The Wishmaker Project

The Wishmaker Project

Chapter 3

School Days: The Kidnapping of an Idol!

Disclaimer: I do not own the idea for Konjiki no Gash Bell, or the characters involved in this fanfiction. I just toy with them.

A/N: Because I'd prefer not to have Japanese words here, other then the spells, I'm not going to refer use the English versions of the respective terms. I.e., Takamine-kun will be Mr. Takamine. Megumi-chan/san will be Miss Megumi, etcetera. It'll be a bit weird, but I'd prefer it that way.

(--)

It was Monday again. Monday could mean only one thing in the life of teenagers, and that was school. Both Kiyomaro and Megumi were supposed to return to school Monday morning, Megumi to her prestigious private school and Kiyomaro to Mochinoki Public High School. But of course, with neither of them in their real bodies, it was a bit of an issue.

And that is a major understatement.

Kiyomaro Takamine spend the majority of the morning teaching Gash how to tie a tie, as well as actual shoelaces. As long as everything remained in place, there would be no problem, but then came the issue of classroom etiquette. Raising your hand before speaking, referring to your superiors respectfully, and most of all, completing the work assigned to you. Because they never sent Gash to school, it was a strange concept for the boy.

"Just don't talk," Kiyomaro said, as he pulled the green gym bag from under his bed. "If they say anything to you, I'll cover. Just do what I say,"

"What are you talking about, Kiyomaro?" Gash asked, looking down at his partner. He tugged absently at the tie, trying to loosen it. "You're not coming with me,"

At that, Kiyomaro's expression changed. It went from shocked, to completely amused. "Very funny, Gash." He said. He slipped into it, leaving Gash's normal mantle on. He even made sure that the small backpack with the spell book would fit in there with him. He felt safer carrying it around then leaving it in Gash's possession.

"What's funny?" Gash asked. He stood, testing the weight of the book bag in his hands. "I'm being completely serious," Completely serious copper eyes looked down at Kiyomaro, and the blonde boy tilted his head slightly.

"Stop fooling around." He said. "Gash, you can't do this without me there!" Gash merely turned, walking away.

"Watch me," He said. He flashed a smile at Kiyomaro, a strangely knowing smile, and then, opened the door and left.

Kiyomaro stood where he was, one arm halfway through its armhole of the bag costume. Gash couldn't be serious. Kiyomaro wouldn't allow it. But still, he could do nothing but watch as his body exited the room and the sound of the front door slamming shut reached his ears.

"Gash!" Kiyomaro called when his voice reached him. He started to run forward, but tripped on a bag strap and fell flat on his face. He remained on the floor for several moments, frustrated. So this is how the boy felt every time Kiyomaro refused to let him follow. He was starting to feel guilty.

(--)

Tio, however, had a bit of an easier time, however, she was a bit uncomfortable with the concept of wearing a skirt that didn't extend down to her ankles. The school uniform was only knee length. Megumi quickly ran through the usual school routine: enter classroom A-34, take the seat in the third row, fifth from the front, and get ready to take notes. Don't speak unless spoken to, and if possible. She knew that she couldn't go with the girl, but she trusted her enough.

"And one more thing," Megumi said, looking up at her partner. Was that really what she looked like in a school uniform? It was nothing like her usual attire. She shook the thought form her mind as she continued. "If any fans come after you, you have to get away."

"Megumi, who's the one who's always telling you this?" Tio asked, shifting the black book bag from hand to hand. The spell book, several school supplies, and a cell phone were neatly stacked within it, She held it firmly in her right and then tugged at the skirt self consciously.

"Stop doing that. It's fine," Megumi scolded. Then, her expression softened. The girl had a point. Tio was like her manager; a younger sister always looking out for her. She knew what was what in Megumi's world. With a sigh, Megumi looked at the pink watch on her wrist.

"Oh, you're going to be late!" She said. "Remember, don't lose your temper. At school, I'm a pretty passive person. People like to talk, but just don't let it bother you, ok?" She started to shove Tio toward the door.

"Talk? What do you mean?" Tio asked. Megumi stopped briefly, her eyes downcast.

