Chapter 2: Restart
Angels we have heard on high
Sweetly singing o'er the place
And the mountains in reply
Echoing their joyous strains
Gloria~, in excelsis deo
Gloria~, in excelsis deo
"Glooooooria~" I sang quietly as I stood outside my classroom in the halls of True Cross Academy, "In Excelsis Deo."
Today is my first day I start as a High school student at True Cross. When I say my first day, I mean that I've missed a lot of weeks of school. Due to being an exorcist. I had barely graduated this year, and I wanted to move up the ladder as quickly as I could. There was a certain person I wanted to catch up to.
"Alright class," overheard the sensei speak from inside the classroom, "We have a new student transferring in today, please settle down as she introduces herself. Sakurai-san please come in."
Taking a deep breath and exhaling I turned around to face the door, doing a silent prayer. Hoping to have a peaceful high school life. It's not that I wished to enter High school. I thought my life would be fine as long as I became an exorcist and had access to all the knowledge I needed.
"Ah, but in High school there are all sorts of knowledge you can acquire that is not in the world of exorcists," Sir Pheles had once said to me. He would obviously know who I am since I was the second youngest to have ever become an exorcist.
Turning the door handle, I opened in and stepped in the classroom, pulling my bangs slightly over my face, I was incredibly shy when meeting new people.
Everyone in the classroom became instantly silent as I stepped in. I could feel their eyes bearing down at me.
"Gloria, in excelsis deo," I said softly to calm myself down. My mother often said this when she felt stressed about something.
"Ah, Um, please introduce yourself," the Sensei had said, motioning me towards the class. I also noticed him stepping a bit away from me. He looked very pale, I wonder if something was wrong.
"My name is Amaterasu Sakurai," I said bowing my head., because I was so nervous, my voice came off a bit shaky, or maybe croaky, I'm not sure but I noticed more people's faces became pale.
"T-That's a nice name Sakurai-san," sensei said trying to make me feel comfortable, "It's related to Heaven?"
You're a sensei you should easily be able to recognize the meaning of my name in kanji.
"Yes," I said, rising from the bow but my head still facing the floor, my black hair covering most of my face, "It means One who illuminates Heaven."
"More like who illuminates Death," I heard a boy whisper somewhere within the class.
Sighing again I searched around the classroom, it seems that I had scared most of the students with my appearance. I can't blame them, I'm sometimes scared to look in the mirror in the middle of the night.
"Sensei!" a girl had raised her hand, "Why is Sakurai-san wearing the boys uniform?"
"Eh," sensei had answered, sweating slightly, "Uh under certain circumstances Sakurai-san had refused in wearing the girls uniform."
"What's the circumstance?"
"Sensei," I said putting my hand on his shoulder.
"Heeeeee!" the Sensei had squealed jumping from my touch, "Y-yes?"
"My seat," I said, heaving, because I was finding it hard to breath with all this attention, "Please tell me my seat is at the back of the class."
"Hah," Sensei had sweat dropped, pointing to a desk in the middle of the classroom, "Gomen! Your seat isn't in the back!"
Walking towards my seat, my body trembled fiercely. Introductions was finished, what a relief. Although I have a feeling my classmates will be avoiding me from now on. Which is good for me.
Third hour had just ended and I feel like I've ran a marathon. Thank goodness its lunch time now. Back in Cram school I was mostly in a room with hardly any students so that was good for me. But now, I'm in a classroom over twenty people. I think I might die. Although I already look like the walking dead.
"Ame-san you don't have to cover your face completely with your hair," said a familiar voice…it couldn't be!
Looking up to discover who was talking to me I met the face of Okumura-san, Yukio Okumura. I met him a long time ago when I was about eight. We has started the academy. We stuck close because we were the youngest, and both our family was involved with an Abbey.
"Okumura-San what are you doing in my classroom?" I said, moving my hair from my face. That's one perk I love about my hair, I don't have to meet the gazes of people unless I wish of it.
