Dlbn: Hey there, everyone. Happy Halloween!
Nbld: We have never seen the Paranormal Activity movies, so this is loosely based on it.
Dlbn: As in the whole story will be told by the view of a camera, though you can't see anything. There will be little mini-interviews here and there with the cast of the fic as well, so it really has that 'home movie' feel to it. Also, Ritsuka and Soubi's birthdays are based off of what is on the Loveless wikia page, not the actual date. Everyone else is a guess based off the ages of Ritsuka and/or Soubi. Except for Akira. His birthday is my creation entirely. This isn't part of my version of the Loveless universe, so don't take anything literal because it won't be reflected upon in other fics. This one stands entirely on its own. It could be a continuation of one of my other fics but it shouldn't be seen as such.
Nbld: So while hoping we don't screw up, here we go!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Loveless or anything from it. That all belongs to Yun Kouga. I only own the plot, Akira Shujimeki, and the poltergeist. I make NO money writing in this category.
000
A gently flowing breeze blows through the city of Tokyo, Japan as clouds gently roll across the sky and obscure the sun. Up on the second floor of Johansson Elementary, overlooking the exit to the school campus, sat the very bored neko by the name of Aoyagi Ritsuka. A twelve year old boy suffering from severe memory loss and abuse at the hands of his psychotic mother, Ritsuka is twelve years old and has dark, raven black hair and plum eyes that shown with a newfound wonder of the world. Sitting at his left was the bubbly, pink haired girl named Yuiko. Her blue eyes hold a sort of wisdom as well as a youthful innocence. To his left sat the Sagan brothers: twins Yoji and Natsuo. Yoji is a mint haired boy with eyes the color of summer orchids, while his twin has wavy maroon hair and teal green eyes. The two troublemakers are full of mischief, though they are currently spending the class sleeping on their desks. Due to an accident suffered by the teacher of class 6-3 across the hall and a lack of substitutes in the district, the students of 6-3 have been split up to occupy classes 6-1 and 6-2 until their sensei recovers. Due to this, young boy named Yayoi Shioiri, a twelve year old male with long black hair tipped with silver-grey and navy blue eyes, sits behind Ritsuka. He stares lovingly at Yuiko as their sense rambles on about World War two. Hitomi Shinonome-sensei is a quiet, mousy woman with long brown hair and matching brown eyes. She excitedly writes on the board, eyes tittering back and forth over the words in a book she holds in her hands. As the clock strikes noon, a bell rings to signify the beginning of lunch. The Sagan twins jar awake and sit up to rub the sleepiness from their eyes and stretch.
"Alright, students." She smiles, shutting her book and clapping her hands. "It's lunch time! Everyone may go to the cafeteria to eat. And when you all return, it's time for complex fractions!"
Yuiko groans as other students get up and file out. "Yuiko hates fractions…" She mutters.
"Don't worry Yuiko." Pipes up Yayoi, bouncing to her side. "I'm sure you'll get it. Practice makes perfect, after all."
Yuiko smiles. "You're right, Yayoi."
"Alright, enough of the pep talk." Yoji interrupts, his hands on his hips. "It's lunch time!"
"And we're starving." Natsuo informs. "Get your butts in gear."
Ritsuka sighs as his neko ears flatten against his skull. "Could you two be any ruder?" He wonders in annoyance.
"Whatever." Yoji rolls his eyes. "We'll just meet you there so we have a table. Don't be too slow. Come on, Natsuo."
"Coming, Yoji." Natsuo confirms, following his brother out of the room.
"Those two have no manners." Ritsuka mutters.
"Tell me about it." Yayoi agrees. "But they're right, in a way. Let's hurry before all the rice pudding is gone."
Ritsuka and Yuiko stand to follow their friend out of the room. Shinonome-sensei follows them and locks the classroom doors so she can enjoy her lunch in the faculty's office.
000
Name: Hitomi Shinonome
Age: 23
Occupation: Teacher
Date of Birth: 5/15/1979
Hitomi Shinonome sits up straight in a green school chair. She bites on her fingernails as she looks into the camera.
"It was just another normal day. Class was going smoothly with the Sagan brothers sleeping instead of interrupting every five minutes." She sighs ruefully. "Maybe it was my punishment for letting them sleep? A good teacher wouldn't care if they interrupt. She'd wake them so they don't miss the lesson. Oh, god, I'm such a bad teacher!" She holds her head in her hands and weeps.
000
When Ritsuka and his friends return to their classroom, they stand in the hall with their fellow classmates; waiting to be let in by their sensei. Shinonome-sensei rushes over, muttering apologies for being late, and unlocks the door. When she flicks on the lights, she is shocked by the scene that lies before her. Her desk is flipped over as if someone grabbed it by the edge and threw it in rage. Desks and chairs are thrown about, but a pile of them are stacked in a pyramid in the middle of class. Class projects that had been hanging from the ceiling for Parents' Day only an hour ago are on the floor and most are ripped in half.
"Who could do such a thing?" She asks, her eyes welling with tears.
Before anyone can say a word, they all turn to look at Yoji and Natsuo.
"It wasn't us." Yoji informs. "We were in the cafeteria the entire period."
"It's true, they were." Ritsuka confirms. "I went to the bathroom the same time Yoji did, so I know he didn't have time."
"And Natsuo-kun never left the table!" Yuiko offers up information.
"Well…until we can figure it out…let's just put everything back in order." Shinonome-sensei hides her tears with a smile. "Come along, children. Let's get to work!"
They make a quick time of clean up before sitting down to class. Although things look okay now, Ritsuka can't help but feel like someone is watching him. He looks around, but no one is looking in his direction. The Sagan brothers are back asleep, Yuiko is doodling in her notebook, and Yayoi is staring at Yuiko's back and making heartbroken sighs from behind him. Ritsuka tries to shrug the feeling off and goes back to writing notes, but the feeling still lingers.
000
Name: Ritsuka Aoyagi
Age: 12
Grade: 6
Date of Birth: 12/21/1990
Ritsuka Aoyagi sits in a black school chair. He is on the edge of the seat, gripping the front of it with his fingers. He flushes as he looks to the camera.
"I just couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching me. Maybe knowing that my brother is still alive was playing tricks in my head." Ritsuka says. "I tried to pass it off as paranoia and concentrate, but I just couldn't. It was one of the creepiest feelings in my life."
000
The sensei and students of class 6-2 leave the room to go outside and collect various leaves for their science project around two in the afternoon. It is the last lesson of the day, and they are sure to make it count. Ritsuka ambles away from the group and into the patch of trees that line the baseball fields. On the ground, he spots a pile of leaves that would be perfect to pick from. As he tries to take a bright red one, he discovers that the leaf feels rather slimy. He wipes his hand off on his jeans and starts to leave when he hears a snapping sound behind him. He turns around, but there is no one and nothing there other then the trees and wind. He subconsciously looks back at the wet leaves and takes a step away. They had been lying there naturally only moments before, but now then are arranged to read 'run'. Ritsuka's eyes grow in size and he bursts into the field. No one seems to notice his panic as he rejoins the group. It isn't until Yoji looks up from a bug he'd been harassing that anyone speaks to him.
"Oy, Ritsuka." Yoji greets. "You look like you just saw a ghost. What's wrong with you?"
"Oh, nothing." Ritsuka lies. "I almost got lost in the trees; that's all."
