Rikku and Hikaru

Rikku and Hikaru

PRELUDE
Dallas Fontana was the Holder of Water, and during The Holder Wars, was a part of the ‘Big 13’. After the war ended, he decided to settle down and raise a family. He married Yu Kirino, and together they had two children: a son whom they name Hikaru, and a daughter whom they named Rikku. Years after the second childs birth, both parents died a mysterious death. However, they never informed their children anything about The Holders. Now, as Hikaru is fourteen and Rikku is nine, they roam the streets as orphans.

When my parents first died, and my sister and I started living on the streets, I thought our lives couldn’t possibly get any worse. I was soon shown how incredibly wrong I was.

               “What do we do now, Hikaru?” My younger sister, Rikku, asked.

               “I don’t know,” I answered,” But whatever we do, we have to do it soon, because it’s starting to get dark.” I stood there a moment thinking of what to do. “I mean, I guess I could try and get a job.”

               “But I thought you had to be sixteen to get a job. You’re only fourteen,” she pointed out.

               I sighed. “Look,” I said, grabbing her by the shoulders and kneeling down to her eye level,” I’m sure there’ll be someone who’s so desperate for an employee, that they would be will to look the other way when it comes to my age. Besides, even if that doesn’t work out, I still have this,” I said, showing her a ring on my finger. The ring was silver with a circle that had a blue water droplet in the center.

               “What is it?” Rikku asked with a look of child-like wonder and curiosity in her eyes.

               “I have no idea,” I replied,” Dad left it to me in his will saying that as long as I kept it with me at all times we would be safe…. although I have no idea how a ring could possibly be so special.”

               “Excuse me,” a strange voice asked behind me,” did I hear you say that you were in need of employance?”

               I jumped up in surprise and spun around. I hid Rikku behind me, and she held my shirt as though her life depended on it.

               When I looked at the man now standing in front of me, I could immediately tell that he was bad news. He was tall, had beady eyes, a devilish grin, a five-o’clock shadow, short, black, greased down hair, was wearing a suspiciously nice businessman-type suit and tie and dress shoes, and had sharp yellow teeth.

               “Y’know, you’re pretty tall for a fourteen year-old,” he said, looking me up and down.

               “Well you’re dressed up pretty nicely for a guy who’s walkin’ around the worst part of town,” I retorted.

               This must’ve made Rikku curious about what he looked like, because she then poked her out from behind my back.

               “My, my, what a cute little sister you have there,” he said looking at Rikku,” And how old is she?”

               “Well that’s none of your god damn business, now is it?” I tried to say before Rikku interrupted.

               “I’m nine,” she said hesitantly.

               I immediately pushed Rikku back behind my back.

               “Oh,” he said with a disturbing and creepy look on his face,” and what about your parents, hm? Where are they?”

               “Dead,” I answered,” Which is why we’re living with our aunt and uncle right now,” I lied.

               “But Hikaru, I thought you said we didn’t have any other relatives,” Rikku revealed before I could get the chance to shut her up.

               “Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” I said , covering her mouth with my hand so that she couldn’t speak,” My sister has a very active imagination,” I said, trying to laugh it off.

               “Oh, it’s quite alright,” he said while inching his way closer to me, “you don’t have to lie to me, I only wish to help you.”

               “Well, maybe we don’t want your help!” I said, backing away and yelling as loud as I could to attract the attention of any bystanders.

               “It’s okay, it’s okay, just calm down,” he said, moving his hands up and down in a calming gesture,” We don’t want to make a scene. I simply wish to help you.”

               “Help us how?” I asked with a skeptical look on my face.

               “Why, by providing you with employment of course,” he responded,” And obviously that isn’t the only service I offer.”

               “Go on,” I said, loosening up a little bit.

               “I would also provide you with clothing and sustenance, all with a roof over your heads. All you have to do is work for me. Whaddya say?” he said, extending out his hand.

               “Ummm….,” I hesitated. I looked at Rikku, then at the man, then back at Rikku. “I’ll do it,” I said, shaking his hand.

