Hellos! This right here is my original story, "SPIRIT KEEPERS- COTA". It's about a group of ten teens chosen to give the world salvation from an enemy who just wants to watch the world burn. You can read the prolouge to get the rest of the info.. Anyways...constructive criticism is appreciated. No swearing. For those who have read "Blood Will Bind Us", I've decided that I can't continue the story...Between college and this, I can't do fanfiction anymores... But please, ENJOY!
P.S.
If you want to see what the characters look like, you can go onto my dA account: kotomiminakuyaqueen. The profiles are all in there.
"Spirit Keepers- Cries of the Angels"
2010
PROLOUGE
Centuries ago, before the world was tame and mankind was wise, an evil plagued the world. Fearful for the humans who wondered the Earth, God sent ten angels to destroy the evil without harm to his precious humans. The angels were strong creatures with pure hearts who only lived to serve the Lord. Their leader, Artemis, was wise and the strongest of them all, and directed them to certain victory.
But this victory forced the hands of the angels to sacrifice a human child. The evil was eradicated, but the sin had already been committed. Until the angels regained God's favor and earned his forgiveness, they would never again walk the golden streets and sing in the choir of heaven. The ten angels made a decision to go separate ways in order to seek out a way to regain their honor.
Many years later, a new evil emerged. This evil sought only the destruction of the angels and of heaven. After losing one of their own, the angels joined together once again to defeat this new monstrosity- but, unprepared, each perished.
Though their bodies died, their spirituality remained. Unable to return to their original vessels, they sought new forms to take. They could not create their own new forms, so they would have to merge with already living, breathing creatures. After several years of debate and contemplation, they decided to merge with humans, sharing their bodies and enhancing any and all natural abilities they already possessed.
They soon learned a hard fact. Losing their original bodies meant they lost most of their powers. To defeat the new, growing evil, they would need each of their powers combined. Ten humans would train while hosting the angels, and during their battle with the evil, one would perish. A new host would have to be found and trained.
Finally, Artemis made a decision that would surely change their fates. All ten angels deserted their current hosts and found new, younger humans to train. They searched the world for the humans, only looking for those most gifted and intelligent. They would train them to be the strongest. They would teach them to be the wisest. They would grow with them to be the best.
And this time, they would win.
Chapter 1- As it begins
Aeyaaka cheered as she jumped onto Kotoni's bed, trying to wake her cousin up for the morning training. "Seriously, Kam, get up!" Aeyaaka whined. "We have school in two hours!" Kotoni grumbled and turned over, pulling the covers over her head. She didn't want to get up, and she most definitely didn't want to hear her hyper cousin first thing in the morning. "Get up already!" and with that, Aeyaaka pulled off the covers and threw them to the floor.
"Aeyaaka, go away before I hurt you. I'm tired. I don't think I can make it through training today. I may die if I go," Kotoni complained. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. They were crusty from sleep and her mouth felt slimy. She could already feel a headache coming on. She was about to complain again- her specialty- when she heard Aeyaaka laughing. Her eyes popped open just in time to see her cousin topple off the side of the bed clutching her sides. "What?" she huffed.
Sighing, she pulled herself forward and out of bed, sliding along the floor. Aeyaaka only laughed harder as she watched. When Kotoni got to the bathroom, she began to follow but Kotoni, with a swift kick, slammed the door in her face. "Kam! No fair!" she cried. Kam smiled wickedly and laughed. She pulled herself off the floor using the counter, stopping when her eyes made it over the counter top.
Kotoni's hair had tangled while she slept, and now her normally straight brown hair was like a ball around her head. Her white/blue eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. Artemis had kept her up all night… again. –I did not!- Artemis, the angel that inhabited her body and trained her, exclaimed in her mind.
"Yes you did. You always talk while I try to sleep," Kotoni explained, pulling her tangled mess back and tying it with a head band. She would save herself time and brush it later. -You respond, so I think you want to talk too.- Kam sighed.
"I don't respond. You're in my thoughts, so I think of an answer and you hear it. That's all." Kam finally gave up on the water and quickly undressed from her pajamas, climbing into her work out sweats. Still slightly blurry eyed, she brushed her teeth and washed her face, hoping the cold water would wake her up some more. She yawned and opened the door, heading downstairs.
"Good morning, Kotoni," her aunt said from the kitchen. Kam smiled and grumbled a good morning back to her aunt, sitting at the table and staring at the wood. She yawned again, contemplating the consequences of setting her head on the table and falling back asleep. Looking at her aunt, she decided it would be a very bad idea. Her aunt was putting scrambled eggs on a plate. She walked over and set the plate in front of Kam.
"Eat up, dear," her aunt said, smiling sweetly. Kotoni knew better though. That smile said 'eat or I'll shove it down your throat'. Aeyaaka's mother was elderly and gorgeous, but motherly and evil. Her smile always seemed to have a second meaning.