"Aoyagi, the tree patch is three trees wide and only about a dozen long per patch." Yoji snorts. "I know you couldn't have gotten lost. So fess up."
"Alright, but you can't tell anyone, okay?"
"Sure."
"Tell anyone what?" Natsuo wonders, flinging a yellow leaf into Yoji's long hair as he joins his brother.
"What's wrong?" Yayoi asks as he and Yuiko join the others.
"Ugh. Okay, our group can come, but no one else." Ritsuka informs. "Follow me."
They leave their supplies on the pile of leaves they had taken together and follow Ritsuka back to the wet patch of leaves.
"Right there." Ritsuka says.
"I don't see anything, Ritsuka-kun." Yuiko informs slowly.
"What are you talking about? It's right…huh?"
Where the 'run' leaves once were lays a pile of leaves like before Ritsuka spotted the word.
"I swear, it was right there. The leaves were arranged and said 'run'."
"Sure they did." Yoji rolls his eyes. "I can't believe we fell for this. You're terrible at playing pranks, Loveless." He scuffs his shoe and leaves the group.
"But I'm not playing a prank!" Ritsuka protests.
Natsuo shrugs and follows Yoji.
"If that was meant to be a joke, I don't get it." Yayoi informs.
"It wasn't a joke. I saw it with my own eyes…"
"Ritsuka-kun, I think your eyes were just playing tricks on you." Yuiko offers. "There was nothing there."
"But there was!" Ritsuka kneels down and picks up a leaf to find it perfectly dry. He runs his fingers through the leaves to find that none of them are slimy anymore. "The leaves were slimy, too…"
"It's not really all that funny, Ritsuka." Yayoi sighs. "I'm going back to work."
"But I'm not trying to be funny!" Ritsuka looks to Yuiko as Yayoi leaves. "You believe me, don't you, Yuiko?"
"Yuiko wishes she could, Ritsuka-kun, but there's nothing there now…maybe the wind took it away." She says.
"But…"
She is about to speak again, but instead screams and covers her mouth. Ritsuka turns to see what scared her as their sensei and various students rush into the trees.
"What is it?" Shinonome-sensei asks. "Yuiko-chan, I heard you scream."
"That!" Yuiko points.
There is what appears to be a doll made out of a large burlap sack hanging from a nearby tree with a rope around the neck. The sack is cut open in the front, near the stomach area, and leaves are tumbling out like guts. Ritsuka's eyes widened.
"That definitely wasn't there earlier." He informs.
Yoji laughs. "God, Ritsuka, if this was your joke, you should've just showed us this first."
"I didn't do it!" Ritsuka argues. "What I came here to show you guys were the leaves."
"What leaves?" Shinonome-wonders.
"Ritsuka says there was a pile of wet leaves that said 'run'." Natsuo informs the sensei. "But there's nothing there." He grins to Ritsuka. "Great diversion!"
"I didn't do it!" The neko's ears flatten to his skull out of annoyance.
"Ritsuka-kun! That is a cruel prank to play on poor Yuiko-chan." Shinonome-sensei scolds.
"But I didn't do anything! I swear."
"Um…Ritsuka-kun?"
"I…yeah, Yuiko?"
"Look down…"
Ritsuka does as she says and takes a step back. The leaves now say 'run' again. "Oh god…"
Shinonome-sensei pales and turns to her students. "Everyone inside, now." She orders. "Grab your stuff and get back to class. Quickly, please, quickly!"
The students do as told, though confused. Shinonome-sensei pulls Yuiko and Ritsuka with her.
"Did either of you do that with the leaves?" She wonders.
"They did it on their own. Neither of us touched them." Ritsuka informs.
"It's true! Yuiko didn't move after she saw that thing in the trees!" The bubblegum haired girl cries.
"It's alright. Let's just make sure everyone is safe and sound. Grab your things. Quickly now."
Joining their friends, Ritsuka and Yuiko gather their supplies and chosen leaves before rushing into the building with their sensei hot on their heels.
000
Name: Yuiko Hawatari
Age: 12
Grade: 6
Date of Birth: 3/25/1991
Yuiko Hawatari sits in a pink school chair. She bites nervously on her lip as tears flood her eyes.
"Yuiko was so scared!" She bawls. "That thing in the trees was so creepy! Yuiko thought it was a real person before she saw the leaves instead of blood. Wa, who would do such a thing?!" She throws her head back and cries, little convulsions racking through her body as she breathes deeply.
000
Although the day before had been insane, the next day begins as it usually does; Ritsuka narrowly escapes being struck by silverware thrown by his mother, and is met by his fighter, Agatsuma Soubi halfway to school, and they walk the rest of the way together. Soubi's best friend Kio Kaido, and Kio's boyfriend-Akira Shujimeki-walk with them.
"It was so weird." Ritsuka tells the three adults. "I thought the thing with the desks was strange, but that was probably a prank."
"The chibis probably did it." Kio blames the Sagan brothers, sucking on a red lollipop as he does so.
"They were with me and my friends the whole time at school for lunch." Ritsuka protested. "I know they didn't do the desks thing…"
"What about the dummy?" Akira questions. "They could've slipped out of Soubi's apartment at any time and done it."
"Highly unlikely." Soubi objects. "I was awake all night to finish a class project." He holds up the six inch by six inch canvas he is carrying. "They couldn't have gotten past me. It's a studio apartment. It's not like they have their own room to escape from."
"Well who else would do it?" Kio asks. "Is there anyone you can think of, Rit-chan?"
"I'm as confused as everyone else." Ritsuka shrugs. "Whoever got into the classroom probably did it. That's all I can think of."
Soubi nods in agreement, humming as he thinks. "It's getting close to Halloween. Probably just a few high schoolers looking for some fun."
"Most likely. Don't dwell on it too much, Rit-chan." Kio says.
"Ritsuka-kun! Soubi-san! Adults I don't know!" Yuiko waves from the front of the school, where a crowd of students has gathered. "There you are! Come quick!"
The quad of males joins the hyperactive girl, Yayoi, and the Sagan brothers.
"Hey, you brought Kio and Akira." Natsuo observes. "Nice."
"What's going on?" Ritsuka wonders, tearing his hand from Soubi's so no one will be suspicious.
"Look for yourself." Yoji points with his thumb.
Red liquid is splattered in foot-shaped prints on the walkway leading into the school. There is red splattered on the windows of the 6-2 classroom on the second floor. It appears to be dripping from the window like blood.
"So creepy!" Yuiko whines. "Who would do something like this?"
"Someone has something against our class, that's for sure." Ayame, a girl that bullies Yuiko on a daily basis pipes up. "Did you two make the wrong person angry?" She looked at the Sagan brothers.
"Not that we know of." Natsuo shrugs.
"That wouldn't surprise me." Soubi offers.
The brothers glare at him and the blonde gives them a charming smile back.
"First the classroom yesterday, then the leaves and the doll in the woods, and now this?" Yoji grinned. "This place is definitely more interesting then Seven Voices!"
Soubi snorts. "Indeed."
"Just harmless pranks." Kio says. "Why can't anyone go into school? It's probably just paint or fake blood. The Halloween store just opened up, so it wouldn't surprise me."
"Doesn't look like any paint I've ever seen." Akira states. "You two are the artists, Soubi, Kio. Any idea?"
"Watercolor." Soubi informs. "This stuff has that consistency, but I don't think that's it. it wouldn't be able to last like this."
"Acrylic?"
"Possible, but I doubt it. Why spend all that money on acrylic paints just for a prank?"
