Chapter 5 - Change, Pain and Hate.
POV: Unknown l Two Months Later. l Ebbot Village, Idaho, United States of America
And so time went on.
Chara's family moved back to the states, for a while, things were normal again, the arguments subsided for a while.
That reprieve ended when a new family had moved in, the Aishi family. Chara knew full well he wasn't rid of Ayano just yet, but it was fine, he was getting used to her presence, so much so that he sensed a new connection to her SOUL different from the other one. It was odd, what determination the first connection leeched was replaced by the new connection. Chara no longer felt unease in her presence, rather at peace.
Was it love? No, not yet, but maybe something similar, maybe something further, something magical in nature. Ah the mysteries of human magic and SOUL states, Chara knew only theories.
It was in one of the telltale golden flower fields that made Chara feel strangely at home that he saw Ayano again, she wasn't alone either, her mother and father were also present, sightseeing the flowers yes, but Ayano likely looked for an excuse to see Chara after being separated for some time, sure the educational prospects in Ebbot Village were not as good, it was a quiet town, but those two women had been pulled here for similar yet different reasons.
Chara could sense Ayano's mother, Ryoba, having a SOUL connection like his and Ayano's to her father, but there was no second connection. His expression was one of surrender, though not complete surrender, he wasn't broken.
That presence again, the third presence, it was here. It followed Ayano and Chara here, whatever, Chara would deal with it later, for now, he was to meet Ayano's parents it seemed.
As Ayano got closer, her expression changed, Chara noticed her by sight, not his power at first, it was an open field for one, secondly, he SOUL was grey again, whatever determination she leeched from him before had run out in their separated time, then as she got within 20 meters, he could feel his determination again being pulled at a steady rate, Chara noted the distance at which Ayano could leech his DT was increasing over time.
His thought were interrupted by an overjoyed Ayano more or less tackling him and giving him a bear hug. The hard ground combined with Ayano's weight on top of him made Chara feel like a sandwich for some reason, Ayano and Chara's eyes met and she could sense the annoyance in his expression, but she didn't care.
"You have no idea how much I missed you." Ayano said, her mother watching over with a tranquil and heartwarmed expression, her father had a look of concern and pity, that pity was directed towards Chara.
Chara awkwardly patted Ayano's back and said "Maybe you could avoid grinding my bones to dust next time you hug me?" with a slightly strained voice, Ayano realized the situation and got up, offering a hand for Chara to get up, he sighed and took it, saying "Given your condition, I suppose I can forgive you for that."
Ayano nodded and thanked Chara for his understanding, she then turned around and said "These are my parents. We've moved into the village recently, immigration procedures took up most of the time, it was pretty easy to find a place near your home that was open for sale."
Chara shrugged and brushed off grass and dirt from his yellow striped green shirt and replied "Even still, that seems, rather quick of a move across an ocean."
Ryoba gave a polite bow and introduced herself and her husband, Ryosuke, who simply bowed as Japanese etiquette demanded. Chara merely nodded in response and said "Pleased to meet you both. I'm Chara."
'Always be polite', his memory of his mother's voice echoed in his head. Chara could read expressions quickly, sensing no other SOULs nearby, he spoke frankly, saying "So, how much did Ayano tell you about me?"
Ryosuke scratched the back of his head whilst Ryoba replied "All good things, I'm so glad she finally found someone to complete her, much like I did when I met my husband." Ryoba gave her partner a tender, yet possessive hug, the expression on his face was both awkwardness and a hint of fear, though he dare not show that expression to Ryoba, Chara could pick it up however, he learned, thanks to the cult his Father was a part of, to read facial expressions well, that and his unique power allowed him to vaguely sense the emotions of other SOULs nearby, these two skills combined made Chara extremely perceptive, perhaps the most perceptive human being on the planet, with time and practice, he could only improve his ability to 'read' people.
Idle chatter happened, Chara noted that Ryoba was dodgy when it came to the reason why she chose to visit America before deciding to move, but she was masterful at it, it took a little bit of effort and time for Chara to figure out she was intentionally evading that question, if not for his skills, he probably would have just assumed Ryoba was just a normal woman in marital bliss. Ryoba seemed to have little if any concerns as to Chara being friends with her daughter, Ryosuke however was more observant of Chara's mannerisms, however it didn't seem like he was trying to judge if Chara was a good person, more like he was trying to figure out if Chara was Ayano's friend of his own volition.
Some time later...
Ayano and Ryoba had picked a few flowers and were discussing things, likely about their respective significant others, Chara didn't see Ayano in that way, but he knew her condition made her think otherwise. Though far enough that they could talk softly to avoid the others hearing, yet close enough that Ayano and Ryoba did not feel separated from their companions, Ryosuke dropped his normally reserved deposition as Chara and he discussed things about Ebbot Village, learning about the legend of Mt. Ebbot and the myth of Monsterkind.
