All characters/abilities/weapon/and others marked with '*' are under the ownership of Emerald Sonata.
All casts from Clannad and certain elements from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, belongs to the production company of Key and Gainax respectively.
天元突破クランナドー
「Tengen Toppa Clannad」
The Ninteenth Lock:
'Sa..Asobimashouka?'
[So…Shall we play?]
VVV
"I recently had an encounter with one of the two Agyles related to the Gurren-Lagann; the one that uses loud music and dances. The opponent got away, however, and I am on the search for the other to recover more info."
Enkuudaidu walked across the sidewalk, a short brick wall flanking one side, as he passed his report through his black cellphone. The receiver was none other than…
'[Understood, Enkuudaidu. I shall relay your report to Lazielghan-ou and will notify the other Commodores. Rendezvous with the Abyssals, that Lorith and Havel, and see if you can find any more resources on the Gurren-Lagann. 1st Commodore, Sheizhaika, out.]'
The Niel Geiza Sentinel ended the call with a shutting clasp of his cellphone and pocketed it. He sighed, not without a sudden wince and hiss. He touched a light wound across the side of his throat; a close shave of a laser-shot from a certain disco ball. That female Agyle was truly a pest to deal with…as well as a troubling enemy to bring down. He will return more than just the favour to that wretched being. Now, he traveled down the sidewalk in silent loathing, his mind set on tracking down the other Agyle that wields frost-blades as his Durandel. Suddenly, he stopped as he noticed something.
Enkuudaidu had halted before a large steel-gate that protected a large high-school. It was barred against any trespassers that dared to even think about harming the students it held. He grimaced. If he was not so occupied, not so held back, he would have been happy to bring this entire place to ashes. However, his orders were strict and his superiors cannot afford to be so…public with what they do. Finding pure Soul Keys was already difficult, and if anything else were to happen…Enkuudaidu turned away with a scowl, not wishing to foil everything just to vent out his rage. With that he walked off.
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
"Hmm?" The Niel Geiza halted. He turned back, peering through the gates. Close by was a tall and thick-bushed tree. It was rustling under the wind. Normally, Enkuudaidu would not even care of such trivial acts – as he would have simply sliced it down without a blink – but…the sounds were not natural. Something was moving within it.
Intrigued, Enkuudaidu walked into the gate. Before his body could crash into it, a black portal sliced open for him and zipped up when he entered. Right behind the gate, the portal reopened simultaneously and out waltzed Enkuudaidu. Human security his foot.
He approached the said tree, which rustled even more. Leaves rain down and some landed across his shoulder. With a grimace, he brushed it off before staring up. Then his ears and eyes perked as he heard and felt it coming for him.
"An Agyle?" He readied himself with smoke beginning to wrap around his hand, prepared to summon out one of his katana.
However, his answer appeared two times faster than he anticipated.
WHAP!
[******]
Ryou shook her dazed head as she had reached ground zero. She was expecting to hurt herself on landing, but surprisingly it felt rather…soft. She shook her head once more, ruffling out the leaves from her hair from the tree she dropped out of.
"Meow…"
The girl stopped herself, soon smiling as she looked down into her curled arms. Cradled within her hold was a small but adorable orange cat. It was unfazed from the fall and enjoyed the warmth from Ryou's chest. She giggled as she scratched behind its ears.
"Are you alright? Neko-san?"
The cat purred, snuggling its head closer into her bosom.
"Ah! Shima-chan!"
Ryou looked up to the voice, seeing a young woman running up to the two. She was clad in a white dress shirt, sleeves rolled up and jeans pants, as well as donned with a clean apron in front. She had long blue hair, tied back in a ponytail, and had fierce but comforting yellow eyes.
"Misae-san," called back Ryou.
The one known as Misae swept her cat out of Ryou's hold and hugged it for dear life, "Oh, thank goodness you're alright, Shima-chan…" She then turned to Ryou with a grin, "Thank you so much, Ryou-chan. I was so worried he might have gotten into trouble…Where was he?"
Ryou pointed up, "Up in the tree, but I got him down."
"Oh, thank you again Ryou-chan," Misae then returned a wink, "The next time you visit, I'll let you have a taste of my special apple-pie, ne?"
"Ha-ha, I would love to."
"As for you, Shima-chan! You've been a naughty cat you have…No tuna for you until dinner! Now let's go home!"