"Maybe its fruit punch?" Yuiko offers.
"Like the human pin cushion said," Yoji begins, earning twin glares from Kio and Akira, "it's probably fake blood from the Halloween store. Natsuo and I used it in one of our pranks once. Made Nagisa-sensei think he poked out his left eye too. Hilarious."
"Did you do it?" Ayame's friend, Miku, questions.
"No." Yoji snorts. "This is lame, even for high schoolers. Juvenile."
"Sure you didn't." Nanami, Ayame's right hand, rolls her eyes. "I bet you two were behind the desks and the dummy, and these guys are just covering for you."
"No one is covering for anyone." Yayoi says. "If they say they didn't do it, they didn't do it. We had our eyes on them during lunch and while we were gathering leaves for class. They didn't have the time."
"And they didn't know we'd be going out to collect leaves, so the tree thing couldn't have been them either." Ritsuka adds.
The school Principal comes outside to greet the confused students and some parents that have stuck around.
"Greetings, everyone!" He speaks. "This is all fake blood, so no worries here." He says. "We will have it cleaned up shortly. The school is safe for everyone. Please, do come in. classes are about to begin."
Students followed him inside, leaving Ritsuka and his friends with their adult friends.
"Let's go." Yoji says with a sigh. "I told you it was nothing."
He and Natsuo are the first to trudge inside, followed by Yuiko and Yayoi. Ritsuka turns to Soubi.
"I'll…er…see you later…"
Soubi nods. "As soon as the bell rings." He leans down and presses a chaste kiss on the boy's cheek that causes the neko to flush and run inside.
"You really shouldn't do that where people can see, Soubi." Akira points out. "They'll arrest you for being a pervert."
"I am not a pervert, Akira." He states. "For all anyone knows, I am just a relative."
Kio sighs. "Whatever. Come on, we're going to be late for class." He loops his arm in Akira's. "I hope nothing else happens today."
The lovers walk off together, leaving Soubi behind. Soubi looks up to the fake blood stained windows to see that it is cleaned up already.
"Sou-chan?" Kio calls. "You're going to be late. Are you coming?"
"Yes, I am." Soubi nodded once and met his friends at the corner to continue on their way.
000
Name: Akira Shujimeki
Age: 21
Grade: College Sophomore
Date of Birth: 6/17/1981
Akira sits in an orange school chair. His arms are folded over his chest.
"Why am I here? I'm not part of this." He sighs. "It was just a stupid prank that someone thought would be funny to pull on the classroom. Nothing big there. I didn't see why it was such a big deal at the time, but now I wish I had known that something was up."
000
The rest of the day goes by without a hitch. Class in room 6-2 is held as normal. The false blood had been cleaned up by the time Ritsuka and his friends arrived to the room. Now they sit around for their break, talking about the past events.
"But why target just our class?" Yayoi wonders, adjusting his glasses. "It doesn't make sense."
"Maybe the tree thing wasn't meant to target us." Yoji states. "Anyone could have found it. Just because it was someone in our class doesn't mean anything."
"And there was nothing there to hint that it was for us." Natsuo agreed.
"But what about the leaves?" Ritsuka wonders. "How do you explain that? they changed back while we were standing there, so we would have seen someone doing it."
"Simple, it must have been on some kind of pulley or lever system." Yoji shrugged. "When Yuiko saw the thing and screamed, someone rushing over could have triggered the change."
"We would have heard something, or whoever tripped it would have felt something at least."
"Yeah, I guess…"
"This is so creepy! What if something else happens today?" Yuiko wonders. "Yuiko is so scared."
Yayoi puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's probably nothing, Yuiko-chan. Just some stupid pranks." He states. "It's not like our class is haunted or something."
Without warning, a light bulb near Sensei's desk began flickering.
"Oh, darn it." She says. "I'll have to get the janitor. Everyone! Stay here and enjoy your free time! I'm going to get something done about that bulb." She gets up and leaves just in time for the bulb to shatter and send shards of glass around.
The students closest to her desk squeal in surprise and race away. Shinonome-sensei stares at it with her eyes and mouth wide open.
"That's…that's not normal!" She claims. "I better get someone on that right away! Kids, stay here and be careful!" She rushes out of the room as a light near the door behinds to flicker.
Students closest to the door rush away to the windows before the light bulb explodes and spreads through the room. One by one, more of the lights begin to flicker. Students close to each light move out of the way just in time to avoid being hit. The final light, the one over Ritsuka and his friends, stays lit up.
Ritsuka looks up at it. "Maybe we should move…"
"It's not flickering." Yoji argues.
"It could at any time." Ritsuka informs.
Shinonome-sensei returns with a janitor, who is carrying a light bulb. She looks around the room with her mouth open as the janitor adjusts his belt.
"Well…I better get more bulbs." He hands Shinonome-sensei the one in his hand before leaving to get more.
"They're all out?" Shinonome-sensei wonders.
"One is left." Natsuo points up.
"It's been lit for a while…I don't think it's going to break." Ritsuka informs.
"Well that's odd…" Shinonome-sensei says. "What made this happen? The change in temperature?"
"I don't think temperature changes make light bulbs explode." Yoji informs his sensei, rolling his eyes as if she is an idiot.
"Faulty wiring, probably." Natsuo informs, leaning over his desk and looking up into one of the now empty spaces where a light bulb once was.
A crack springs through the room and a tile quickly flops down to hit Natsuo on the head. He slumps against his desk.
"Natsuo, are you alright?" Yoji kneels at his side. "Oh…stupid question to ask…"
"What the hell?" The redhead wonders, sitting up straight.
A few more tiles crackle and fall on the ground in various areas of the room.
"Students, let's get out of here. Quickly, please! We'll go to classroom 6-3!" Shinonome-sensei orders.
Without arguments, the students flee from the room after her.
000
Name: Natsuo Sagan
Age: 12
Grade: 6
Date of Birth: 1/03/1991
Natsuo Sagan sits in a ruby red chair, rubbing his head.
"Yeah, I remember that. I'd say it hurt, but if it did, I wouldn't know it." He laughs. "It was like the whole classroom was falling apart for no reason. Not exactly creepy, but it was something."
000
It's almost twenty minutes after the first tile hit Natsuo on the head that the janitor approaches classroom 6-3 to inform them that the room is back to normal, and no tiles had been missing when he had returned to the room moments ago.
"But one hit Natsuo in the head." Ritsuka argues. "We know tiles fell in there…"
"All I had to do was replace a few missing bulbs. Only three had shattered." The janitor objects.
"Impossible." Ayame shakes her head. "We saw all of them shatter. Except the one above Aoyagi and Hawatari's desks…"
"Maybe they're the ones being targeted!" Miku offers. "After all, they found the dummy!"
"But anyone could have found that." Ritsuka objects.
"There's no use in fighting over this, children." Shinonome-sensei says. "Maybe this will stop after Halloween. We just need to wait it out."
"Well, while you're waiting for that, your classroom is all cleared." The janitor leaves the room, dragging a broom behind him and creating dust bunnies.
"He should just get on it and ride away." Yoji snorts.
"Whether or not it's cleared, we should stay here for a couple days." Shinonome-sensei tells her class. "I want to see if pranks still happen over there."
000
Name: Yoji Sagan
Age: 12
Grade: 6
Date of Birth: 1/03/1991
Yoji sits on a mint green school chair. He checks over his nails as though they are dirty and need cleaning.