Sighing Okumura-san scratched the back of his head, "We were put in the same class Ame-san, and please you don't have to call me Okumura-san anymore. It would be a problem since my brother attends this school now."
"Really?" I said with what could be mistaken as bored excitement, " I thought you said he wouldn't continue with school once he graduated from Middle School."
"Yeah," Okumura had sighed, sitting on my desk, "But certain things happened and now he's in the cram school, he'll be your student as well."
Strange the way he said that he sounded somewhat sad. Or maybe exhausted. I'm not really good at reading people's emotion.
"Oku-Yukio-san," I corrected my self, "Are you feeling hungry, you don't sound yourself."
"Hah?" Okumura said, facing me with a perplexed look on his face, "I'm fine…I've been have some…food issues lately."
"Food issues?" I said confused.
"Never mind that," Okumura-san said, waving his hand to excuse that topic, "I heard you finally became a Middle First Class Exorcist, congratulations, you finally caught up to me."
"Thank you," I said, feeling my cheeks burning, "I'm still not as skilled as you, I still have a lot to learn."
"Is that so," Okumura-san laughed, "Well you'll have to learn a whole lot because you'll be having to teach my students as well. What area will you be teaching?"
"I'll be teaching Healing exorcisms," I said doodling on a piece of paper, "And basics to hand-to-hand combat."
"That's good to hear," Okumura-san said, "I remember you were hard to pin down when we were studying together."
"Yes, but you still exceeded me," I sighed, tired of the conversation being about me, "Okumura-san if you don't have anything to talk about except for me, then please excuse yourself."
"Ah," Okumura sweat-dropped, "I'm sorry did I make you uncomfortable."
"Yes you did," I said, pulling my hair over my face again.
"Sakurai-san!" called out a group of girls, I'm guessing Fan girls of Okumura's, "Don't speak so rudely to Yukio-Kun!"
Okumura-san getting up from my desk he raised his hands to calm down the girls. They seemed to make him nervous by the way his skin paled at the sight of them. Interesting.
"It's okay girls, me and Sakurai-san go way back so I'm used to her way of talking," Okumura-san said, trying to defend me.
"That's no excuse to speak rudely, if she's known you for so long then she should be more soft with her words. She has to be even more careful with how she speaks." one of the girls said.
Getting up from my chair, I felt as though I needed to apologize to these girls. After all Okumura-san was like an idol to them, so naturally they wouldn't want to protect him. Even though this may have been a misunderstanding. I've always had a trouble with the way I talk. Whenever I try to sound sincere it comes off rude and sarcastic. Its hard putting so much emotions in my words. Yukio came to understand this about me. However, I must try my best to show them my sincerest apologies.
"Gomen nasai," I said flicking my hair away from my face, and showing my nearly black eyes, "I apologize for trampling your insecure feelings for Okumura-san and I wasn't trying to be rude to him, however sneakily choosing my words and just only speaking softly wouldn't truly make me a friend."
"Excuse me?" another of the girls exclaimed.
"I'm sorry did you not hear me?" I replied moving my hair from my face again, "I'm standing right next to you."
"You ugly bitch!" the girl yelled, raising her hand to slap me.
Reading the reaction quick enough I tried to contemplate whether to block the slap or let her hit me. It seemed my apology only went and spited her anger. Even though I was truly being honest and sincere with my apology. After all the Nuns had taught me always mean it whenever I speak. Words are powerful after all. I decided to let the girl slap me, it might be able to prove my sincerity.
Whap!
The girls palm landed on my cheek. My she has really soft and tender hands I barely felt it hit me, my head barely moved. However that didn't stop me from feeling a small sting on my cheek.
Her hand still spread over my cheek. I glared at her, bubbling with determination for my honesty to be seen.
"Y-You freak!" the girl stuttered, backing away from me.
"Women shouldn't speak so crudely I said," letting my hair fall over my eyes, I feelings weren't conveyed.
"S-shut up," the other girls said grimacing at me, "Your eyes totally turned black!"
"Don't be silly, that's impossible," I said, suddenly I felt Okumura pull me away from the girls, walking towards the door.
