Was that birds?..
I heard chirping, and the sound of scratching ice. I already knew what that was.
I sat up from where I had been sleeping, seeing Clem out on the ice. He had on black pants with a velvet dark red shirt tucked in with fringe out on the hips that glided a few inches out behind him when he soared calmly over the ice. It was like he was stealing my attention. His eyes were focused on the tree's and the ice a few feet way from him. Not on his feet.
There were gems on his shoulders in thick clusters going down the shirt to nothing at all. The sleeves puffed up, crystal like gems on his cuffs of the sleeve. They sparkled and reflected the moonlight like stars in themselves.
My eyes widened when he did an axel jump, my breath hitching. I didn't have faith that he would land it, but flawlessly, he did. Then again, he had been skating since his ability developed most likely. So it wasn't a surprise..
I stayed watching him until the sun was mostly up, watching his different types of jumps, his hair in the wind, his costume. Where did he even get the costume?..
Aura came out the part of the cave in the back, it was split from the rest. Where Sebbe had stayed when he first came here.
"He's fascinating is he not?" She asks beside me, watching her twin on the ice.
"He is.." I replied back, my voice barely above a whisper.
"He does it to release stress.. He must have a lot considering today.." She trailed off.
"You're both going back to your birth place.. I guess I know the feeling." I looked over at Aura, a small grin on my lips.
"Where are you going when you get the ship, anyways?" She asked, "You have to have somewhere set. I know you didn't come here on purpose. Did you?" She looked to me, her eyes glistening just like her brothers on the ice.
"Yeah, we did. But it wasn't our first choice. We're going to Rioko." I looked back out to Clem.
He had to be getting tired. Nobody has unlimited stamina unless it's their ability, so he's gotta be running on low by now.
"Keep staring and he might fall." She giggled, nudging my shoulder in a teasing way.
"It's not that.. He just seems so.." I let out a breath, "at peace."
She nodded, looking to her brother, "He may look that way. But look at his shoulders and leg formations when he does the loop jump. He's tense." She frowned, sighing.
I looked over at Aura again, Sebbe stirring in his sleep on the other side of the cave, "What are you and Clem planning to do after we leave?" I asked to Aura, looking over at Sebbe.
"Well,.." She started, "I don't suppose anything.." Aura rung her hands together.
"Come back here?" I asked.
"Probably not.."
"Where to then?" I looked to her hands, the red on her fingers from the cold.
"We would have to find somewhere new. Somewhere where, hopefully, it doesn't flood with snow. I doubt there is a place on this planet that has that." She chuckled and looked up to see Clem doing a quadruple jump, "He's really stressed.." She muttered under her breath.
I looked out to Clem and shook my head, the cold starting to wake Sebbe up.
I'm guessing, that jump must have been hard to do.. If he landed it, then he must be a professional in his own mind. A smile formed on my lips, my cheeks flushed from the cold. My tail around my waist felt frozen to my hips and chest. Oh, that's gonna hurt unsticking it later..
I could hear the green haired boy groaning because of the whispering. He didn't like when everyone wasn't completely quiet when he slept.
"I should go get him.." She whispered, and started to stand.
Don't end it..
I felt like I was in a trance. I didn't want to see Clem stop, it was a beautiful sight to behold. And I doubt no one on Rioko and Fasnus had seen it.
That's it.
That's what I'll do.
I'll bring them with me.
I heard something fall on the ice, and Aura started laughing like crazy, "Would you please shut up!" Sebbe shouted, making Aura laugh harder, bellowing over.
"Oh stars," I looked past Aura's laughing, "he's fell.." she finished her sentence.
Clem got up, glaring daggers at his sister before he started back up on what he was doing. It must be a routine, no one does something like this so perfect off the top of their head. Right?
It looked so easy to do.
I bet it's not, though.
"Ya'know." I stood up, and glanced over at Sebbe, "We should all skate with him before we leave. We've got a long walk, right?" I looked at Aura.
"Yes, we do. But I don't have the supplies for skates." She muttered, her hand on her chin.
"Well, I can easily make some." I grinned, putting my hand out to Sebbe, "C'mon. We're leaving soon." He gave me his hand, then a pulled him up to his unsteady feet.
"Thanks.." he said grouchily.