"I don't care what that stupid janitor says. Tiles did fall n that room. Trust me, I'd remember." He snarls. "No one and nothing hurts my Natsuo and I just forget about it…I still haven't forgiven him for puncturing his own eye when we were kids…"
000
The next day at school starts off differently from the morning before it did. Instead of being as normal as normal can be, it seems like everything is out of whack. Ritsuka leaves home early to avoid his mother and father, who was actually home for once, and their fighting. He sends a text to Soubi to tell him not to come get him to bring him to school, and the fighter sends back an agreement and declaration of love that the neko ignored. There are a few students at the school when he arrives, as well as teachers in the faculty room or in the lounge to talk to and tutor students. He is the first one to arrive to his class. When he gets there, he pulls open the door to classroom 6-3, his class's new residence for the time being. He takes a step back and drops his backpack. Tripping over it, he lands on his backside and scoots away from the door, panting heavily.
"No, no, no, no…not again…no, not again…" He speaks rather loudly, prompting a few teachers to come see what is wrong. "It can't be…this has to be a dream…that's why dad was home. A dream, it's a dream…!"
Diyamase-sensei, the sensei for class 6-1 that had a crush on Shinonome-sensei, is soon to the frightened boy's side. "Aoyagi-kun, what's wrong?" He wonders softly. "Are you alright?"
"S-Seimei…can't be…can't be Seimei…"
The T.A. for class 6-1 goes into the room he had come out of and screams. Diyamase-sensei leaves his side to see what made them both freak out and Ritsuka follows. Another dummy is sitting in a desk that Ritsuka had used the day before. This time, the throat is slit and the dummy is charred as if it had been burned before it was placed in the seat. The desk is upside down and fake red blood decorated the bottom of it like flames extending from the side the dummy is on.
"Get the janitor." Diyamase-sensei sighs. "Someone has to clean this up."
"Should we report it to the police?" The frightened T.A. wonders.
"I don't think so. Just a harmless prank." He looks to Ritsuka. "Are you alright, Aoyagi-kun? Do you need something hot to drink? I can get you some hot apple cider."
"I'll be fine…" Ritsuka mutters. "Just like Seimei…it looks like how I found Seimei…"
Diyamase-sensei pats him on the shoulder and goes back to the lounge. The janitor comes after a few minutes and shakes his head while he cleans up. Ritsuka leaves the building, taking his bag with him, and dialing a phone number on his cell phone.
"Ritsuka?" Soubi's voice asks from the other end of the line. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Can you come to my school?" Ritsuka wonders. "I…I need you, Soubi…"
"I'll be right there." There is no hesitation in the fighter's voice. "I love you, Ritsuka." He hangs up without waiting for a reply.
Ritsuka sits on the bench outside, Indian style, with his bag on the ground. He holds his head in his hands as he waits.
000
Name: Shigen Diyamase
Age: 25
Occupation: Elementary school teacher
Date of Birth: 8/15/1977
Shigen sits on a yellow school chair.
"I didn't know what to think when I first saw that. What was Aoyagi talking about? Something about finding a 'Seimei' like that?" He wonders. "Is Seimei his older brother? I wonder…"
000
It takes ten minutes for Soubi to get to Ritsuka. He finds the neko sitting on a bench outside the school and pulls hi into a hug as he sits down. Ritsuka leans into his touch, not caring that more students are beginning to arrive and see them.
"What happened, Ritsuka?" Soubi wonders.
Ritsuka explains what he has found and Soubi frowns.
"Someone who knows about Seimei must have been behind this." Soubi states. "Shall I find them for you and deal with them properly, Ritsuka?"
Although Soubi doesn't say it directly, the threat of death is there.
"No, I don't want you to handle it." Ritsuka shakes his head. "But I would like to know who did it…"
"I may have an idea."
000
Ritsuka is outside for recess with his friends later that day when Soubi drags a young male with long black hair onto campus. Making sure no one sees, Ritsuka runs over, with the Sagan brothers in tow. The long haired male glares at Soubi and attempts to bite him to make him let go.
"Soubi?" Ritsuka wonders. "Why is he here?"
"He's the only person that I could think of that would do something like this." Soubi informs with a smile.
"Do what?" The male wonders. "I have class in twenty minutes. I don't have time for this, Agatsuma. If I'm late again, Mimuro will have my head."
"I'll write you a note."
The male glares. "That's not going to…"
"Can it, Akame." Yoji says. "I don't think he did it, Soubi."
"What makes you say that?" Ritsuka wonders. "He broke into Seven Voices, he could break into here…"
"Wait a minute, what am I being accused of?"
Ritsuka and the Sagan brothers tell him of the pranks. Akame laughs.
"That's funny." He states. "I can see why you think I did it, Agatsuma, but that's not my style. Especially for you, I would've left a calling card. But I wouldn't waste my time on any of you."
"Do you have any idea who would?" Natsuo asks.
"The only other person I can think of would be Seimei, but he wouldn't waste his time pulling silly pranks. He'd just show up and scare the pants off everyone." He chuckles. "Now if that's it, let me go."
"Wait." Ritsuka orders. "Akame, you're the one who broke into Seven Voices' security right?"
"Yeah…?
"So you're a hacker? You're good with computers?"
"Of course." Akame smirks. "Why do you ask?"
"Do you think you could set up hidden cameras so we can try and catch who did this?"
"Great idea, Ritsuka." Soubi smiles softly at the preteen. "Akame?"
"Just let me revel in the fact that you asked for my help for a moment…"
"Akame."
"Alright, alright, I'll do it. But I need to go home and get some cameras." He took something from his pocket and gave it to Ritsuka. "Incentive that I come back." It was his cell phone. "Be right back." He pulls from Soubi and marches down the road.
000
Name: Nisei Akame
Age: 17
Grade: High school Junior
Date of Birth: 5/16/1985
Nisei sits on a chocolate school chair. He is tinkering with a broken camera.
"Truth be told, I'm not really all that surprised that Agatsuma thought I had something to do with it." He says. "I was annoyed that he would think I would be involved in something so childish and even more annoyed that he had to be that rough in front of other people, but then again, I should have expected that…"
000
Recess is over by the time Akame finishes rigging up the cameras. After returning from recess to find the room seemingly untouched, class continues until it is time for gym class to begin. The classroom is empty as students follow Shinonome-sensei to the gymnasium. When they return, they find the desks in the shape of a circle. Every other desk is turned upside down. One, that sits where Ritsuka had sat, is lying on its side with the legs pointed towards the center. The lights have gone out, but the one above where Ritsuka sat is still glowing; this time it is a blood red color.
"Wait a minute!" Ayame orders. "Aoyagi's desk is lying differently. The light above Aoyagi's desk is lit up and glowing red…Aoyagi must have done this. He's letting us know with little clues."
"What?" Ritsuka wonders. "That's nuts! How could I do that when I'm in gym class? I was on your kickball team!"
"But think about it! When the lights exploded in our old classroom, the one above his was the only one that didn't go off."
"She's right!" Miku agrees. "He has to be the one doing it!"
"And the new dummy was found in his seat." Nanami states. "It's got to be Ritsuka!"
"Ritsuka-kun wasn't alone during any of the times the pranks happened…he couldn't have done it!" Yuiko defends him.
"You guys could just be covering for him." Ayame sneers.
"We're not. We're just as confused." Yayoi informs, adjusting his glasses.