"I know Ayano is smitten with you, but how do you feel about it truly?" he said with a hushed voice, Chara understood now without a doubt, Ryosuke was in the same boat as himself.
Chara shrugged and replied "I think she's been a good friend, if a bit clingy. I take it she gets that from her mother?". There it was again, fear and apprehension as Ryosuke looked over at Ryoba, who returned his gaze and waved, he waved back and then looking Chara dead in the eye, said "I suppose she does, as much as I wish it were not the case. Ayano hasn't done anything, disagreeable, has she?".
Chara smirked and said "I'm her friend of my own free will. No-one makes choices for me. I find her very interesting, I won't exactly say it's a romantic attraction, but I could see it becoming that, so long as she never betrays my trust of course. I take it her mother was a bit more, aggressive in her pursuit of you?"
Ryosuke felt like his heart skipped a beat, just how perceptive was this kid? He nodded without saying anything, looking down at the grass briefly.
Chara sighed and said "I won't pry further, but I will say this. Ayano is the first human I have found to be trustworthy, everyone else has always broken my trust in one way or another. I know about her condition in detail, she explained it to me, I'm only mentioning this because you clearly know about it as well." Ryosuke nodded and laid back a bit, sighing and saying "Yeah, I never wanted to admit it but I always knew she was exactly like her mother. She is my daughter, I care about her, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't developed some feelings for Ryoba. It's, complicated I guess. I don't exactly know that much about this place or you and your family, but I know that if Ayano is like her mother, than it doesn't matter what I think, there would be no stopping her and Ryoba sees Ayano as physical proof of our love, so she'd do almost anything to help Ayano and I, haven't exactly enough courage or bravery to intervene. Please if, Ayano does become more, assertive. Don't hurt her, not just because of what she would do if you did, but also because she's my daughter and despite everything, I am still a loving father."
Chara nodded and said "Mr. Aishi, however messed up you think your daughter's condition is right now, consider this. She's luckier than most, having two parents who love her unconditionally. It's more than I can say about anyone else I've known. You should, be careful here in Ebbot Village. Everyone I've ever known here has done something to make me despise humanity in general. I can promise you this, as long as Ayano doesn't betray me, I will be her best friend at the very least, perhaps something more if that is what fate has in store for us."
There was a nod and then silence from Ryosuke, not long after, Ryoba called him over, Chara followed him and sat next to Ayano, who always being clingy, wrapped her left arm around Chara's shoulder, he felt a little uncomfortable but merely sighed as the four watched the sun set.
Later...
Ayano disliked being away from Chara, however to Chara's surprise, and chagrin, Ayano was now his next door neighbor.
"So annoying..." he muttered slightly under his breath, thankful the others could not hear him.
Walking inside his own house after saying goodnight to his new neighbors, he saw his father dressed in some kind of ceremonial robe, his father looked over at Chara and said "I'm heading out for the meeting, your mother has prepared dinner. See you later son."
Chara nodded as his Father walked past. He sighed after the door closed and walked to the kitchen table, his mother had prepared some pot roast and she quickly set a plate by Chara who thanked her and dug in.
A bit later, his mother opened up conversation, saying "So that girl you were with moved next door. I take it you knew about this?" Chara replied "I had my suspicions. She's okay I suppose."
With a teasing voice, she said "So you are interested in her." Chara gave a certain glance at his mother, before sighing, setting his elbow on the table as a headrest as he looked away towards a clock on the wall, saying "So what if I am? She's different than everyone else. I can trust her."
Before his mother could reply, he looked at her and with a slight scowl, he added "Unlike you."
This hit her hard, but she didn't reply, cursing her own inactiveness in the past, she was silent for a while before finally speaking, saying "I, I know I haven't always been there for you and didn't act when I had the opportunity. But I do love you Chara, you are my son. I just, things are just..."
"Complicated, I know." Chara said, finishing what his mother was saying for her. Chara then looked at his mother with a blank, almost looming expression despite being shorter than her by a few inches, saying "Oh, and If you, or dad, or anyone threatens her. I will end the offender's miserable existence once and for all."
Fear was on his mother's face, she's been threatened before, but this was the first time her own son was the source of the threat. However she forgave him, understanding now that her son had finally found his first love. She made a decision then, saying "I know you don't trust me, but if someone does threaten you or your friend from now on. I won't fail to ACT again. I swear on my life."
Chara raised an eyebrow, sighed and said "Whatever." and quickly finished the last of his food, put it away for his mother and said "I'm going to bed."
Over the course of the next few weeks, things looked hopeful. Chara spent a lot of time introducing Ayano to others and showing her around the small and quiet town of Ebbot Village. He also warned Ayano not to ascend Mt. Ebbot without him, as he has reason to believe due to the incidents back in Japan, that the myth of monsterkind isn't really a myth and if an impassable barrier does indeed exist, should she find herself on the other side of it, they could be separated forever. This mere possibility was enough to have Ayano follow this advice unquestionably.