"Meow…"
Happily ever after, Misae and her cat, Shima, strode off. Ryou cracked a grin as she waved at their departure. She felt real good inside that she was able to help. Luckily it was the middle of her spare-class, otherwise Shima would have been trapped in the tree for a while.
By the way, she came to realize, what did she fell onto that felt so comfortable? She looked down. There was a body, from the neck down lying before her. It wore a black jacket with silver streaks, a dark blue shirt, and a pair of muddied overalls. Where had she seen something like this before, she wondered. Her face blanched, realizing that it was a human body, and looked down.
She was sitting on someone's face.
"Oh no!" Ryou sprang off of the person and came to his side, cheeks flushed. Now, she was twice as shocked, "You're…you're the one from that ramen store…"
Enkuudaidu limply lied across the ground on his back, arms sprawled open. His head was intact, but his bare left eye was swirling as he had his mouth ajar.
"W-Wake up!" shrieked Ryou, desperately shaking the unconscious Niel Geiza awake, "I'm sorry for falling on top of you! Please wake up!"
Try as she might, Enkuudaidu would not stir…
[******]
In the middle of the school, in the midst of a quiet and clear courtyard, several students carrying sound equipment strode by. They exchanged light chatter and laughter, all the while moving devices over to somewhere else in the school. The two walked past a box, which was upturned with the open lid down.
"Huh?" One of the students stopped and turned, eyeing the box. It was still, nothing moved.
The other student accompanying him stopped as well, "Hey, what's eating you?"
"D-did you see that?"
"See what?"
"I could have sworn that box moved just as we passed it."
"Ah, you see a lot of things strange in this town. Deal with it…" And that student moved on.
"Wha – I'm serious!" cried the other, chasing after his companion, "Hey don't leave me alone with this thing! It could be haunted!"
The instant the students were gone, the box did move. It hovered across the ground, moving to one bush and to another pillar. Its movements were fluid and easy, ready to drop dead like a possum if there were anyone within sight.
"Ha-ha! I'm a genius!"
Akeppa excitedly traveled over the courtyard, whilst under the cover of the big cardboard box and on his hands and knees. He had wrapped the handkerchief around his forehead, like a bandanna, and peeked his eyes through the hole he made in the box's side. He would stop from time to time, checking for any movement, before moving forward. Occasionally, students moving things from a nearby auditorium would cross his path and the box would quickly shuffle to one side and play dead. Some students walked by without notice; some staring awkwardly at it as they pondered why a beat up box like that was there; or they quickly ran by it when they imagined it moved under the will of a ghost. Akeppa could only stifle a snicker.
"This is so working!" he breathed. When the coast was clear, he moved on quickly and – somewhat – silently. "If I can keep this up, I'll be able to get into the school in no time…I just hope lunch doesn't come yet, or Sakagami-san would get hungry…And hope that I don't get trampled over by accident…"
He reminded himself that the last time he took the optional stealth training with Selaphiel…it did not go splendidly well.
BUMP.
"Oof!" Without looking, Akeppa had run into something and smacked his face into the box. Dazed, he shook the blur from his head and peered into the peep-hole, "What the?"
His view was blocked by…something. The looked like to funny-looking poles placed together. Figuring he had just ran into a supporting pipe or so, the boy peered from under his box. He recoiled with surprise as the pipes…were a pair of slender legs.
He looked up, with the box covering over his forehead, and face-faulted.
Akeppa was staring into the eyes of a petite girl, clad in the school's uniform. She had short but lovely autumn-red hair, with a pair of strands that curled out like adorable antennas, and soft yellow eyes. The girl was carrying a box of gym equipment as she stared at the half-man-half-box that had bumped into her foot. They exchanged silence, for a really long time. Soon, the girl took the initiative.
"Who—"
{ ! }
"IYAAAAAAA,AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA,AAAAAAAAAAAA,AAAAAAAAAA,AAAAAAAAA~!"
[******]
Nagisa instantly faced a giant smoke of dust that struck into her face. She coughed as she was defenceless with her arms occupied. No sooner did it appeared, the dust flattened and she peered back. To her surprise, there was a young man running near the speed of a motor-bike at full drive away from her in screaming panic. She blinked, not knowing what to make of the sight. However, she did spot something peculiar about this young man, most notably his back.
A fire-ball skull with long and wicked black sunglasses.
