Chapter 4: Aspen Tree
Aspen Tree
Lamentation
"...sorry I took so long, Mom." Issei smiled as he plopped down to the bedside chair. He gently grasped his mother's hand. "You know? Remember my substitute homeroom teacher? He gives me extra assignment to tutor Yamazaki—just because I happens to have the highest grades! I mean, I'm not cut out to be tutor. What was he thinking? Yet for some reason Yamazaki listen to my instruction and asked if I can tutor him again, it was like, what the heck?!"
It was a habit Issei developed since his mother fall into comatose. He would always sat by her side until visitor hour is over, ranting what happens in his days as if his mother heard those all and responding, even if it was just "Uh-huh." "Okay" "Continue" and other simple reply.
"...and it goes out of hand. Remember Sayuki? She asked me for advice for talking with his dad—who is very busy to the point two notch away from karoshi! Advice! What am I? Counselor?"
It wasn't healthy, the doctor know. Itou-san know. Heck, even Issei knew it wasn't healthy. But he prefer to paid ignorance and pretending. Just to make sure he had one normalcy in his fucked up family situation. He always like talking about his days to his parents.
It also serve as coping mechanism and self-therapy, since he was clammed shut when asked by psychiatrist.
"And Kiyoshi said I should try for Class Rep next year! What the? Class rep? No way! I'm not dealing with the headache! My class is crazy animals when it was lunch time or free period! Pardon the language but it was true. There was screaming, chasing around like in cartoon, and so on and so on. No way I'm dealing with that and being paper pusher! I have my own life, thank you!"
He didn't trust these guys. Nu-uh. Not gonna happens.
"And Kamino-sensei was like, 'sure, why not? He got the right aura' That jerk! He got it easy! Matsuyoshi-teme listen to him, he is a teacher! Threatening via bad grades or extra homework and he will shut up. Sensei is jerk most of time but he is scary! There's one time Teme's father come to the school to complain, just because Matsuyoshi-teme cry like baby, and sensei shut that guy with looks only! Like in the anime! He was so cool back then... but still a jerk!" Issei puffed his cheek.
His mother stay silent. Sleeping, dreaming whatever dream she currently trapped in.
"I know mom... I know. It wasn't good thing to judge people harshly just because I didn't like them. They had their own reason... I know. But... but sensei... it was like if I had feathers or fur, he ruffles it the wrong way simply just by being near me. I don't know why but I can't help but distrust him. He was weird, you know? His smile did not reach his eyes."
"Oh right, speak of eyes, was Gold is possible eye color in real world? I never saw them before. People here had black or brown... or blue in case of Kayano but she was half-American and her mom did have blue eyes. What does that make Iri-kun then? He had purple eyes... yet his father had black eyes and his mother had dark brown. Where the heck he did got that from? His grandparents?"
That, baffles Issei the most because so far, Iri-kun aside, he never see someone born with natural violet eyes, no contact lenses or underwent eyes transplantation.
"Sensei's eyes also glowed red for a second, I swear! Human's eyes can't glow, can they? And if they can why red? Why not gold too? That was sooo confusing. And his cat smile! Ugh, I swear he was playing games and waiting for me to snap! Well, if that's his game he gotta wait cuz I'm tough boy, right mom? I'm strong boy, am I?"
Issei smiled, but he felt like a fraud because he wasn't strong.
He was weak, pathetic, crybaby and on the top of it all, a coward.
If he was strong, why he ran away that night instead staying and helped his mom? Why didn't he snatch the phone from the table and call police? It was wireless phone! Why he just hide and cover his ears, averted his eyes? Why he didn't stall time?
Why he run away?
Why he refused to be class reps? He can contain his classmates, he knew it. He become calmer and more reasonable, he sure can find a way to break a fight if things come to the worst. He was just searching excuse. A coward through and through.
Why he was unable to see his face in the mirror? Why he would averted his eyes from his reflection? Shame? Guilt?
...or scared that the face that looked back wouldn't be his? For most o the time he feel that he was not Hyoudou Issei anymore, but someone different.
