Chapter Nine: Prayers For the Foolish

Tokaku got up from the bed and wrapped her body in the thin velvet-red blanket she pulled off of the bed, leaving the thick quilt over Haru's body. She walked over to the calendar hung beside their door and crossed out the day before.

"It's Saturday," Tokaku said vaguely, as she glanced back at Haru, smiling softly. She never was able to show Haru how much she loved her as strongly as last night, which was why the red-haired girl was sound asleep even with the dawning sun's rays shining along her cute face. Tokaku walked to the bathroom and took a quick shower.

She left her phone on the sink, so that she could respond to any riddles from Kaiba. She had realized how short-lived his riddles were, and wondered why he would even stop his little game for Kamiko and herself. Not to mention he was the master himself, knowing that these riddles had no correct answers. And as such, Tokaku was able to get a better view on who she wanted to be. And thanks to that, she was happily married to Haru, and could wish for nothing more than that However with new task at hand, one that she chose herself, Tokaku would not back down. With the rising number of students in the group, the White mission might succeed after all.

Even though Tokaku did not know the true origins of Black Class, she couldn't help but get an inner feel of what Kaiba had to do with it. The man sent her, his top student, to Black Class. It'd be no surprise if he had any part in it, but the part he took in. Now that would be a surprise, and probably a bad one. Not that Tokaku favored surprises. The assassin was already so used to knives being thrown in the dark at her that she adapted so easy to the thrill of being 'surprised' one way or another.

"Haru's still not up," Tokaku said as she dried her soft blue hair. She stared down at Haru concernedly, hoping that last night could have eased the tension that had awoken in Haru. She didn't want her wife to think she had any idea of cheating on her. After all, Haru was the first and only person she put actual feelings into. She felt nothing else for no one else alive, except Kamiko. And even then, they were just family. Kamiko seemed to have a dislike for the Azuma clan as well, changing her last name to Hikari for the sake of representing her faithful mission. Faithful mission indeed, and she took a hell of a leap to start it.

But the one thing that plagued the assassin's mind was why Kaiba would send another Azuma. He could have just as easily sent another girl for the job of turning the Black Class White. So...that must have meant...

Tokaku turned to Haru and bit her lips nervously. She wanted to tell her partner who she worked for and what he wanted. Moreover, she felt as though Kaiba sent Kamiko to threaten the bond Tokaku shared with this sweet girl. Tokaku shook her head.

"No...I think I'll mail Kamiko for a meeting. You rest well, Haru. You'll need it," Tokaku said as she closed the curtains. Haru stirred, and got up as Tokaku was about to leave their well-decorated beige room.

"Where are you going?" Haru rubbed her eyes wearily as she gazed on tiredly at Tokaku. The blue-haired assassin smiled.

"I'm going to a meeting with Kamiko. I'm sure everyone is free, and if not, well," Tokaku took out papers, "I know where to find the next member. Tukiko. She did some strange and weird spell, and claimed that Kamiko was protected by something. That something just so happened to be a demon from what I experienced a couple of nights ago. So if Tukiko is some sort of priestess, she is vital to our group, especially if she is an oracle of sorts,"

"I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," Haru said as she got up and went into the drawers for clothes, "Just wait about an hour, I'll be done by then, okay?"

"That's fine," Tokaku replied respectively, knowing that she didn't need to get upset that Haru joined her in her plans. Haru kissed Tokaku softly and tugged at her red tie.

"Take another shower...with me," Haru smiled. Tokaku blushed.

"T-that's...I already took one..."

Haru tugged at her tie more.

"Tokaku-san..."

"F-fine," Tokaku said, and smiled while being pulled by her wife.

An hour and a half passed, and Tokaku received a mail from Kamiko just as she adjusted her new blue tie. The other got wrinkled, and she even had to replace her white collar shirt with another one. Tokaku stuck with the plain short-black skirt.