"Alright, children, calm down!" Shinonome-sensei orders. "We don't have any evidence that he did it. We don't know who did."
"Or what." Natsuo adds.
"Or what? What do you mean?" Yoji questions.
"Well, think about it. No one has caught anyone coming in and out of the classrooms. You think that someone would. This is a crowded school and we do have janitors. Plus kids with ADD who would probably be distracted if they heard someone in the halls."
"So what do you suggest did this?" Yoji laughs. "A ghost?"
"Some kind of spirit. Haven't you ever seen 'poltergeist'?"
"Alright, that's enough." Shinonome-sensei informs. "Come on, children, let's get everything back the way it was."
The students began to help turning the desks around and getting them into their original spaces.
"I still think Aoyagi did it." Miku states.
"Same here." Nanami adds.
"You know he did." Ayame says. "He needs attention for some reason."
"I didn't do it." Ritsuka objects.
"Well, until you find out who did, I won't believe otherwise."
"How can we prove it, though? Whoever did it won't do it if someone stands watch." Yayoi says.
"I guess we'll never know."
"Wait, there's been a prank pulled already. So why wait for the next one?" Yoji smirks.
"What?" Ayame blinks.
"Oh, I almost forgot! Akame's cameras!" Ritsuka grins.
"How do we view the videos?" Natsuo looked around. "We were with him and I'm not sure where he hid them."
"Who?" Shinonome-sensei wonders. "You boys didn't do anything you shouldn't have, did you?"
"No, just had a computer geek slash hacker slash stalker set up secret cameras in here to catch who was doing it in the act." Yoji shrugged.
"I'll call him…" Ritsuka mutters, pulling out his cell phone. He dials a number that has been written for him on a piece of paper.
"N'ello?" Akame's voice replies.
"Akame? Um…it's Ritsuka…"
"Oh. Did something happen?"
"Yeah, while we were in gym class. Everyone is blaming me for it…can you come get the cameras so we can see the footage? Or are you busy?"
"I'm in lunch with Mimuro right now, but his friends are here too, so I can bail for a few minutes…give me twenty minutes to get there."
"Okay."
Akame hangs up between 'o' and 'kay'. Ritsuka sighs. "He'll be here in twenty minutes."
000
Name: Ayame
Age: 12
Grade: 6th
Date of Birth: 4/09/1991
Ayame sits on a caramel school chair.
"I knew for a fact that it had to be Aoyagi that was doing these pranks. He always was weird. And the twins? I think they were helping him and bullying the other two into keeping quiet." She says, running her fingers through her hair. "I always hear them talking about spells and battles and all this other weird stuff. They must like pulling pranks on people. I know it's almost Halloween, but grow up. You're almost in middle school."
000
The door to classroom 6-2 bursts open and Akame, with his hair pinned up and away from his face this time, enters without permission.
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" Shinonome-sensei wonders. "You can't just barge in here without permission…"
"Aoyagi invited me." Akame walks past the sensei and stands up on a countertop on the side of the classroom. "Besides, these are my cameras. You want to know who did this, don't you."
"You're friends with a high schooler?" Wonders Nanami. "That's so cool, Aoyagi."
"We're not friends." Ritsuka and Nisei speak at once.
Nisei tugs on a panel to take out the camera hidden behind it. "I was enslaved to his brother. That's all." Nisei huffs and climbs down from the counter. "This is the only camera I put in here, the other two are dummies to fool anyone who comes in and might see it."
"So how do we watch the footage?" Yoji wonders.
"Simple." Nisei pulls a chord from his jacket pocket. "May I use that computer?" He points to a computer in the back of the classroom.
"Um…sure, you can…" Shinonome-sensei is flustered and unsure of what to do.
Nisei goes to the computer and plugs in the chord, then plugs it into the computer. The students and their Sensei gather around him as the computer loads up. Once it does so, Nisei's fingers fly over the keyboard at a rapid pace, pressing buttons and launching the video.
"Now sit back and enjoy the show." He orders.
A few minutes roll by of nothing but the empty classroom. Then, suddenly, a desk begins to move inch by inch.
"It's moving on its own?" A boy in the class asks. "H-How is it doing that?"
"Hm…this is peculiar…" Nisei looks at a reading displaying on the bottom of the screen. "My heat sensors aren't detecting anything…"
As if being pushed by someone walking very slowly, the desks begin to move and arrange into the circle.
"See, it isn't me…" Ritsuka points out.
"Yes, but…who is it?" Shinonome-sensei wonders.
"I think we'll find out soon enough." Nisei nods.
A desk falls over as if tipped by something heavy. It begins to rotate until it is upside down. More desks do the same, one by one. The one that Ritsuka had sat in is tipped over but not rotated.
"Someone is in there, right?" Ritsuka asks. "I mean, things don't move like that on their own…"
"Looks like we have a case of Carrie in here." Nisei snorts. "Anyone have access to pigs' blood?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind." He mutters. "Just keep watching. Someone has to be pulling the strings."
A dark figure begins to come into focus. It looks like it is standing like a dog with its head hung down low, but it looks more humanoid then canine.
"What the heck is that?" Yoji wondered.
"Someone trying to be funny, I guess." Nisei sighs. "Or trying not to get caught."
"I don't think it's that." Natsuo shakes his head.
"Not more of your ghost crap…" Yoji moans.
"Not ghost. Poltergeist."
"If this was a freaking poltergeist, someone would wind up dead." Nisei snorts. "Nice try, kid, but these are harmless pranks."
"They were harmless in the movie, too, until they took the little girl."
Nisei sighs. "I don't think…"
"Holy…" Yoji trails. "Ritsuka, isn't that your mother? Gross, what happened to her neck?"
Ritsuka pales and took a step back. "No…it can't be…" He says. "There's no way that's who I think it is…"
Fully formed now, the creature on the screen is that of Misaki Aoyagi. However, her head is upside down and hanging between her arms. Her joints have been pulled out of their sockets and replaced so that she is in a bizarre crab-walking state. A long tongue hangs out of her mouth and begins lashing at all of the lights.
"What is that?" Shinonome-sensei wonders. "Oh, god, what has come upon our class?"
"Looks like you do have a bit of a tentative poltergeist." Nisei says. "Or just a restless spirit. But I'm no expert with these things. Computers are my thing, not ghosts." He looks to Ritsuka. "Do you know what that is?"
"That's my…my…"
"It looks like some version of your momma…" Yuiko informs slowly.
"It…it is, but…oh damn, this cannot be happening! God, it all makes sense now!"
"How does this make sense? Slow down." Nisei sighs. "You're rambling like Seimei when he's excited over some new diabolical plan. Now what are you talking about?"
"A while back, I had this nightmare when I fell asleep in class." Ritsuka begins slowly. "It was strange, but I kept seeing this demented version of my mother in the dream. And it turns out another version of me was controlling her and she kept attacking me throughout the dream….then Seimei and you showed up and he turned into a demon and me and the other me worked together and got rid of him. I thought it was just a stupid dream caused by me learning the truth about Seimei, but…" Ritsuka gulps. "I guess it wasn't just a dream…"
"How does this make sense?" Nisei wonders. "Yes, the mind is a fascinating thing, but…"
"The doll in the woods with a split stomach? The creature version of my mom in my dream cut me there with her tongue. And the doll here having its throat slit and the head dangling back? Well look at that thing…"
They all looked back to the camera feed on the computer. To their amazement, the creature had stopped knocking out the lights. Now it was staring straight at them. Without warning, it scuttles forward towards the camera before launching itself at it like a spider on a web and screeches, sliding its tongue across the lens before vanishing.