Here, he talked animatedly and being chatter box like usual. His emotions runs wild as he complains and singing praise about his day. If he's angry he will either spewing curse or stand up and pacing, or even kicked the wall and almost broke his toe. He cries if he think the mental strain and/or the loneliness was too much for him to take.
Yet at outside of this room, to other people, he keep himself composed. Calm, cool headed, attentive, and make sure he triple checked everything before doing something. Easily quench his anger when his usual bullies cornered him, and make mean boys older than him go home bawling with well placed barbs and snark. Never cry no matter how much he want.
It was as if he had split personality disorder.
...perhaps he did have one? He keep having Blank Memories time, and tends to wake up wearing different clothes than the one he went "sleeping" with.
'Whoever you are, can you hear me?'
No reply. Issei sighed. Of course. How stupid he is, thinking he had alter ego, one that would nice enough to talk and explain things to him.
In civil manner.
God, this thought make his head hurt like hell! He barely can think straight as it was now before his mind shifted to something else! Ugh... his life, why? What he did in his life to earn this karma? A damn rapist? Or killing a God?
"Hyoudou Issei-san, the visiting time is over?"
"Eh? It is?" Issei blinked in surprise. He looked at the clock. Wow, how fast the time fly by. Before he knew it it was night already... and he skipped dinner. Again. Ugh. His mother is soooo gonna chew him out if she knew. "Okay then... I'll return tomorrow.
With great reluctance, he left the hospital building. Passing by few doctors and nurses who give him a node of encouraging. He had been here everyday that the ones assigned to take care of his mother practically knew him by name and vice versa. While he was happy he wasn't completely alone, and Itou-san checked him up every week to make sure he was alright, he still wished his mom would wake up already.
"Hey kids." A man greeted Issei as soon as he arrived in the nearby crossroad. "Look... I'm... I'm new here, and I kinda lost. Think you can help me?"
"...sure."
Issei was too tired to notice that an adult asking a child for a direction was NOT normal.
"I was on my way to Library, but I get lost. The traffic here is confusing. Do you know which way to Library?"
Issei raised an eyebrow and can't hold back from launching sassy comments. "...wow. Are you stupid or are you can't read kanji? There's road signs to Kuoh Library. It wasn't far from here, in fact."
"Just show me the way, dammit."
"Alright, alright. Here. Take straight road this way for ten minutes. Then you turn to the left and walk straight for twenty minutes. You will see big rectangular building with big kanji for Library. There was it. You have to go across the road, though."
The man grinned. "Thanks kid, you are my savior."
"It wasn't that big dea—"
Issei felt something soft and wet pressed against his mouth, and he inhale something that smelled sweet. Last thing he saw before the darkness claims him, was a wicked smile that borderline sneer.
Oh. Apparently I get kidnapped. Hey, hey, my Alter Ego. Think you can take over?
"Hyoudou Issei?"
No answer. Hoshi looked up from the name list and see that one seat next to the window was empty. Its owner was nowhere in sight.
"...does he overslept? Or sick?" The man asked. As one, the students looked at each other before either shrugged their shoulders, or shook their head.
"No one saw him since last Friday, sensei." That half American girl replied. Hoshi nodded and went on. One absent student does not stop him from teaching... yet he can't help but the situation in the class become... odd, to say.
Before, there was an air of easy going in the class. Sure, there were some issues here and there, but none of them are as pallable as this one. This class had semblance of order that keep it going on no matter what happens. Now? Now there was air of uneasiness hanging above their head. And he can see two of troublemaker were glaring each other like alpha mutt getting into a cockfight, except with less biting and clawing. Only glaring.
During lunch hour a fight almost broke out if he didn't quickly interfere and threatens them with detention to the kingdom come.
By end of the day, Hoshi didn't bother with walking home. He just find a secluded spot to teleported to an apartment he rented out for the whole mission's duration, and immediately crashing to the couch.
Why that damned class suddenly become unbearable? Other class wasn't as bad as this one.
Wait, they are. All of them are filled with terrible, terrible monster in form of 9-10 years old children who are screaming like banshee, annoying each other, and generally become nuisance on top of trying to give him white hair. The thing was, when Hyoudou was here, his damned hellhole was actually bearable.
Was his presence alone made the little shits actually bearable?