               “Very good,” he said with a devilish grin. “Now then, if you would be so kind as to follow me,” he said just before walking into a nearby alley.

               I began to follow, but a tug on my sleeve stopped me. I looked down to see Rikku clinging to my arm.

               “I’m scared,” she said with a worried look on her face.

               “I know you are, but everything’s going to be okay now,” I reassured her. “Now let’s go.”

               We walked over to the alley the man had walked into earlier, only to find he wasn’t there.

               “Hello?” I called out. “Sir?”

               No reply.

               “Come on,” I said to Rikku before pulling her deeper down the alley until we came to a dead end. “Huh,” I said, curious as to what was going on. I turned around and saw his shadowy figure, silhouetted by the street lamps that had just turned on as it got dark, standing in front of the alleyway entrance, blocking our way out. “Oh, there you are,” I began to say.

               “Hey kid,” he said in a demonic voice, cutting me off,” I almost forgot something.”

               “What?” I said, starting to get skeptical again.

               “In order for you to pay me for my generous hospitality, you’re going to have to give me something in addition to working for me.”

               ‘Great,’ I thought to myself,’ I found the only white pimp in all of Shanghai, and he’s creepy as fuck and wants Rikku to become a Lolita prostitute.’ “What do you want?” I asked cautiously, while also pushing Rikku behind me.

               “Your ring.”

               “No!” I said with a stern voice,” This ring is the only thing I have left of my father!”

               He sighed. “Welp, that’s too bad,” he said,” I was hoping this would be easier, but you know what they say, ‘If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs’.”

               “What the hell are you talking about!? And why the fuck do you want it so bad anyway!?” I yelled.

               “Why, to add to my collection, of course,” he said, holding up his left hand and revealing his 6 almost identical rings. “You see this one right here?” he said, pointing to a yellow ring that had an image of a moon with a howling wolf in it,” This one’s the one that started it all. And tonight’s a full moon, meaning you’re fucked,” he said before turning into a werewolf in a matter of seconds. As a werewolf, he was big, tall, and muscular, had sharp teeth and claws, bright yellow eyes, and still wearing his pants from before, only now they were ripped.

               “Say goodnight!” he yelled before lunging at us.

               Rikku screamed.

               I leaned over her, trying to shield her from the attack. But it never came. I looked up to see the beast hacking and slashing at some kind of forcefield that appeared to be made of water.

               “Hikaru!” Rikku exclaimed,” Your ring! It’s glowing!”

               I looked down at my hand to see a bright blue light coming from my ring. It was at that moment that I realized what Dad had meant when he said it could protect us. I knew why he had told us all about those urban legends about how The Holders War was won with these ‘things’ called ‘Holders’ and ‘SCPs’. I also realized why he never seemed to age: he was a Holder himself, made immortal by the powers the ring brings.

               I stood up, looked at my ring, then back at the monster, and an idea formed in my head. I imagined a gauntlet made of water covering my hand, and suddenly, there it was. I punched the werewolf right in the jaw as hard as I could, breaking it and sending him staggering backwards.

               “AH! You little brat!” he yelled after he snapped his jaw back in place. “COME ‘ERE!”

               He then tried to lunge and swipe at me, but not before I was able to make a pipe burst under the ground beneath him, and a fountain of steaming hot and high pressure water practically melted his face off.

               “AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” he screamed in agony,” MOTHERFUCKER!!! I’LL GET YOU FOR THAT YOU LITTLE SHITHEAD!!!”

               “LEAVE US ALONE!!” I yelled as I willed the pipes in the surrounding buildings to burst all around us, and sent the water rushing at him like a tsunami, pushing him out of the alley.

               “Argh! I’ll get you for this someday!” he yelled as he morphed back into a human and ran away with both hands covering his now scarred face.

               “I was so scared,” Rikku said, hugging me tight.

               “It’s okay now, Rikku. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

               It was at that moment that I realized just how much our lives had changed. And we were never the same.