CHAPTER 10! The big ONE ZERO! I am so proud of myself. -sniff- Anyway,
this story has definately taken up the 'take forever' course. No
matter, no matter -smile- for things are really getting there.
This has LOADS of descriptions. Heh, and I thought I couldn't do it.
-------------------
Akane: You write too much.
Satoshi: I agree.
Seena58: I know. But who's gonna stop me?!?! (No Anna. Please put that axe down, slowly. And that flamethrower. AND that guillotine...)
-------------------
Chapter 10: The Plot Thickens
-------------------
The dull scribbling of pens on paper, mingled with the heat of a rather warm autumn day didn't help Daisuke too well as he tried his best to concentrate on what he was SUPPOSED to be doing, but just couldn't. If he had it his way, he would ban having tests in the morning, especially when it was a maths test.
Time droned on, like a broken clock, as each minute passed by painfully and he began to wonder if someone had been tampering with the clock as he watched it tick away in the heavy silence of the classroom. Sighing, he turned back to his test paper. He had managed to answer over half the questions on his test paper before his mind and concentration slipped from him and he tried to catch it – only for it to slip away again. Takeshi, who was sitting next to him, seemed to have fallen asleep, although his snores seemed to be muffled in his uniform sleeve.
Daisuke rubbed his eyes and took another look at the paper: transpose the following equations. They weren't so hard, but he was...
There was a loud noise from a classroom next to them, and all the students came wide-awake, some stifling yawns. Daisuke scribbled something down, hoping that he was getting it right, before settling back and giving the clock a long look.
... Dark?
Lemme sleep...
... the red-head remained staring at the clock, which hung at the very front of the classroom. Unless his eyes were deceiving him, the second hand was definitely moving slower than usual. Maybe the battery was failing it? It was an option – a fairly practical and sensible one as well – but, something didn't seem right to him and he produced a small frown, which no one else noticed.
Something was going on.
---
The bell rang sharply, commencing the first lesson and most of Daisuke's classmates looked relieved – and still sleepy – as their test papers were collected. They began to talk among themselves, and while Takeshi and Sekimoto began to complain about having a test very first lesson, Daisuke stared out blankly in front of him, his attention aimed towards Riku and Risa, and, for one reason or another, Akane, who had her head bowed. Riku and her sister complained a bit about some of the questions, while talking to their friends, and then a small group of girls went over to Akane, who looked up.
"Hey, Akane-san, how do you think you went?" asked one of the girls, who Daisuke knew by sight but didn't really talk to her. She had a short haircut and wasn't very tall, nor did she hang around the Harada twins, but seemed to be one of the kinder students around. Akane became silent before answering in a rather relaxed tone.
"Oh, well, I think I flunked out this time," she admitted with a small laugh, "but I've only been here for a day, so why they decided on a test..."
"I know!" exclaimed another girl in agreement, "But Akane-chan, wasn't it said that you used to go to some private school overseas? I heard it from one of the other students."
"Who told you that?" she sounded baffled, "I can assure you now that I never went to any kind of private school. None of them would accept me in, even when I tried."
"Eeh?! Are you saying that you weren't smart enough, Takada-san?" said the first girl in surprise, "But you look so smart! It's impossible that that could be true!"
"Ahah hah... I guess so," Akane sounded slightly nervous, "but we've always had our ups and downs, so..."
Daisuke's head drooped lower as he felt the heat of the day enter his brain and making his concentration all mushy. For an autumn morning, it definitely didn't feel it, and he closed his eyes. After a few minutes of chatter, the door slid open and the student ceased speaking as the next teacher entered.
What is going on...? he wondered.
---
Everything before recess was incredibly fuzzy and rather hazy for Daisuke, and he found himself avoiding his friends again, finding a nice shady spot to sit on his own and the think about the recent events he had found himself in.
And then there was that strange dream he'd had.
