Darkness That Loves

Ch. 2by: Alex Mongiat

"WHAT!?!?" I exclaimed. Shirogane flinched slightly, a sheepish smile on his face. I looked at his chest. I reached my index finger out slowly and poked him, looking in confusion when my finger didn't go through him.

"If you're a ghost, then how can I touch you?" I asked. He blinked.

"Well, because I'm the basic equivalent of a ghost, but technically, I'm not. I'm a shadow, or a shin. Here, I'll explain it to you." So, he explained about the shadow world, filled with other shin and kokuchi, and a few details he didn't indulge in I wondered about, but I didn't butt in. He also explained why he was tangible to only people who could see him. After he finished, I nodded.

"So, my brother was involved in all of this, even became a shin himself? That sounds like a lot of hard work. So, he signed a contract with you so he wouldn't disappear, he became a king of the Rei, and died trying to defeat this Homurabi guy. Wow, and I thought he was lazy…I guess I was wrong. He really changed when I wasn't there." I smiled, and a bitter twist showed on the edges. Kengo piped up.

"Well, he had to grow up, didn't he?" I nodded.

"Yeah, just like I had to. I mean, I used to be a Yankee (sp?). I taught him to fight." Kengo looked a little scared again. I grinned at him, and he shrank behind Kou-nii.

"You're kinda scary." He stated, and I laughed.

"You think I'm scary now? If I'm angry, well, let's just say Aya's wrath would feel like falling in a bed of pillows." He shrank back even more, and Kou-nii and I shared a wink.

Master and Shirogane seemed to be speaking about something important when I looked at them. When Master said something, though, Shirogane's aura seemed to change, and his whispers became clipped and formal. Master stayed calm, though, whispering softly and reassuringly. They both turned to looked at me.

"Mizuki-san, I'd like you to consider becoming a shin. If Akira was one, I'm sure you can be, considering you can see Shirogane." I looked in surprise.

"You want me…to take Akira's place? I may be able to fight and see shin, but I can never replace my brother." The look on my face mirrored Shirogane's, which explained why he was angry. Master looked exasperated.

"I never said you had to. I'm just asking you to help Shirogane. He can't beat Homurabi by himself. You seem to be the only one that can help him." Master looked pleading. I looked over at Shirogane.

"I don't have problem with it, but do you, Shirogane? I won't if you don't want me to." He looked at me, visibly struggling for an answer.

"I….well….I….sigh.…I want you to help me, please." he finally said after minutes of inner fighting. I nodded.

"Okay, then I'll do it. So, how exactly do you sign this contract?" Shirogane's eyes widened suddenly. I looked at him oddly.

"What's wrong? Do I have to strip to do this or something?" I asked half jokingly. He shook his head and, much to my surprise, blushed a light shade of pink and shifted his eyes away.

"N-no, I just…realized that I have to do this…exactly like last time…in order for this to work properly." he stuttered out. I looked at him in shock.

"What, did you do the nasty with him or something???" I exclaimed, and he shook his head vigorously, his face turning a darker shade of red.

"No, no! I…in order for the contract to seal…I…have to…well, kiss you." he whispered the last part, but I still heard it.

"Are you serious??? I don't even know you!"

"I know."

"You really have to kiss me???"

"Yes."

"Oh, come on!"

"I know."

"Ugh….let's just hurry and get it over with, okay?"

"Yes." His walking cane suddenly hit the floor, and it cracked, giving way slightly to the cane. Black water surrounded me, pulling me off the ground.

"Open…seed sleeping inside…I am the shadow of all things in this universe. I am the tuner of heaven and Earth…black flame blowing from that place. Engrave the seal of darkness…here."

Both of our eyes widened as we felt a sudden, undeniable desire, and his lips suddenly crushed mine as my hair darkened to brown, and my dark grey eyes turned to emerald green. My clothes became similar to a kimono, rich with greens and golds, and green ribbons tied my hair into pigtails. My hair itself actually grew from right above the shoulders to two inches below the shoulders. I shut my eyes tightly as a bright light and a flourish of wind flew up from the ground and blinded me. I suddenly felt my body being fed pure power, unlike anything I ever felt before, and for a moment, I was looking at myself, and my new green eyes flashed red for a moment, my hair also flashing from brown to black in that same moment, and then I was standing by myself, holding a sword with a blood red flame as the blade, and Shirogane had stepped away. Everyone seemed to be assessing me, and Kou-nii was the first to say anything.

"Ah, Mizuki, you look even better than before! How our love will grow now!" he exclaimed as he fell to his knees and hugged me, nuzzling my stomach. I grimaced and peeled him off.

"I haven't been myself in a while…but, as of now….I'm going to kick your ass!!!" Kou-nii became white as a sheet and ran out of the door, seemingly all the way home, and my face became neutral once again. "Well, that took care of him." Shirogane blinked, and then cracked a small smile.

"You are quite smart, Mizuki-san." He stated, and I waved my index finger at him negatively.

"Please don't use honorifics. It makes me feel way too weird." He just shrugged. Suddenly, a dark aura filled the room, and a familiar, rough and evil voice droned out.

"Ah, Shirogane, it looks like you have a new toy. Mind if I play with it?"

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Mizuki: Hey guys, just lettin' ya know, that name you saw on the last chapter isn't mine, that person just drafted this idea for me, and I forgot to erase the name when I took over the story. This story idea was mine, she was just going to write it for me, but I found out she was going to steal it, so there.

Shirogane: Well, this chapter was really weird! You made me kiss a girl! And she was also not Akira-kun!

Akira: Who said I would let you kiss me!

Shirogane: *grins perversely.* You wanted much more than that last night.

Mizuki: O.o

Akira: O/////O! No I didn't!

Mizuki: I'm going to investigate this, you guys stay tuned for the next chapter, k?

Guess who walked in that door? It's easy, but I still won't say for retarded reasons. Well. Let's just say things get ugly when Mizuki comes face to face with Shirogane's ultimate skeleton in his closet. Stay tuned for chapter three: Rise of Darkness!