Swiftgold: Well, here's the first chapter. Not all is revealed, but we're getting there. Enjoy!
Chapter One: Arrival
April, 2006
The blonde gripped the arms of the airplane seat so hard her fingers turned white. Her green eyes were wide with terror and she looked as if she were about to scream. This was her first time flying, and not only was she afraid the plane was going to crash, she was afraid of how damn fast the thing went.
"Lemme off!" She tried to unbuckle the belt, but the young woman next to her pushed her back down in the seat.
"Sit down, Sharra. You're disturbing everyone."
"But I don't wanna go to Japan anymore, Swiftgold!" Sharra wailed. "Planes are bad! They're... bad!"
Swiftgold rolled her eyes tolerantly and shook her head, causing her spiky blond hair to wave slightly. Her sister had arranged this whole trip, and now she didn't want to go? Well, tough. She was the one that wanted to go in search of their roots, and she was the one that had forced her to spend hours a day studying Japanese so they could speak it fluently within two weeks. Not only that, Sharra had depleted her own large bank account to pay for first class tickets.
So much for college tuition.
She plugged her ears as the plane began to take off. Shortly after, Sharra shrieked loudly. It was clearly audible even then. There was a ringing sound in her ears.
"Lemme offffff!"
Several people on the plane turned around to stare at the two girls, and Swiftgold sank deep into her seat, a fiery flush suffusing her face. Maybe a hole would swallow her up right now, but it was unlikely.
Finally, Swiftgold had enough of her screaming. She lurched over and clapped a hand over her sister's mouth. A muffled exclamation came from the sixteen-year-old, before she narrowed her eyes to slits and licked Swiftgold's palm.
"Ewww!" she gasped, jerking her hand away and wiping it off on the leg of Sharra's jeans.
"Hey!" Sharra protested.
Her sister gave her nasty look, and gestured over to the large carrier by the window seat of the plane. "Go play with your little feathered friends in there."
Sharra stuck her tongue out at Swiftgold, then opened the carrier door. A loud cluck and a couple of quacks were heard as a rooster poked its head out of the carrier and hopped to the plane floor. Two ducks, one white, the other a speckled black, were quick to follow.
The ducks balked at jumping down, and the white one quacked irately. <Go on,> she told them mentally. <It's not far.>
<No! Lulu will land on me!> came the obstinate retort from Houdini, who eyed the larger duck warily.
Sharra had discovered at an early age that she could talk to animals, and they would talk back to her. It was part of the reason she loved the farm birds so much - they were a lot more interesting than the snotty cats, for one. She had kept this fact to herself, however, even from her sister, for fear she would be called insane. It certainly sounded insane.
Swiftgold eyed the White Leghorn rooster in disdain. She knew what he truly was - a vicious monster out for blood. He cocked his head at her, then flapped up onto the back of the seat she was sitting on. She yelped.
Sharra, meanwhile, was taking each duck out in turn and setting them down on the floor. They quacked some more and wandered out into the aisles, checking things out curiously. <Watch out for stewardesses!> she called after them anxiously.
"I didn't mean 'let them out'," Swiftgold sighed.
"No one asked you, doofnoid," Sharra said absently, using her own special insult, before reaching into the carrier. "Where is she... ah ha!" She triumphantly removed a bantam hen from the carrier. The chicken looked more like a feather boa than a bird. She settled the chicken on her lap, stroking the fluffy head. "Poor Fluffy Chicken, I don't think she likes planes either."
Swiftgold reached under her seat and pulled out a large sketchpad and a pencil. She tried to think of something to draw, but nothing would come. Turning to look at the other passengers, she flushed as she saw one of the ducks wander too close to an enthralled child. Inquisitive hands reached out for feathers...
"Hey! Don't do that!" Sharra shrieked, clutching the chicken and lunging up before realizing the seatbelt was still on. Falling back into the seat with an 'oof', she flung it off and stood up again. "Get away from the duck!" The child was simultaneously pulled back by his glaring mother, and she sat down again with a satisfied huff.
