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Music - Search for the girl- Pokemon Heroes OST
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The gondolier rowed his boat forward; the gondola snaking through the closely walled canal. It left behind a trail of ripples that rocked a few other empty gondolas as it passed by. The gondola's scarlet-like color stood out from the darkness; however its gondolier remained hidden in the shadows. After a few moments of more rowing, the gondola broke out of the darkness and into the morning sunlight, its color becoming vibrant; standing out from the rest of the scenery. Midway from succumbing into darkness again, at the end of the gondola was the gondolier. He was wearing casual clothes, and the common hat worn on the average gondolier. The only features that stuck out from him were his maple-leafed bandana, hat ribbon and his glimmering green eyes. He continued rowing, each time raising his oar high and mighty before pushing against the waves. Then, he navigated the gondola under the bridge.
Jack began humming to the distant music that was being played from far away. He kept up with every beat, and on some beats, he rowed to the rhythm. There was not much to do this morning for Jack, so he had plenty of free time to row around freely. The gondolier had loved the canals for years ever since he was a child, and rowing around and watching the passing scenery was a joy to him. There was one thing that contradicted to his love of the canals however, and that was a secret he didn't want anyone else to know…. The music became fainter as he rowed farther away, and he stopped humming when the music was no longer audible. Jack stared down at the greenish waters. He wondered that if he was normal, he wouldn't have to worry about his secret anymore. The gondolier sighed. Pfft, like there was a cure for his abnormalne-
Help!
Jack straightened up at the sound of someone calling. Who was that? It sounded like a little kid.
Help! Help! Help!
Jack swerved his gondola around and began rowing frantically towards the continuous call. In a short minute's time, after passing a block of buildings, he came to a stop at a small dock leading into a huge patio with a fountain. At the edge of the dock, there stood a little girl of about 6 years old. She waved at him frantically.
Mr. boat man! You heard me? She asked. After waving and calling her arm and voice off, she ruffled her puffy dress down and then came closer to Jack. The gondolier nodded, and put a foot onto the dock to rest his gondola.
Are you lost or something? Jack asked.
Uhm, yes I am! I lost my mom at a corner and everything was like a maze!
The little girl made hand gestures describing the mysterious labyrinth she got into.
This city is huuuggeeee!
Ahaha, yes it is… I can help you by taking you to the nearest police station! I think they'll help you there..~ And maybe on the way there, we might come across your mom!" Jack replied, raising his oar a bit.
Really?! Thank you so much Mr. Boatman! The girl piped cheerfully, and then she boarded the gondola. Oh-! And my name is Ellie!
My name is Jack~
Jack? That's a nice name!
With his foot, Jack pushed the gondola away from the small dock, and then rowed it forward, towards the city. Along the way, Jack and Ellie had quite a few conversations.
Woowww that's a lot of buildings and water! Ellie said, her voice with hints of excitement. Do you think we can ride some more after I get my mom?"
Of course.~ If we find your mom before noontime~ I start working later, so I might not have time to give you guys a free ride."
Do any animals live in the water?
Jack was about to say none, but he decided to fool around with the kid. "Yeah, we have sharks and dinosaurs!" He said, giving a grim look. "So don't touch the water."
Right at the moment, Ellie was sticking her hand into the water, and hearing this, the girl was struck with shock and pulled her hand back as fast as she could. AAAAAAAAH!!! She screamed, and clung to his legs. Jack laughed in response, curling himself over from the hilarious reaction. He straightened up in an instant after that. I was just kidding.. ahhaha.. but oh man you should have seen your face!"
Ellie gave a snotty face.Hey! That wasn't funny! She replied, and then thought of a way to get him back. Then she had the best idea. When Jack chuckled a bit and then laughed again over his joke, she took advantage of his vulnerability and pushed his legs, causing him to tumble back unexpectedly.
WAH- NOO!!!"
SPLOOSH!
… kerplunk!
Ellie broke out into laughter, and then looked over to see if he was flailing in the water or retrieving his oar. Hahaha! That's what you get for messing with me! She said, sticking out her tongue.
…. Silence
Ellie looked around. There were no bubbles, not even his hat floating on the water. There was nothing but ripples from the splash. The girl became worried. J-Jack? she called out, her voice beginning to tremble. Ellie was struck with guilt. Oh no!! Did she kill him!? Or perhaps he couldn't swim or suddenly transported to another world?! The girl pulled at her face. NOOOOO!