"Thanks Mom! Got to run!" Aeyaaka laughed as she grabbed Kotoni's plate and dashed out the door. "Come on, Kam! If we don't get out on time, Val is going to kill us!" she yelled, sprinting towards the car. Kam growled, jumping up and chasing after her cousin.
"Aeyaaka, I'm hungry!" Kotoni whined, grabbing her backpack and chasing her cousin down the driveway.
"Aeyaaka! You better bring my plate home!" Kotoni's aunt yelled behind them. If there was one thing you didn't want to mess with, it was the dinner set. Her cousin, on the other hand, was foolish and didn't understand she was dealing with a monster. She threw the now empty plate into the lawn, where it landed safely in the grass.
"You ate my food!" Kotoni screamed, speeding up.
-Stay calm,- Artemis said nervously. Kotoni's anger was building. –Kam, it's just food. Really, don't freak.- But she wasn't listening. She cried out and took off at full speed after Aeyaaka, who shrieked and ran as fast as she could. They both left her younger sister in the dust behind them.
Aeyaaka sobbed pathetically as she spotted a blue haired man. It was their friend Jo, waiting to walk with them to school. When she couldn't contain her distraught any longer, she ran ahead and grabbed Jo, burying her head in his chest. "Kam… hit… me….!" She sobbed.
"Yah? And what didj'a do ta deserve it? He asked in his deep Australian accent. He had moved from Australia to Japan three years ago, but had never lost his accent. Embarrassed of how people would stare at him, he would only talk in from of Kotoni and Aeyaaka.
"She stole my breakfast," Kotoni explained, walking past them. "I'm hungry. Training this morning was horrible on an empty stomach. I think Val is out to make it as tough as possible."
"I think ya' should wake up earlier so ya' can eat on time," Jo said, patting Aeyaaka on the top of the head to make her stop crying. Aeyaaka beamed at him. "Now don' go thinking I'm taking yer side, 'ere. You shoulna be stealin yer cousins food," he scolded. Aeyaaka huffed and walked ahead of them both. Kam laughed and started walking side by side with Jo. "So Val is workin ya harder, eh?"
"Yah. She claims she's preparing for something big. I don't know. I think she's insane. She thinks she can see the future," Kam grumbled, straightening her school uniform. Training had gone on much longer than normal, so by the time they had arrived home from the training arena there was almost no time to get ready. She had taken a three minute shower and thrown on her school uniform. "She didn't even let me eat," she complained.
"Well then, lucky for you I have some toast," Jo said, handing her a napkin with two crispy bread slices wrapped inside. This was almost a daily routine for them. Jo always brought something for Kotoni to eat, since Aeyaaka had a habit of eating any breakfast left in her view.
While Kotoni munched on her toast, the three best friends trudged to school, Aeyaaka's little sister following behind like a lost puppy. It was the only school in town, so they all attended together. The school itself only held five hundred and sixty-two students. It was divided differently than most schools, though. There were different wings of the school. One was for the elementary age groups, the second was for the sixth through eighth grade groups, and the last was for the ninth through twelfth grade groups.
And in the high school wing they had one extra class, which currently consisted of only ten students. This class held the best students of the school, regardless of grade. As long as the student was in high school and could pass the test for the class, they were in. Only the elite of the school were allowed in, including the student body.
Kotoni, Aeyaaka, and Jo were all in the class together, but they shared a secret. Like Kotoni, each hosted an angel in them. Kotoni had tested into the class without Artemis's help, but there was no doubt that Aeyaaka had help from her angel, Epitaph. Jo's angel, Hephaestus, claimed Jo did all the work by himself, but even Jo admitted he needed a little help.
"Kam!" a voice cried as they neared the school. Kotoni looked around towards the voice, and at the last minute ducked as an orange haired girl came flying at her. It was Sanka,
the hyperactive ditz that Kotoni couldn't help feeling sorry for. The redhead was a bit naïve to say the least, so Kam had put it on herself to keep Sanka under her wing. She bounced up and clutched Kotoni's arm, smiling widely. "I was so worried you wouldn't make it to school today!" she bawled, allowing her bottom lip to tremble. Aeyaaka instantly felt bad for her, but Kotoni was one of the few who were immune to Sanka's baby-like antics.
"You knew well enough I would be in today," she chided, pulling her arm from Sanka and tufting her hair a bit. Sanka laughed and fixed her hair as they all walked into the school. They headed straight to their classroom, located on the top floor of the school. Of course other students gaped at them. They were looked up to for being the special class. Every student's aspiration was to be the top student. Well, all but one.