She took a moment to glimpse back down. A cardboard box spun in a perfect axis on its corner, before it teetered over and miraculously deflated into its folded form. Again, she blinked. Nagisa looked back at the stranger, who had now vanished into the unknown distance. Finally, she forced herself to say one single word.
"A-Anpan!"
[******]
"Haa-huu-haa-huu-haa-huu-haa-huu-haa-huu-haa-huuuuuuuuuuuuuu…haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"
Akeppa sagged his body as his knees buckled. Another record…more or less.
"When…am…I…ever…going…to…get…into…the…school…" he breathed, barely alive. Suddenly, he stopped and perked his head up, "HEEEEEEH?" He swiftly slapped his mouth shut with wide eye horror.
He was…inside.
From his blind dash, he must have entered the front entrance to act as a hiding place. A sweat-drop hung over his head and he nervously laughed, "Well…at least I'm in…" Without further ado, Akeppa continued with his mission; the handkerchief still wrapped around his head.
He was first in the entrance area where there were multiple shoe cupboards. Next, he traveled up the stairs to find himself within the heart of the school. Venturing deeper and deeper, he stumbled upon a hallway. It was wide and long, with several lockers lined up against one wall. The other side had windows that showed the school grounds below, as well as the entire structure of the building. Curiously, but cautiously, Akeppa crept through the halls.
All was quiet, fortunately, not a single student in sight. He came across a door with a small window in it and he peeked inside. He gasped. It was a classroom and it was in session. There were many students of all kinds, all either listening or sleeping while their teacher continued with her lectures. Akeppa dreamily grinned. So this is what a classroom was…Hm? – EEK!
Akeppa ducked just as the teacher glimpsed at the doorway. He hoped that she did not see him, otherwise…
Clack…Clack…Clack.
Footsteps? ACK!
The door opened and out popped a rather beautiful young female teacher. She was tall with a well-built and slender frame, crowned with luscious long red hair that reached down to her thighs. The teacher wore a pair of slim reading glasses, sporting curious gold-yellow eyes. Clipped across the side of her forehead and into her hair was a unique hair-clip of a cartoonish skull. She peered out the doorway, looking at both sides of the halls; empty.
"Strange…I thought I saw something…" she uttered.
"Yamanako-sensei*. I have a question!" called a voice from inside
"Hai, I'm coming, Darri," Yamanako-sensei replied. With one last curious look, she ducked back into her classroom.
Akeppa let out a hiss of a sigh. He had remained as flat as a board – literally – behind the door just as the teacher had appeared to open it. Body shivering uncontrollably, he sagged down to the ground.
"Close…call…" Not wanting to stumble into a second chance with the teacher, Akeppa picked himself up and scrambled to his feet to go somewhere else. Suddenly…
"Hey you there!"
"WAA—" Akeppa slapped his mouth shut, and then screamed the rest of his fear into his hands. He spun about, expecting a mean giant of a man with a stick…no, a massive stick in his hand. Or worse…Michael…But…The boy froze, all of his imagination shattering.
Standing several meters away from him…was a little girl. She had elegant long and deep forest-green hair that was tied at the very end by a large pale blue bow. The girl wore the school uniform of this school, but also a pair of skin-tight dark blue paints to hide the flesh of her thin legs. Instead of a massive baton that could have been the size of her short body, she held onto a rather small wooden and sheathed knife. Her hands had bandages wrapped round then, several of her finger-tips coiled with band-aids. Her soft yellow eyes glimmered as she stared at Akeppa with a glint in her gaze.
"Who…me?" squeaked Akeppa.
"Yeah! You over there! Fire-skull-on-his-back person!" she hopped.
"Heh? Fire skull…" Suddenly, Akeppa freaked out, "WHAT? A SKULL? I HATE SKULLS! WHERE – WHERE – WHERE?" Not at all bothered, the little girl trotted up to him. Before he knew it, she rounded about him to jab a finger onto his back: the flame-skull with sunglasses. Akeppa blinked, before going, "Haaaaaaaa,aaaaaaah?"
The little girl rapidly nodded, "Yes-Yes! You're fire-skull-on-his-back person! No doubt about it!"
Akeppa laughed, before jabbing a thumb to his heart, "That ain't no skull…It's my burning spirit!"
The little girl stared at him for a second, before tilting her head. Finally, she jumped with.
"Burning-spirit person! Fuko would like to give you this! Here!"
"Heh? What—" Akeppa was cut off when the girl produced an object with both bandaged hands, directly out to the boy.
