This is stupid.
Kimi stood impatiently beside the desk, tapping her foot on the carpeted floor, once again annoyed at the lack of sound filling the room. Whoever’s idea it was to make libraries a place of silence was going to get it when she was done. And they were going to get her full fury. Even tapping her foot did nothing to clear the perpetual fuzz that surrounded her. For a moment, her fingers twitched, her hand semi-unconsciously drifting towards where her violin typically sat, only to find the space annoyingly empty. Stupid librarian. Confiscating her violin on pure principle. So what if she had walked into the library in full song. It wasn’t as though her music was hurting anyone. She just needed to see where she was going. Surely they could understand something like that. No. Of course they didn’t. Nobody did. She bit her lip, fighting off the urge to hum a tune. She couldn’t afford to get kicked out of the library. This wasn’t just some social call. This was important.
Everything was so quiet, Kimi almost didn’t notice when the librarian emerged from her back-room hideout. The noticeable lack of anything substantial in her hands confirmed Kimi’s fears. They really couldn’t help her. Of course, why would she expect them to be able to in the first place. It wasn’t like they could sit around and spend the hours of research trying to find the source –for- her. Then again, she couldn’t exactly spend those hours doing the research herself. Someone had to have realized the major flaw in the library’s setup, and worked towards fixing it…but of course not. The blind population of Iwa consisted of all of two people (as far as she knew)…they wouldn’t change years of habits just for two students…even though they should.
This is really stupid.
Another library worker, a simple page this time, took the picture. She would ask some of her friends who were sitting in the other corner, she promised. Hopefully one of them could provide some answers. The worker seemed optimistic, though Kimi certainly wasn’t. A bunch of teenagers wouldn’t be able to provide the answers she searched for, would they? Sure enough, the girl arrived a few seconds later, a frown on her not so long ago cheerful face. She handed the image back to Kimi with a small shake of the head. No such luck. The girl handed the picture back to her, and she went about her own way. Kimi felt more than a little disappointed. So far nobody seemed to know how to help her. If she couldn't figure it out, there was no way she could proceed. And now it was more than a simple task. Kimi was thoroughly curious. She had to figure out what that door was hiding. What was it about that door that called to her in such a way. She clenched the photo in her hand, the soft paper crinkling within her grasp. If only she could actually see. Then she could figure out what it was easily!
This is really REALLY stupid
Kimi was about ready to give up for the day when she noticed an elderly man who seemed to be following her around from a distance. She froze, her attention darting from one side of the library to the other. It was so difficult to hear anything around there, with the only sounds the muffled footsteps and turning of pages. Unlike the other times, however, when she stopped, the man did not. He stumbled his way up to her, stopping about a foot in front of her. ”I apologize if I’ve alarmed you. I couldn’t help but overhearing your previous conversations...and I think I may be able to help.” Kimi turned towards him, her blue eyes dulled. She couldn’t even dare to hope that he could actually help her. ”I just need to figure out what this is a picture of…” she moved to hand him the image, but was stopped. ”I have no use for that. Just as I assume you do not either.” the man was coming off as more mysteriously creepy the longer they talked. ”The area of library you want is this way.” he started walking in the opposite direction, tapping his cane against the bookshelf every few steps. The tapping shouted at Kimi, the pathway to following him becoming illuminated. She followed, figuring it was her last hope at actually solving the problem before they closed.
The elderly man led her through an ever-darkening hallway, until the lights seemed to no longer exist. The young girl followed him through the hall, the steady beating of the cane dropping off as they stepped from heavily carpeted floor to tiles that seemed to enhance every step. The longer they walked through the echoing path, the more Kimi realized…it was made specifically for someone like her. She continued forward, following the elderly man around a corner. A few steps more and the hall opened up into a huge room. Along each wall were crystals, their forms familiar to Kimi. Though none were quite the same shade of purple-blue as Kimi was used to, they were instantly recognizable. Sound Crystals. The iconic objects only those of Hashigaki blood could craft.