"Out of what?" She asked, "It won't be easy.." Aura whispered.
"Actually, I won't be making the skates." I had a small smile, "You'll just have to see."
Sebbe looked at me, his eyes narrowed, "What are you planning?"
"I'm not an evil mastermind, Sebbe, don't give me that look." I patted Sebbe's head and went to Aura's side.
I heard Sebbe whisper a "That's bull.." which I struggled to hold back my laughter to.
Maybe I was.
But this wasn't my evil plan. No, that comes for later today.
I watched Clem on the ice, his costume had small ice flakes and some of it was freezing his costume, giving the side of it snowflake designs.
Whatever happened to the costume, he always could pull it off somehow.
Even if he's a snarky ass at times.. He doesn't even need words, his eyes speak for themselves.
Like gold snowflakes the way they sparkle, the way they look as if they light up. Sebbe's are literal.
"All I need is time to think. We can do it on the way, let Clem finish. He's gonna need the stress reliever." I patted Aura's shoulder, "We have everything packed already. So, I should be fine wandering off for a bit. I'll be back soon." I smiled, leaving her without much more words. Sebbe was taking off one of the many layers he had on to keep him warm throughout the night.
Clem was still skating, and I was going up the small mountain the cave was embedded in. I tapped the holocom on my neck, bringing up the server's home screen.
"Alright, illusions... How can I make an illusion spread onto others.." I whispered to myself, "I've got the copy part down.." I mumbled.
Swiping over the holocom's screen, going to the manual of the projecting, and reversing it. I had a code I needed to remember to reverse it. It's like a passcode to get into the main server, if I didn't have it, someone could look through my projector and edit things. And everything else, the storage, notes, and they could even add things. If they added a virus, it could delete everything. I have intense firewalls on my holocom to prevent the hacking and such. Don't need that.
I sat on a ledge atop the mountain. The snow on the ice made me stable so I wouldn't slip off. From up here, looking out, the ground seemed to pulse with a blue florescent.. This planet was quite beautiful. In the meantime; I was writing notes on the planet, keeping them for later. I won't wanna forget this place when I finally get to Rioko. My notes are kinda like a diary to me.
I heard footsteps from behind me, making me flinch, startled.
When I turned around to look, it was Clem. He didn't have his blades out, just his normal black leather shoes.
"What are you doing up here? I thought you were skating." I said, watching as Clem came and sat beside me.
I wasn't scared that the small cliff we were on would break, it wouldn't hurt that much to fall even if it did.
Clem shrugged and wrote words out in the snow behind us, "What are you doing?" Was written.
"I'm working on a new hologram thing before we leave. Or trying to get the basics for it down.. I need to reverse my projector, then have it saved to a new tab in my server so it doesn't mess up my original scanner for the plan later today.." I rambled off, "This way, I can scan your skates, and project them onto someone else. By doing this, I also have to be able to scan one thing at a time. So, I have to make the scan smaller and more focused on an object. Sort of like linking it with my own mind." I finished.
Clem tilted his head at me, his confusion plastered on his face, I think I even saw his ear twitch.
"I'm basically just editing and messing with an old project I made, and making it more direct and stable." I said, looking to Clem with a grin.
Clem nodded and rung his hands together.
Him and Aura both do that.. Must be a sibling thing.
I nodded and swiped through my holocom again.
Copy-paste.
Save.
Repeat.
I sighed, leaning back on the snow, "Do you ever get bored of this planet?" I asked.
I looked to Clem, seeing him nod slowly.
"Well, why did you get kicked out of the village?.." I asked, looking back to the holocom server.
Clem sighed, leaning back beside me on the snow.
I guess it would be difficult explaining without a voice..
He put his hands up, making a gun symbol by putting his pointer finger and ring finger together.
I turned off my holocom with a tap to my neck, and focused on Clem's hands.
"A gun.." I muttered, and he gave a thumbs up, then flipped the middle finger.
"A sign of hatred towards someone?" I asked, and Clem gave another thumbs up.
His hands stayed open for a moment, probably thinking of another way to make sense of what he was trying to say.
Clem put his pointer fingers into a "X" symbol.
"Ex? What's that mean?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowed, then he did the gun, a heart with both of his hands, then a middle finger, then lastly; a ex.