When they were alone in the forest or the flower field, Chara would teach what he knows of martial arts, he knew ways to kill humans that even her mother didn't know.
Then one day, in the field as they were alone, Chara had a certain, expression on his face that made Ayano a bit worrisome.
Ayano asked "What's wrong Chara? I can tell somethings off about you today."
Chara sighed and said "Dad's acting squirrelly, Mom's got this fearful look on her face, even the stars at night feel wrong somehow. That other presence I felt way back when the incident happened. It's back, and it's stronger than ever. Something's going to happen soon Ayano, I've been putting this off too long." Ayano looked at him curiously, then she felt it, everything around them began to fade to black, the flowers were outlined with white lines, the only color was Chara's red eyes and their SOULs. Chara then said "It's time I taught you how to use human magic. It's something everyone has the potential to do, since it's related to SOULs, but for the most part that knowledge has been forgotten and only a select few have the gift so strongly that it comes natural to them. The best way to do this is through combat in the battlespace. I learned through trial and error, but what I've learned I can pass on to you through instruction. You've quickly learned flawlessly every bit of martial arts knowledge I know, now it's time to apply that to magic."
Ayano nodded and said "So, how would I even use magic? I never saw you say any spell words or anything when you moved the way you did back then." Chara laughed and said "That's not how magic works. It's better to explain this in questions. What drives you? What gives you Determination? Why do you choose to continue to exist?"
Ayano quickly replied "You. You are my everything, I've explained that to you already." Chara nodded and said "Good. It may seem like I know the answers to these questions already, but just humor me. Focus on that, focus on what gives you determination, when you feel that warmth in your very SOUL, which is easiest to feel in the battlespace, grasp it, not with your hands, but with your will. Desire to feel your determination until it's so warm you can feel like you can touch it, then reach out with a hand and will a shape to form."
Ayano closed her eyes, she thought on the time she's spent with Chara thus far, how she never wants to be away from him. How she'll kill for him if necessary. She took those feelings, and quickly, to Chara's surprise as he never thought she'd get it right on the first try, she made a shape of red determination energy form from her right hand. It was a crimson red kitchen knife, then it reshaped into a Katana before it pulsed a bit too brightly and exploded, severely burning Ayano's hand and forearm, causing pain, she screamed. Chara walked up to her and placed his hand on her third degree burns, it stung, but there was a flash of green light and the injury was gone, along with the pain. Chara then said "Wow, you really overdid it. Be careful Ayano, just because your determination is from your SOUL doesn't mean it can't turn against you." Ayano was still dumbfounded, her arm had looked like it had been doused in napalm, now it was like nothing ever happened. This wasn't to say she didn't hear Chara or acknowledge him, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that everything she thought she knew about the universe was in fact, wrong. She made a sudden movement, hugging Chara and saying "Thanks. How did you heal me? Is that a power I can learn?" Chara replied, not minding the physical contact anymore, saying "I suppose. Truth be told, I didn't expect to be able to heal it so well. Healing is a magic focused on the trait of Kindness. I have very little of it, or had very little I suppose. But when it concerns you, I."
He stopped himself, feeling a bit embarrassed, Ayano grinned.
Though because of the hug Chara couldn't see it, he could feel her emotions somewhat. She was happy, she made a realization, she didn't need to make some grand scheme or manipulate things to her liking. They were getting closer just fine on their own.
"You know I can feel your emotions right? Our SOULs are connected in more ways than one." Chara said, Ayano nodded and said "I, have begun to notice that yes, sometimes, but not always, it's like I can feel what you feel. I can't help but wonder if this is normal or part of the weird magical connection we seem to have or if it's something else entirely. But I don't care, it makes me feel closer to you, so I love this feeling. I love you, and I know you feel the same, I felt what you felt just now."
Chara sighed and said "Guess we can't hide anything from eachother. I suppose that's for the best. I sup-" Ayano pulled away slightly, placed her index finger on his lips to stop him from talking and said "Shut up."
She then removed her finger and quickly pulled him in for a kiss. Chara returned the kiss eagerly, the battlespace faded back to normal reality.
What must have felt like an eternity, though in reality was only a couple of minutes, the two were interrupted from their moment by the alarm on Chara's phone, it was midnight.
Chara and Ayano then noticed it, for some reason, it was now late. Chara looked around cautiously, that presence was back. He then said "Strange, the battlespace is supposed to freeze time, not accelerate it."
Ayano pointed at something in the distance, what looked almost like a green flame, followed by many green flames, Chara recognized it as the special chemical torches used by the Cult. Chara then said "This can't be good. We should head home."