"Please accept it!" she urged. Akeppa blinked, before he curiously took it out of the girl's hands. It was made out of wood, the only thing he could tell.
"Eeeh? This is a…this is a…,…,…,…,…,…,…,…,…,…,…,…,What is it?"
The girl literally recoiled with an aghast look, "What? How could you not know what it is?"
"I…really don't…"
"It's a starfish of course!"
Akeppa stared at the thing in his hands. True enough, it was rather large, larger than his palm, and it was shaped like a star. A better look at it, showed how freshly carved it was.
"…It is?"
"Of course it is! Hmph, why is Fuko the only mature lady here that can instantly tell that this is a starfish?" The girl, calling herself Fuko, swiped the starfish out of Akeppa's hand and clutched it in hers, "Fuko believes wholeheartedly that they're just so cute…,…Haaaaaaaaaa~" and she trailed off with a lovely sigh. Akeppa looked down on her, soon perking an eyebrow.
Fuko had suddenly spaced out; eyes closed, mouth gapping in a dreamy smile, and colourful bubbles in the shape of starfishes fluttered about her. The boy leaned in close, waving a hand over her face. Absolutely no response.
"Moshi moshi?"
"Oi…"
Akeppa suddenly went rigid. The voice behind him…felt forebodingly…frightening. Slowly, he turned to face it.
Down the end of the hall was a man. He was tall and well-built, wearing a set of a sport-jacket with rolled up sleeves that revealed his chisel muscles, and pants. He had tall lightning blonde hair that literally stood up on their ends, the base and sides of his head being deep yellowish-brown. The man sported a vicious smile and small black eyes. Tapping against his shoulder was an authorized-under-school-regulation kendo stick.
"You there…" Akeppa gulped as the man went on, "Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Ah-ha-ha-ha…I should?" replied Akeppa, voice pitched beyond recognition.
"Yeah…" The man then eyed Akeppa, notably his clothing, "Where's your uniform?"
"Eeeeeeee,eeeeeeh…I forgot it…"
CRACK!
"HIIIIIIIIIIIII,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~!"
The young man stroke the tip of his kendo stick, after snapping it to strike the ground that made Akeppa jump. The man had his eyes narrowed, ready to feast on blood.
"Never in my 10 odd years as this school's hall monitor and disciplinary advisor have I ever caught a single student skip a class without your uniforms. It was either the former or the latter…but never both…Looks like this makes you a special case…" Akeppa was shivering like a quail, literally having no strength to even swallow. "You're going to spend more than just jail time in detention, kid…but you'll be answering directly to me…Keitan-daisama*…Capiche?"
"Uuuuuuu,uuuuuuuuuu,uuuuuh…,…,…,…,…RUN AWAY AGAIIIIIIIIII,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~N!"
And Akeppa shot off faster than a bullet ever could.
"O-OI!" roared Keitan, "COME BACK HERE!" The hall monitor bolted off in a mad pursuit, wildly waving his kendo stick as if whipping a racing horse he was riding. In his rush, he failed to notice a sole girl and went right past her, sending her teetering back and forth from his fly-by.
Fuko snapped awake with a pop of her dreamy aura, "Ah! Fuko was too relaxed when adoring her all-time favourite starfish! Fuko needs to work on that!" She grinned and reached out her starfish forward, "Please take this Burning-spirit person! Fuko hopes you can come to Fuko's Aneesan's wedding!"
["Aneesan": 'Big Sister']
…,…,…,…,…,…,…Cricket~.
"Heh?" Fuko woke up once again, staring at empty air, "EH? BURNING-SPIRIT PERSON DISAPPEARED LIKE A GHOST!"
[******]
I sighed, for God knows how many times.
My teacher continued with the history class, pausing every now and then to recollect what he was trying to say when he would either go off a tangent, or when students threw paper airplane about him. It's not that I loathed history, on the contrary, but the teacher wasn't putting much of an effort to prevent it from making half the class regain their rights for nap time. Once again, I sighed.
I haven't been feeling right lately, I wondered why? My mind wasn't as clear as it should be and I felt something weighing heavily onto my shoulders. Whenever I tried to write my notes, I would suddenly stop and slip into deep thought. What am I so worried about? The answer finally came to me and this woke me up entirely.
Akeppa.
Streams of concern drenched my skin and I could no longer focus on the teacher's monotonous rambling.