"Don't worry about it." She said. She proceeded to push Tio down the hallway and toward the front door of the large house. "Just go! Hurry!"

"Alright, alright," Tio said. She took a deep breath and then ran out the door. Megumi watched her, her hands clasped tightly in front of her and held to her chin.

"Please," Megumi prayed quietly, watching Tio enter the back seat of the car. "Please, let her do this right." She stopped, taking a moment to laugh, and then added, "Please let me do this right," She closed her eyes, letting the wish sink in, then took a deep breath and exited the house.

(--)

Gash Bell walked patiently down the street toward Mochinoki High School with one thought running through his head. He repeated the words of this thought over and over again, just to make sure he didn't forget.

I am Kiyomaro Takamine.

It wouldn't be that hard, he decided as he walked. After all, he'd seen Kiyomaro at school. Talk with the friends, answer some complicated math question, it wouldn't be a problem.

But then again, Gash was a dropout, even in the Demon World. He rubbed his temples, then pushed the thought out of his head. No! I'm not Gash! I'm Kiyomaro! Just believe that and you can do anything!

"Mr. Takamine!" A familiar voice called from behind. Gash stopped instantly. He recognized that voice, even without having to see the face. He smiled broadly and turned around to see Suzume Mizuno rushing toward him.

"Good morning, Su─" He stopped. What did Kiyomaro call her? Oh! Right! "Mizuno," He corrected quickly.

"Good morning, Mr. Takamine," She said, her usual smile plastered on her round face. "You're early today. Normally I meet you back there," She released her book bag with one hand and pointed the direction she had come from.

"Oh, sorry, Mizuno," Gash said. "I just wanted to get to school early today."

Suzume's smile widened, if possible, and she fell into step beside Gash, standing close. "Well, that's good then," She decided. "Better to be early then to not be at all, right?"

Gash smiled. "Yup. Exactly." He said with a ring that was uncharacteristic of Kiyomaro. Suzume looked at him, an expression that was mildly serious.

"You seem strange today, Mr. Takamine," She said. She spun slightly and fell into step in front of him, walking backwards to examine him. "I don't know what it is, but there's something different about you today,"

Gash stiffened slightly, then relaxed. Kiyomaro wouldn't get nervous about something like this. But does she know. He tried his best to remain calm, but couldn't help the nervousness from creeping into his voice. "D-different?"

"Yeah," Suzume continued. She leaned forward slightly to get a better look at his face when her foot caught on a large crack in the sidewalk. She lost her footing and with a cry, fell back, her book bag flying from her hand as she tried to regain her balance.

"Miss Suzume!" Gash exclaimed on pure impulse. He caught the bag as it fell, then dropped it and his own as he stepped forward to catch her. His wand closed tightly around her arm and he stepped forward for leverage.

In the end, he lost his balance, and they both fell, Suzume on her behind and Gash on his knees beside her. They both remained where they were for a moment, Gash rubbing his knees absently and Suzume still watching him closely.

"Its your eyes," She said carefully. Gash reached for the book bags, which were close by, and had picked them up when she spoke. He looked at her, confused.

"Eyes?" He asked. He had an intense urge to find a way to look at them, to see what Suzume was seeing, but resisted it. There was nothing around to see.

"Yeah," Suzume continued. "They're not as intense. They're carefree, like when we were kids. You look… happy," she concluded.

Gash's eyed widened the slightest bit. Wasn't Kiyomaro usually happy? Then again, for as long as he'd known his partner, he always had some distant look in his eyes. The look of someone who had seen a lot, who was used to being alone. Gash could sympathize with that, and thus was able to notice. So Suzume cared enough to see it too? Or was she just like them?

Gash smiled and his expression softened as he held out Suzume's bag. "That's because I am happy, Miss Suzume," He said. He waited until she took it before standing and holding out a hand to help her.

She smiled in return and took it, allowing him to pull her up. She released it and looked at him for several more moments.

"Mr. Takamine," She said carefully. Her face was a bit red, and she looked embarrassed.

"Yeah?" Gash asked in response. He was a little confused once again. Why did she look like that? Was she sick or something?"

"You… called me by my first name," She said. Gash stiffened again. Ah! Mistake!