"Let's get something to eat," Okumura said, pulling me out of the classroom.
"I though you had food issues," I said, allowing him to pull me away.
When we finally got outside Okumura-san had finally let go of my arm, sighing loudly.
"We really need to fix the way you tone your words," Okumura-san said, running his hands through his hair.
"Gomen," I said, the wind blowing my hair from my face, "I truly believed they'd understand. Maybe I'm not meant for High school, maybe home schooling would be better."
"Oi Yukio!" called out a voice from the crowd that gathered at the snack stop.
Okumura-san and I turned to face the direction of the voice. Spotting a boy about the same age as me and Okumura-san, although he was a few inches shorter than us, I could tell he had a strong build. He wore the boys uniform with messy black hair, and a small carrier slung at his back, if I didn't know better it was like he was walking around with a sword.
"Nii-san," Okumura-san smiled, waving to his the boy that approached us.
"This is your twin brother Okumura-san?" I said, looking down on the boy, he seemed different than I remembered, "It's good to see you again Okumura Rin."
"Woah, your friggin huge," the boy said, startled by my height.
"Nii-san," Okumura-san sighed at his brother's words, "This is Amaterasu Sakurai, you should remember she visited us once when we were children."
"Ehh?" Okumura Rin said, scratching his head, "It must have been a really long time ago because I can't remember her."
Sighing at his reply I moved some of my hair to the front of my eyes, and stared at the older Okumura twin.
"Hah!" he exclaimed, "I think I remember you now! Are you the prissy Nun girl?"
"That is correct," I said moving my hair from my face to get a better look at Okumura, "And your growth seemed to have stunted."
"What?" Okumura looked at me confused, "You're just freakishly tall."
"Nii-san please don't take it seriously," Okumura-san said, "Ame-san is just really honest about things."
"Rin who are you talking to?" asked another boy that came forth pointing at me, he was sporting pink hair, dressed in the boy's uniform. Should pink hair be allowed?
"My name is Amaterasu Sakurai, it is interesting to have met you," I said bowing at him.
"Eek," the pink haired boy squealed, "She looks like a ghost walking in broad daylight."
"Excuse my appearance," I said, pulling my hair over my face, "My skin is just extremely pale, and dark eyes do not complement my hair."
More people came to meet the Okumura twins. One blonde girl which I recognized, and a short bald boy, and another boy, taller than me, and he looked very much like a thug, with all those piercing and a chicken like hairstyle.
"Ah this is Suguro Ryuji," Okumura-san said pointing towards the chicken haired boy.
"This is Renzuo Shima," Okumura-san pointed to the pink haired boy, that grinned and saluted me, "And this is Miwa Konekomaru," motioning to the small bald boy.
"Hello," I bowed my head, "My name is Sakurai Amaterasu."
"Ah, Ame-chan, it's nice to see you again," Shiemi said grasping my hand and smiling brightly.
"R-right," I said, feeling my cheeks blush, "It's good to see you as well Moriyama-san."
"Eh, Shiemi you know her?" Rin had asked Shiemi-san.
"Of course," Shiemi said, "Like Yuki-chan, Ame-chan is or was a regular at my family's store."
"Why was she a regular? Only Exorcists are regulars," Rin had said, not understanding the jest.
"I am an Exorcist, well I became a full-fledged one that could accept missions half a year ago, and I became a Middle First Class Exorcist a few weeks after my 16th birthday," I answered him, pulling looking at the ground, and fiddling with my hair.
"So what brings you here to True Cross academy?" Shiemi asked, letting go of my hand.
"Ah yes," Okumura-san intervened into the conversation, "Sakurai-san is going to be your new sensei over basics to hand-to-hand combat, and Healing Exorcisms."
"Do any of you students have an idea what this is," I asked the classroom that consisted mostly of the students I had met earlier and then two others. I was holding up a flask of Holy Water, that had a sticker saying Holy Water on it.