Ayano nodded and the two made a beeline towards the town, however something had scrambled their sense of direction, both Chara and Ayano felt a pull on their SOULs and they were now lost in a forest, Chara smelled the air intently and said "We're further up the mountain. Something's affecting our sense of direction, give me a moment." Ayano nodded as Chara focused his senses, detecting several human SOULs, including his father and mothers, up the mountain. Additionally, that other presence, neither man nor monster, was in the center of all those human souls. Before long, space around Chara and Ayano seemed to warp briefly, before they could say or do anything, they were now in the center of the cult gathering. Chara's parents had shocked expressions, as well as many of the cultists gathered.
"As I fortold, here be the child of prophecy. It is one of them, whom of which I shall not tell. Do as you know you must." said a voice, female, ethereal. Chara looked up and the ghostly image of a schoolgirl with two green flames circling her was visible. Someone in the distance amongst the cultists looked over at a woman nearby with shock and disgust, then he seemed to recognize Ayano though she had never seen him before. Chara however knew who he was, a Journalist who was discredited and had his career destroyed due to some flopped murder investigation back in Japan. Now that he recalled, he made a connection, that girl in the photo looked very much like, but somewhat different from Ayano. Ryoba, Ayano's mother. Aishi Ryoba, he remembered now, why did he forget?
The spectral ghost looked directly at Ayano and whispered so that only she and Chara could hear, saying "Now you will atone for your mother's crimes, your fate will hurt her beyond words, I will not rest there however-"
Something interrupted the spectral schoolgirl, her words became distorted, as if glitching out like a buggy computer programme. Sounds that could not be identified occured and she faded from existence. The Cultists approached Chara and Ayano, Chara's mother screamed "No!" and took a dagger, getting between Chara and one of the cultists.
A gunshot rang out across the area, smoke coming from Chara's father's firearm. Chara and Ayano stared in disbelief as blood flowed from chara's mother's chest, she grasped at her left lung and said "Run." softly, before rushing at her husband, more gunshots rang out.
Ayano felt time distort, slow even, she felt something she hadn't felt since seeing Rudo's interest in her. It wasn't from her own SOUL however.
HATE.
The entire area turned into a battlespace, Chara's mother fell over, lifeless. Before his Father could say anything or turn the gun on his child or his companion, hundreds of crimson red knives materialized around Chara and Ayano, everyone present was shocked, Chara's expression was that of someone about to kill in a fit of rage.
The knives flung out like bullets, killing most of the cultists present, Chara's father staggered and fired a bullet at Ayano, but Chara deflected it with one of the crimson red knives and sent several knives at him, they were spinning, Chara's father died quickly, but in agonizing pain, this was the first he ever saw true magic, yet along from his son, it was also the last.
Ayano grasped at her chest, she wasn't injured, but she could feel Chara's hate. The hate she felt towards Rudo way back when was nothing compared to this, CHARA's entire soul was filled with a black fluidous substance, only a crimson red outline remained. The whites of his eyes went black and tar like tears flowed out, his crimson red irises glowing intensely like LED lights on full power as he screamed at the top of his lungs, saying "I warned you! I warned you all three years ago!"
More crimson knives, this time they exploded on contact, the remaining cultists ran, one of the cultists however was brave and grabbed Ayano, holding a ritual dagger to her throat and dragging her slowly to the nearby cave, Chara looked over at him, he froze in utter terror. Chara faded out from sight, as if flickering in a burst of speed. The cultist acted, throwing Ayano who although attempting to struggle, could not break free of the grown man's strength. She found herself flying towards a hole in the cave, she saw blood fly as Chara decapitated the cultist.
She closed her eyes, she cursed the world for this fate. She felt warmth and touch a second later, opening her eyes, she had a mixture of sorrow, despair and love. Chara had jumped in after her and was holding her as tight as he could, saying "I love you."
They couldn't see eachother's faces due to their embrace, but strange cracks started forming from Chara and Ayano's eyes momentarily before fading away as if they were never there. Chara again felt something tugging on his SOUL, something external, there but not there.
Ayano began to feel this as well.
They hit the ground with a thump. Given how far they fell, it should have been worse, it still hurt as hell, mostly for Ayano, as her body cushioned Chara's fall.
She cried out in pain, Chara felt his magic drained and said "Damnit, my magic's spent. Does it hurt to breathe?" Ayano nodded, unable to talk.
"Who is there? Are you hurt? I heard a scream." said a voice around a corner, the flower bed seemed to have cushioned their fall somewhat, but that couldn't be the only explanation, Chara was concerned however, perhaps if it was just Ayano, she would be fine, but his embrace actually made things worse, he hoped her ribs were not cracked or worse.
In walked a anthropomorphic goat like creature, wearing a striped shirt similar to Chara's, a look of concern on their face. They appeared to be roughly the same height as Chara.
To be continued...