Both Haru and Tokaku made their way hand-in-hand to the Emerald Cafe, where they were welcome by a working waitress Shizue. She took the orders of the three, and even for herself since it was nearly her break time, and came back shakily with the meals in her hands. She sat down and ate shyly, letting the girls around her talk. She had nothing to say.

"So, Kamiko," Tokaku said as she took a bite of her medium-rare burger, chewing and swallowing calmly, "Could anyone else make it?"

Kamiko finished eating a twirled bite of pasta with bits of parmesan chicken as she wiped her lips with a napkin.

"Koneko had a recital and of course you know her big army girl follows. Raku and Mai went to a fashion show, Mai stating that the poor peasant had no taste, and Haya said she's gonna be here shortly, last I checked. So why plan a meeting on the weekend? You know almost no one is free,"

"I know that," Tokaku said as she took out address sheets, "This is where everyone works or does charity work in if they do, and it seems Tukiko is a priestess goddess of sorts,"

"Priestess...goddess?" Shizue said as she smirked, and let out a hearty laugh as her eyes glowed, "How cute,"

Surprised at the sudden change in character, something that felt familiar to Tokaku, the girls continued speaking.

"Whoa, sudden change there, Shizue," Kamiko commented. Shizue's eyes returned to normal ad she shakily moved her fork to the side as she glared down, flushed red from embarrassment.

"I-I'm fine. I just...I have to use the restroom, please excuse me," Shizue got up quickly and ran to the bathroom, checking to see if anyone was inside. It was still early in the day, maybe somewhere near the afternoon, perhaps one-thirty. The sunlit girl sat down in the furthest stall and held her head, "Y-you know you can't do something like that in front...in front of them. Those are my only friends..."

Suddenly all became silent and a voice spoke normal in her mind.

"Are you trying to say I'm a burden?"

"N-no, it's not that. I just...I'm afraid..."

"Afraid of what? Losing them? If they can't respect you for who you are...no, for who we are, then they aren't friends. They're bitches,"

"Again with the foul-mouth..."

"Ah, so I'm a foul-mouth. What else are you going to call me?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I promise, whenever you want, you can take control. Just promise me something..."

"Yeah?"

"Don't do anything drastic...we had only just slipped away with..."

"With killing them, I know. And I'm sorry. They were hrting you...bastards. All of them are,"

"And I'm glad you have your opinion. Just please...promise me you won't kill anyone unless it's necessary..."

Shizue began to let out tears and her arms, controlled by her guardian, wrapped themselves around her. In her mind, she was hugging her tight as she cried, rubbing her back.

"There, there. I promise you I won't kill unless it's necessary," the guardian girl looked into Shizue's eyes and wiped them, "Okay? Come on, you have friends to return to,"

After about ten minutes of trying to calm herself, Shizue walked back to the table and found that they were just ordering dessert. Shizue quickly ordered a chocolate sundae to ease the rest of her feelings she came back from. She felt more comfortable, like she could actually speak words instead of muttering them.

Tokaku and Kamiko over viewed everything they could about Tukiko, and decided to head to the little temple where she held sermons and true prophecies and fortunes. Raku met up with them on the train ride there. As the group approached her, they noticed that Chiyo was speaking to her. They all quickly swept to the side and listened as the students spoke.

"Tell me my fortune,"

"You have a long life ahead of you, Chiyo...there's nothing else to say,"

Chiyo began to get tempered and boiled.

"Nothing else?! I want to die, damn it! Tell me that fortune!" Chiyo said as she brought a knife to Tukiko's neck. Tukiko did not let out any emotions, rather let the fortunes of Chiyo flow.

"Yes...yes, I see it now. You're old...very old. It seems the ages have caught up with you...and above your body stands Raku, another one whose life is immortal,"

Chiyo lowered her knife slowly.

"Is that really true?"

"Would I have any reason to lie with so many followers?" Tukiko said as she adjusted her kimono. Chiyo scoffed and withdrew her knife, "However..."