"Did someone you love try to shoot you?" I asked, and Clem huffed, shaking his hands in a "no" way.
He did the symbols with his fingers and pointed to himself afterwards.
"Did you try to kill someone you love?.." I asked, looking over at Clem's face. When his aggravated look fell into a guilty expression, I knew I hit the target on the bullseye.
"So, you did?.. And did you kill them?.." I asked, but Clem didn't try to answer this time.
He didn't know.
"You were thrown out before you could figure it out.." I mumbled to myself, looking up to the stars in the atmosphere. "I'd hate to have that thought at all times. Wondering if I had killed someone or if they survived to live another day.." I whispered.
A few moments later, Clem sat up, snow stuck to his back and white hair. My back was numb by this point.
"What did they do, Clem?.." I asked, sitting up to look at his side profile.
Aura walked out the cave, looking for us upon the mountain. She shielded her eyes from the sun to look up, seeing us on the ledge. I heard Sebbe ask, "You see'm?" And come out right behind her.
"You don't have to tell me, Clem. I'm just saying, we wouldn't judge you for anything. We all have something we're ashamed of. Something purposeful or not.. But, I think you need to get it off your chest." I said in a hushed tone, pressing my hands firm on the ground, getting ready to stand up.
Clem placed a hand on my shoulder, his eyes looking out over the land in front of us.
I looked to him, then to his hand. He was trembling. Was it from guilt? Regret? Possibly; anger? Fear?
He put his hand down, making the symbols, a pointer finger over the land.
"They?" I asked. And he nodded, on point. What would any of this have to do with the land in front of us. If I put myself in his shoes, that would be the only way for me to explain someone else.
Clem put his finger to his mouth.
"Quiet? No- secret? They, secret." I said, and Clem moved to the next motion, a hand on his chest.
"They kept something from you.." I muttered.
But what was it.
"Did they like someone else? I think it's called leading you on.." I murmured.
He shook his head.
Clem put his hands into a fist, and held it up as if he was ready to punch someone.
I think I get it now..
"Did they keep something from you, then threaten to hurt you when you tried to confront them?" I asked, "And if that's it, you being mute, it must have been difficult.. You should have fought back. But I guess solving the matter with a little blood never killed anyone to bad." I shrugged with a sigh. By Clem's expression; a mix of annoyed (probably at my joke) and frustration. —What I saw anyways. I might-as-well be emotion blind. I suck at noticing things sometimes.
"Oi.." I said, bringing Clem into a side hug.
"We have all day." I looked at his side profile, "When we get there, we're gonna go in and out. It shouldn't take long. You don't have to be there long." I patted Clem's shoulder.
He didn't hug back.
Clem looked to his hands, then back out to the unknown, an angry expression on his face.
I knew this one.
Determination.
Clem stood up, shaking off my touch and going back down the mountain with his skates, making it quicker. I sighed, shaking my head.
❧We were all walking in a little group. Sebbe was talking to Aura about how his home planet was taken over by mine—blah blah blah. Normal day. Just this time, I'm watching to make sure the snow doesn't come early while I also mess around with my holocom. I'm almost finished with the new holographic disguise. I really don't know what to call it. I mean, it, so far, can focus and copy one thing, but I need to work on reversing the code again. Then after that I should have the holopasting backwards. Holopasting is when you project something onto yourself. I call it holopasting since I invented it..
but I have to holopaste it onto someone else, so reversing it should work if I'm not wrong..
Clem was skating around the tree's, avoiding ice piles and just enjoying the walk. Even though he could have lapped us at least three times, he stayed beside or behind us.
Aura has tripped at least five times now, and laughed her head off afterwards.
I—on the other hand—have been doing the same thing. Including checking the map to see where we were going and if we were going in the right direction.
Clem skated up beside me, huffing and sweating, "You think it's a good idea to get sweaty before we steal a ship?" I asked, looking sideways at him.
He shook his head and I could tell his skates had disappeared, he had gotten shorter by a couple inches. I chuckled and shook my head, "There's water in Aura's bag." I mentioned, Clem walking backwards to get back with his sister in who he interrupted's conversation. She huffed and gave Clem the bag. He took his water, took a few swigs, pausing in his step, and then put it back and giving it back to Aura as if nothing had happened.
