Angel vs. Demon

Chapter 6 – Answers

"You must be wondering how Kiseki is related to me," Moka began. "This is all too coincidental, I'm sure, but there's actually a story behind it. I'd like to explain while you finish up your lunch, you guys, if Kiseki doesn't mind." She shot a glance in Kiseki's direction.

"No, go ahead." He took a sip of whatever he was drinking. Something red? Possibly cranberry juice or whatever.

"It was actually a miracle that Kiseki was born, since my father has only ever had daughters. That's why we named him "miracle", really. Since we don't have the same mom, Kiseki's my step-brother."

Moka didn't really seem bothered by the fact that her dad had more than one wife. It wasn't my business, though. I didn't even know if her dad's had a divorce or not.

Afterwards, Moka began talking about the school to me. Kurumu, Yukari, and Tsukune occasionally joined in and added a few words here and there. As far as I could tell, Moka and Tsukune didn't seem too hateful or mean or anything like that. I didn't feel intimidated around them… I guess I had been wrong. The stupid monster's reaction towards these two people had probably affected me negatively, and I felt kind of bad that I had judged Moka and Tsukune's characters so quick.

A few minutes later, we were ready to go. I felt kind of excited, really, after hearing Moka and the others talk. Yokai Academy seemed to be such an interesting school, and to think that I was an actual student attending it… That just really blew my mind. There were other things too, though, that blew my mind…

… like the fact that all of the students here are monsters.

I still couldn't wrap my mind around that. I predicted that it was just going to be worse as we toured the school; nothing was going to change for me. My mind would just be more boggled than it is.

"Here's our library," Yukari skipped ahead, opening the large double doors. "It's my favorite place, naturally… I love it!"

I couldn't help but smile. I loved how intelligent Yukari was, even when she was so much younger than the rest of us. Trust me; although I didn't know her for that long yet, she had proved beyond a doubt that she was a genius. It really shocked me, though. She was so smart, but also so innocent at the same time… It really made one wonder.

We visited the gymnasium, the academic buildings, and many other places. Kurumu even showed us some hidden areas at Yokai that provided private space for hiding things, among others. Yokai Academy was still so big, though, I was sure I could get lost in it.

"We're back," Tsukune announced. He had been pretty quiet throughout the whole tour, but he was so polite and friendly it didn't matter. From my point of view, it looked weird to see three girls hanging out with this quiet guy, but I could sense a strong relationship between them. I felt like they just belonged all together, as friends.

It made me kind of envious, really. I didn't even know friends could be this close! Each girl in the group had their own personality. I hate to be a judge of character, but these girls just shocked me. Moka was just the sweetest girl ever, with her bright aura and beautiful figure. I had noticed that there was a cross on her neck, though… it was on a collar that was strapped around her neck. I didn't know how she lugged that around, since it looked pretty heavy…

Kurumu, on the other hand, was more outgoing than Moka. She was friendly, of course, but she seemed to be overly-friendly to Tsukune, in my opinion. It was just really awkward for the rest of us… Since I was new here, though, I guess I wasn't used to everything yet; I just had to deal with all the changes. I knew I had to quickly adjust.

"Yup, we're back where we started." Kurumu grinned and led us back to our dorms. "I guess we'd have to all take a break now, huh?"

She looked at Garron, Kiseki, and I… the three newcomers.

"Hmm, we should all meet up some other time. I'll make sure to bring snacks, too. I'm great at making cookies." She winked, and headed to her dorm.

"Well, I hope you've all enjoyed your tour," Tsukune said, smiling at us. "It's a pretty big school… If you guys have any problems, don't hesitate to ask us for help."

"Yeah," Moka added, "Here's our dorm numbers… Kiseki already knows mine, of course. Any friends of Kiseki's are a friend of mine. It was so great meeting the both of you…!"

"Who said they were my friends?" Kiseki snapped. I flinched, and felt my disturbance bubbling up. If we weren't friends, were we enemies? I certainly didn't want to be Kiseki's enemy. If I was, my life would be at stake.

Garron, however, laughed good-naturedly. "Kiseki, don't be like that! It's alright with me if you don't see us as comrades, but at least we're on good terms, right?"

Kiseki looked away. I got the feeling he was more complicated than I thought.

On the way back to our dorms, Kiseki took the long way around. Garron had branch off earlier, so I was walking back all by myself. I didn't mind, really; it was great to have some peace and quiet after the tour. I had so many things to sort out in my head ―

Rustle, rustle.

My breathing stopped, and I froze. I didn't dare move. I wasn't usually this paranoid, but ever since I've come to Yokai Academy, I was just so hyper-aware of everything. You couldn't blame me, really… I've nearly been killed two times today, and anything could happen just about now.

