Maybe it's just me, but it seems like interest in Ayashi No ceres has diminished greatly over the last few months, but oh well. I personally love this series, and I wanted to experiment with writing a Ceres fanfiction of my own. Enjoy?
Disclaimer: This could contain subtle spoilers. Well ... it can't be a spoiler if I don't exactly tell you what I'm spoiling, eh? Oh, right, I don't own Ayashi No Ceres! Dur.
Enveloped in a panoptic blanket of rain and shadow, a lone man strides at a measured pace up the begrimed, vacant side-street. At first glance he could classified as a typical punkish teenager. Leather pants, piercing, the whole shebang. Besides this, however, he exudes other profound and interesting qualities. Most noticeable is probably his natural crimson-colored hair and onerous muscles. Behind his dark shades, although it is after eight o'clock at night, lay astonishing stormy, leaden eyes.Most shied away from him, believing him grievously dangerous, and for good reason. Those who were overly perceptive seemed to sense the odd, almost phantasmagoric aura he exuded. What they didn't know, was how dangerous he really was, or that he happened to have a knife that could magically come out of his arm at will.( :D I just has to put that in there.)
The man comes to a halt under the faint orange glow of a nearby street light and pulls out a tattered map of Tokyo. He scans it briefly and then roughly folds it and returns it to his coat. He commences to pull another object, a piece of paper. Only two things were written on the small, shredded paper: a house number, and the name 'Mikage'. The man begins walking again, this time his pace is slightly faster and urgent. After making several turns, he walks for several minutes more, until he halts, this time in front of a house. He scans the house momentarily, and then as if he was being drawn to the house by some delusory force, the man, his steps heavy with what one might consider to be malaise and doubt, slowly walks up the path leading to the house...
Meanwhile...
"Goddamnit Aya! For the last time, you're going to your grandfather's house for your birthday! Aki didn't put up nearly as bad a fight as you are!"
"That's just because he didn't already have plans! I was supposed to go-"
"We don't care what you had planned! Your going to your grandfathers and that's final!"
"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY! MY 16TH BIRTHDAY! I SHOULD DO WHAT I WANT! AND I DON'T WANT TO GO TO GRANDFATHERS! I HATE THAT PLACE! IT'S ... IT'S CREEPY! HE'S CREEPY!"
Aya's father sighs and rubs his head in exasperation. True, Aki had reacted badly to the prospect of spending most of his birthday at the Mikage mansion, but Aya's anger seemed steadfast and interminable.
"Look, Aya, it wasn't our idea. It's tradition. An unbreakable tradition. There is no way you can get out of this one. I'm-"
"SCREW TRADITION! I HATE YOU ALL! MY BIRTHDAY IS GONNA BE RUINED BECAUSE OF THIS!" Aya screeched, her voice rising a couple octaves higher.
Aki enters the room, hands Aya a smoldering cup of tea, and then attempts to pacify her.
"C-mon Aya, just give it up. It won't be that bad. Besides, Grandfather's loaded, he'll probably give us some pretty cool gifts..."
Aya moans and sinks back even farther into the sofa cushion. Her father sighs in relief and flashes a grateful grin at Aki.
"Your brothers right, Aya."
"I know, I know..." Aya groans and begins playing with a strand of her bleach-blond hair.
Aki smirks and playfully adds, "Yeah, jeez, Aya, stop acting like a spoiled brat all the time."
"SHUT UP!" Aya screeches yet again, and attempts to smack her twin brother who nimbly dodges the weak attempt, still laughing. Aya lets out another groan of exaggeration and turns to leave. Her father stops her.
"Aya, where do you think your going, I don't think we're finished discussing-"
"Look, I'm going to call Miyami and tell her I'm not going to the mall with her on Wednesday, is that okay with you?"
Not waiting for her fathers answer, Aya runs upstairs and picks up the phone. After several minutes, Aya hangs up the phone and sighs.
"Eh, I bet Dad 'n Mom'll... Oh who am I kidding, I'm doomed!"
She then commences to pull out a fashion magazine and headphones, and then settles into her bed.