Summoning a paper, he write down his theories about Hyoudou Issei's Sacred Gear.
Name: [Unknown]
User: Hyoudou Issei
Type: [Unknown—possibly emitter/mental type]
Level: Possibly Rare
Form: [Unknown]
Status: Passive
Effect:
An Aura that gives feeling of calmness and harmony. Did not conceal or prevent any issues or conflict, but manage to tone it down to reasonable (non-annoying) level and actually stop these brats from screaming like bloody banshee (it might also because he personally stepped in). Possibly also drawing people in, as the user have been seen attracting people like ants to sugar. Whether it was fellow brats, or teachers, or bullies.
Ability to discern truth from lies, and detecting ill intent to oneself. The kid instantly know when I'm lying, and seems to always know when I messing up with him. Also, eyes sometimes flashed orange. Possible temporary mutation? Warning of Sacred Gear Activated unconsciously? A Warning? Balance Breaker? Too much unknown factor. Need more information.
Downsides: Constant headache and paranoia. Possible result of Intuition going haywire. Inability to be left alone unless extreme method is taken.
Threat Level: High
Hoshi re-read it once again, before sighed and stored away the paper in Storage Spell. He's going to added more information once he get the bottom of this puzzle.
Hyoudou Issei... his Sacred Gear is very unique. He had never hear this kind of effect before. Normally Sacred Gear is either defense or attack type with very rare support type. And the Support Type usually are either healing, or something that play with enemies' attack or absorbing enemy's power in case of Divide Diving.
Yet Hyoudou's was one that affected people around him. That, was something to not be underestimate. Hoshi would be lying if he said he didn't get affected. He had notice that he become more pleasant or less bitchy when Hyoudou was around... and his antics had gone from cruel to mere annoying teasings or plain petty. He also felt like being pulled to his orbit.
And more often than not, he did stay in close proximity with the brat whenever it was possible.
To think Sacred Gear on its Passive state can affect someone on his caliber... good thing it was him who dispatched to this school. Imagine what would happen if a lesser Fallen was the one sent instead. One way or another, Fallen Angel Faction will lose at least one member.
The closest Sacred Gear to this description was Sephiroth Graal, but if it was the case, Hoshi would know it the second he stepped in into the class. Such powerful Sacred Gear made using the Holy Grail would be registered as a damn Sun to his senses... even if it was passive.
Azazel also had notes that's saying the previous Users of Sephiroth Graal tends to hallucinating at best or outright insane at worst. All no thanks to the mental strain the said Sacred Gear tends to give, being able to talk with the dead and stuff. Hyoudou, meanwhile, was very sane if you exclude his newfound paranoia.
Perhaps it was a family magic or result of an ritual? Something that gave him long-lasting charisma? That could be it. No kid have that level of charisma, even the prodigy. It also would explain about burning-eyed Guardian of Hyoudou Family. If he was a magician then he must be summoned the Guardian while on death's door. It might be true. While his paternal line was a merchant one, Shinto/Buddhist worshiper notwithstanding, his maternal grandmother was an Italian. That, might be the lead he need.
*growl*
Hoshi snapped up from his musing and saw one of his familiar arrived. The canine hold a scroll in its mouth.
"What do you find, boy?" He took the scroll and unfurled it. Tapping the symbol on the paper to activate the recording spell, which writes down everything it had seen and heard. His eyebrows raised.
"Someone take notice of my little stunt? And connected it to him since he was the only survivor?" He asked in surprise. "He does related to that, but not the way they think. Even more they decide to kidnap him and use him as leverage for me? The hell?"
He knew Hyoudou had a hand in how the killing slash kidnapping attempts failed, and why his was the only one survive albeit with heavy price to paid. But Hoshi's stunt to get that damned gun? Hell no. That was two different cases.
Yet those idiot humans mixed them up. Was their brain only consist of single cell?
"Human's stupidity knows no limits." He grumbled in annoyance. "Come on boy. You better have empty stomach cause you'll have a feast soon. Yes boy. Lots of meal." Good thing this one acquired taste of human's meat after biting Exorcist one too many times. "That brat is lucky he is interesting or I'll just wait until someone find his frigging corpse and raise commotion."
TBC