♠ CHAPTER 4 (CHIKYU)670Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSytLzteLk
People often ask me why I’m so strange. And I usually respond with a smart remark. It wasn’t like this before Dad and my siblings died. In a freaking earthquake.
The irony.
It probably doesn’t make any sense, but, you see, it will. I lived a normal life with my parents and sibling. But there’s only so much a family of ten can do to seem normal. My father was a hotel owner and my mother is an artist. I had five brothers and two sisters. My father and siblings (yes, all my siblings) went to Spain to get Neymar’s autograph and instead, died in an earthquake. You could imagine my despair but I felt even more beat-down because I realized that they all died because of me. Me and my stupid little crush. Oh and the fact that my mother acts like I don’t exist doesn’t help in one way. She just sits in her room and paints and paints. And then she sleeps. And then I think – I hope – eats. She’s never ate a meal with me in – now -- five years. I hope she still knows I exist. I left her a note one month, before coming along here. But after what I’d done, there was only one person that could help me. And that was Master Hokage.
I was taking University courses for Genetic Sciences when I was fourteen and when my team went to a professional laboratory to experiment and study different types of genes, I came across a special one. It was called the Elemental gene. The scientists at the lab said that they’d never met a real, live being with this gene and that the gene could be artificially made. That just made me even more obsessed with this gene. I returned everyday and studied it. I learned that whoever had had gene controlled the powers of Earth. And that the gene was passed down through the maternal line. And so I developed a new way to inherit those genes and when I tried it out on myself, it worked. I was so scared that I’d turn evil or something that I’d fainted. After going home realized that there was only one way I could put these powers to use was to meet someone who knew how to control these powers. I hacked into many confidential folders labelled ‘Governments Eyes Only’ and when I found one labelled ‘Prime Minister’s Eyes Only,’ and I clicked it, I realized that, apparently, our Prime Minister was an Elemental.
And so I packed my stuff and hauled it over to our capital and confronted the Prime Minister. He admitted that, yes, he was an Elemental. And when I told him what I’d been up to with the gene in the lab and everything, he made me destroy every last bit of that gene serum with before sending me off a place called the ‘Institute’. There were like thousands all around the world and they were invisible to mere mundane people. I guess I was a ‘mere mundane person’ but when I injected myself with that gene serum, my life changed like hell.
When I arrived at the Institute, Master Hokage and I took a walk and while we did, we talked about what I’d done. He said that being an Elemental was a burden and that many had died being one. I said that I was sorry that I’d done something like that so ruthlessly, and he said it was fine. Master told me that he’d train me to control my powers. He told me to camp out in a forest call the Dark Forest. Like the cake. But, whatever.
Fast forward two years, I was controlling my powers well. And Master told me that I’d be meeting three other Elementals. And when I did, I felt like my life began.
♠♠♠
I heard their voices first.
“Something about this place...It gives me the creeps!” The gray haired girl exclaimed, shivering even though in the middle of the Dark Forest, it was about a zillion degrees.
“Of course it does! After all, this place is known for its deadliness, which is exactly why Master chose this spot for us to practice,” the red-head glanced at the gray-head and seeing the horror on her face, she eagerly continued. “You know, I heard that at night, in this very forest, there are villainous ghosts that come to eat away little girls’ souls, girls that have wind power and--”
“Kasai, stop it! Don’t you have anything better to do other than scaring the lights out of Kaze?” The blond-head glared at Kasai who immediately fell quiet, but only until she started up again.
“No Mizu, I don’t,” Kasai pushed her thick-black glasses onto her nose. Elementals have perfect, if not abnormally good eye-sight so I knew for sure that those glasses were phony pairs. “But, I do apologize for the fact that Kaze, you are --”
I walked by a bush and the leaves rustled.
“Hush! Did any of you hear that?” Everyone stopped walking. I smirked. I couldn’t help myself.
I nodded to the tree above the small group. It glowered at the trio and, in sudden movement, the trees long slender branches twisted through the air, slashing at Kasai, pushing her against a tree. Mizu, on the other hand, had been whipped by my branches with so much force that she fell back and now was desperately pushing hard at the branch that pushed her to the ground. Kaze was squealing. My tree had swung her high up into the air, where she could see everything. She hit the branch hard but with every hit, the branch only got stronger and thicker. Lovely.
“Who dares set foot on my magnificent property?” I said. And now that I think about it, it was a very lame line. I don’t think that they still remember it. I guess I was pretty stupid back then. Mizu gasped. Kaze blinked. Kasai’s mouth was wide enough for a truck to drive through.
“Who in bloody hell do you think you are?” Kasai squinted at me. I felt taken back.
“Chikyu?” Master stepped out of the shadows. He looked around at everything and his jaw dropped. “What on earth…? Chikyu! These are the new Elementals! Release them! Oh, never mind, I’ll do it.” He waved his hands and the branches eased off of the small group. Kasai walked up to me, grabbed my shirt by the collar.
“I suggest that you don’t do that again,” she hissed at me. Even though she was more than five inches shorter than me, she was quite intimidating. I looked down at her hand and then back at her. Her grip eased just the tiniest bit. First sign of uncertainity.