Unbeknownst by the Mikage family, a young man stood shrouded in shadow behind one of their Cherry trees. (Stalker much?) He was intently watching them all, especially Aya. (... again, Creepy much?!). When Aya got up to leave the living room, he followed her around the house, and stopped in front of an open, upstairs window, where he could get a clear view of Aya. After standing there for an indefinite amount of time he turns around and leaves, as swiftly and quietly as he had come. As he rounds the corner of the house he mutters softly:
"I've found her. Finally ... I've found her. Somehow I've got to talk to her-". He stops yet again, but this time he stands outside the local highschool. A small grin appears on his face and he continues to walk again, this time to a nearby hotel, where he will spend the night.
The next day...
"Ahhh, Aki! We're gonna be late!"
"Aya, we're always late, and usually, it's your fault!"
"My hair has to be perfect! Why can't you all understand that!"
The two siblings race out the door and down the street.
"I reaaaaalllyyy wish you'd get up earlier, Aya" Aki sighed, stopping at an intersection.
"I know I know! ... Leave me alone, would ya!".
The light turns red and the two race across the street to the gates of the school. Just then, another figured intercepts them.
"Excuse me, but I'm a transfer student, and I was wondering if you could possibly-"
"Sorry, dude, no time-"
Aya stops mid-sentence when she notices the speakers face. Brilliant crimson hair frame his extremely alluring, chiseled face and beautiful gray eyes.
"Oh, heh, yeah sure! Just follow me! I'll show you to wherever you wanna go."
"Aya! ..." her brother called behind them, clearly exasperated.
"I'll catch up with you later Aki!" She called back, grinning. "Ohhh boy, this day is gonna be great! Whadda hunk... wonder if he's single..." Aya thought excitedly. "So, what's your name? And what year are you?"
"Touya, and I'm an 11th year... and your name is...?"
"Aya! Mikage Aya, to be exact."
"Nice to meet you Aya ... now, can you just take me to the main office? I still need to register."
"Sure!" Aya began giggling and blushing. Touya, however, seemed to be interested more in the campus then Aya herself. Actually, he quite deep in thought. "I'm here. I've found her, but now what...? What do I say? 'Hi. I met you a couple years ago when your family was on vacation and you gave me this sea shell?' She'd probably think I was crazy...". Just then, the two came to a halt, for they had arrived at the administrations office.
"Soooo, I'll probably seeya around!" Aya said cheerfully.
"Most likely..."
There is an awkward silence. Aya hesitates, and then leaves, waving goodbye while running off to home room. Tooya stared after her for a minute, and then enters the office, where he would turn in his forged transfer papers to enroll in the high school.
Later that day...
(I changed the tense to past here, I think)
"Ohhh Aya. That new guy keeps looking at you!" Miyami said, giggling.
"Seriously?! I can't believe how lucky I am, first I get to meet him before everyone this morning, and now he's in practically all my classes... and he's like, totally checking me out!" Aya whispered back to her friend.
"You should totally ask him out." Miyami.
"Are you crazy?" Aya aforementioned.
"No!" She laughed.
It was after school, and the two were waiting outside the school gates for Aki before they embarked on the walk home. The two friends had spent most the day discussing the new transfer student, as was most everyone else as well.
"He's ... really shy and totally a babe. And he looks really, really nice in our uniform! Tho ... you shoulda seen him this morning before he changed, he was in all leather!"
"Psssh, yeah right Aya..."
"Seriously!"
"Whatcha guys talking about?" Aki had seemingly materialized out of no where.
Both girls screamed.
"Aki! You scared the crap outa me!" Aya exclaimed.
"Ahahaha, can we go home now?" Aki laughed, clearly amused.
The days before Aya and Aki's birthday passed without incident. And finally, Wednesday, the fated day of the twins birthdays arrived...
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYA!" Aki yells at the locked bathroom door. The door opens and a disgruntled Aya appears.
"... Happy birfday ... Aki" Aya said, yawning.
"You should be happy! It's our sixteenth birthday."
"Yeah, well I'm tired due to the fact I was up all night writing that accursed English paper, and my hair looks horrible."
"You shoulda started it sooner then!" Aki said, playfully chastising Aya.
"Oh shut up..."
Aki, unlike Aya, was awake and looking quite good this predetermined morning. His uniform was without any wrinkles and his short blond hair looked perfect, as usual. Aya on the other hand, looked quite disheveled, to say the least.
"Oh screw it. This day's gonna suck anyway, what with all the tests ..."
"And don't forget we're going to Grandpa's after school."
"Uggggggggggggggggh!" Aya cried in aggravation.