Suguro raised his hand and I pointed at him so he could answer, "We're not that stupid, it says Holy Water right on it."
"Very Good," I said monotonous, "I suppose you know very well what it does?"
"Yeah," Suguro scoffed, "It's meant to purify demons and such."
"Well," I said putting down the flask, "That is somewhat the truth."
"Huh?" Suguro grunted, "How so Sensei?"
"Before Holy Water became a means of purification it was actually a means to prepare for worship," I stated as I started writing down notes on the chalk board, "It would be best that you start taking notes on what I say, I tend to get too deeply on such matters, which would most likely appear on tests."
Looking towards the class everyone had gotten out their notes, that is except for Rin Okumura, who was sleeping with his face directly on the desk he shared with Moriyama-san. I think I will refer him to as Okumura-kun so I will be able to distinguish the two brothers.
"Okumura-kun," I called out to wake him, but he didn't rouse, "Moriyama-san could you shake him awake."
Moriyama had shook him but he wouldn't even flinch from the constant probing. Knowing that if you wanted something done you'd have to do it yourself, I walked over to Okumura and crouched right by the side of his face that rested on the desk.
"Ame-" Moriyama-san tried to speak but I motioned for her to keep quiet.
Going over to my bag I pulled out a small sryinge and placed a tablet into it, drawing in some air into the sryine and then went back to Okumura-kun crouching by his side.
"Okumura-kun," I whispered, pushing the button on the syringe, to release the air towards Okumura-kun, "Please wake up."
Within a few seconds Okumura-kun sprung up from his sleep, coughing and hacking. Deciding that he won't be falling asleep, I walked back to my desk and put the syringe and tablet back in its container.
"Welcome back to reality Okumura-kun, I hope you won't be falling asleep in my class again?" I said pulling my hair from my face and gazing at the rest of the class, "I do not tolerate ignorance in my classroom, and do not try doing such a thing as falling asleep, Okumura-kun served as a good example of the results of meandering during my lessons."
"What the hell was in that syringe!" Okumura-kun exclaimed pinching his nose and pointing to my bag.
Blinking at him, i sighed at his rudeness, this was not part of the lesson afterall, "obviously it was a laughing gas, it's not dangerous or life threatening, but it stings the nose, and is usually used for waking up patients or checking vital signs. it serves good to damaging demon hounds' noses, since they are very sensitive. Though I was borrowing this from Okumura-san."
"You're Friggin crazy that shouldn't be allowed!" Okumura-kun exclaimed.
"And you Okumura-kun are lazy, please do not try to distract my class and other students from learning," I turned around back to my notes, "We are studying the origins of Holy Water, please take out your notebooks and open your textbooks to page 32."
After class I called for Okumura-kun to stay behind.
"I'm sorry for hurting your nose Okumura-kun," I said bowing my head, "However, please do not fall asleep in my class again, or I will have to use other methods of waking you. It is never my intention to anger my students, no matter how insolent they may be."
"Whatever Priss," Okumura-kun said walking out the classroom door, "Just don't cause any more trouble for Yukio, got it, I heard about what happened this morning in class."
"Ah," I blushed, pulling at my bangs, "I must have humiliated those girls."
"I guess," Okumura-kun laughed, "But it sounds like they deserved it."
Then as he said that Okumura-kun left the classroom. He's rather interesting, nothing like his younger brother. Or should it be the other way round? He also has a strange presence surrounding him. It's probably my imagination though.
Later that night, it had been decided that I would be rooming in the abandoned Dorm House that the Okumura twins were currently living in. Rin Okumura at first was unhappy with the decision. He was complaining about him have sleepless nights or something along that line. It was quite offensive what he said, but I decided to ignore him. He would just have to get use to it.
"So how was your first day as Sensei?" Yukio Okumura had asked me, sitting across from me on the dining table. Eating a meal that was similar as mine that was prepared by Ukobach, that cooking demon.
"It faired well, I'm more comfortable teaching than being taught," I sighed continuing with my meal.