"I-I did?" He asked. "I guess I didn't notice!" It was a ridiculously careless mistake. "Well, let's go, Mizuno! We don't want to be late!"

A small falter in her expression, then, a nod with a slight 'yes'. Then the two continued onward to school.

(--)

The car ride itself was nerve wrecking. Tio could only imagine what it would be like when she actually arrived at the large school. She took several deep breaths, and had to calm herself more then once on the way there, much to the confusion of her driver. On several occasions, the man asked if she wanted to stop, to which she replied a polite 'no thank you'.

She had to be Megumi today. She just had to get this right.

"Miss Megumi, we're here," The driver said. Tio felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter wildly and had the sudden urge to vomit. She took another deep breath and smiled.

"Thank you," She said as calmly as she could.

"I'll be here to pick you up at three fifteen exactly," He continued.

"Alright, thank you," She said again. "See you then," With that, she exited the car.

Tio was completely thrown off guard by the cameras, questions, and microphones, all thrown at her at once. This was Megumi's school? She felt herself getting dizzy and agitated and rushed through the school gates. She didn't stop until she reached the stairs leading up to the main building, at which point she had to catch her breath.

Almost immediately, a different feeling struck Tio. It wasn't a feeling of suffocation that she had just felt. It was the feeling that she was being watched; stared at. She stood straight and looked around.

The majority of the girls at the school were looking at her with looks of distaste. She heard a few whispers, a few laughs, and a few grunts of disgust. It took her a few moments to realize they were all talking about her.

So this is what Megumi meant when she said 'people like to talk'. They were talking about her, and not nice things either. She gathered herself up and ascended the stairs, her eyes directed straight forward as she held her book bag in front of her to cover the skirt.

"She thinks she's so cool, just because she's an idol,"

"She doesn't fit in here,"

"Megumi, can I have your autograph?"

"Look, it's Ooumi Megumi!"

All spoken with mocking or disgusted tones. Tio stopped at the top of the stairs, her fists clenching tightly around the handle of her book bag. So this was what Megumi had to put up with at school? It was a wonder she decided to come.

Just don't say anything, Tio. Megumi wouldn't. She took a deep breath and held it for several moments, swallowing her anger, then, when she felt certain she was calm, she continued forward into the school.

(--)

How the hell does Gash walk in this? Kiyomaro asked himself as he walked, no, waddled through the front entrance of Mochinoki High. The Gym Bag disguise was practically impossible to maneuver in, yet Gash could do it on a daily basis without a problem. The boy was truly remarkable.

Kiyomaro was tempted, more then once, to just throw the damn thing away. But he needed it. How was he going to get to Gash without a disguise? He had to swallow al of his pride, just to walk down the street in this thing. It helped to know that he wasn't in his own body, and he wasn't humiliating himself, but still.

He walked toward the front door and slipped in, instantly running across the tile floor and hiding in a small alcove leading to the bathrooms.

Alright, I'm in. He thought to himself proudly. Now, I just have to get to the classroom without getting caught.

A blonde head poked out into the hallway and looked down. It was deserted enough. And if he had to, he could retreat into the gym bag. With a deep breath, he stepped out of his hiding place and walked toward the stairs.

Climbing them in the costume was nearly impossible. Kiyomaro had to crawl up, just to make sure he didn't fall, and even then, he'd lost his footing twice. But once he reached the top, he was safe. It was good his homeroom was only on floor up rather then the maximum of four. It would be impossible for him to climb up that high, especially with this attire.

Kiyomaro walked calmly into the hallway and stopped dead at what he saw. A teacher was walking toward the stairs. Kiyomaro felt himself starting to panic. If he got caught now, all of this would be for nothing. He looked left and right for a place to hide, and when he found none, he pulled his arms and legs into the bag, and finally his head, and zipped it up from the inside.

He remained completely silent as the footsteps approached, then stopped beside him.

"A gym bag?" The teacher questioned. He felt a foot lightly jab at his ribs and resisted the urge to squirm away from it. Please, please, just leave. Leave it alone and walk away.

But it seemed the gods weren't in his favor. He felt a sudden tug, and then he was pulled off the ground. No, no, no! He complained. He willed himself to keep from moving.