There was a moment of silence. Then, suddenly, the rooster jumped onto Swiftgold's head and puffed out his chest, letting out a long, loud crow. The man in front of them woke up from his nap violently, screaming. Once again, everyone turned to stare at her. Except, this time, she had a chicken on her head.
"Get… Erwin… off…" Swiftgold said tersely, wincing as the rooster began to pull at her hair with his beak, "…before I find some Shake n' Bake."
Sharra's eyes were round as she swung her hand at the rooster, who went flapping down onto the carrier. "Don't even joke about that!"
Swiftgold muttered something nasty under her breath about weird farm animals. Two ducks waddled past. Lulu - the white one - first, then Houdini - the black one. She had no problem with Fluffy Chicken and the ducks - it was Erwin that she hated.
Leaning back in her seat, she reached up and fingered the pendant she wore on the chain around her neck. It and the one her sister had were all they had left of their parents, who had left them on the doorstep of a farmhouse when they were little. Despite how hard she tried, she couldn't remember anything about them.
She was a little unsure about this quest of Sharra's. Did she even want to meet the parents that had abandoned her? *Still, they must have had their reasons. You shouldn't hate the deadbeats until you meet them... er, wait...* She sighed internally, glancing over at the other girl.
Looking out the window, Sharra stared at the many clouds. This wasn't so bad... as long as it didn't crash into the ocean or something. And then they would be in Japan and find their birth parents. She wondered what they would be like. She often pictured them, a perfect, beautiful couple, but missing the children they'd had to give up. The small chicken in her lap clucked quietly, snuggling down in her lap as if it were a nest.
"Look, Swiftplatinum! You can see shapes in the clouds! There's a shoe!"
Swiftgold peered out the window. That sun outside was way too bright, and she only looked for a quick moment. "That one looks like a chicken dinner - what Erwin will be if you call me that again." She smiled smugly, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back in the chair.
Sharra slumped down, sulking. <Hey, Erwin,> she thought to the bird. <She just insulted you.>
Erwin clucked loudly, lunging at her. *The hell? It's almost as if that... that drumstick understood me.* Swiftgold dodged his beak, barely. She sighed. It was going to be a loonnnggg flight.
*****
He chuckled wickedly, cat-like eyes narrowing. Watching the two walk down the hallway departing the plane, he remained hidden in the shadows. His gaze narrowed in on the girl with the long golden waves. She was beautiful - a goddess.
At last, the two chosen ones had arrived. Now, they only had to find the others. Soon, his master would rule the world, as it was meant to be…
"And you, my dear," he whispered to himself, "will be mine."
*****
Many grueling hours of airplane food and restless poultry later, the plane had come to rest in the Tokyo airport. Both girls were nearly dead on their feet, waiting listlessly by the baggage claim for their suitcases to come around.
Sharra had the carrier with the birds in it in her hands, continually adjusting her sliding carry-on bag. Occasionally, an outraged quack, squawk, or cluck would come from the carrier. Being as tired as she was, she kept jolting the carrier around and upsetting the poultry within.
She watched in interest as the bags came round and round and round. "Bet it'd be fun to ride on that thing," she mumbled.
Her sister gave her an odd look before letting out one hell of a yawn and swaying a little on her feet. The bags came around once, and she realized too late. Cursing tiredly, she waited for them to come around again. She missed them another two times and Sharra let out a weary snicker. Jet lag was obviously murder on the reflexes.
As the bags came around yet again, Swiftgold hauled them off the belt and onto a small folding dolly. She rolled the small, wheeled one with a handle over to her sister.
"Whadda we do now?" Sharra yawned, looking around at all the people finding their own things. There were so many of them... constantly, the carrier was being jostled, and the birds were becoming irate.
<They're bumping us! Make them stop!>
<He's pecking me! Tell him to quit!>
<I'm hungry!>
Sharra sighed and looked at her sister. "The birds are getting upset! Just listen to them! All these people keep bumping into them! God, don't they have any respect for poultry?"