With a small smile, Kimi set to work. Each crystal was cataloged by a small sound recording device on its shelf, explaining what knowledge the crystal held. When she stumbled upon one that sounded especially promising, she was surprised. There was a description. But no crystal accompanied it. What did it mean, the fact there wasn’t a crystal there? She pondered that a few moments more, before a voice broke through her concentration. ”There is a myth…a legend, if you will…about a great deity who could compact sound itself into crystalline structures.” Kimi turned, the elderly man catching her attention. ”She was a master of sound, and everything it could do. She filled the world with her crystals, giving sound to all things living and not. Until one day…she disappeared without warning. Legend says that, before her disappearance, she left behind a single crystal. Within that crystal was the secret to her most coveted ability. An ability so secret, so powerful, that not even her fellow deities knew what it could do…” he paused in his narration. ”…these crystals are hers.”
”Legend also tells of a hero. One who not only shares the powers of converting sound to a crystal form, but acts as a conduit for the natural sounds of the world. One who would find her lost crystal, and master the ability within. I’d be willing to bet my left leg that you’re that hero. And that there picture. I’d bet that’s where this here key fits.” He gestured to a case. Inside the case was a small crystal, the same type as the others, yet definitely different. It was smaller, sure but beyond that, it was flat on one edge. ”Go ahead. Take it for yourself.” he gestured for her to step forward. Kimi blinked a few times before she realized he was talking to her. ”Oh…no…it couldn’t be me. I’m just…” …a student, a weakling, a blind little girl pretending to be a shinobi. All these things she thought, but all she said was ”…me. I’m nothing special.” the man shook his head in disagreement before she even finished. He ushered her towards the crystal-key, and she gave in. She picked it up, and it was as if the crystal began singing. With that, Kimi headed out of the library, finding she had more questions than ever, but at least she was one step closer to figuring out what was behind that door.
This is impossible
Kimi stood impatiently beside the desk, tapping her foot on the carpeted floor, once again annoyed at the lack of sound filling the room. Whoever’s idea it was to make libraries a place of silence was going to get it when she was done. And they were going to get her full fury. Even tapping her foot did nothing to clear the perpetual fuzz that surrounded her. For a moment, her fingers twitched, her hand semi-unconsciously drifting towards where her violin typically sat, only to find the space annoyingly empty. Stupid librarian. Confiscating her violin on pure principle. So what if she had walked into the library in full song. It wasn’t as though her music was hurting anyone. She just needed to see where she was going. Surely they could understand something like that. No. Of course they didn’t. Nobody did. She bit her lip, fighting off the urge to hum a tune. She couldn’t afford to get kicked out of the library. This wasn’t just some social call. This was important.
Everything was so quiet, Kimi almost didn’t notice when the librarian emerged from her back-room hideout. The noticeable lack of anything substantial in her hands confirmed Kimi’s fears. They really couldn’t help her. Of course, why would she expect them to be able to in the first place. It wasn’t like they could sit around and spend the hours of research trying to find the source –for- her. Then again, she couldn’t exactly spend those hours doing the research herself. Someone had to have realized the major flaw in the library’s setup, and worked towards fixing it…but of course not. The blind population of Iwa consisted of all of two people (as far as she knew)…they wouldn’t change years of habits just for two students…even though they should.
This is really stupid.
Another library worker, a simple page this time, took the picture. She would ask some of her friends who were sitting in the other corner, she promised. Hopefully one of them could provide some answers. The worker seemed optimistic, though Kimi certainly wasn’t. A bunch of teenagers wouldn’t be able to provide the answers she searched for, would they? Sure enough, the girl arrived a few seconds later, a frown on her not so long ago cheerful face. She handed the image back to Kimi with a small shake of the head. No such luck. The girl handed the picture back to her, and she went about her own way. Kimi felt more than a little disappointed. So far nobody seemed to know how to help her. If she couldn't figure it out, there was no way she could proceed. And now it was more than a simple task. Kimi was thoroughly curious. She had to figure out what that door was hiding. What was it about that door that called to her in such a way. She clenched the photo in her hand, the soft paper crinkling within her grasp. If only she could actually see. Then she could figure out what it was easily!
