A/N: I finally found the time to finish this chapter! For some reason, I had major writer's block for nearly all of my stories... Sorry for not updating so long, but here's Chapter 7! Oh, and for some reason, I can't get more than 2 hypens in a row, so scene changes are designated by two hypens alone on a line.

Antithesis

Chapter 7: Carnival

I sighed and slumped in my chair. I was, once again, back on Earth, with absolutely no clue of what had been going on in the past 24 hours. It had been two weeks since that night in the forest, and I was fairly sure Amaterasu and I had managed to help every person and feed every animal in the vicinity of Taka Pass two times over. Despite my best attempts to get her to go toward the path that led to Kusa Village, she'd merely shaken her head and helped another person in need. It was both charming and annoying to see her selflessness at work. When Issun had voiced his displeasure with her "acts of charity," as he'd termed them, she'd given him a cold glare that had quickly shut the Poncle up. I stifled the urge to laugh as I thought back over the memory and tried to pay attention to the ramblings of my Physics teacher. Try as I might, it was incredibly difficult to concentrate; my thoughts kept drifting back to Nippon and the white wolf that guarded it from the dangers that threatened to destroy it. I was dragged out of my thought when a small wad of paper landed on my desk. I blinked and looked around for the person who'd thrown it. Two desks away, Anna nodded at me and mouthed 'open it.' Shrugging, I smoothed it out.

'Hey! Are you ready for tonight?' was scribbled in near-perfect, bubbly handwriting at the top of the page. I stared at the words, trying to make sense of them.

'What's going on tonight?' I wrote back, and waited until the teacher's back was turned before lobbing the note back to her. She opened it and turned to me, an exasperated expression flitting across her face as she wrote back. I gulped.

Something tells me I'm not going to like what she's about to say... I thought, and caught the note in mid-air. I could hear her annoyed voice in my head as I read what she'd written.

'The carnival, of course! We're still on for tonight, right?'

I did my best not to look shocked. What the hell am I thinking when I'm in Nippon?! I hate carnivals! I fumed. I picked up my pencil, fully intending to write 'NO' in very large letters, when I glanced at Anna. She was watching me, a hopeful expression etched on her face. I looked down at the paper and sighed. Granted, I hadn't been sane when I'd given her an answer, but I'd already said yes. I couldn't just say no now, especially when the carnival -- I shuddered at the word -- was tonight. Amaterasu's personality must be rubbing off on me or something... I thought, and shook my head, writing 'Yeah' with several exclamation points after it. I tossed it back, doing my best to keep my gaze on the blackboard and ignore Anna's smile as she read my response. Not that it did any good; I could literally feel the waves of happiness radiating from her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her tuck the note away in her binder. What in the world...?! I stared at the cover in disbelief. There, in the top right corner next to the other squiggly doodles that covered it, were the words 'Will + Anna forever' with a heart around them.

Inwardly, I groaned. What have I gotten myself into?

--

Several hours later, I arrived home. Slinging my backpack into the dining room, I trudged upstairs and threw myself onto my bed. Why do these things happen to me? I wondered, staring up at the ceiling. Amaterasu was apparently falling for me in Nippon, and now I had Anna mooning over me here on Earth as well. Worst of all, I was going to a carnival later tonight. I winced at the word. There were clowns -- not the nice kind, but the crazy, overly-happy-but-still-really-scary type -- at carnivals. There were pointless games at carnivals. There were fake fortune tellers at carnivals. And there were ridiculously happy couples who wandered the grounds at the carnival. "How did I get myself into this mess, anyway?" I wondered aloud, and sat up, trying to answer that question. My body still functioned while I was away in Nippon; somehow, I carried on as though everything were normal. I took tests, did homework, and arranged dates with girls. "That shouldn't be physically possible," I muttered, turning on my computer. Then again, a lot of the stuff that's happened to me shouldn't be possible. A couple of clicks and keystrokes later, I was on the Internet, searching for anything that sounded remotely like what I was going through. 'Out of body experience' brought up sites full of crazy people raving about their "trips" to the "afterlife," while 'real life dreams' gave me a few fanfiction links and even more sites made by people who were clearly insane. Maybe I'm insane, I thought, leaning back in my chair. It's easier to accept that than look for a theory that makes sense.