Jack! JACK! JACK! BOATMAN! Don't die!
She called out frantically, and without missing a beat, a shark thing stuck its head out of the water and stared up at the girl.
Ellie cried out, and backed off immediately. Her face was full of terror. SO THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED! THE SHARKS AND DINOSAURS ATE HIM! She put her hands over her mouth. So.. Jack was really right! What had she done!?
Sploosh!
Ellie blinked, surprised. The little girl went to the edge of the boat cautiously and looked down. The shark was gone- and she turned around, just when the boat moved a bit as if someone jumped on it. Just in time, she saw the shark creature transform into Jack.
W-WHA? Ellie fell backwards on the gondola, and stared at Jack. WOAAAH! JACK! YOU'RE ALIVE!! She gasped, and pointed at him. Jack stood up and took off his hat to smooth out his hair.
Yeah.. I didn't die, you know. He gave an uneasy smile as he put back on his hat. Ellie walked up to him and patted his leg and arm. WOAH You're dry!! She exclaimed, looking up to him. Woaaah THAT WAS COOLLL so you're a shark?
Jack sighed. Well, yes, unfortunately. It's a long story, but please don't tell anyone else alright? He smiled a bit. Jack retrieved the oar and then continued the rowing. Also, sorry about the joke, ahha- and please don't trip me back into the water again...
Likes: BREAD~, Sunny days, Gondolas, Canals, Tea, Shoeji's tea, Learning about other cultures, Music, Peaceful moments, Water, Vecile, Candles, Writing letters to Shoeji
Dislikes: Transforming at the wrong times, The idea of bringing dinosaurs back to life, Scary creepy stalker looking people, Mean-looking people, Storms, Typhoons, When people ask deep personal questions
=----------------------------------------------------=
Pierre J. Bonnaire buttoned his coat and looked up at his souvenir shop. After making sure he had everything, he proceeded to turn off the lights. The man exited his shop and then closed the rattling doors quickly; locking them as fast as he could. He looked up at the pouring skies and rolling clouds. The wind was very strong, and the rain deluged at the buildings. Pierre then broke off into a run towards his house, at first he was nearly blown off by the winds into the canal. The empty gondolas rocked violently in the stormy water, some loose gondolas groaning against the tied up ones as it scratched by. The beautiful colors of Vecile appeared grayed out due to the storm. Pierre ran as close by to the building walls as he could, making sure to avoid the canals as he ran. Other few people were scampering about, trying to get home. Tourists and people waited in their hotels or restaurants for the storm to pass. Pierre passed them all, almost loosing his footing when turning a corner. He caught himself by grabbing a street light pole in time. Pierre gasped, and looked up into the blinding rain. At this time of year, Vecile shouldn't have storms, but then again, Vecile rarely had storms at all… He squint his eyes… So why now?
After thinking for a bit, Pierre continued his run. He better get home quick, or he'll catch a cold… Pierre was a corner away from reaching his house when he noticed something coming down the canal he was running aside to. It was an empty gondola- no, it wasn't empty. There was a child laying in it…. Pierre stopped and stared at the passing gondola. … …. A CHILD!? What?! He panicked and ran after the gondola. He grabbed it in time to stop it from crashing into a clog of other wandering gondolas. Quickly, Pierre rescued the child from the boat and then ran to his house, opening the door with his key frantically. When he was inside, he threw his wet coat down. Ignoring his drenched and cold body, he quickly lit the fire place and put the child before it first. Pierre panted, a bit tired from running against the storm and using his strength to halt the gondola. After he sat himself down for some time, he studied the child. Now who would leave a kid like this to the furious storm? Perhaps they hated this one… But that was cruel! Pierre put a hand on the child. It was still breathing… He sighed. The child appeared to be about one year old. It had brown hair and … Pierre noticed the child opened its eyes and stared up at him. The man blinked. …and beautiful green eyes.
--- 11 years later….
Pierre stood at the canal, in front of his house. He sighed. He remembered back in the days of Jack's rescue. After he found Jack, he took him to the police station to find the whereabouts of his parents. No one came for him, and in the end, Pierre decided to take him under his wing. Now Jack was 12 years old, and decided to follow the life of a gondolier. Pierre was proud of the youngster. After all, Jack knew a lot about gondolas and gondoliers. He also knew every route in Vecile. Pierre sighed. He would be great at this kind of job, but he'd have to be trained at it by a former gondolier. Today he'll practice rowing a little for the first time.