Nisei topples back in his chair in surprise. "What in the f…"
"M-Mr….l-language!" Shinonome-sensei corrects.
"That shouldn't have happened. That should not have happened. Aoyagi, what the hell did you bring here from your dream?!"
"I-I didn't do anything! I swear! Isn't there some way to get rid of it? Do you know a spell or something? Anything?"
"I don't. But Agatsuma might…he's…er…stronger then I am…"
Yoji and Natsuo snicker, earning a glare from the hacker.
"Get him over here and let him deal with this." Akame states. "I should be heading back to school, but this is just too entertaining. Aoyagi's guilty conscious creates a poltergeist. Excellent." He chuckles.
Ritsuka glares, but calls Soubi anyway.
000
Name: Nanami
Age: 12
Grade: 6th
Date of Birth: 08/12/1991
Nanami sits on a cream colored school chair.
"I don't know what that thing was, but I just knew Aoyagi had something to do with it, even if it was something his mind made." She states. "That hacker boy was really cute…I wish I could've gotten his number, but oh well." She sighs. "That thing was so creepy. The way it attacked the lens like that? Frea~ky."
000
Soubi, Kio, and Akira arrive ten minutes after Ritsuka calls the fighter over to his school. Shinonome-sensei flushes as the three attractive art students enter the room. Ritsuka shows them the video footage. This time, the creature stays in place and twists her head so it is right side up and blinks at the camera. Her eyes glow crimson before her left leg extends out and kicks at the screen. Soubi pulls Ritsuka away as her foot comes through the monitor, waves around frantically, and vanishes back inside.
"Okay, this is getting stranger and stranger." Yoji says, leaning close to the screen. "How did that happen?"
A tongue lashes out and cuts into his cheek. He steps back in shock and puts a hand to where the tongue hit him as the tongue vanishes into the computer.
"That shouldn't have happened." Nisei mutters.
"Oh, great job, Yoji. Now it's tasted blood!" Natsuo groans.
"Hey it's Ritsuka that thing is after. It's his mother, after all, so it having my blood is nothing."
Soubi glares. "If that's a wise crack, Yoji…"
"Soubi, enough, relax." Ritsuka sighs. "Can you do something about it?"
"What is Sou-chan supposed to do?" Kio inquires.
"A simple spell might be enough to dispel her." Nisei answers, picking at his nails. "I don't know any myself or I could have done it."
"It wouldn't surprise me that you're that pathetic…" Soubi mutters, earning a glare from chocolate colored orbs.
"Spell?" Akira asks. "Are you for real?"
"I assure you, I couldn't be more real." Nisei shakes his head. "Well? Agatsuma? Any ideas?"
"I could do a simple reflection spell." Soubi offers with a shrug. "To bar off the enemy, but since it hasn't attacked, it's not really an enemy…"
"It attacked me just now." Yoji wipes blood off of his cheek as more begins to pour from the wound.
"That looks deep." Shinonome-sensei warns him. "Doesn't it hurt?"
"What's hurt?"
She blinks in confusion as Soubi waves them off.
"Try it, Soubi. Unless we want to call in a witch or a Priest…" Ritsuka mutters.
"Hai." Soubi nods. He reaches out to the screen. "Shield. Form an impenetrable barrier around this classroom and those inside to block out the enemy and keep it at bay."
Light shoots from his hand and expands around the classroom. Sparks of it surround each person in the room and vanish. Dumbfounded, everyone looks around to see if anything has changed.
"When is the next time this room is empty?" Soubi wonders.
"When the students go for lunch…" Shinonome-sensei informs.
"Akame, set the cameras up again. We'll see if my spell worked."
"Sounds good to me." Akame smirks. "This is the perfect excuse for me to skip class…though I'm sure no one would believe me."
"Who cares?" Kio wonders. "Soubi, I want to know how you did that."
"Once this is over, kiss that memory goodbye…" Soubi mutters.
000
Name: Kio Kaido
Age: 21?
Grade level: College Junior
Date of Birth: 10/14/1981
Kio sits in a lime green school chair. He is sucking on a lollipop; the end of it sticking out of his mouth.
"I still want to know how Sou-chan did that. I mean, normal people don't form light merely by saying a few words." He says. "And that Akame kid mentioned 'spells'. Soubi can cast spells? Is he a witch?!"
000
Upon the students' from lunch, they find that nothing has been disturbed in the room. After he makes a note of it, Akame slips into the classroom with them to grab the camera. He sets it up with computer like he did before and plays the video. Along with the three college kids, who had taken Ritsuka and his friends off campus for lunch, the students and their teacher crowd around the computer. Nisei sits in the computer chair as he begins the video.
"Why are we bothering to watch it?" Ayame wonders. "We know nothing happened."
"Just shut up and watch." Nisei snarls, having been annoyed by the girl all day. "I want to see if it tries to get in."
"What if it was in when he did the spell?" Yayoi questions, adjusting his glasses. "Then a barrier wouldn't keep it…er…her…out."
"Precisely why we have to watch."
A figure materialized on Ritsuka's desk.
"Are you kidding me?" Ritsuka groans softly. "Again?"
"No…this is different…" Nisei informs. "Look, a different shape."
The figure on the desk is sitting facing the window. The creature that resembles Ritsuka's mother crawls up the window like a spider as its head lazily swings back and forth.
"So scary!" Yuiko buries her face in Ritsuka's shoulder.
The creature stops and turns its head in a complete circle. The figure on the desk throws its head back and laughs before holding up a hand. A shield-like bubble appears around the room. The creature knocks its head against it. The humanoid creature's lips move and a small opening appears in the shield. The demented creature pokes its head into the hole and it begins spinning around rapidly like a drill. Once the opening is big enough, it slinks in like a snake and rubs up against the humanoid creature's legs. The humanoid creature grabs Ritsuka's notebook and swats the being over the head with it. The being unleashes a screech that appears to come from all around them instead of in the video.
"How do you come up with these things, Aoyagi?!" Yoji wonders.
"I didn't do it on purpose!" Ritsuka states. "It was just a nightmare…"
"Well now your nightmare is coming to bite us all is the ass!"
Soubi slaps the back of Yoji's head. "Watch it, Zero." He orders.
The screeching stops and the humanoid slaps it with the notebook again. He then looks at the camera as the creature scuttles away towards the back wall with the windows. The humanoid creature has black hair that goes a little past his chin and hollow, plum tinted eyes. It is obviously a male, from the lack of breasts. He looks like he would be almost as tall as Soubi. There is a bandage on his cheek. He lifts up a hand and waves at the camera. Ritsuka's eyes widen as he realizes what it is and waves back lightly. When he does so, the being stops waving and points towards Ritsuka and the others.
"I think he wants us to turn around…?" Akira wonders slowly.
Ritsuka is the first to do so, turning quickly to see what is behind him. The humanoid being sits on the desk, legs crossed one over the other, and leaning back on both hands. The others turn as they hear Ritsuka gasp and let out a collective gasp as well.
"He's making his presence known?" Nisei wonders. "Aoyagi, who is that? That's not Seimei…he doesn't look like him anyway…"
"Nightmare Seimei was destroyed in my nightmare." Ritsuka replies. "That's me…"
"But older." Soubi muses, looking him over once.