The annoying beep that signaled a phone call screeched in my ears. "Hello?" I answered, wondering who it was.

"Richard?" came a high voice from the other end of the line.

"Excuse me?" I asked, wondering if I'd misunderstood the name.

"Richard?"

Nope, I hadn't heard her wrong. "No, no. There's no Richard here. You probably dialed the wrong number."

"I'm sure I dialed the right number," said the woman, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Well, there's no Richard here."

"I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood." Suddenly her tone was apologetic. "I'm a bit tipsy."

That explained a lot.

"I'll try the number again."

"Ooookay. You do that," I replied, and hung up the phone, turning back to the computer to resume my search. A minute later, the phone rang again. With a sigh, I answered it, hoping it wasn't the woman again.

"Hello?"

"Is Richard there?"

Of all the... seriously, lady, you can't dial a number right, can you? I thought, irritated. "No. You dialed the same number twice," I said stiffly, hoping that she would catch onto the fact that she had the wrong number and hang up soon.

"Is this 546-1301?" she continued, oblivious to my response.

"No, this is 546-1031." I shook my head. She was definitely dialing the wrong number.

"Oh, that's what I meant."

I groaned. This lady was starting to get on my nerves. "So you're positive it's 1031?"

"Yes." She paused, and when she spoke again, her tone was accusatory. "You must have stolen my Richard's cell phone."

What is wrong with this woman? I grit my teeth to keep from shouting how ridiculous the claim was at her. "No. I've had this number for three years now."

There was silence at the end of the line. Then: "Well, I need to get to Richard. He's my lover and he stole 174 worth of beer -"

What the hell?!

"- and I'm getting sick of it."

I let out a silent string of curses. I did not want to hear about a crazy drunk woman's problems and love life. I glanced at the clock. 5:45 P.M.; too early for the 'I'm trying to get some sleep' excuse, but then again, the lady was drunk. "Look, lady, I'm trying to get some sleep. It's... 11:55 and -"

"You're not going to sleep until we find Richard," she interrupted.

"Oh. My. GOD..." I groaned, and sat down on the bed.

"Did you just take the Lord's name in vain?" The woman sounded angry now, and there was the tinkling of glass in the background.

"No," I said quickly, hoping fervently that she'd believe me.

"Hmph. I'm going to hang up and try again, and if I don't reach him, we'll have a problem."

The line went dead, and I dropped the phone, breathing a sigh of relief. With any luck, she wouldn't call again. I had barely turned back to the computer when the blaring noise of the phone filled my ears for the third time today. Snatching the phone from its resting place, I mashed the answer button and roared into the mouthpiece, "All right, look, lady, I don't know where Richard is, and you've been dialing the wrong number this whole time, so -"

"... Will? It's me, Anna."

"Oh." I mentally kicked myself for not checking who it was first. "What's up?"

"Did you forget? The carnival starts in ten minutes, and I'm kind of waiting here at the gate..."

I sighed. "I'll be right there." I hung up and quickly changed clothes, trying to convince myself that maybe the carnival wouldn't be as bad as I thought it would be.

After all, it's a carnival... just how bad can it be?

--

I had been wrong. It wasn't bad; it was terrible. Merry-go-rounds, clowns, lovesick couples, kids screaming in delight, balloons, stuffed animals, odd games, and many more of the reasons I disliked carnivals so much had all been combined into a single, terrible fairground. We'd wandered the grounds at first, taking in the sights, until at last Anna had innocently asked me to win a teddy bear for her at the archery stall. That had been the start of it; after I'd handed her the prize, she'd smiled and had me try my hand at horseshoes, then bumper cars, then every single possible ride or game she could see. And now, two hours later, she was trying to persuade me to ride the ferris wheel with her.

"Come on, Will! It'll be fun!" Anna hopped up and down next to me, her prizes jingling in the bag she had brought just for the occasion.

"No." There was no way I was ever getting near a ferris wheel, let alone ride in one with her.