Sorry if I took so long! Jack called out, walking out of Pierre's house and closing the door behind him. He ran to the edge of the canal and looked at the orange gondola that was in front of the house. Ohhh! Is this yours, dad?!
Pierre smiled. Yes, it used to be my grandfather's. He's retired from being a gondolier, and when he heard about you choosing the path of a gondolier, he instantly suggested that you take his favorite gondola!
Jack looked back at his father with sparkling eyes. No way! I'll have to thank gramps so much later! He grinned and jumped about. WOO! GONDOLA!... Of course its not mine yet since I don't have a license yet, but someday I'll get it! And then this gondola would be mine, right?
Yep, it would be.
So, where's the oar?
Pierre looked around.
Uhh the oar- it was here a second ag- Agh! I was fiddling with it for a little, and I guess I put it on the gondola and it rolled off…."
He spotted it afloat in the middle of the canal. Pierre walked to the edge and tried reaching out for it.
Eh, no good… I'll go g-
No, I can get it! I know how to swim after all, and this would be no problem!..
You don't want to go to your teacher all wet, Jack… Comon, I haven't swam in a while- I think my swimming is a bit rusty now…So I'll practice a little.
Pierre sighed and crossed his arms. Alright, then go ahead, kiddo.
Jack smiled. If I drown, then you can get me.
Don't jynx yourself! Pierre scolded jokingly, and watched Jack take off his shirt. The kid flexed himself for a moment, and then leapt into the water. Pierre expected to see his head up after a few seconds, but there was nothing; not even bubbles. He began to worry.
Don't joke with me again, Jack, hahaha. Your breath holding is amazing, but not enough to trick me! He called, looking down at the opaque water.
Still no reply.
Pierre splashed the water for a bit. Seriously Jack, don't do that.
Still nothing.
Jack… JACK! He called. Too much time has passed, and Pierre went to the conclusion that he was drowning.AUGH, KID! SERIOUSLY! Pierre cried out, taking off some of his heavy clothes and shoes. In a second, Pierre leapt into the water and searched for him. Still nothing. He popped his head out of the water.
JACK! JACK! KID! He cried out, now panicking. Pierre dipped his head down and swam around frantically. Still nothing. After a few moments, he surfaced again, and was about to cry out again when suddenly something brushed across him.
J-JACKK? He called out, and when the thing brushed against him again, he grabbed it and brought it into the air. THERE YOU-
He cut himself off when he realized he was holding a light grayish colored shark. Pierre cried out and tossed the shark away. He swam to the small dock and scrambled back up onto land. The man backed off of the canal. W-what was that?! He came closer, and looked down into the waters. The shark had its head above the water and was now staring at Pierre.
W-wa- did you eat my kid?! Pierre yelled out at the creature. The shark opened its mouth, but nothing came out. It swam around in circles and then came close to Pierre. The man was confused.
What are you doing, you strange animal….? It took him a few moments before he realized the shark's eyes were green—just like Jack's. W-what? No way- this isn't believable… Jack?"
The shark leapt a bit and nodded.
What.. how?... Can you turn back? What's going on? Jack swam around the canal for a bit, and Pierre watched the shark circle. Finally, after perhaps ten laps, Jack swam as far back as he could, and then jetted forward, leaping onto the docks. Pierre flinched from surprise, and was going to push him back until he realized the kid went back to normal.
Jack sat up immediately, and held up his hands in front of his face. He stood up and walked around uneasily before looking up at Pierre. T-that was so weird… He said, flailing his right arm for a bit and feeling his hair and face.
Pierre ran over immediately and hugged Jack. He shuffled Jack's soft hair and laughed. I thought you died for a second, you know! Don't do that to me!
The kid struggled to escape Pierre's grasp. Ahh! Okay! Sorry!" The man let him go after that, and Jack retrieved his shirt to put it on.
Hey, you're not even wet…"
Really? That's strange… I guess I can't swim anymore now, huh…?"
I'm not sure.. Do you wanna try going back into the water to make sure?"
Wow, I don't feel normal anymore- But I guess turning into a fish is cool?"