"However what?" Chiyo asked, turning her attention back to the priestess. Tukiko turned her back to Chiyo and started walking.

"The force after our chairwoman is most likely now pointed at you...in fact, start a fight now...your body could be crushed entirely. You will forever stare at the sky from your grave in the dirt, unable to move either part of your body. You will live on with your soul, never perish, and live with the pain of dirt and the earth seeping into you. This way you will never die, even if the fires of the underground destroy your body, your soul will endure pain endlessly,"

Chiyo gasped and looked around.

"I'll show that girl,"

"If you find yourself as your best iterest, I'd wait if I were you. There are no chessboards in my temple..."

"You...you knew this from the start!"

"I know a lot of things," Tukiko turned around, staring back at Chiyo with her arms in the sleeves of the pink kimono, "One of them being a push for what could happen to me. And as accurate as I am...I am no goddess. Just an oracle who seeks to know more..." Tukiko removed her hand from her sleeve and gave a command. Tens of followers emerged from beneath Chiyo and knocked her out cold. Tokaku and the others watched in awe. Tukiko made her way down the steps, "You all may come out now. An immortal can rest, but she cannot die,"

Tokaku and the others walked out from their hiding spot, which to Tukiko was more or less a open area.

"How did you know we were here?" Haru asked curiously. Tukiko advised her followers to bring Chiyo to the deepest part of the cliff-side temple, and to chain the girl to an iron ball and to give her the red card. Tukiko ripped i to shreds and then advised more. Chiyo was kept under tight lock down. Followers of Tukiko stood guard with guns ready at the seven iron gates that sealed the chained to the ball and wall Chiyo, who was coldly knocked out. The immortal strategist could not outwit the psychic powers of the priestess Tukiko.

The group gathered with Tukiko in a room where the priestess knelt by a statue of a woman that looked a lot like her.

"Is that...your mother?" Tokaku asked. Tukiko nodded.

"Yes. She bestowed upon me the gifts that only the females in our blood carry. But enough about my powers, I shred my red card at the beginning. I am on your side. Not because I know whether or not you will win, but because I will only aid you in the slightest. It would be against my duties to serve when I am to be served,"

"Yeah yeah, whatever," Haya said as she leaned against the nearest wall, "Just quit the praying. It's really annoying. It's like the same words over and over. My ears feel like they will come off sooner or later. But I want to know, why is Chiyo under such a lock down?"

"Why...you opened her box of course. A box of myth and legend. Pandora's box. You let out the hope that was in there. She kept it close, so that it could never be let out. She decided to keep hope for herself, thinking it would have helped her move in the class, and outsmart everyone. She made a grave miscalculation coming here, for I knew..."

"Yes! Yes, we know you knew. You know everything,"

"Not everything. I get many visions, but my abilities are so much that I can only look to a few at a time. And even then I cannot control if fate can be twisted. For example, Kamiko...I wish to speak to you privately,"

Everyone left the room except Kamiko and Tukiko, who sat down and guided her hand to a mat.

"Sit across from me, assassin,"

About an hour later, Kamiko was in tears.

"No! No, that can't be true!'

"It is," Tukiko said calmly, "Now go, I have followers to go to,"

"Wait," Kamiko stopped her as both of them got up, "I can change that. I can make it s that it's of my will,"

"You cannot. It is your mission and it will stay that way. Everything you do is as according to plan. But...I will pray for you,"

"Prayers are for fools! I can destroy fate and create my own will!" Kamiko shouted confidently, and left the room.

The day turned to night as the rest of the group met up and socialized after talking about the updates. Mai kept close to Shizue and even took her away from the dorm to her mansion. Break was nearing regardless, which meant that much more danger awaited from the rest of the students in the year.

Meanwhile, in her prison, Chiyo stared on at the iron bars and the food that was left for her. It was hardly attainable, placed far from even her feet. Her eyes began to glow a dark red.

"I'll be out...one way or another,"