"Killjoy," she muttered, and I rolled my eyes.

"I'm not exactly fond of carnivals, you know."

She turned to me, confusion swirling in her eyes. "Then why did you ask me to come here with you?"

"Um... I thought it would make you happy," I offered, wondering for the second time today just how crazy I was when I wasn't present in my body.

"Really?" She seemed slightly mollified. "Well, I guess I can forgive you for ruining the fun... this time." She flashed a smile at me. "Do you mind staying here for a minute? I actually want to ride it myself, so..."

"Yeah, sure." I took a seat on a nearby bench as she skipped off toward the ferris wheel and the long line leading to it. I had only been resting for a minute when one gnarled hand placed itself on my shoulder. I blinked and turned to see an old woman, her white hair obscuring most of her face. She wore a simple white kimono held together by a red sash, while a light yellow band encircled her head.

"Do I know you?" I asked. The old lady shook her head and beckoned with her hand once more.

"Come along, Shinryu of Nippon. We have much to discuss," she said, her voice soft and commanding. I froze, my eyes widening at her words.

"How do you know...?"

The lady grinned, her eyes still obscured by her gray hair. "I know many things, consort of Amaterasu. As a fortune teller, it is my job to know."

"Fortune teller?" I opened my mouth to say that fortune tellers were fake, only to close it once more. She knew that I was Shinryu in Nippon, and that was something that no one would ever be able to guess. I sighed. "All right. I'm listening."

She shook her head. "Not here. Follow me," she instructed, and vanished into a nearby tent. I looked around for Anna, but she was riding the ferris wheel. I don't think she'll miss me if I'm gone for a few minutes... I pushed open the flap of the tent and walked inside. The tent was dimly lit, two candles sitting atop a small, circular table that was planted firmly in the center. Seat cushions were arranged neatly in front of the table, while a string of beads lay across the table. Mounted on the far wall was a cracked, dark green mirror, and beneath it was a large, rusted sword, its saffron blade partially obscured by shadows. Ignoring the odd decorations, I sat down on an empty cushion as the fortune teller took her place on the opposite side. To my surprise, she moved with a grace of a lithe animal, not with the awkwardness of an old lady. She's not any ordinary old woman, is she? I thought, and watched her carefully. Nothing else she did seemed out of the ordinary except the fact that she kept her eyes hidden behind her hair.

"Who are you and how do you know who I am?" I demanded, shifting slightly in my seat. There was something strangely familiar about this woman, but I couldn't quite place it.

Her eyes remained out of view as she answered, "We have met before, in a different time and place. As for my name..." She fell silent for a moment. "You may call me... Amelia," she said at last, a touch of amusement in her voice.

"Do you mind being a little more specific?" I wracked my mind for any memory of Amelia. Nothing stood out; if I had met her at any point, I would have remembered her.

"That is not important," she replied with a wave of one hand. "I have seen your future, Shinryu -"

"Call me Will," I interrupted. "I don't go by Shinryu. Everyone who calls me that usually wants to kill me anyway," I added, wondering why I'd even bothered to mention that fact. There was something about Amelia that put me at ease despite the fact that I was sure I'd never met her before.

"... Very well. I have seen your future, Will... do you wonder why you cannot communicate with the origin of all that is good, or why you flit between the worlds as freely as the wind?"

I gaped in awe. She's really good at this. "Do you have an answer for either of those questions?"

"The answer to both is one and the same," she said, and stopped as an old man, clothed in a simple black robe edged with blue, wandered into the tent. He looked at me, an unreadable expression in his eyes, before looking at Amelia. "I'll wait outside, love," he said, his voice uncannily strong for his old age, and slipped outside with the agility of a cat. What is it with these old people? I thought, unnerved. Neither of them have any trouble moving like they should. I shoved the thought to the back of my mind and turned my attention back to the fortune teller.

"As I was saying... your soul has been torn into two; one remains in your body, while the other rests in that of Shinryu's. Without a full spirit, you cannot truly converse with Amaterasu, only hear her words when in Nippon." Amelia folded her hands in her lap as she waited for my response.