Chewing slowly on his food his mother had packed him, Daisuke tried to remember what he'd been visualizing before he had woken up; a full moon, and three figures on a rooftop. Two he could identify as Dark and Krad, but the other one... he frowned slightly, trying to get his head to clear up a bit, and then it hit him. Even though he'd only seen her for less than five minutes, Daisuke was sure that the final figure had been Scarlet. But...
Why would I be dreaming about her? he asked himself, It doesn't feel right... like, maybe that the dream I had last night really WASN'T a dream...
Dark wasn't saying anything, obviously, and until Daisuke could ask him, the red-head could only assume. But he couldn't remember ever leaving the covers of his bed last night, and he really didn't believe that Dark would just come out for the sake of it, so then he returned to the muddling puzzles that he had.
But no matter how many times he tried, none of it made any sense.
---
"If there's one thing I've learnt," grumbled Takeshi as classes continued, "than that it's a total waste of time just sitting around and waiting for the damn teacher--"
"Be quiet," muttered Sekimoto, dealing his friend a punch on the cheek to keep him quiet just as the teacher entered. Before the teacher even began to talk, Daisuke felt the final strands of his concentration slip away and he practically fell face first into his desk. Catching himself in time, the red-head managed to avoid attention, but he still felt – for some reason – really drained of energy, like someone had sucked it all out of him.
He sat there in a daze, feeling the teacher's voice wash over him and go through one ear and out the other. Work was set for them, but he didn't even have the strength to pick up his pen to right whatever was on the board. It took Daisuke a few minutes before he noticed that they had been set into groups of four to do their work – whatever it was, he didn't know. As Takeshi, Risa, and Ritsuko, Risa's friend, came to join him, Daisuke successfully pulled some reserved strength to go through the lesson.
"Niwa-kun," whispered Risa, and he looked up, while Takeshi began to speak about one thing or another, "did Riku... did she tell you about the-- "
"Yeah," he replied softly, scribbling something on his paper. She nodded, looking slightly upset.
"Riku was so worked up about it," she explained, "and she really is going to miss you."
"I feel the same way," Daisuke kept his eyes on the sheet of paper, "how about you, Harada-san?"
"I'll miss my friends, of course," the younger Harada twin said, "I just hope Dark-san doesn't get himself caught..."
"I doubt it," the red-head gave a soft chuckle, but stopped, "... has a date been set yet?" his voice was now barely above a whisper, and Risa shook her head.
"Not yet, but when we know..."
"Hey, you two! Keep up, will ya?!" yelled Takeshi, "We ain't got all day!"
Shaking his head, Daisuke returned to his work, mind completely blank as he worked automatically. It was a long day, and he knew it.
---
"Kyuu?"
"Eh? With? You're here?" Daisuke blinked as he picked up the white rabbit- like creature, "You should be home."
With gave him a long stare before giving another affectionate "Kyuu!", sound and Daisuke felt his patience wavering slightly, but soon recovered.
"Well, come on," filing out to lunch with the rest of the crowd, Daisuke managed to weave his way to the same shady spot that morning and he sat down, leaning against the cool side of the wall and closing his eyes for a moment.
"Dark seems a bit more quiet than usual," he murmured to With, "it doesn't seem right..."
As the oppressive heat pressed in on him, Daisuke felt the last reserves of his energy fading and he fell unconscious, completely oblivious to the rest of the world around him.
---
"So you found him this afternoon?"
"Yes, ma'am. He's really hot, I think he must have a fever or something."
"I better call his parents. You two stay here."
"Yes."
The world all around Daisuke was pitch black, and he couldn't open his eyes because they felt too heavy. After a bit of muttering, He could work out that there were two people present with him and that he was not outside anymore. A damp cloth pressed itself on his forehead, and he gave a small moan.
"Don't move, Niwa-kun, you'll make it worse," said a female's voice, slightly muffled as his ears didn't seem to be working to its potential.
"... who..." he managed weakly.