As usual, the twins arrived at school late. Aya struggled to stay awake through most of her classes. She wasn't even that enthused when Touya wished her a happy birthday (for the only response he received was a muffled "thanks").
After school, the three walked home together as usual.
"Hey Aya, you have a little bit of time before you have to go to our grandfather's house right?" Miyami asked hopefully. "'Cus if you do, we should totally check out that fortune teller I was telling you about, since we couldn't go yesterday ..."
"Eh... I dunno..."Aya said, looking hopefully at her brother.
"Yeah we have a little bit of time, we aren't supposed to be there till five, I think."
After a couple minutes of walking the three arrived at a small, dingy looking shop.
"Eww, this is it? Talk about unsanitary..." Aya's voice was filled with distaste
"Well, ... I thought it was pretty cool" Miyami responded defensively.
"Well, I guess since we did walk all the way here..." Aya sighed and opened the door.
They were immediately greeted with a dense curtain of Ylang Ylang incense. The dark, modest room was filled with several small, black tables, each of which held what looked like urns on them.
"Wow is this place creep-AH!"Aya yelled for a cold, clammy hand had just grabbed her arm.
"Welcome, my child." Said an old, stooped woman. She was swathed in many layers of robes, and wore a golden, bejeweled headdress.
"Erm ... hello." Aya replied, hesitating.
"You cam for your fortune to be read I presume?" The woman asked.
"Yeah..."
The three looked uncertaintly at eachother and commenced to sit down on the mat the old woman had pointed them to. Aya sat opposite of the woman, while the other two sat behind Aya.
The woman took Aya's hand and began intoning a orison of some sort. The woman abruptly stopped, and it appeared that her eyes had rolled back into her head. She began to speak in a low, raspy voice.
"You were born under the influence of a star of darkness... I see blood, anger, and suffering. The balance of this world will be destroyed. Upon this day, which is the arrival of the 16th star and moon, you shall meet your destiny. Whether in light or darkness, the great power deep within your soul will rise to the surface..."
Aya stared at the woman for several seconds with an indecipherable expression on her face. Then...
"Ahahaha, Omigod, you've got to be kidding me! I'm not paying for this crap!..." Aya scoffed.
The old woman studied Aya's face carefully and then murmured:
"My child, you have been warned..."
"Uh-huh, well, thanks. Here's your ten dollars. Can we go now?" Aya said. Impatiently.
"Uh yeah... Let's go." Miyami stated, clearly freak out.
As soon as they were outside, Aya began ranting.
"Dude, the was a load of crap! The great power deep within your soul will rise to the surface... uhhuh, right. ... I just don't know how she guessed today was my sixteenth birthday..."
"Yeah that was creepy..." Aki agreed.
"Ugh what I waste of money. Thaaaaanks Miy- omigawd ... that little girl ...!"
"Aya? What are you talking about?!"
Aya, however had begun to run out into the middle of the street, for a small girl was bending over in the middle of the street picking up something. Aya, seeing a truck was fast approaching ran as fast as she could to where the girl was and grabbed her. Aya gasped and stared up at the truck when, suddenly, she felt a surge of power within her. And Aya could have sworn she had began to float when something completely unexpected happened...
"Aya!" A voice cried.
A man with brilliant crimson hair slammed into Aya and the little girl, pushing them out of the trucks path.
"Thankyou ... Touya?!" Aya exclaimed.
Aya looked up at the mans face who was merely inches from her own. His face was filled with concern and something else...
Just then, the now crying girls mother rushed over.
"Omigawd, thank you so much for saving my little Suzumi..."
Aya and Touya both answered it was nothing and the mother commenced to rush the small, frightened girl away.
"Aya... are you okay?" Touya seemed breathless.
"Yeah I'm fine- Oww! ... my head... and I think I hurt my ankle."
Sure enough, her ankle was bent in a very awkward angle.
"Aya! Omigod are you okay?" Aki and Miyumi yelled, running across the street.
Touya picked up Aya, and addressed the other two.
"I think we'd better get Aya to the hospital. There's a good chance she has a concussion and broken ankle..."
"Then what are we waiting for, let's go!" Aki demanded.
Just then, Aya passed out cold, in Touya's arms.
To be contiuned...
Yeah, I changed a lot of stuff. Like the fortuneteller thing. Anyway, review? Let me know what you think! (And if it made any sense... especially 'cus I kept changing the tense... :D )
-Luminiferous