I slowly rotated where I was, looking three hundred and sixty degrees around me. At around two hundred degrees, I spotted a pair of pale eyes looking out from the bushes. Looking at them made me feel cold… It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. I just felt that I should have grabbed an extra sweater or something.

"Who… who're you?" I called out, testing my bravery. My voice didn't crack, thank goodness. It usually didn't, but I didn't trust myself as well as I did before. Coming here changed everything.

"… You can't see me," a voice whispered. I assumed it belonged to those pair of eyes, because they felt the same: gentle and soft, but able to make you shiver.

Now, though, I was confused. "Why can't I see you?"

The figure stepped out from the shadows, and I finally saw her. She had short, spiky hair, and was wearing a baggy top with the school skirt. I've never seen her before, but I didn't feel too alarmed. I felt that she was more similar to Moka and the others than the other monster Kiseki had beaten up; she wasn't malicious.

"I was trying to blend in," she explained. "But who're you? I saw you with Tsukune and the others…"

I felt a new wave of shiver run down my back. "You saw us? You were following…?"

She didn't hesitate to answer. "I wouldn't call it following, exactly…"

"Well, Moka and the others just gave me and two other students a tour of the school, actually." It felt weird conversing with this girl. She seemed okay, but it was really awkward around her. I didn't even know her, yet she seemed to know me already.

"Oh, I see…" She took out a lollipop and stuck it in her mouth. "That's alright, then."

She was a stranger to me, but I got the feeling that she wasn't to Moka, Tsukune, Kurumu, or Yukari. She seemed to know them. I got the feeling she was asking me this because she felt protective of them or something.

Was she also a good friend of theirs…? I couldn't tell.

"Well, it was nice meeting you," I said, trying to be polite. "On that note… I'll be getting back to my dorm, then."

"Me too…" She disappeared back into the shadows, and I couldn't see her anymore. I still felt her staring at me as I walked back to my dorm, however. The girl had those penetrating stares that one could just feel.

Right after I entered my room, Midnight jumped on me. She had been stuck here all day, and I was sorry about that… but I didn't want her to be anywhere dangerous. I missed her so much, though. School was starting in like a few days, and it was nerve-wracking. The one good thing that I could count on was Midnight, and Kiseki's step-sister and her friends… and Kiseki and Garron, of course. I hoped we could all get along. It might sound impossible, of course. From what I heard, one of the school rules was that one could not reveal one's monster identity/true form to another.

That would make it so hard for me. I mean, if I didn't know what kind of monster they were, how the hell was I supposed to protect myself? The stupid accessories that Maria and Lucy gave me were crap… they haven't been doing a thing. I should have bought garlic, crosses, and silver bullets or something instead…

Ah, this is so frustrating…!

Midnight, as comforting as always, curled up on my belly and purred. Amidst the comforting weight, the warmth, and the purring, I started to drift off…

"Ame… Ame…!"

Who was calling me…? This voice sounds familiar… yet I can't tell if it's male or female…

"Ame… I found you." The voice was just a whisper, a waft of wind beside my ear.

I tried to call back, to ask who this person was, but my voice wouldn't work. I was in a sea of darkness, surrounded by nothing but blackness. I don't even think I was connected to my body. I felt like my spirit was trapped in this infinite chasm, and my physical body was somewhere else… somewhere else…?

"Ame… don't be confused… listen to me."

What…? Who did this person want?

"Put on the earring! The one that you have… the one that will help you…"

Did this person mean the demon earring…? I haven't touched it since the day Lucy left… It's still locked up inside my earring box… I had emptied out everything just to keep it in there, away from me…

"Ame, please… Do it…"

No…

"Ame…! Do it!" The voice became more forceful, and I almost gasped. I recognized this voice. Who did it belong to…?

"Ame…" The voice sounded tired and worn out... "Even if you don't listen to me… remember…"

Remember what?

"You belong to me… I will find you again."

I woke up, gasping, my forehead covered in sweat. I bolted up and covered myself with my bed sheets, waking Midnight up and making her fall off my bed, scaring the crap out of her.

I usually couldn't remember my dreams… but this one just burned itself into my brain. I felt like I wouldn't forget it even if my life depended on it.

I couldn't take this anymore. I had to go somewhere else, and get away from here. Getting up, I patted the wrinkles down on my uniform and snuck out of my dorm. I didn't know where to go, though. Even though I just went on a tour of this school, I still felt just as clueless as before. So instead of walking with a purpose and a clear destination in my head, I wandered off farther and farther away from central campus…

I don't want to sound like a weirdo or an idiot, but I wanted to explore a bit more. Yes, this school is dangerous as hell, but it was intriguing at the same time.

No, don't do it!

I could almost hear myself arguing with myself. This conscience with better instinct and judgment sent up flashing signals in my head, and I actually felt a physical warning going on in my brain. I literally had a sinking feeling in my stomach, and my gut was telling me not to go.