"You're in the nurse's office," said the other voice, which Daisuke managed to identify as Satoshi's, "Takada-san and I found you unconscious outside a few minutes ago."
So the other voice had been Akane's, the red-head told himself weakly. He would have to thank them both later, but first off...
"What... happened..."
This time Akane replied, voice tinged with concern, "I think you must've had a fever, and it really kicked in with the heat today. You should've stayed home today."
"But... I... felt fine..." he croaked. There was silence all around him, and he had a feeling that the two were exchanging looks before Satoshi spoke.
"Try to get some rest," he said, "the nurse is calling your parents. I expect you'll be going home then."
"Ugh..." on impulse, Daisuke placed a hand over his throbbing head, where the dampened cloth was positioned, "my head hurts..."
"WHAT?!" Akane suddenly sounded fearful, and Daisuke's eyes snapped open. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, Satoshi had one eyebrow raised slightly, and Akane looked embarrassed by her actions.
"Sorry... I mean," she muttered, "it's nothing..."
The two boys continued to stare at her until the nurse came back, looking concerned to see Daisuke sitting up, "Niwa-kun, you should rest. I called your parents, so they're coming to pick you up," she then turned to Satoshi and Akane, "I have some things to do, so would you two be okay to watch over him until his parents arrive?"
"Okay."
"Sure."
Once the nurse was out of sight, Satoshi's gaze returned to Akane, who looked away, "What is it?"
"... nothing..." Satoshi turned away as well, and Daisuke could almost feel the tension between them – it was most unsettling for him, as his head continued to pound harder and harder against his skull and he clutched it in pain.
"Niwa-kun?" Akane leaned forward, "Your head... where does it hurt?"
"Forehead," he gasped out. She didn't hesitate this time; she brought both hands in front of her, directly in front of Daisuke's head, and muttered something under her breath. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but the headache cleared and Daisuke flopped back, as sleep began to overcome his senses.
"What... was that..." he tried to say, but he never got an answer as sleep closed in on him.
---
"That..." Satoshi gave Akane a long, hard stare and she blinked, "... was magic."
"And your point being?" she asked coolly.
Satoshi was taken aback by the small performance of magic that the new student had just done. It wasn't anything large, but it didn't take a genius to see the light, which had surrounded Daisuke for a split second before he had fallen asleep. Blocking the only way out, he spoke to her again.
"How was it that you..." he started, and Akane's expression became blank before she turned away.
"If I were to tell you now," she started slowly, "you wouldn't be able to accept it."
"... and what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, feeling his patience waver slightly. Cursing himself mentally, he did his best to keep Krad out of his head.
"... I can't tell you," Akane stated shortly, "I'm sorry, but that's the way life is."
Satoshi was about to speak, but the door he was blocking burst open as Emiko charged in.
"Daisuke!"
"He's asleep," Akane said coolly, sidestepping past Satoshi and making her way to her next class, "so I wouldn't suggest that you make too much noise. Now, excuse me."
Bobbing a short bow, she left. Satoshi frowned, ignoring Emiko's distressed cries – mingled with Kosuke telling her to calm down – and, for the first time, sought for Krad's help.
:That. It was...:
::Healing magic, Satoshi-sama,:: Krad drawled coolly, ::what a strange turn of events...::
:... indeed.:
###
"Too close," she muttered, "not yet..."
'You there?' came Celes' fuzzy voice.
"Yeah," she tilted her head back, "how's it now?"
'Stable, that's all I can say. Chester isn't doing anything either.'
"Good, but time's really being drained now."
'You can do it!'
"Yeah..."
'Just believe in yourself, Akane!'
Takada Akane sighed, "... I will."
------------------
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! THIS IS REALLY BIG------!!!!!!!!!! WHO'S GONNA STICK AROUND?????
Fever? Hm... can't remember having one, so I don't know how accurate/inaccurate that description is, so... okay, whatever.