Clem huffed and started walking faster, soon being ahead of me by a couple steps. He looked lost in thought, but I couldn't focus on that. I was almost done!
And just like that, a few moments later, I was done.
"Hey, Clem, come here." I said, stopping in my step, "And let me see your blades." I said, crouching once he got close. I scanned his blades, the boy glaring down at me as if I interrupted his life long session of non-stop walking.
"Thank you." I stood again, "Sebbe, come here." I walked over to the boy scavenging in his bag for something. "What?" He asked.
"Be still." I grinned, pressing a button on my holocom while it started to project a clear image of black skates onto Sebbe's feet from the holocom in my neck. He didn't notice at first, but once it finished pasting, and he was a couple inches taller and slipping on the ice again, he finally noticed.
Sebbe yelped and before he could fall backwards, Aura caught him, "You pulled a fast one on me! I was distracted, Willion!" He shouted.
He must've been mad, using my last name was definitely a sign of anger from him. He kinda reminded me of an angry tiny dog..
Chihuahua specifically speaking.
"Sorry, sorry. Clem, please teach him." I smiled, and Clem gave me a eyebrow lift.
"I said 'please'.." I mumbled as Clem walked off on his own.
"Alright, looks like we will all have to learn." I chuckled.
"I programmed it to act as a skate instead of an Ability that comes from Clem's foot. So it took on the image but not an x-Ray. You're foot is still like it was moments before, Sebbe." I finished taking and projected some onto my own feet. What I didn't notice was Clem watching from a distance. He must find it amusing. I'm sure he doesn't know anyone else that has had skates here. Aura did say he was a rare case with it..
It should be a common thing with all the ice, but I guess not.
"Okay, so, how do I move." Sebbe asked, putting his bag back on his shoulder.
"One foot in front of the oth-ER-!" I shouted then slipped backwards, falling flat on my back.
"Snarky responses get you hurt." Sebbe stuck out his tongue, but soon enough, he was on his butt too. I groaned, getting back up. If we got the hang of it, we would get there in no time, and we also would have the talent of skating.
Aura already seemed like a pro, must run in the family's blood. They are twins after all.
"I think I'm getting it!" Aura said, gliding with the wind in her long bright pink locks.
"At least one of us is!" Sebbe shouted, he was in a almost crouching position. As of me, well, I've only fell a few times.. But I was getting a grip of it.
"Try literally placing one foot in front of the other and gliding, don't lean too far back." I said, helping Sebbe to a good stance.
"Don't push yourself, if you can't do it, we will continue on foot instead of blade." I said to him, reassuring Sebbe while he tried to get the hang of it.
If Sebbe was anything, he was stubborn. And now that he's got them, he's gonna learn to use them no matter what.
"Alright! I think I've got it!" He whisper-shouted a few moments later. He was getting there, didn't take too long.
I was surprised we didn't run into many animal's, but they could possibly be hiding. We did see some wild pig like animals and a couple ones that looked like deer. They reminded me of Clem on a high level..
Sebbe was gliding with the wind in his shoulder length pastel hair. He himself looked majestic like everyone else. I just kinda stuck behind, watching, waiting for someone to fall. But no one did. But they did pick up the pace.
Before we knew it, we were met with the villages wall. Now we have to climb..
There was no guards patrolling which was good, I didn't have to watch out for them. But there was most likely going to be a ton of people on the inside, and they could easily notice an intruder with horns and a completely different skin tone. Not to mention the silver blood. That's the thing that stands out the most.
I looked to everyone.
Sebbe. He was waiting patiently.
Aura. She had a monotone, but pale, look on her face as if she was met with old memories. And no doubt she was.
Then there was Clem. He stared at the wall with a look of hatred, a look of anger and sadness. The determination almost leaked off of him.
I pressed the button of my holocom, everyone's skates fading to nothing until their feet were back on the stable ground. Sebbe wobbled and gripped onto Clem's velvet sleeve for a moment, almost falling.
Clem glared down to the green haired boy, making him gulp and scurry away to Aura's side.
"Does everyone remember the plan?" I asked, looking at the two story high walls.
"Yep.." They all, but Clem, said back.
Let's get this ride on the ice.