"Damn it, what the hell's in this bag? It weighs a ton!" Kiyomaro heard the teacher say. He felt the pull of the straps being held vanish, then the sinking feeling of falling. It wasn't long, but being crouched in the bag, it hurt. He heard his knees smack against the ground and bit his lip. Damn idiot! Even I can hold this bag easily.

Then, the sound of a zipper. His eyes widened and before any plan could reach him, he grasped the zipper from the inside and held it. The teacher struggled to pull it open, pulling against Kiyomaro's grip. "Jammed," He decided. He released the zipper and Kiyomaro heaved a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, just leave," Kiyomaro whispered in a barely audible voice. His prayers were answered. He heard footsteps again, this time getting farther, and that was when he knew the man was gone. He carefully unzipped his compartment and peeked out. The hallway was empty. As quickly as he could, he slipped his arms and legs out and ran down the hall toward his classroom. "So this is what Gash has to go through when he comes here?" Kiyomaro asked himself. He had to admit, the kid was a trooper.

(--)

Megumi was bored. She truly expected being a kid again to be fun at least, but that didn't seem to be the case. With no one to have fun with, it was boring as sitting in class all day. Then again, it was nice to be able to walk around without worrying about the paparazzi attacking.

She only wished she would have had the sense to bring some money. If being a kid wasn't fun, walking around a shopping center was a complete bore without some money to spend. And then there was the constant nagging from adults, asking where her parents were and where she was supposed to be. How annoying.

She was about to enter a magazine store when a hand grasped her shoulder lightly. She turned around, forgetting how short she actually was once again, and looked at a pair of dark blue jeans tucked into black boots. "Excuse me, little girl, but where are your parents?"

Megumi rolled her eyes. Here was another one. She looked up at the man and crossed her arms, moving back.

"They're not here," She said. The man was tall, with a black shirt and a cigarette between his lips. His eyes were blue, his hair blonde, and Megumi noticed with distaste that he reeked of cigarettes.

"You know, it isn't safe to walk around without your parents. Especially at your age," He took her arm and started to pull her away.

"Hey, let go of me!" Megumi complained. "Mister, I'm fine. I can take care of myself. Let me go!"

The man didn't release her, but instead tugged her harder, forcing her to fall into step with him. "I said let go!" Megumi snarled. She kicked the man's shins as hard as she could and he released her with a grunt. She turned and started to run when a boy appeared in front of her, much taller then herself. His hair was white, his eyes turquoise. Megumi got a sickening feeling as she looked at him.

"You're not going anywhere, Demon," The boy said. Megumi's eyes widened with fear and she found herself unable to move.

What? A Demon? She asked herself. From behind her, she heard the metallic sound of a glowing spell book, flowing with energy, and from the corner of her eye saw the teal light.

"Jikiru!" The book owner yelled. Megumi found her footing at that moment and turned to run as a gust of wind was sent in her direction.

Before she could even get a few steps away, it hit her back, knocking her off her feet with a cry. It hurt more then she would have imagined, even in a Demon's body. Was this what Tio went through during their battles? She found herself paralyzed on the ground for several moments, tears streaming from her eyes,

"You seem to be close friends with the Demon, Gash Bell," The man with the book said. "I'm sure once we have you and that idol girl, they'll come running to your rescue,"

A foot connected with the back of her head and the world went black.

(--)

Gash looked boredly at the chalkboard from his seat beside the window, his chin resting lightly in his palm. He had a pen out, though it was pretty useless, seeing as he couldn't write well, nor could he really read too fluently. All he had to do was act the part of boring, no fun Kiyomaro at school. He was actually starting to feel sleepy…

His eyes began to close when he felt something nudge against his foot. They opened wide and he looked down, his eyes falling upon a green gym bag. That looks strangely familiar… He found himself thinking. He stared at it for several moments, trying to figure out where he'd seen it. Oh, that's right! That's mine! But I don't remember bringing that with me…

Then, the zipper started to open, and he caught sight of a flash of a golden eye. "Kiyomaro?" He asked, surprised. "Wow, you actually made it!"