Revelations, magic, all of it mashed into one chapter. Heh heh heh. Hope you'll be back, and please, reviews will be nice. -smile- Thank you thank you thank you!
This has LOADS of descriptions. Heh, and I thought I couldn't do it.
-------------------
Akane: You write too much.
Satoshi: I agree.
Seena58: I know. But who's gonna stop me?!?! (No Anna. Please put that axe down, slowly. And that flamethrower. AND that guillotine...)
-------------------
Chapter 10: The Plot Thickens
-------------------
The dull scribbling of pens on paper, mingled with the heat of a rather warm autumn day didn't help Daisuke too well as he tried his best to concentrate on what he was SUPPOSED to be doing, but just couldn't. If he had it his way, he would ban having tests in the morning, especially when it was a maths test.
Time droned on, like a broken clock, as each minute passed by painfully and he began to wonder if someone had been tampering with the clock as he watched it tick away in the heavy silence of the classroom. Sighing, he turned back to his test paper. He had managed to answer over half the questions on his test paper before his mind and concentration slipped from him and he tried to catch it – only for it to slip away again. Takeshi, who was sitting next to him, seemed to have fallen asleep, although his snores seemed to be muffled in his uniform sleeve.
Daisuke rubbed his eyes and took another look at the paper: transpose the following equations. They weren't so hard, but he was...
There was a loud noise from a classroom next to them, and all the students came wide-awake, some stifling yawns. Daisuke scribbled something down, hoping that he was getting it right, before settling back and giving the clock a long look.
... Dark?
Lemme sleep...
... the red-head remained staring at the clock, which hung at the very front of the classroom. Unless his eyes were deceiving him, the second hand was definitely moving slower than usual. Maybe the battery was failing it? It was an option – a fairly practical and sensible one as well – but, something didn't seem right to him and he produced a small frown, which no one else noticed.
Something was going on.
---
The bell rang sharply, commencing the first lesson and most of Daisuke's classmates looked relieved – and still sleepy – as their test papers were collected. They began to talk among themselves, and while Takeshi and Sekimoto began to complain about having a test very first lesson, Daisuke stared out blankly in front of him, his attention aimed towards Riku and Risa, and, for one reason or another, Akane, who had her head bowed. Riku and her sister complained a bit about some of the questions, while talking to their friends, and then a small group of girls went over to Akane, who looked up.
"Hey, Akane-san, how do you think you went?" asked one of the girls, who Daisuke knew by sight but didn't really talk to her. She had a short haircut and wasn't very tall, nor did she hang around the Harada twins, but seemed to be one of the kinder students around. Akane became silent before answering in a rather relaxed tone.
"Oh, well, I think I flunked out this time," she admitted with a small laugh, "but I've only been here for a day, so why they decided on a test..."
"I know!" exclaimed another girl in agreement, "But Akane-chan, wasn't it said that you used to go to some private school overseas? I heard it from one of the other students."
"Who told you that?" she sounded baffled, "I can assure you now that I never went to any kind of private school. None of them would accept me in, even when I tried."
"Eeh?! Are you saying that you weren't smart enough, Takada-san?" said the first girl in surprise, "But you look so smart! It's impossible that that could be true!"
"Ahah hah... I guess so," Akane sounded slightly nervous, "but we've always had our ups and downs, so..."
Daisuke's head drooped lower as he felt the heat of the day enter his brain and making his concentration all mushy. For an autumn morning, it definitely didn't feel it, and he closed his eyes. After a few minutes of chatter, the door slid open and the student ceased speaking as the next teacher entered.
What is going on...? he wondered.
---
Everything before recess was incredibly fuzzy and rather hazy for Daisuke, and he found himself avoiding his friends again, finding a nice shady spot to sit on his own and the think about the recent events he had found himself in.
And then there was that strange dream he'd had.