Ritsuka slaps him on the shoulder. "Stop it Soubi…" He turns to the other Ritsuka. "H-Hi again, me…"
"Hello, Ritsuka." His voice ghosts throughout the classroom. There is a slight echo to it. "I hope she hasn't caused too much damage. Mother is so hard to control these days."
"No, I…I understand…everything is okay here…well, except for Yoji's cheek…"
"It doesn't hurt."
"It can't hurt, you mean." Older Ritsuka's voice corrects.
Yoji shrugged.
The older Ritsuka apparition cocks his head to the side. "Soubi…I forgot how…hm…" He chuckles. "You…you look good…" A darkened tongue slips across his lips and Soubi flushes.
Ritsuka glares. "What do you want? Why is she doing this? Why are you here?" He wonders.
"Ritsuka's jealous." Yoji snickers softly to Natsuo, who joins him.
Soubi slaps them both.
"One question at a time." Older Ritsuka orders his younger self. "I want to help you out. I don't know why she is doing this. I'm here to get her to come back and stop causing hell here." He smirks. "Is that enough of an explanation for you?"
"So wait a second. How can there be an older version of Ritsuka if he doesn't know what he's going to look like when he's older?"
"Eh, I'm loosely based off of old photos of that bastard we call a father mixed with Seimei."
"Another bastard…" Kio mutters.
"Kio!" Akira scolds. "Don't be rude."
"No, no, Akira, he has a point." Older Ritsuka nods. "Doesn't he, Soubi?"
Soubi nods once, continuing to look over the older Ritsuka. Ritsuka rolls his eyes.
"So how do we make her stop for good?" The neko wonders.
"Well, unfortunately, you only have two options. One is to destroy her yourself, and the second is to get an exorcist in here. Spells won't work. You're not qualified to do that, Soubi. Neither are Akame or Natsuo."
"You two can do that stuff, too?" Kio wonders.
Natsuo shrugs. "Yeah."
"Whatever." Nisei adds.
Yoji snorts. "Who cares?" He wonders. "That's not the point here."
"We're not hiring an exorcist." Shinonome-sensei puts in.
"How does Ritsuka-kun get rid of it?" Yayoi asks.
"Well, to put it simply, she needs to be absorbed." Older Ritsuka smiles.
"Absorb her?" Ritsuka wonders. "Like a sponge?"
Older Ritsuka nods. "To put it even simpler, yes. But it's not what you think it is. You just need to take away her power."
"How do I do that?"
"By not being so damn scared of her." Older Ritsuka laughs. "I know mom's psychotic, but come on. Be a man, would you? You'll be in middle school next year. You can't keep being a naïve kid."
"That's a little harsh…" Yayoi speaks softly as Soubi pulls Ritsuka into his arms.
"Ritsuka be nice to…yourself…" Soubi says awkwardly.
"No…it's true…I can't be afraid of my own mother…" Ritsuka mutters.
"Wait a second here." Nisei informs. "You mean to tell me that this thing is created out of his fear of his own mother? Seriously, Aoyagi, just give her a ton of sleeping pills and she'll leave you alone."
Ritsuka glares. "That was you in my house, wasn't it?"
Nisei leans back in the chair and tents his fingers. "Perhaps."
Ritsuka starts to speak again, but older Ritsuka interrupts.
"You know it was, so don't prod." He states. "Akame's about as trustworthy as Seimei is. I'm sure Mikado would agree…"
Nisei flushes and looks away. "That wasn't my fault, you know…Seimei…"
"Yeah, everything is Seimei's fault, we know." Yoji rolls his eyes. "The guy's a sadistic, sociopathic bastard, we all know it, move on."
Ritsuka sighs. "I'd yell at you, but you're right…"
"So if I get this right, the creature that looks like your mom comes from Ritsuka fearing her…" Ayame wonders. "But what do you come from?"
"Eh?" Older Ritsuka wonders. "Well he wants to be taller, so that's where that comes from…"
"That doesn't say anything…I'm not that much of an ass…" Ritsuka looks away.
Older Ritsuka snorts. "Well I guess I'm also fragmented from…well…"
"From what?"
"Let's just say that when you lost your memory, thank you Akame" Older Ritsuka glares at the long haired fighter, who flushes, "your psyche split into two, which caused that alleged personality change of yours."
"So you're that fragmented part?"
"Precisely." Older Ritsuka nods. "But that's enough of that." He looks out the window. "She's coming."
000
Name: Older Ritsuka Aoyagi
Age: 18?
Grade level: Unknown
Date of Birth: 12/20/2000
Older Ritsuka floats above a clear school chair. His legs are folded under him Indian style.
"Yeah, I shouldn't have told him all that, but he needs to figure it out eventually. I'm what he was supposed to become if things worked out like they should, if you will." The apparition smirks. "You can just call me Loveless." He vanishes and the camera turns to static.
000
The older version of Ritsuka blasted off one more smile before fading into nothing. His words rang in the air as the occupants of the classroom stared at the spot he had been sitting in. no one said a word as they waited for something to appear.
"What did he mean by 'thank you Akame'?" Ritsuka wonders, looking to the Fighter.
"I'll…er…explain at a later date…" Nisei pulls at his collar.
"Who's coming?" Yuiko wonders. "That thing that looks like your momma?"
"Probably…" Ritsuka looks around. "I don't see her or anything, though…"
The desk the older Ritsuka had been sitting on suddenly begins to rattle side to side as if someone is twisting it back and forth. Ritsuka and the others inch away from the moving desk. Suddenly, the creature that looked like his mother flops down onto the desk. She stands on her back legs and screeches at them, sending black-colored saliva flinging everywhere. The girls that bullied Yuiko, and Yuiko herself, screech in fear and back away further. Yoji and Natsuo cover their ears like the others are doing, but are not affected by the screech. Soubi pulls Ritsuka close to protect him as Kio hides his face in Akira's shoulder. Nisei groans and covers his ears.
"Loveless! Shut her up!" He orders.
"M-Mother…s-stop it!" Ritsuka orders her softly.
The creature stops screeching and her head begins to spin in a circle; flinging her hair around as it does so.
"Not my Ritsuka!" She screams. "Don't tell me what to do…you're not. My. Ritsuka!" She starts screeching again.
"Ritsuka-kun, do something!" Yuiko begs. "This is so scary!"
"I'm trying!" Ritsuka groans. "Soubi, drown out the noise!"
"Barrier. Form between us and the enemy. Block out all sound from entering so we may obtain peace!" Soubi states.
The Misaki creature is still screeching, but her voice slowly fades out as a blue-tinted barrier forms between her and the others.
"Thanks, Soubi…" Ritsuka lets go of his ears.
"Hai, of course." Soubi kisses the top of his head, between his ears.
"So the older you said that you need to stop being afraid of her to get rid of her, right?" Yayoi asks.
"Yeah, that's what he said…" Ritsuka confirms.
"But when you told her to stop, you were obviously afraid." Yayoi says. "Your voice was quiet and shaky."
"And it made her madder." Nisei sighs. "Show some assertiveness."
"She's my mom…I can't yell at her…"
"Ritsuka, she beats you and tells you that you're not her son one minute and then is nice and sweet and friendly and bringing us cookies when we come to your house the next, because she's freaking nuts." Yoji snorts. "You can yell at her. I know I would if she was my mother."
"Yeah." Natsuo nodded. "And this isn't even your mother. This is something your mind made up to represent your mother. So don't be afraid to yell at her."