I stared at her in disbelief. "You don't actually expect me to believe that, do you?" It sounded absolutely insane. Then again, insane seemed to be a running theme of my life now. It would explain why I can still function when my consciousness is gone, and why I'm not grounded to either world...

"Of course. It is the truth," replied Amelia, unshakable certainty radiating out of her words. I closed my eyes, wondering if I was crazy for even allowing myself to think about this.

"So if you are right," I said, stressing the 'if' as much as possible, "what does this have to do with my future?"

"You will face a choice in the future that will decide where your soul will reside: here, or in Nippon."

"That's very vague," I began, only to have her cut me off.

"Do not ask me when it will come; you will recognize it when it is presented to you." Amelia smiled, but kept her eyes averted. What is it with her? I wondered. Why won't she look at me?

I grit my teeth. "So you won't be, I don't know, specific?"

She shook her head. "It pains me to say that I cannot."

Sensing that this was all I was going to get out of her, I stood up. "Thanks for the advice, Amelia, but there's someone who's probably looking for me right now, and I have to go find her."

At the mention of the word 'her,' Amelia's head snapped up, and for the briefest instant our gazes met. I blinked rapidly and shook my head, trying to remove the image I'd seen from my mind. Her eyes had looked amber, but it had probably been a trick of the dim lighting. What had been more disturbing was the multitude of emotions I had seen in them. Anger, hurt, kindness, understanding, and... love?

"Um, bye," I squeaked, and walked quickly out of the tent, breaking into a run as soon as the flap had closed back over the tent. Finding Anna was easier than I thought it would be; she was busy scribbling something on a piece of paper only a few yards from the ferris wheel.

"Hey!" she greeted, seeing me approach. "Where have you been? When I got off, you weren't around." Not waiting for an answer, she went on. "If you remember, Kaufman gave the option of extra credit if we found out a few things about the carnival. Oh, and here." She handed another sheet of paper to me, already filled with writing. "I did you a favor and made you a copy."

"Um, thanks," I said, my mind still on Amelia.

"So, where did you go while I was having fun?" She grinned. "And have you changed your mind about carnivals?"

It's better to tell her the truth; I'm not exactly the best at lying, anyway. "Not really... I went to a fortune teller," I replied.

Anna pouted. "Will, you're impossible. So..." Her face inexplicably brightened, and I wondered briefly if she was bipolar. "What was the name of this fortune teller? Whoever it is, he's probably fake."

"Amelia."

"Amelia?" repeated Anna, pronouncing her name wrong.

"No, no. Am-me-lia, not Ah-me-lia," I corrected, and in that instant something within my mind clicked. Am-me-lia. Ammy. Amaterasu. That fortune teller had been the sun goddess herself in the tent, under a different guise; her faithful Divine Instruments had taken on different forms as well. Amber eyes, white kimono and red markings, the grace with which she had moved; how I had missed the signs was beyond me. I stared at the empty stall in front of me as my brain struggled to process the information. How was it even possible for Amaterasu to be here, on Earth? How had she known what I looked like and known that I was having trouble talking to her in Nippon? My mind wandered back to the old man who had entered the tent. Who had he been? He had spoken to Amaterasu with such love and affection in his voice and looked at me as though he'd seen a ghost. I was barely aware of Anna prattling on about something, but I continued to think, keeping the image of Amaterasu and the man in my mind. Amaterasu had been wearing a plain white kimono with a red sash, while the man had been wearing a black robe edged with blue...

I froze. Had the old man... been me? "That's impossible," I whispered. Saying the words seemed to make them more real, more definite. I couldn't be in two places at once; the old man had definitely not been me. I looked over at Anna, pushing my thoughts to the back of my mind. I can think about this later.

"... so let's go! I got all my answers," she chirped, happily tucking her pencil into her purse and waving her paper in front of my face, "and you've got yours."

"Uh... sure."

I had gotten some answers, but for some reason, as we exited the carnival, it felt as if I'd only gained more questions.

A/N: The phone conversation with the woman is actually based off of a true story... anyway, there's a little button down there that demands that you review. Make it happy!