This is really REALLY stupid
Kimi was about ready to give up for the day when she noticed an elderly man who seemed to be following her around from a distance. She froze, her attention darting from one side of the library to the other. It was so difficult to hear anything around there, with the only sounds the muffled footsteps and turning of pages. Unlike the other times, however, when she stopped, the man did not. He stumbled his way up to her, stopping about a foot in front of her. ”I apologize if I’ve alarmed you. I couldn’t help but overhearing your previous conversations...and I think I may be able to help.” Kimi turned towards him, her blue eyes dulled. She couldn’t even dare to hope that he could actually help her. ”I just need to figure out what this is a picture of…” she moved to hand him the image, but was stopped. ”I have no use for that. Just as I assume you do not either.” the man was coming off as more mysteriously creepy the longer they talked. ”The area of library you want is this way.” he started walking in the opposite direction, tapping his cane against the bookshelf every few steps. The tapping shouted at Kimi, the pathway to following him becoming illuminated. She followed, figuring it was her last hope at actually solving the problem before they closed.
The elderly man led her through an ever-darkening hallway, until the lights seemed to no longer exist. The young girl followed him through the hall, the steady beating of the cane dropping off as they stepped from heavily carpeted floor to tiles that seemed to enhance every step. The longer they walked through the echoing path, the more Kimi realized…it was made specifically for someone like her. She continued forward, following the elderly man around a corner. A few steps more and the hall opened up into a huge room. Along each wall were crystals, their forms familiar to Kimi. Though none were quite the same shade of purple-blue as Kimi was used to, they were instantly recognizable. Sound Crystals. The iconic objects only those of Hashigaki blood could craft.
With a small smile, Kimi set to work. Each crystal was cataloged by a small sound recording device on its shelf, explaining what knowledge the crystal held. When she stumbled upon one that sounded especially promising, she was surprised. There was a description. But no crystal accompanied it. What did it mean, the fact there wasn’t a crystal there? She pondered that a few moments more, before a voice broke through her concentration. ”There is a myth…a legend, if you will…about a great deity who could compact sound itself into crystalline structures.” Kimi turned, the elderly man catching her attention. ”She was a master of sound, and everything it could do. She filled the world with her crystals, giving sound to all things living and not. Until one day…she disappeared without warning. Legend says that, before her disappearance, she left behind a single crystal. Within that crystal was the secret to her most coveted ability. An ability so secret, so powerful, that not even her fellow deities knew what it could do…” he paused in his narration. ”…these crystals are hers.”
”Legend also tells of a hero. One who not only shares the powers of converting sound to a crystal form, but acts as a conduit for the natural sounds of the world. One who would find her lost crystal, and master the ability within. I’d be willing to bet my left leg that you’re that hero. And that there picture. I’d bet that’s where this here key fits.” He gestured to a case. Inside the case was a small crystal, the same type as the others, yet definitely different. It was smaller, sure but beyond that, it was flat on one edge. ”Go ahead. Take it for yourself.” he gestured for her to step forward. Kimi blinked a few times before she realized he was talking to her. ”Oh…no…it couldn’t be me. I’m just…” …a student, a weakling, a blind little girl pretending to be a shinobi. All these things she thought, but all she said was ”…me. I’m nothing special.” the man shook his head in disagreement before she even finished. He ushered her towards the crystal-key, and she gave in. She picked it up, and it was as if the crystal began singing. With that, Kimi headed out of the library, finding she had more questions than ever, but at least she was one step closer to figuring out what was behind that door.
This is impossible