"That's just cuz you're probably the gloomy type that is scared to talk to others," Rin Okumura said, sitting next to his brother and already devouring his meal.
"That is actually very true," I answered with ease, "It has become a hassle for me to converse with normal others, so I tend to avoid them on my own will."
"Ha?" Rin had choked by my comeback I believe.
Picking up my tray when I had finished my dinner, I took it over to the sink, which Ukobach had then taken away. Bowing my head I thanked the small demon and went to my room to ready myself for bed.
Suddenly remembering something important I turned around to face Yukio.
"Yukio-san, I just remembered something that I wished to tell you," I spoke, "Would you and your brother care to watch the constellations with me? I hear that a shower will be appearing soon, and what better way to end the day than to watch together?"
Sitting on the roof of the dorm building I zipped the large case I brought with me and set up my telescope and camera. If I were to study the heavens, I would prefer to get a good and perfect look for future analyzing.
"Uh, Ame-san, I thought we were going to stare gaze?" Yukio asked me, his face looking somewhat perplexed.
"We are," I replied, adjusting the camera onto the stand, "I thought I had explained it clear enough for you, however I do not take such satisfaction on ignorance, I would prefer to understand more about what captivates my interest."
Almost as if on cue, numerous beams of light began to fly across the night sky. Each leaving a heavenly trace of bright white light in its wake.
"Ah!" Rin had awed at the sight, "It's like a bunch of falling stars."
Smiling at the comment, I took as much pictures as I could before the stars disappeared. It truly was a beautiful sight. I wonder if heaven's beauty was even more astounding.
After staring at the sky some more and listening to the brothers chat away about their activities for the next day. I started to wonder more about the sky and the connection people tend to give it with angels.
"I wonder if it is possible to grow wings," I whispered stretching my hand towards the night sky, tracing the stars with my pale fingers, "If so I would never come down to earth."
Do angels have wings?
A black star shun in my eyes as I stared, transfixed
If so, why fly down to earth? Wings are for going up higher.
Blinking, it was like it tried to speak to me. Beckoning towards me.
I want to ascend higher.
My soul feeling light.
This natural instinct within my very soul
I want to move
Soar
Into the sky
Beyond the stars
Into your embrace
It's time to be reborn.
That night I had a dream about that black star. I felt like I had known it. As if it were a person, maybe. It was amazing how in shun under the vibrant moonlight. Warming my very essence. It terrified me.
That night as I laid in my bed, after saying my prayers and waiting for sleep to overtake me. An image played in my head. It was a unique sight. A woman. She had the kind of face you couldn't help but stare at. A face that sat between the line of Beautiful and Pretty. It wasn't what you would call a plain face, but a unique beauty.
White flowing hair graced her entire body, naked and pure. The supposed white of her eyes were black. And her skin was as white as the moon. For a moment I thought she was an angel. But again I knew she weren't. The way she stared into me was nothing that resembled heaven.
As sleep finally overcame me, and the vision fell. I gave a shaky breath and closed my eyes.
Soar too high, thou shall fall.
Wooooo! Finally I posted it! I won't be able to update my stories for maybe another week! My laptop is really messed up right now, and I so don't want to buy a new one! I'm kinda like a cheapo! So anyway please leave a review! Tell me what you think so far! Excuse me if there were any grammar or spelling errors! I still have a lot of improving to do with my writing/typing skills! :D
Anywho, I'm not sure if I want to turn this into a slight romance. YukioXOc maybe? I dunno. Rin has shiemi and I am not gonna bother with that. although he is my favorite. Anyway pls review! and I'll update! Keep reading and supporting this story! We're onto a good start!
Oh yeah! The origin of the laughing gas syringe thing was actually when I took an EMT (emergency medical technician) course in highschool. Our teacher was a complete wacko! If we fell asleep in class he'd pull a stunt like that on ya. It didn't matter how much you covered your face, then smell was super strong when close to you. it wasn't smelly but like it stung! Then one semester later he had us giving each other shots for practice! crazee!
Lol. Toodle Loo. See ya next chappie.