There's nothing wrong with turning into a fish- you're still my kid, right?"
Yeah..? I guess it's cool then!" Jack smiled a bit.
Well, you don't want to keep your teacher waiting… Go get the oar now~"
Aw… comon'… "
=------------------------------------------------=
Ellie looked up at Jack and raised a brow.
You came from a storm? She asked, followed by a giggle. Hehe- You're really weird!
Jack looked down at the girl and replied, Hey, well it's better than saying I was born in a volcano or something. I bet you came from some weird place too.
Did not!
I'd stay out of the canals, but I love the waters so much I can't just leave because of this strange power. Basically, I transform into a shark of some sorts when I fall into a huge body of water- like, if I get enough water, I guess. No, I won't turn into a shark if you spray a cup of water at me. However, I might transform if you keep your hose aimed at me with lots of flowing water. -sigh- It's kind of not cool when you think about it; I mean, I can't hang out with my friends around water because of it. Plus, it would scare off tourists, and then my dad won't get any customers. However, some good might come out of this strange power I have....
I mentioned that I have a pen pal, right? Yeah! His name is Shoeji, and he's been my pen pal for a month or two!~ He lives in Shenkuu, and owns a family-run tea shop there. It's called Tea's Exquisite. Now doesn't that sound fancy? He said he has almost every type of tea in there, and different tea items as well. He gets different things each month, so the shop is never old! His family also produces tea related items.~ His culture is very interesting.... I wish to travel to his homeland some day! It sounds magical and awesome- especially the raw fish called sushi or something like that.
We began writing to eachother after I sent a mail to him. It was a usual day at Vecile when I found a strange package in some of our imports. I was sure the person sent it to the wrong address. However, it had a return address, but no address to send to. Somehow it must have gotten to Vecile... I was going to send it back, but there was a note on the package that said: "Whoever gets this, enjoy!". Well, why not? I thought, and decided to open the goods. It was some tea bags, and without hesitating I brewed it and drank it. I have to tell you, it was the best tea I've ever tasted in my life!~ After that I wrote a letter back to the returning address saying thanks and complimenting on the tea. (it did say it was homemade) Some time later I got a reply, and then we started a conversation that began with "where are you from and what's your city like?"....
And so that began our pen palship! Heheh, he even mentioned he wanted to come visit my place sometime too.
Jack and Ellie continued traveling towards the police station. The music Jack heard at the beginning of his morning was still continuing. The gondolier smiled and hummed along as he rowed, his oar paddling to the beat. At some parts of the song, he tapped his foot lightly on the gondola to the rhythm. Ellie began humming along with him as they rowed past buildings. Around the end of the song, Jack and Ellie passed by the band that was sitting in the gondola. They both waved and clapped at the band's great song and music.
A few minutes after passing the band, Ellie stood up suddenly and waved frantically.
MOM! MOM! Ellie called out.
Jack rowed faster towards the woman and the policeman waiting at the dock. In some long strokes with his oar, he reached them and stopped the gondola.
Ellie!
The little girl jumped out of the boat and then hugged her mom tightly. The woman embraced her child, and then looked up to Jack. Ellie tugged at her mother's jacket and pointed to Jack. Mom! Jack the gondolier helped me find you! He's really nice!
The woman smiled and looked up at Jack. Thank you, Jack, I was worried she might have been kidnapped somewhere…"
The gondolier smiled and replied, It's not a problem, miss. I'm glad you two are together again…
Ellie jumped up and down. Hey mom! Jack can take us for a free ride in his gondolah! Then we can see all the buildings and places!
Is that so-? Could you really do that?"
Jack tipped his hat a little. Of course! And you can relax on the way, after all, Ellie is back with you now.
Ellie's mother smiled. Thank you so much! And yes, I do need a relaxing ride… Come on, Ellie!
The little girl jumped up and down cheerfully. YAAAAY! She piped, and then boarded the gondola with her mother.
The police officer smiled and waved at Jack. Well, I'm not needed here anymore. It's back to patrol for me. Do take care of them. With that said, he turned around and left.
Jack pushed the gondola away from the docks and began rowing. Lucky for you two, I have lots of time before noon, so we'll be in for a nice slow ride.
Hey Ellie, after your vacation here, are you thinking of visiting Vecile again?, Jack asked.
The little girl smiled and looked up at the gondolier.
Of course I will!
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