| It was one of those nights where it was raining outside. Not my kind of weather, but hell, what can ya do? I had finished up the arena match, and I was dragging my seventeen-year old self out of the arena. It was late, and I was looking forward to getting home to a nice, comfortable bed with my name on it. Well, the name "Rick" isn't really inscribed on it. Anyhow, my best friend was standing by the exit waiting for me. His name is Teepo. He's sixteen, he's a thief, and he's got long, purple hair which I think he pays a little too much attention to. He also lives with me, because the house he was living in was burnt down a few years ago. He walked up to me as I was approaching the exit. "Hi, Rick. How'd the fight go?" He asked me. "Went good. I won it again." I replied. The both of us walked out the door, and walked in the rain home. We complained about it a little bit, but we just went on talking about various topics. After a good long walk, we got to the house. We went in to dry off. It was raining like hell out there, so we were pretty soaked. After some drying off, Teepo lied down on the couch and fell asleep, and I headed up the stairs to my bedroom. I took off my trench coat and boots, and went to bed. During the middle of the night, I heard a small commotion going on. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, put my boots and trench coat back on, and left the room. I went downstairs and out the door, where the commotion was growing louder. I walked outside and I saw Teepo talking with Ryu. Ryu was fifteen, had blue hair, and he was well known for being part of the "Brood" or the Dragon Clan. I remembered him from a few years ago where he lived wit' Teepo and Rei. Rei was a woren that had a house a ways from mine right here in Cedar Woods. Anyway, I walked outside, where it was still raining, and went close to where they were. "Hey, what's goin' on out here?" I asked with a bit of an angry tone. "Rick, you might want to go back in your house right now..." Ryu said. "Then just keep it down, for cryin' out loud!" I said. I went back in the house, went back upstairs, took off my trench coat and jacket, and went back to bed. There were no more interrputions of my sleep, thank God. The next morning, I woke up and went downstairs to find a note written on my table. I got curious and picked up the note. The note said; "I had to go out to some place which I cannot tell you about, but I will come back to see you in a few days. I have something to talk to you about as well. It's something you need to know." -Teepo I thought it was rather strange, but not much I could do. Rei's house was burned down, and he was gone somewhere else for a long time, so I couldn't go and visit him. There wasn't going to be another fight with me in it for a couple of weeks. I basically just stayed home and practiced my moves, and I went to the marketplace to buy some food, until Teepo came back. He came back while I was practicing my moves outside, since it looked like it was going to rain that day, and I wanted to get in as much practice as possible. "Hi, Rick!" Teepo said. I jumped a "little bit". I quickly regained my composure and turned toward him. "Damn, you surprised the hell outta me!" I said. Teepo just chuckled. He loved to jump me whenever possible. I was never one to be jumped very often, or even allowed the opportunity to be surprised very often. I decided to take a break, and we both went into the house. We had a seat on our couches. I had two couches, facing each other at opposite sides of the wall. So, I brought up the nagging question to him. "What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked him. "Well, I'll let curiosity kill you for now, and I'll tell you tonight." Teepo said with a smirk on his face. I hated when he acted like a little bastard like that. Oh, well. Not much I could do but wait 'till tonight. I got up and walked outside, only to find it raining again. "Well, I see that the weather is trying to mess wit' me again" I said to myself. I wasn't too pleased to see that it was raining hard out again. It had been one of those rainy spells lately. I had a match coming in about a week and a half, and outside is the only place I could practice in an open space. I sighed and sat back down on my couch. I told him about what I did while he was gone, but it wasn't all that interesting, or all that long, for that matter. Finally, a few hours after a dinner of a good beef stew, (I got some beef down at the marketplace that morning) it was night, and still raining hard out. You'd think with this rainy spell that this place would be flooded. Anyhow, Teepo sat down, and started to tell me the story, with a serious look on his face. (Which tends to be rare when I'm with him.) "Well, I've been rather reluctant to tell you this, but remember when Rei's house burnt down? Well, I found out then that I was part of the Dragon Clan, or the "Brood". I was transformed into a dragon, and I was lookin' for Rei, Ryu, and you." I remembered that full well. Balio and Sunder had burned Rei's house down, and beat the crap outta everyone, including me. I was walking by and noticed that fight. I ran in to help fight them, but all I did was get my ass kicked. I remember regaining consiousness out near my house somewhere. Now, anyhow, leaving that flashback, let me finish what Teepo said. "Well, what I was out doing was more training with Ryu. That's what I was out doing, even though he's a light dragon, and I'm a dark dragon." "What's the difference?" I asked curiously. "Well, the light dragons use their power to keep the peace. Dark dragons want to eradicate all that is weak." Teepo replied. "You don't consider me weak, do ya?" I asked. "Nope. Actually, I have a strange feeling about you. Like there's more to you than it seems. It's just a feeling, though. I don't know what it is." Teepo replied. "What kind of a strange feeling?" I asked, feeling like I was asking too many questions. "A feeling like that of power, of strength." He replied. I was getting tired. I had a long, hard day of practicing. I told Teepo I was going to bed, and I went upstairs. I took off my boots and trench coat, and got into bed. As I was falling asleep, I asked myself; "Is there really more to myself then I know about?" I fell asleep soon after asking. I had dreams of what this power could possibly be. It was like one of those nagging questions in my head, one of those I had a feeling I would find out in the near future. Well, journal. That's what happened over the last couple of weeks. I'll write again in a couple of weeks. -Rick |