Chewing slowly on his food his mother had packed him, Daisuke tried to remember what he'd been visualizing before he had woken up; a full moon, and three figures on a rooftop. Two he could identify as Dark and Krad, but the other one... he frowned slightly, trying to get his head to clear up a bit, and then it hit him. Even though he'd only seen her for less than five minutes, Daisuke was sure that the final figure had been Scarlet. But...
Why would I be dreaming about her? he asked himself, It doesn't feel right... like, maybe that the dream I had last night really WASN'T a dream...
Dark wasn't saying anything, obviously, and until Daisuke could ask him, the red-head could only assume. But he couldn't remember ever leaving the covers of his bed last night, and he really didn't believe that Dark would just come out for the sake of it, so then he returned to the muddling puzzles that he had.
But no matter how many times he tried, none of it made any sense.
---
"If there's one thing I've learnt," grumbled Takeshi as classes continued, "than that it's a total waste of time just sitting around and waiting for the damn teacher--"
"Be quiet," muttered Sekimoto, dealing his friend a punch on the cheek to keep him quiet just as the teacher entered. Before the teacher even began to talk, Daisuke felt the final strands of his concentration slip away and he practically fell face first into his desk. Catching himself in time, the red-head managed to avoid attention, but he still felt – for some reason – really drained of energy, like someone had sucked it all out of him.
He sat there in a daze, feeling the teacher's voice wash over him and go through one ear and out the other. Work was set for them, but he didn't even have the strength to pick up his pen to right whatever was on the board. It took Daisuke a few minutes before he noticed that they had been set into groups of four to do their work – whatever it was, he didn't know. As Takeshi, Risa, and Ritsuko, Risa's friend, came to join him, Daisuke successfully pulled some reserved strength to go through the lesson.
"Niwa-kun," whispered Risa, and he looked up, while Takeshi began to speak about one thing or another, "did Riku... did she tell you about the-- "
"Yeah," he replied softly, scribbling something on his paper. She nodded, looking slightly upset.
"Riku was so worked up about it," she explained, "and she really is going to miss you."
"I feel the same way," Daisuke kept his eyes on the sheet of paper, "how about you, Harada-san?"
"I'll miss my friends, of course," the younger Harada twin said, "I just hope Dark-san doesn't get himself caught..."
"I doubt it," the red-head gave a soft chuckle, but stopped, "... has a date been set yet?" his voice was now barely above a whisper, and Risa shook her head.
"Not yet, but when we know..."
"Hey, you two! Keep up, will ya?!" yelled Takeshi, "We ain't got all day!"
Shaking his head, Daisuke returned to his work, mind completely blank as he worked automatically. It was a long day, and he knew it.
---
"Kyuu?"
"Eh? With? You're here?" Daisuke blinked as he picked up the white rabbit- like creature, "You should be home."
With gave him a long stare before giving another affectionate "Kyuu!", sound and Daisuke felt his patience wavering slightly, but soon recovered.
"Well, come on," filing out to lunch with the rest of the crowd, Daisuke managed to weave his way to the same shady spot that morning and he sat down, leaning against the cool side of the wall and closing his eyes for a moment.
"Dark seems a bit more quiet than usual," he murmured to With, "it doesn't seem right..."
As the oppressive heat pressed in on him, Daisuke felt the last reserves of his energy fading and he fell unconscious, completely oblivious to the rest of the world around him.
---
"So you found him this afternoon?"
"Yes, ma'am. He's really hot, I think he must have a fever or something."
"I better call his parents. You two stay here."
"Yes."
The world all around Daisuke was pitch black, and he couldn't open his eyes because they felt too heavy. After a bit of muttering, He could work out that there were two people present with him and that he was not outside anymore. A damp cloth pressed itself on his forehead, and he gave a small moan.
"Don't move, Niwa-kun, you'll make it worse," said a female's voice, slightly muffled as his ears didn't seem to be working to its potential.
"... who..." he managed weakly.