"Obviously not. Now, let's rent a car," she replied, "and get to the hotel, and sleep. Sleep, ooh, sounds so good…"
Sharra shrugged and twisted about in a vain attempt to get her bag back up on her shoulder where it belonged. "Rent us a minivan and I'll kiillll you!" she trilled. Minivans had to be the most disgusting piece of machinery in existence, in her humble opinion. They were so big… and… fat looking...
The two started off toward the rental car counter. Fifteen minutes later, they were driving away from the airport - on the wrong side of the road! Swiftgold thought in horror, gripping the wheel tensely - in what Sharra had termed cheerfully as 'a complete piece of crap.' The younger girl had laboriously rolled down the window of the loud, sputtering green pickup and was enjoying the feel of the wind as it flapped her hair around.
"It doesn't even have a location guidance system, or an online map!" Swiftgold complained loudly over the roar of the engine. "What is this, a '93?! Good thing I printed out directions to the hotel from the terminal."
The car traveled down the road, every so often jumping slightly. Each time this happened, the two girls would bounce into the air. Sharra seemed to be enjoying it. Swiftgold, in turn, looked annoyed. While they were sitting in the turn lane, Sharra suddenly gasped and sat up straight in shock, running a hand through her windblown blond hair. "Ack! I forgot!"
She glanced over at her anxiously. "What? What did you forget?"
Bending over to peer under the blanket that protected the birds from the wind, she replied, "Our hotel doesn't allow pets, I know it. It's too high-class."
"Oops, huh? Whatcha gonna do with the birds now?" Swiftgold sounded a bit too smug for her tastes. She repressed the urge to whap her upside the head. Tempting... maybe later. Right now, the fate of her poultry rested in her hands.
She thought a moment. "Sneak them in, of course."
"But how...?" Swiftgold wondered.
Her sister grinned proudly. "Heh! The suitcases."
"Eeeh?"
"Put 'em in the suitcases," she explained patiently and slowly, as if speaking to a small child.
For a moment, she was sure that Sharra was joking. But by the look on her face, that apparently wasn't true. "Ohh... lord." *Why couldn't I have a nice, normal sister?!* she thought plaintively.
Defensively, she said, "It could WORK - if we hurried and drilled holes in the bags."
"You aren't drilling holes in my bags!" she said immediately. "But you better do something; we're almost there, and I'm not driving around looking for a duck-friendly hotel."
She stuck out her tongue and executed a perfect raspberry. "Be that way, then, sister dear." After a pause, she muttered, "We could always leave them just a little unzipped..."
Swiftgold felt a headache coming on. "They'll make such a mess in the bags... you know how poultry is. It'll be... ewww..."
Sharra pouted. "Don't be such a wuss, Swifty. I can't leave them out in the car all night!"
"And why not, pray tell?"
"…Because. Erwin doesn't like to be in the carrier. And Fluffy Chicken needs some place to nest for the night so she can lay her eggs. You know, those little blue eggs that are considered delicacies and make a great breakfast? We can't eat those if she lays them in the carrier!"
She sighed and shook her head. "Eheheheheh. First off, we have room service and won't need to cook breakfast, and second…"
"Second?" she inquired.
"Second… hrm… ah…"
"Lessee here..." Sharra began to rummage through Swiftgold's bag, tossing this and that from the bag.
"Hey!" she protested. "What are you doing with my clothes?!"
"We're going to put the birds in your bag," Sharra explained patiently.
"Why my bag?"
"Yours is bigger."
"So you're going to ruin it?! Good lord…"
Her sister grunted. At that moment, Swiftgold made a sharp turn into the hotel parking lot. The motion caused a lacy bra Sharra had been about to toss back go flying out the window. The tires of the car behind them squealed as it swerved sharply to avoid the airborne lingerie.
"Oops… heh."
"SHARRAAAA!!"
Sharra winced at her sister's shrill tone of voice. She had been hoping she wouldn't notice. Unfortunately, she had. *Damn.* "It's not my fault!" she said defensively, throwing the last garment into the back. "You were the one that-"
Swiftgold pulled into a parking space, silently fuming. She banged her head on the steering wheel a few times, causing the horn to go off.