How was he doing? What was he doing? Did he fell off the roof again? Did he get into trouble with any more Phantom Falhsgards? I forced myself to calm down, reminding myself that our newfound friends, Naiz, Violet, Sabelle, Ruby, and Esmeralda, promised to watch over him. Though our time had been limited thus far, I did feel I could trust them. I already gave Feva and Zealot a bit of a heads up, and they answered they'll do their best to support him and that calmed a bit of my nerves.
However…my anxieties won't release me.
Akeppa…I wonder are you doing now?
I stopped myself with surprise, whipping my eyes to the nearby window that stared out to the hall. Nothing, but I could have sworn someone familiar sprinted right by that window. Possibly, followed by another blonde-blur. I had a bad feeling about it, but there was nothing to prove if it was of any trouble I should be aware of.
"Sakagami-san…Sakagami-san?"
I sprang awake, turning to a patient and elderly Kitakawa-sensei, "H-Hai?"
"Could you read the fourth paragraph of page 232, please?"
"Hai." I rose up from my seat, picking up my history textbook with the open page. Swallowing my worries down, I began to recite and continue with my studies; praying that Akeppa was safe and unharmed.
[******]
"WAAAAAAH!" Akeppa ran for a door, any door, but always flinched when either it was full of other students or locked. Fleeing from the hall monitor's wrath, he barrelled down the halls to find sanctuary. None came, unfortunately. The boy kept racing through different twists and turned a corner, literally tripping over and tumbled. The boy rolled across the ground until his head knocked into something. "ITTAI!" He quickly scrambled to his feet, soon spotting that what he had bumped into was a door. Without hesitation, he whipped it open – thanking POPs that it was unlock – and dove in.
Akeppa slid the door shut with a slam behind him and without waiting he scrambled deeper into the room on his hands and knees. He was in the middle of an empty library and studies room, with desks, tables, and hundreds of books on shelves. He scuttled around the smaller cupboards in the center of the room, like a rat through a maze, and did his best to keep going forward. He spared a moment to turn, only to keep moving sideways like a crab…until he once again bumped into something.
Or rather someone.
The boy spun about, instantly throwing himself back into the corner of an L-formed shelf, eyes wide. He had made contact with a young girl. She was quiet as her slender body teetered back and forth from Akeppa's soft collision, like a pendulum, surprisingly unbothered.
The girl was reading a book, with more books stacked about her. She was clad in the school uniform and skirt, however…she was not wearing her socks and shoes. The said items were neatly placed aside as she sat on her knees across a comfortable square mat. The girl had long and soft purple blue hair, a pair of bundled strands tied by elastic hair-bands with a pair of cheery-like orbs. Her eyes shimmered deep violet, dulled over from in depth reading.
"AH!" gagged the boy. He instantly fell onto his hands and knees, bowing over and over again, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm…Aree?" Not hearing a response, the boy dared himself to look up.
Strangely, the girl kept on reading. It was as if Akeppa never existed before her. Intrigue had the best of the boy and he slowly crawled up closer. When he was close enough, he waved a hand over the girl's eyes.
"Moshi moshi?" No reaction. "Wow…she must really love to read…"
Akeppa pulled his hands away, not wishing to disturb the girl any longer a she continued with her book. She flipped to the next page, eyes skimming each line in rapid succession. Akeppa could not help but to be impressed. Letting the quiet atmosphere comfort him, the boy sat cross-legged next to the girl. He scoured about him, looking at all the books that were about him and the girl. He spotted one peculiar one and picked it up. Peeling open its cover, he too dove followed her example.
The two read in silence within their respective books. Whenever the girl would flip a page, Akeppa followed…only in reverse. The girl then stopped, noticing something within the text of her page. Her eyes glittered a bit, before she reached over to…pick up a pair of scissors. Leading the scissors' jaws to the page she wanted, she pressed down to cut it.
Akeppa shot a hand out and caught her by the wrist, all without breaking eye contact from his reading and his other hand holding the book perfectly steady in the air. The girl finally awakened, tracing the hand that caught hers to the owner next to her.
"It's not good to damage books like that…others may want to read it whole than partially," answered Akeppa, never prying his eyes away. The girl blinked as she stared at the boy, who released her scissor hand when he felt she would listen. After a pause, the girl placed back her scissors to the floor, and reached out. She grasped the boy's book, surprising him as she flipped it right side up and placed it back to his hands. Akeppa read things over again, soon beaming.