"But…"
"Ritsuka, they may be saying it the wrong way, but they do have a point." Soubi mutters into his hair. "You have no reason to fear your real mother, or this thing. You can stop it yourself…I know you can."
"But…Soubi…" Ritsuka looks sadly at the blonde before looking back to the demented version of his mother. "How do I talk to her? Can she hear me through the barrier?"
"There's no reason you cannot." Soubi shakes his head. "Give it a try."
Ritsuka nods and pulls from his fighter. "Mother, stop this right this second!" He orders, throwing more force into his voice then before. "You're just being annoying. It's time to stop."
The creature listens to him and stopped screeching. Her head slowly stops spinning as she hunches back down on the desk. Her hands, containing long, jagged nails, grip the front edge of the desk and dig into it, creating little rips in the wood with her nails and bending the metal. Her toes grip the edges of the table and she sits there like a frog. Her head is right side up for a few minutes before the flimsy neck holding it in place lets go and a loud crack breaks through the room; muted slightly by the barrier Soubi had put in place moments before. Her head swung side to side, upside down, as the tips of her midnight black hair brushed on the floor. She lets out a short screech but nothing else.
"You need to go away now." Ritsuka told her. "You're not welcome here!"
She screeched, eyes glowing red. She lashed out and swiped repeatedly at the barrier with her nails; her arms becoming blurs due to the speed at which they were attacking the barrier. Little rips formed in the barrier, only to seal up moments later.
"She can't get through, right…?" Yoji wonders.
"No, she can't." Soubi shakes his head. "Demonic spider creature or not, she's a civilian."
"Civilian?" Kio asks.
"Like you and Akira." Soubi explains. "You can't do what we can." He motions to himself, the Sagan brothers, Nisei, and then nods at Ritsuka. "We're on a different plane of existence then you are."
"What?"
"Explain it later, Soubi." Natsuo orders him.
"Mom, quit it! Right now!" Ritsuka orders. He looks around before standing tall and clearing his throat. "Mother, stop!" He orders harshly.
As quick as the onslaught of her hands began, it stops. The creature cocks her head to the side as her arms go back to their normal lengths and grip the desk once more.
"I've had more then enough of you in the past few days." Ritsuka sneers. "I deal with her at home; I don't need to deal with you here, too! Get lost!"
She opens her mouth to screech again.
"No!" Ritsuka interrupts before a sound can be unleashed from her mouth. "I'm not afraid of you, mother! You have no power here, and you have no power over me! So get lost!"
She turns her head until it is back in place. Her arms pop out of their sockets and then pop back in so her arms are normal, as she still grips into the desk. Her fingernails begin to shrink as her legs pop out of place, twist, and pop back in. Her neck stretches and cracks before settling back straight off of her shoulders. She turns her head and it clicks into place. A bright white light emits from her and her eyes grow to a muddy brown color. She smiles warmly as she stands up straight. Her bloodied, ripped dress clears up and threads form from it to pull the separated pieces together. She floats off of the desk and lands in front of it, clasping her hands together in front of her. Her eyes hollow out to match the appearance of the older Ritsuka from before.
"Ritsuka?" She wonders softly, her voice being the lazy, soft echo that the other Ritsuka had.
"Soubi…get rid of the barrier…" Ritsuka orders.
"Barrier between us and the opposition, crumble like dry wall and peel away to permit sound to enter this space." Soubi says.
The blue barrier glows before crumbling down slowly and gently like flecks of light.
"I am really sorry I frightened you…" Misaki speaks as the barrier leaves. "I hope that you can forgive me."
"I do forgive you, mother…" Ritsuka smiles sadly. "That is why I do not fear you…"
She smiles softly. "I'm truly sorry."
"I know."
Her eyes darken and she smirks. She lets out an inhuman screech before blowing apart into flecks of darkened yellow light. Once she is gone, it feels like a heavy burden is lifted off of the room. There is a strange, calming peace that develops and settles over the occupants like a hazy patch of fog. The weight that had felt like it was bearing down onto Ritsuka's shoulders is now lifted as if it was never there in the first place. He sits down on a desk and sighs, letting his shoulders slump down.
"Is she…is she gone?" Shinonome-sensei wonders with tears in her voice.
"I think so." Nisei says. "She did explode, after all."
"She's gone." Says Ritsuka softly with a tone of conviction in his voice. "Everything should go back to normal now."
His words feel final somehow.
000
Ritsuka once again sits in a black school chair he smiles softly at the camera; a pink flush gracing his cheeks.
"I still can't believe that it was me that created that thing and brought it onto the school like that. I'm just glad no one was hurt." Ritsuka says. "I didn't know I could do that…was that another spell? A latent one that I am able to use, maybe? I really don't understand it all that well. The older version me says that she was created out of my fear. But the Soubi that my mind had created in the original dream, and the older me, were benevolent beings. Maybe my mind can create both good and evil? But how did it make it come to life like that? They were just dream beings. They shouldn't have existed. Or they at least shouldn't have been able to come into the real world." He sighs. "That older version of me seems to know quite a lot that I don't. He saved me twice already. In my nightmare, he was the one coaching me along to help me find a way out of it and to survive nightmare Seimei's attack. And here, he was the one that told me how to get rid of her, and even stopped her from causing damage that last time, though it was him that let him past Soubi's shield. I guess older me knows wordspell or something…but whatever. I just wish I knew why all this stuff happens to me. Why did older me thank Akame for the memory loss? Did he have something to do with it? I guess I'll never know, will I? Akame left pretty quickly after my mother apparition was defeated, taking his camera and all evidence with him. Soubi tried to follow him, but I told him to not waste his time. Kio and Akira took him back to school and they all picked me and the Zeroes up after school. We didn't have any more incidents that day. I guess everything is back to normal at school…and you know what? I'm not afraid of my mother anymore. Deep down, I know that she can't really hurt me."
000
The next day, Ritsuka joins the rest of his classmates in their original classroom. Nothing has been disturbed over night. For the most part, people don't seem to really be focusing on the strange events; which is good for him. They are still talking about what happened with the ghosts, but the talk of spells and abuse has worn off in the hours since the last school day ended. The skies are no longer cascaded in dark clouds. The sky is bright blue and puffy white clouds lazily float along. The scents of both apple and pumpkin pies assault the hallways, coming from the table outside the cafeteria that is set up for the Fall Festival. The room is decorated with projects of leaves the students had managed to finish making the day before, after all the craziness ended. Everyone is perky and ready for class to being; no longer afraid that apparitions will come out of nowhere and disturb the quiet tranquility of class 6-2. The teacher of class 6-3 has recovered from his injuries and is back to teach, so Yayoi has left class 6-2 with his other 6-3 classmates. Still, he visits before class is about to start and leaves ten minutes beforehand so he isn't late, although his class is directly across the hall. Shinonome-sensei comes into the class smiling brightly.
"Good morning, everyone! Isn't today just lovely?" She wonders.
"Good morning, Shinonome-sensei." The class drones, ignoring her question.
"Today is such a beautiful day." She informs. "I think we will start off today with something light. How about we get back to our reading? Open up your books to page thirty two so we can begin where we left off."
As the class and Sensei's voice both fade off into the distance, the door of class 6-2 closes. A few seconds later, it opens, and Ayame and her friends push Ritsuka out of the classroom before shutting the door behind him. Ritsuka stands there, looking back into the class before sighing and sitting on the floor next to the doorway to read and listen in on the class they are making him miss.