Shrugging, Sharra opened the carrier and picked up Erwin, who was flapping about. A white wing hit her in the face and she winced. <I'm going to put you in the suitcase now... so don't freak out on me, kay, bucko?>
<Noooo! Don't put me in there!>
S he ignored the rooster as she set him down gently in the bag. He squawked and clucked. A moment later, the large white Lulu landed on top of him with a quack. There was some more flapping and squawking, followed by another quack.
"Sorry bout that, Lulu-duck," she mumbled, before picking up the smaller Houdini and setting him down gently. Peering down into the suitcase, she saw that they were all more or less on top of one another. They looked scrunched up and unhappy.
She winced. "It won't be for long, guys." Fluffy Chicken joined them a moment later and she quickly zipped up the suitcase almost entirely. <Now, you all be quiet.>
<Let me out! It's dark in here!>
<Get your beak out of there!>
<Waaaahh! He's smooshing meeee!>
Blocking out the sound of their voices - that had been a useful skill to learn - she looked up as Swiftgold cranked the truck into park. "Let's hurry and get in so they get can get out."
Quickly cramming the rest of her things into Sharra's suitcase and the little extra space in the carry-ons, she hopped out of the vehicle to join the other girl. They walked quickly up to the hotel entrance, having avoided the valet parking. It would have seemed somewhat absurd, anyway, pulling up to this place in the old rental truck.
They walked up to the front desk. "Hello, welcome to Tokyo Towers," the receptionist said with a huge sugary grin.
If she only knew what was in my luggage, Sharra thought wickedly. She wouldn't be smiling then.
"Um, hi. I have a reservation," Swiftgold said, thinking the exact same thing. The woman took down her name and handed her the key. "Thanks," she said, turning to leave.
In a soppy tone, she informed them, "The bellhop will be right by to take your bags."
"Oh, no," Sharra said immediately, "we'll carry them, thank you."
"But--" A suddenly muffled squawking from inside the suitcase cut off the receptionist. "What's that?"
<Shut up, guys, fast!> she told the birds.
Erwin's voice sounded dark and conniving. It sent shudders down the anxious Sharra's spine. <You'd better watch your pillow tonight, Sharra!>
<Do that and I'm cutting down your feed!> There was a discontented grumbling as she turned her attention back to the situation at hand. Would they be able to pull it off? Could they actually get away with it?
The older girl grimaced. "Oh, it's just my stomach," she said with a fake smile. "Airplane food. You know."
"Oh, of course! I understand," the woman said, sickeningly bright. Both had to repress the urge to hit her over the head with their bags.
Swiftgold quickly turned and ushered her sister into the elevator at maximum speed. As soon as the doors had slid closed, she slumped back against the wall, eyes raised to the heavens. "Chicken sandwich..." she managed to get out.
"Hey, it's not their fault. You'd complain too if you were crammed in a suitcase. How would you like to be stuck in there?"
She smirked slightly. "I meant more that I'd like one, but I don't know if you can even get one in Japan. Still, since we have our own supply..." she teased wickedly.
Sharra grinned. "Erwin might have something to say about that. He'd whip your butt. Let's face it, Erwin's buff, man."
Swiftgold rolled her eyes. "He's a chicken, dammit. What's he going to do? Make a mess on my pillow?"
"You'd be surprised," came the vague reply.
The elevator dinged as it stopped on the fourteenth floor. "I'm sure he'd think up something really awful, Sharrmander."
"DON'T call me Sharrmander!"
"Eheeh. Sharrizard. Sharrmeleon! I choose you!"
"Quit it!"
They entered their room, 14G, and she dropped her bags on the floor as Sharra gently set the suitcase with the birds in it on the nearest bed, glaring at the smirking Swiftgold. <I'm opening it now,> she informed them.
<It's about time!> came Fluffy Chicken's cry.
