get away, but only succeeded in tripping. He jumped up when he heard Kei scream. "Damnit..I warned her!" Katsura ran into the kitchen where kei was sitting on the floor next to her mother and father. "Kei.." Kei looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Why? You knew..why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you do anything? You did it! You killed them!" Kei jumped up and started hitting him. Katsura grabbed her hands and made her sit on the floor. He knelt next to her. "I didn't do anything to them. I told you. They found out, the evil plaguing my world." "But why?? How can they find out about me...when I don't even know about me?? And what does this have to do with my family?? Any Carol? What does Carol have to do with this?!" "They have nothing to do with this. They're doing this to weaken you. Hitting you where it hurts. You can't let this get to you. You have to try to find the sword!" "Find the sword?!? Not let this get to me?!? This is what you tell me when my family dies?!" Kei slapped him. "What the hell is wrong with you Katsura?! Find your damn sword yourself!" Kei jumped up and left the kitchen, crying. "Kei! Stop! Your the only one! The only one that can do it!" Kei rouned the corners of her home, looking for her brother. She knew, she already knew, she wouldn't find him alive, but she had to know. "Mark? Mark, where are you?!?" Kei called to her brother. "Kei.." "MARK!?" Kei turned into a long hall and ran to the end where her brother lay. "Mark!" "Kei..you have to.." "shh, mark, don't speak." Kei looked down at Mark, a string of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Kei..please." He reached up and grabbed her hand. She felt something bettween their hands. Looking down, she saw him pass a sword into her hand. "Kei..for me, and mom and dad, do it." "Mark?! Where did you find this??" "Kei..I know *cough* about you now. Do it for us." "Mark...how? Mark? No..Mark." "Kei..." Kei dropped the sword at her side and held him to her. "No Mark..Mark" Katsura stood behind Kei, watching her cry. "Kei," he said, "the sword." Kei looked down at the swrod at her side. She layed her brother down gently and kissed his forehead. Taking the sword in one hand, she stood and faced Kastura. "What now? He found your damn sword, what now?!?" "Kei..the jewel." Kei pulled the jewel out from under her shirt and looked at it. It seemed to be giving of a glow, a black light. She looked from the jewel to the sword and back again, then to the dark corner where Mark lay. "The shadows.." "Yes Kei...you understand." "Yes.." Kei looked down at the items in her hands. Something snapped inside her. "I understand."