You're going to get yourself in trouble again! There will be no Kiseki around to save you this time!

What the hell, I thought. It's not like it's going to get any better inside my dorm.

Trudging forward, I ducked under branches and tree trunks and stepped over broken tombstones and footprints twice as big as normal human feet. This didn't stop me from going further into the forest, though. It didn't get extremely dark yet, and I was good with directions; I knew how to get back.

I saw a dark shape up ahead, and my breath caught in my throat. I felt oddly excited, for some weird reason. See, these experiences were so much better than staying inside my dorm and letting my nightmare get to me.

The shape was stout, and had a head-like shape poking out from it. It made a whimpering noise, and a sucking sound.

What is this? I thought.

See? I could almost hear the snobby, goody-goody, I-know-better voice responding in my head. I warned you that it was a bad idea!

Shut up, I told it. I slowly creped forward, while trying to stay inconspicuous.

The shape spun around. I held my breath and stood as still as a statue, but I knew it was no use. The thing had seen me.

Crap, I thought, closing my eyes. Kiseki, where are you when I need you…?

"Ame? Is that you?"

Yeah, no such luck. It wasn't Kiseki calling my name.

However, it was someone much better.

"Garron?" I exclaimed, my eyes opening.

The shape stood up, and I could see that it was Garron's figure. His feet scuffled at something on the ground, like he was trying to get rid of some evidence. Figures.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded angrily, heading towards me.

"I should be asking you that," I laughed nervosly, trying to sound like I wasn't freaked out and extremely curious. "No, I just got bored. I decided to come out for some fresh air, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I came out for the same reason, actually." He smiled at me, and suddenly everything seemed to be alright again.

There's something weird going on, that overly-cautious voice said again. Don't trust –

"Shall I walk you back to your dorm, then?" Garron asked. "It's getting quite dark. I'm afraid you might get raped."

I gaped at him. "You are joking, aren't you?"

Garron laughed. "You take everything so seriously! It's hilarious."

I glared at him, but followed him back anyways. I didn't need his help, of course. I know self-defense (kind of), and I was excellent with directions. Whatever, though. Garron was such a gentleman; it was hard to refuse him.

"So…" I tried to start a conversation. "What were you doing back there, for real?"

Yeah, so much for not going straight to the point.

"Me?" Garron shrugged. "Like I told you, I was getting some fresh air. I was doing what you said you were doing, remember?"

"Yeah? That didn't seem like it." I shook my head. "I don't want to butt into you business, but…"

"You are butting into my business."

I was stunned. I had never seen Garron act so gruff before, and so… so Kiseki-like. Even in the short little while that I had known him, he was always polite.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, feeling like he had slapped me in the face. This was weird… I didn't give this reaction to Kiseki or anyone else who was being harsh to me before. Yet I felt compelled to apologize to Garron. He was usually so nice, though, I guess it was only fair.

Garron saw the dozens of emotions flitting across my face as I went over those thoughts, and he sighed deeply.

"Look, I'm sorry, Ame. I'm just feeling kind of off right now. I'm hungry, and―"

"You're hungry?" I asked, eyebrow raised. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Guys get crabby when they're hungry, right?" He said it like it explained everything. "I didn't eat much at lunch since I was getting food for you guys. I don't like the food here, anyway."

"Oh… You got a thing against cafeteria food, huh? Makes sense… most people do."

"Yeah, something like that." Garron raked his hand through his blond hair. "So… we still friends?"

I grinned. "Yup."

Author's Note:

Hello, people!

So in this chapter, Mizore finally makes her debut~! She is an amazing character, in my opinion. It was great for Ame to be able to meet her like this, one-on-one. Any other way would not suit Mizore's character, haha...

Tsukune and Moka (and the others), as you might have noticed, aren't really close with my OC's yet. They mostly help out because of Kiseki. I'm sure our characters will get along later on, though… because Moka/Tsukune/Kurumu/Yukari/Mizore are just that amazing. ;D

And about Garron… don't worry, he wasn't doing anything bad. He wasn't doing drugs, either, although it might sound like he did. xD No… he was just being himself. You'll find out why much later, though.

P.S.

Right now, Kiseki might not seem so nice. Compared to Garron, he's the grumpy, gruff, "bah-humbug" type of guy. xD But please, think about it this way: You know how in mangas and animes, there always has to be the snobby, cool, I-don't-give-a-damn guy character? Sometimes he's a jerk. Usually, there's also the "nice guy" in comparison. It's the same deal here~!

Really, I'm not writing a story… I'm just trying to portray a manga story into a written story form for you guys. Just think of this as a manga being written out, and it will all make sense ;)

― ACookieZ