“Now, Kasai--” Master started. Kasai released my shirt. And bowed down in front of Master.
“I’m sincerely sorry,” she looked up at Master with serious eyes. She would have looked adorable. If she didn’t have a sinister smirk on her face. Master didn’t notice it though.
“I’m sorry, too,” I said. “I shouldn’t have--”
“Oh, it’s fine! Really! You know other than the fact that you ruined my brand-new jacket,” Mizu glared at me.
“Are you serious?” I raised my eyebrows at her.
“Mizu, it’s fine,” Kaze smiled shyly at me.
“No it’s not! It was freaking twenty dollars!” Mizu fell to her knees.
“I’ll buy you a new one,” Kasai stuck out her hand to help her up. Mizu eyed it suspiciously.
“A better one,” Kasai still had her hand out. Mizu sniffed. Kasai sighed. She removed her expensive mink fur coat.
“You can have this one,” Kasai held her coat out.
“Oh. My. God. You’re kidding!” Mizu stared at Kasai, who just blinked at her. Mizu grabbed the coat from Kasai and hugged it.
“If you girls are finished with your little girl-fest, we may start,” Master had his arms crossed.
“Yes!” Kaze grinned. “I can’t wait.”
“First, I want to tell you all something. You are going to have to stay here, at our ‘Institute’ so you need to tell your legal guardians about this,” Master said, speaking to Kasai and Mizu. I saw Kasai stiffen. Mizu smiled.
“Oh, I already told my sister. She said its fine and that she loves me. She also told me not to get killed,” Mizu said. And then everyone turned to Kasai. She just stood there, rolling back and forth on the balls of her feet.
“Kasai? Did you ask your father?” Master looked at her. She shook her head, still looking at the ground.
“Well, ask him today, so you can tell us tomorrow.”
“I don’t know. I mean, he probably won’t let me. He says I should always focus on my studies and all,” Kasai pried her eyes off the ground and at Master.
“Would you like me to talk to him?” Master asked.
“No!” Kasai shouted. All of gave her a funny look. “He’ll think I put you up to it. I’ll talk to him.”
“Alright, then. Before we train, I want to introduce you to our world and about your pasts,” Master took a seat on the chair that I took out from my camp.
“Kaze, I’m sorry to say that I have no idea about your past.” Kaze just smiled regretfully.
“I know. It’s alright, Master.” I noticed Kasai looking at Kaze curiously. I moved back and leaned against my tree, running my fingers over the unevenly rough bark.
“And, Chikyu. Your group must know about your past,” Master looked at me, waiting for an answer. I turned around to face a tree.
“Hey, does this make me look nice?” I asked the tree, gesturing to my bracelet.
Yes.
I smiled at its response. Then I turned back to everyone. They were looking at me like I sprouted another head, or something.
“I injected myself with a genetic serum that gave me the powers of Earth,” I examined my nails.
“You did what?” Kaze and Mizu looked at me like I’d just said that I had magical powers. Well, I guess I did. Kasai looked over at me with renewed interest.
“How old are you?” She asked me. I smirked at her.
“What do you think?” I silently challenged her.
“Sixteen.”
“On the dot.”
“I guess we an accord, then,” Kasai held her hand out.
“Deal,” I shook the out-stretched hand.
“Are you two done, yet?” Master asked. Kasai nodded. “Alright, now Kasai. I knew your mother. She had the powers of Lightning.”
“Wait; there are other Elements other than us four?” Mizu gestured to the four of us.
“Cough, cough. Have you forgotten about your brother dearest?” Kasai said sarcastically.
“Oh, yeah,” Mizu smiled. Kasai grimaced.
“Anyway, she was remarkable. She loved--” Kasai stopped Master.
“It’s alright. I don’t want my mother’s life story.”
“Alright then. Mizu, your mother was Ice and your father was Water,” Master continued. “Now in our world, there are vampires, werewolves and faeries. You all know what vampires are. They’re immortal bloodsuckers that feed on mundane people. When I say immortal, I mean that they don’t age or die of age. Nor do they have a heart. But they can be killed, either way. Werewolves live as mundane people during the day and at night; they go around, roaming the woods, marking their territory.”
“Wow. That’s just weird. It’s like were in some fictional story,” Mizu grinned.
“It is,” Kaze nodded at Mizu.
“Do you guys know what faeries are?” Master looked around at us. Kaze, Kasai and I nodded but Mizu blinked.
“They’re Fallen Angels,” Kasai said. That was pretty uncommon knowledge but I guess any fiction reader would know.
“Exactly,” Master nodded. “The direct descendents of Angels and Demons. They’re too ‘cute and innocent’ looking to live in hell and too mischievous to live in heaven. So they live on Earth as mundane people.”
We were all quiet for a while. And then Master broke the silence.
“That’s pretty much what you guys should know. For now,” Master started. “Kaze, lead Chikyu and Mizu to the Institute. I’ll drop Kasai by at her car.”
When Kasai left with Master I realized something. I was looking forward to the moment when we’d meet again. And something told me that it would be soon. Very soon.
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