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The Color of Idiots
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"I still don't get it."
Tohko groaned, "You've said that three times now. What are you not getting?"
I crossed my arms. Kensuke was enjoying this way too much, leaning against the wall with a carefree smile. Ryou interjected every once in a while to get the parts Tohko missed, but I was still really confused.
"So you're saying I have to die to get everyone out?" I frowned. "That sounds counterproductive and a little sketchy."
"No!" She waved her arms around disarmingly. "I didn't mean that! I meant…well, we just ended up calling you the phoenix or whatever when Sachiko said your group had arrived. It wasn't anything strange, but your aura…"
I blinked. "Oh, Ryou said something about that."
"Yeah, yeah!" The kid nodded, seemingly happy I was starting to grasp things. "Everyone's aura is blue, but yours is red! Like an evil spirit! Sachiko thinks you might be enough to get everyone out."
It still sounded sketchy. I scratched the back of my head, "But I don't get it. Why is my aura red?"
"She said you might be related to her some way." Tokho said and I shivered. What? Related to Sachiko and Yoshie? That was weird.
"A distant family maybe." Kensuke said. "I mean, we're all descendants of some Prussian king, right? We're all technically related to each other, some more than others."
Oh. "Now that makes sense."
Tohko threw her arms up in the air. "He says something that doesn't relate to the subject at all and suddenly it makes sense?!"
I shrugged. Didn't she get it? "I guess so. He made it sound like being related to Sachiko is more likely."
"Then the school probably recognizes you as Sachiko!" Ryou burst, nearly jumping around with enthusiasm. "It changed your aura to fit evil spirit Sachiko! Your aura probably looks just like hers!"
I nodded. It was making more sense. "What about Sachiko, what does she think?"
Tohko shrugged sheepishly. "We just came up with the theory. She'd agree, most likely. It's not like the Shinozaki family died with her and her mom. Maybe she's your great aunt?"
I grimaced. That was a distasteful thought. "I think I'll just call her cousin or something. Less creepy."
"Whatever." She shook her head. "Back to the main point. We all came up with a theory regarding your presence, how you can make contact with ghosts and your aura, how it manifests and calms spirits around you."
I slowly blinked. Is that what happened? Huh. So if I didn't have this aura, all my ghost friends would have turned on me. Nice thought.
Tohko sighed dejectedly, "Emi-chan would be better at this then me…"
Both she and Kensuke frowned in one of those painful ways. Ryou also looked down. I hastily changed the subject, "The theory?"
"Right." She shook her head determinedly, "The school trusts you, we think, because you look like Sachiko. You can communicate with it. Maybe, if we're lucky and get the red spirits to come to our side, we'll be able to…"
She trailed off and shared a look with those around her. I raised an eyebrow, "Do what?"
"We haven't gotten that far yet." Kensuke admitted with a shaky smile. "But Sachiko seems adamant that you're able to get us out of here."
"Well." I blinked. "I…I guess we got stuff to do, right?"
"The auditorium!" Ryou chirped, nodding. "Everyone will meet up there. It's a perfect place to gather all the souls."
I clapped my hands. "Good! Then lead the way."
They didn't move. Tohko's smile became strained, "Aha, well, you see…"
I gave her a blank look. "You don't know where it is."
"Hey." Kensuke raised his hands up non-threateningly. "Earthquakes are getting more and more frequent. The school is unstable. Without a host, specifically evil Sachiko, to maintain it, it'll collapse. We'll all die. Permanently."
I swallowed thickly. Well that certainly put a damper on things. Steeling myself, I made my way to my feet, waving off a concerned Ryou.
"Okay." I nodded in determination. "What are we waiting for then? Let's get the hell out of here."
"I'm all for that!" Tohko agreed, seemingly fed up with sitting around for so long. She was the first to skip out of the classroom, followed closely by Ryou. I made to go after, only to pause when I heard her yelp.
"A-Ah, sensei, you got to stop sneaking around like that…" I heard Ryou exclaim.
I snickered alongside Kensuke. We found ourselves trooping through the hallways, wary of every noise or peeking behind every door. Kensuke and I took up the front, followed by Tohko and Ryou, then his sensei who trailed behind in the shadows.
"What's his story?" I ended up asking after a few minutes of being freaked out by glowing red eyes from the zombie following us.
"He helped evil Sachiko kill the children." Kensuke muttered, keeping his voice low enough that the two chatting behind us didn't hear. "He was possessed and threatened. He still feels guilty about it."
"Oh." I blinked, "Well, I guess he's a good guy."
Kensuke shot me a dubious look, "How old are you?"
"Twelve."
He whistled, "How the hell did twelve years olds get ahold of the charm? Isn't there some parental lock against websites like Naho's?"
I furrowed my eyebrows, "Who the hell is Naho?"
"Oh." He stuffed his hands in his pockets with an exaggerated sigh. "Crazy red spirit that was lucky enough to get purified. She didn't go back to the real world, just died like we were all supposed to. You know. Just pass on instead of being trapped here to endure the pain of death for all eternity."
He finished with a grimace and a stumble. I jumped, alarmed at his pale and agonized expression. Tohko swooped in like a superhero and supported his side.
"Idiot, if you're hurting so badly, tell someone. We can carry you."
He only groaned in response, running a hand through his hair. I hovered anxiously. "What's up? Is he sick?"
"Dying." Kensuke coughed. "It comes and goes, but every once and awhile I'll get bad pains. Tohko doesn't feel much because her injury is minor, but as for me…"
I winced. Yeah, that type of injury could warrant afterlife pains. I glanced at Tohko who smiled, only she stuck out her tongue. To my horror, half of it was missing. It was gruesome to look at. She also seemed to be missing a tooth.
"I choked myself to death." She said, her smile dimming self depreciatingly, "I couldn't stand the pressure anymore."
"How are you holding up?" Kensuke asked, standing up with a stretch and seemingly over his death pain. He also seemed to remember I was the only human being alive in their presence. "No mental breakdowns yet?"
I blinked. "Nope."
Now Tohko looked suspicious. "None? No killer thoughts or hysteria or panic?"
I frowned and threw my hands behind my head, "Nah, nothing like that. Unless you want to count the time Cocoa tried to decapitate me and your sensei trying to flatten me with his sledgehammer, I've been smooth sailing."
"I don't believe you." Tohko sniffed.
Ryou fluttered nervously beside us, "U-Um, if you need a rest Okura-san, the Infirmary is nearby…"
I whirled on him, making him jump in surprise. "You know where the Infirmary is?"
"Uh, yes."
"Now you need a break?" Kensuke asked, looking entirely amused. I ignored him in favor of mentally punching myself in the face. Ryou went to school here. He would know the ins and outs better than anyone else.
"Can you take me to the infirmary Ryou?"
He blushed at the lack of formality and nodded rapidly, "Yeah, I remember this hallway. It might not be where it's supposed to be, but we can check…"
"It's better than nothing." Tohko sighed.
Fun Fact: I asked my five year old cousin what his favorite animal was. He said 'that dumb bird that burns itself to get smaller'.