"Oh! So that's how it goes…No wonder it felt strange…Well at least I don't have to translate it in reverse anymore…" The boy kept reading, swallowing himself in its content. However, he urked to a stop. The book he read loosely fell out of his grasp, cluttering to a close to reveal its name 'Disquisitiones Arithmeticae' by Friedrich Gauss; written by the founder of the Gauss rifle theory and focuses on the aspect advanced and high-level number theory, both algebraic and elementary, and written in pure Latin. Finally, Akeppa made eye-contact with the girl.
The two stared at one another for a long time, neither saying a word. Akeppa fidgeted a little while the girl leaned in closer to inspect him. She moved her face closer with his, their noses close to a light kiss. Simultaneously, their eyes blinked…then…
"Bo~n~jou~r…" Akeppa was taken aback by the girl's first words. She pulled back with a down-to-earth grin, adjusting herself to fully face Akeppa across the cushion she was kneeling across.
["Good morning"]
"Aree? Parle Francais?"
["Do you speak French?"]
The girl nodded, "Oui…"
["Yes"]
Akeppa chuckled, "Comment vous appelez-vous?"
["What is your name?"]
"Je m'appelle Ichinose, Kotomi. You spell 'Kotomi' with three Hiraganas…"
["My name is…"]
"Is that so, well it's…EH? You can speak Japanese?"
The girl, named Kotomi, nodded. Akeppa sweat-dropped.
"Well…it's a pleasure to meet you, Ichinose-san…" uttered Akeppa, back in normal language.
Kotomi glanced up, particularly at his forehead, "Ah." Surprising Akeppa, she reached out her delicate fingers and touched the handkerchief that was tied around Akeppa's head, "That's…mine…"
"Huh?" Akeppa glimpsed up at the handkerchief around his head. He pulled it off and let it hang in his palm, "Yours?"
Kotomi nodded, "I opened the window to feel the wind…Dust entered my eye…I want to wipe it out…but my handkerchief was taken away by the wind…and it fell out the window…"
"Ah…so that's where it came from," Akeppa grinned, holding out the handkerchief back to its rightful owner, who blinked, "Here. It belongs to you right? You deserve to take it back."
Kotomi smiled, softly taking her handkerchief into her hands, and hugged it close, "I'm so happy it came back…"
Akeppa chuckled, "And I'm glad that I can help…"
SWISH!
Akeppa froze with sheer fear at the sound of a sliding door opening. Instinctively, Akeppa fell back and hid in the corner of the L-formed bookshelf. Kotomi did not understand right away of his reaction, but she soon realized footsteps echoed about.
Someone had entered.
"Where in the blasted blazes did that kid run off to?" Keitan appeared from behind a bookshelf, scouring its lanes with deadly eyes. He staggered to a stop when he saw one person: Kotomi. The school monitor was now standing behind a short book-shelf, where Akeppa was shivering right under it and out of his sight. "Hey you, girl! What are you doing here during class hours? Is this your spare?"
"Spare?" tilted Kotomi's head. Keitan took a better look, his eyes glazed over with apologetic realization. His words however, were a bit contrary.
"Oh…it's you, Ichinose. Should have known better that I would find you here, like always…Hey…" Kotomi straightened while still sitting on her knees, staring at Keitan as he scoured his eyes about. "Have you seen a stranger not wearing a standard uniform? It's a guy and he's broken into the school; how, I don't know but I am excited to find out…"
Kotomi's expression fell silent. Keitan took a moment to look behind him, to find movement. In this second, Kotomi glanced down at Akeppa, his face white all over. He wanted to beg her not to say anything…but then that would not be honest.
Instead, he closed his eyes and waited for a wrath as terrible as Michael to break his throat.
Oh who was he kidding, Michael was a thousand times worse when angry…His Commander would kill him 10 000 times over…
Finally, Kotomi made eye contact with the hall monitor and answered, "No."
Akeppa woke up with a start.
Keitan raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"I did not meet any strangers at all. Only a friend today…" answered Kotomi.
Keitan pursed his lips in deep thought. In the end, he went, "Okay, thanks. But if you see that no-good-for-nothing stranger again, feel free to let me know…I'll be waiting for him…" With that, the hall monitor left the library without another word.
As soon as the door closed, an exhale was exploded out of Akeppa's lungs. When he caught his breath he solemnly stared at Kotomi, ashamed.