"Mr. Takamine!" The math teacher snapped from the front. Gash turned his head to look, suddenly frightened.

"Y-yes, sir?" He asked. His eyes shot down to Kiyomaro, then back at the teacher.

"Since you seem confident enough to start talking to yourself, why don't you speak up so we can hear you and answer the question?"

"Stand up, idiot!" Kiyomaro whispered from within the bag. Gash did as he was told and stood, looking blankly at the board where the complex geometry equation was displayed. He didn't know the answer!

"Uhm…" Gash started, looking at it. He looked down at Kiyomaro, who was displaying all the fingers on one hand, and two on the other. He looked at them for a moment, counting.

Six!

He stated his answer and the entire class fell silent. They all stared at him, dumbfounded. Even the teacher was surprised. "That's incorrect," The man said. "Take your seat, Mr. Takamine,"

Gash did as he was instructed and sat down. He looked down at Kiyomaro, who looked absolutely infuriated with him. The single golden eye he could see was burning dangerously, and so Gash remained silent for the rest of the day.

What an idiot. Kiyomaro thought to himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sat quietly in the bag, waiting for the day to end.

(--)

It was absolutely terrible spending the day at Megumi's school. The girls there were complete snobs, and to top it off, the one girl that Megumi was actually friends with there was sick. Tio was completely alone.

And she had to deal with people whispering things about Megumi. Megumi this, Megumi that. It was infuriating.

She was doing good through the day. It wasn't until after school that she lost it, when one girl said a bit too much.

"She's always by herself. She's probably too good for us over here. Just because she's an idol. Big deal. I could do something like that easily,"

At that, Tio couldn't stay quiet anymore. She stood, slamming her fist on the table and staring daggers at the girl.

"What do you know?!" She snarled. The girl looked mildly surprised, and a bit afraid of Megumi's sudden outburst. "Do you have any idea how nerve wrecking it is to have to sing constantly? Do you know what it's like to always be on the move, and to never have a moment's peace? It's not a glamorous life!"

"You try being chased around by crazed fanatics. You try balancing a modeling, singing, and acting schedule with school, and still keep up your grades! You probably couldn't last five minutes in Me- My position!"

"You always talk. Do you have any idea how hard it is? Do you?"

Silence. Tio had them cornered. "I didn't think so." She gathered up her school supplies and pushed passed her, storming into the hallway and down the hall.

She arrived at the car after only a few moments, pushing passed the photographers and journalists and slamming the door behind her. She leaned back, trying to catch her breath.

"Is everything alright, Miss Megumi?" A voice asked. She didn't recognize this voice at all, and she could swear she could smell cigarettes. Megumi's driver didn't smoke.

Tio didn't respond, but looked at the driver. He was gazing at her from the rear view mirror and it wasn't until he turned around to look at her that her suspicions were confirmed.

"Now, now, don't panic," The man said. "We're just taking you for a little ride,"

She was suddenly aware of a sharp object place against her side and she looked down. A boy was beside her that she didn't notice before, and he had a knife held to her ribs. Tio stiffened, looking at it, then at the man.

"What do you want?" She demanded.

"Don't worry. We don't want anything from you," The man assured her. "You're just our bait."

"Bait?" Tio asked. "What have you done to Me-Tio?" She snarled, leaning forward with a panicked expression. The knife was pushed a little harder against her side and she leaned back again.

"Relax, your demon is just fine," The man said. "It's the red book owner we're after,"

"Kiyomaro and Gash?" Tio asked.

"Exactly," The man answered. "Just cooperate and we'll keep you alive until they receive our ransom,"

Tio bit her lip. She wanted to pound the boy holding the knife, but this wasn't her body. It wasn't as strong. She leaned back in her chair, forcing herself to remain calm as the car pulled away from the curb and drove off in a direction opposite from her home.

TBC

(--)

A/N: Woot! Updated in record time! Ok, so this was a little edgy. I wasn't too happy with the result and rewrote it a few times, but here's the final result. Some of it's a bit OOC, I know… but it's hard for me to write Kiyomaro acting like a child. I don't want to embarrass him. :

So here it is, the beginning of the battle part of this fanfiction. Don't forget to review!

SNE121