Lulu snapped, <Shut up! You're the one on the top near the airhole!>
Quickly she unzipped the case and stood back. The four birds almost exploded out of the bag, like doves released at a wedding. Feathers flew in a maelstrom as they landed across the neat pastel bedspread and on the floor.
Swiftgold gave her sister a flat stare. "That's your bed," she said.
Sharra shrugged, then reached down to pet Erwin. The chicken snapped and her and she jerked her hand away with a curse. "Damn bird!"
Her sister smirked, then flopped down on her bed. She felt dirty, sweaty, and grimy from the long trip. A shower would sure hit the spot right about now... yeah. Shower, bed. Best get in there before Sharra too, since she had the annoying habit of taking a bath and then taking a shower immediately afterwards.
"Gonna go hop in the showa," Swiftgold said in a singsong voice, leaping from the bed in a quick burst of energy.
Sharra was too busy eyeing Erwin to pay attention. The chicken looked as angry as a bird possibly could, and he was strutting around on the bed making warbling sounds. Whenever she tried to pet him, the bird would lunge at her. Finally, she just gave up and sat down on the end of the bed, sulking.
Sounds of water filled the room a moment later.
Swiftgold sighed happily as the water rained down on her. Great water pressure, and the shower had plenty of room. Much nicer than the one at the farmhouse. The bathrooms there had been all crowded, considering they had been raised by a commune of hippies. There was always someone wanting to shower, take a bath, brush their teeth...
If anyone wondered about her odd name, she had always explained that the hippies had given it to her. It wasn't anything weird there. It had been pretty crowded but rather a fun place to grow up.
She shook her head and distributed the flowery smelling shampoo throughout her short hair, scrubbing away all the dirt and grime left from the flight. Humming to herself, she dipped her head under the water and began to rinse her hair.
Something brushed against her leg, once, twice, and she frowned, glancing down. Then she screamed.
Lulu and Houdini were waddling about happily in the shower, enjoying the rain of water upon their feathers. A couple of happy quacks went up.
"GET OUT!!" she screamed.
Lulu looked up at her, twitching his tail. He quacked at her, then flapped hard, sending ducky water flying all over her legs. "GET OUTTTT!!" she screamed again, flinging a bath puff at them. "GET OUT NOW!!"
The two ducks pointedly ignored her and continued with their splashing. Furious, she kicked at them. They quacked and flew out of the shower, wings flapping about as they dashed out of the bathroom.
She gritted her teeth and muttered a few nasty things under her breath about perverted poultry. Quickly, she finished her shower and left the bathroom, intent on doing some damage.
Sharra looked up at her from her position on her bed, where Fluffy Chicken lay on the pillow beside her head. "Wha's wrong with you?"
Swiftgold glared at her furiously, tapping her foot on the plush carpet in agitation. "Your perverted ducks! They were in there... LOOKING at me! KEEP THEM OUT!!"
Her sister snickered, winking at the ducks, which were lying on the end of the bed, wagging their little duck tails. "Not my fault you didn't shut the bathroom door, Swifty. S'your own fault."
She ground her teeth in outrage. "They were IN there. WITH me!"
"And?"
Swiftgold snarled at her and climbed into bed. "Just keep them away from me and no one will get hurt."
"Fiiine. Pissy!" she retorted, adjusting her blankets. Her sister reached over and turned off the light, snuggling with the other pillow in her arms. All the night noises of the city outside began to fade away as she drifted off…
"Goodnight, Erwin." A loud 'BAWK!' was heard from the floor at the foot of the beds. "Goodnight, Lulu, goodnight Houdini." The ducks quacked contentedly, wherever they were in the dark room. "Goodnight, Flu--"
She sat up straight in the bed. "Sharra! Go to sleep!!"
There was just a quiet snicker in response, and she fell back onto the mattress, slamming the pillow over her head. Tomorrow would bring the final stage in the search for their parents, but she wasn't sure she really wanted it to come.
Sharra: Well now, I hope you know that this is meant to be cliche. ^_^ Those birds are my real pets, too. Heh heh heh... just wait till the next chapter...