"Gomen…"
Kotomi was surprised, "'Gomen'? Why?"
"I made you lie…You lied to protect me…Gomen…"
"I didn't lie." Now it was Akeppa's turn to be stunned as Kotomi continued with a forgiving smile, "He asked if I have seen a stranger. I didn't. I met a friend, today. And that's you…" She lightly giggled, "A stranger is someone you don't know who appears before you…but a friend is someone you know really well and you feel close to them…You're not a stranger. You're my friend…I may not know you that well…but I feel really close to you…"
Akeppa was baffled beyond recovery. His heart throbbed, tenderly touched by this angel's kindness.
"What's your name, my friend?"
"T…Tengoku…Akeppa…"
"Akeppa…Akeppa…Akeppa…" Kotomi repeated the boy's name for a moment, as if thinking to find something special about it. She brightened, "Can I call you Pa-kun?"
The boy could not think of what to say. He was just way too speechless. His only answer was a nod.
The girl gave him a heart-warming smile, "I'm so happy…Oh…" She stopped to look down at the ground near her.
There was an obento she was not familiar with, wrapped in a soft purple cloth with rabbits and moons on it. Just as she picked it up, Akeppa shook himself out of his perplexity.
"Ah! That's mine – I mean Sakagami-san's!" Akeppa held out a hand, gesturing out to the obento. Nodding, the girl softly rested it into his palm. "Thank you…Oh, right. I'm supposed to be looking for Sakagami-san!"
"Sakagami?"
"Uh, yes. She a student here, named Sakagami, Tomoyo…"
"Sakagami?" blinked Kotomi, "Tomoyo?" Akeppa rose up, first peeking over his cover to see if the coast was clear, before straightening his full height. "Are you going?"
"Yes. Sorry, but Sakagami-san forgot her lunch and I'm here to bring it to her…" Akeppa chuckled, "She's my friend too!"
"That's good to know."
"Then, I'm heading out…Heh-heh, wish me luck!" With that Akeppa vaulted over the bookshelf and went down the aisle of desks to reach for the exit.
"Good luck, Pa-kun…" Akeppa stopped to turn back. Kotomi rose to her feet to show herself to him. She returned a caring wave as she smiled with a tilt of her head, "Mata ne."
["Later"]
Akeppa too brightened, a grin of burning determination igniting in his gaze. He countered her gesture with a thumbs-up.
"Ah! Kanarazu!" The Agyle then departed, made for the sliding door, inspected the halls, and slipped right out like a phantom. ["You can count on it!"]
Once again alone in the empty library, Kotomi remained standing. She watched the spot where the boy had returned his thumbs-up, remembering that special glint in his eyes. As well, she saw the proud flag-like symbol of his fire-skull with awesome sunglasses. Her hand lifted up, to rest over her heart. Though alone, but never again lonely, she closed her eyes and imagined Akeppa's smile once more.
"Pa-kun…Atashi no kokoro wa…totemo, totemo…ureshii…"
["My heart…is really, really…happy"]
[******]
A black shoed foot came to a stop before the gates of the school, the wind shivering from its owner's presence.
It was a stranger, tall, thin, but vented a powerful dark aura. He was donned in a deep navy shirt and grey pants. On top, he wore a long black jacket, with crimson jagged decals across his sleeves and a pair of lightning-bolt shaped fangs that flanked around his high and stiff collar. His ruby-red hair was revved up and fashionably flaky, with the tips of his bangs dipped in white. Without a sound, he stepped forward.
And disappeared.
In a flash, he bounded from the air and landed directly onto the edges of the roof of the main school building. He had leaped from behind the gate, kicked off the wall and flew straight up to here. The stranger crouched over at a corner of the roof, like a gargoyle, as he levelled his gaze back to earth. A dangerous grin etched across his hungry lips, sporting a pair of small semi-human fangs.
"Ho-ho…" he uttered. He glanced down, eyeing a class that was in the middle of gym class.
Boys struggled with one another as they fought in a game of soccer. Girls were gathered about as they listened to their instructors in the how to properly clear over a high-jump. The stranger watched in silent intrigue, licking his lips with his fingers digging deeper into the cement edges of the building.
"They look like they're having fun…" The stranger's grin widen with a menace, licking his fangs out of habit. His crimson eyes glinted with pure malice as they also sparkled for the thirst of blood, "Sa…Asobimashouka?"
つづく