Riza Kurohikari stood at the end of the hall, her arms crossed and glaring down at the floor. She didn't mind Aeyaaka, Jo, or Sanka. It was Kotoni she despised. The only reason she was in the special class was to beat her. No one knows for sure when their rivalry began—however, everyone knows that, given the chance, they'd tear each other apart.
As the quartet came closer to the door, a maniacal grin spread across Kotoni's face. Her glare was one that could bring out the fear in even the bravest man. Her friends could see the cogs in her mind spinning as she calculating a plan of attack.
In typical story fashion, the two "frenemies" stood face to face, glaring at each other as much as they could.
"Good morning Minakuya, you're as trashy looking as ever." Riza stated in a deadpanned voice.
"Why thank you Kuro-baka, you're still flat-chested, I see." Kam's smile grew even wider as she brought up her adversary's touchiest subject. She had won with that phrase many of times.
A deep crimson came across the raven-haired girl's cheeks as she crossed her arms even tighter across her chest.
"Don't bring up a thing like that in mixed company [referring to Jo]! It's indecent!"
"Just the way I like it." Kotoni's face beamed in pleasure as she succeeded in harassing the Junior. She was known amongst her peers as having a crude vocabulary. Kam could only relish in the torture she was giving Riza.
In the distance, the bell rang to signal the start of class. With a sigh that could be heard all over the school, students began to trudge into their rooms, preparing for the long day of learning.
When Kotoni and the others, including Riza who was still recovering from the mention of her anatomy, walked into their class, there were three of the remaining five students. There was Rena Usami, a sophmore, whose short wavy locks shone an almost navy color in the light. She had been blind since she was a small child. Unbeknownst to the others, she too had an angel living inside her soul. Her's was Aphrodite, the keeper of the heart. Having her as an angel made it possible for Rena to see the souls of other beings—thus, she could see that all the students that had come into the room had an angel dwelling within them.
Second, was Tôya Hanamichio, a junior along with Riza and Jo. His emerald eyes were the talk of many high school girls that roamed through the halls. His family-life was stable while both of his parents were prominent members of the community. He was one of the popular students, the top of the junior class, and was quite the looker. He was not arrogant, and would often times sit and have lunch with those would were not of the "in-crowd". Many thought his outgoing attitude and kindness was what made him popular. Riza certainly thought so. Her school-girl crush on the teen was another topic that Kam would embarrass her with.
Last of all, there was Yuri Orikuma, a senior like Aeyaaka. He was tall with a trim build. Not nearly the height of Jo. His hair was somewhat unusual for school codes. But it was a simple natural black with deep red tips he had added himself. He was attractive enough to have had several girls profess their over-imaginative love. He, on the other hand was confused. He found our little heroine attractive in some light. This would be unusual because most males ran in fear at the very sight of her. She wasn't thought of in the most "positive light" by the majority of the school due to her overbearing attitude and her habit of beating up whoever crossed her. For some reason, he found it intriguing that she was so forward, considering the home she grew up in was more polite in their criticism. Perhaps it was her ability to speak her mind so freely was what made her appealing. Not that he would ever tell anyone. Heck, he wasn't even sure if it was just curiosity or anything more "infatuating".
As was typical of most days, Tôya would be the one to greet them as Yuri would give an approving nod, Rena reading the brail agenda she carried with her.
Seats were taken as the teacher walked into the room to begin the lesson. His double-chin jiggled as he cleared his throat to call roll.
"Let's see…... Gyaden, Orikuma, Gito, Hanamichio, Kurohikari, Fujiwara, Usami, Minakuya,…. no Ichimoru or Takekurea?"
Kotoni groaned in complaint of the instructor's monotone voice. She hated all that sounded flat. A nudge in the ribs from Aeyaaka made her keep her thoughts to herself.
The door slid open with a rush as two young men tumbled in through. A typical fashion for these two.
"Blast it, you fool! You are such an annoyance! Why can't you let me come to class on my own time?" the short-haired brunette, Nagare Takekurea growled as he slammed his elbow in the gut of his "acquaintance", Kon'nan Ichimoru.
"Hey, relax. I got us here on time didn't I?"
"By nearly throwing us off the side of the road! That is the last time you take me anywhere in a motorized vehicle!"
Nagare, a junior, and Kon'nan, a sophomore, had grown up in the same neighborhood since they were five. Kon'nan would harass him as to make friends and Nagare would push him away, being very nostalgic. The older teen couldn't stand the younger one's guts. Most would call their relationship a "lover's quarrel", but those closest to them considered it some sort of non-related sibling rivalry. Nonetheless, they were always together, much to Nagare's disappointment.
After a deadpanned expression from the teacher and a few mutters of apology, class was ready to begin.
AN:/
Before anyone asks, Nagare and Kon'nan aren't "together" they're just opposites. A fire and ice kind of thing...no yaoi for you!