"You're in the nurse's office," said the other voice, which Daisuke managed to identify as Satoshi's, "Takada-san and I found you unconscious outside a few minutes ago."
So the other voice had been Akane's, the red-head told himself weakly. He would have to thank them both later, but first off...
"What... happened..."
This time Akane replied, voice tinged with concern, "I think you must've had a fever, and it really kicked in with the heat today. You should've stayed home today."
"But... I... felt fine..." he croaked. There was silence all around him, and he had a feeling that the two were exchanging looks before Satoshi spoke.
"Try to get some rest," he said, "the nurse is calling your parents. I expect you'll be going home then."
"Ugh..." on impulse, Daisuke placed a hand over his throbbing head, where the dampened cloth was positioned, "my head hurts..."
"WHAT?!" Akane suddenly sounded fearful, and Daisuke's eyes snapped open. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, but when they did, Satoshi had one eyebrow raised slightly, and Akane looked embarrassed by her actions.
"Sorry... I mean," she muttered, "it's nothing..."
The two boys continued to stare at her until the nurse came back, looking concerned to see Daisuke sitting up, "Niwa-kun, you should rest. I called your parents, so they're coming to pick you up," she then turned to Satoshi and Akane, "I have some things to do, so would you two be okay to watch over him until his parents arrive?"
"Okay."
"Sure."
Once the nurse was out of sight, Satoshi's gaze returned to Akane, who looked away, "What is it?"
"... nothing..." Satoshi turned away as well, and Daisuke could almost feel the tension between them – it was most unsettling for him, as his head continued to pound harder and harder against his skull and he clutched it in pain.
"Niwa-kun?" Akane leaned forward, "Your head... where does it hurt?"
"Forehead," he gasped out. She didn't hesitate this time; she brought both hands in front of her, directly in front of Daisuke's head, and muttered something under her breath. At first, nothing seemed to happen, but the headache cleared and Daisuke flopped back, as sleep began to overcome his senses.
"What... was that..." he tried to say, but he never got an answer as sleep closed in on him.
---
"That..." Satoshi gave Akane a long, hard stare and she blinked, "... was magic."
"And your point being?" she asked coolly.
Satoshi was taken aback by the small performance of magic that the new student had just done. It wasn't anything large, but it didn't take a genius to see the light, which had surrounded Daisuke for a split second before he had fallen asleep. Blocking the only way out, he spoke to her again.
"How was it that you..." he started, and Akane's expression became blank before she turned away.
"If I were to tell you now," she started slowly, "you wouldn't be able to accept it."
"... and what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded, feeling his patience waver slightly. Cursing himself mentally, he did his best to keep Krad out of his head.
"... I can't tell you," Akane stated shortly, "I'm sorry, but that's the way life is."
Satoshi was about to speak, but the door he was blocking burst open as Emiko charged in.
"Daisuke!"
"He's asleep," Akane said coolly, sidestepping past Satoshi and making her way to her next class, "so I wouldn't suggest that you make too much noise. Now, excuse me."
Bobbing a short bow, she left. Satoshi frowned, ignoring Emiko's distressed cries – mingled with Kosuke telling her to calm down – and, for the first time, sought for Krad's help.
:That. It was...:
::Healing magic, Satoshi-sama,:: Krad drawled coolly, ::what a strange turn of events...::
:... indeed.:
###
"Too close," she muttered, "not yet..."
'You there?' came Celes' fuzzy voice.
"Yeah," she tilted her head back, "how's it now?"
'Stable, that's all I can say. Chester isn't doing anything either.'
"Good, but time's really being drained now."
'You can do it!'
"Yeah..."
'Just believe in yourself, Akane!'
Takada Akane sighed, "... I will."
------------------
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! THIS IS REALLY BIG------!!!!!!!!!! WHO'S GONNA STICK AROUND?????
Fever? Hm... can't remember having one, so I don't know how accurate/inaccurate that description is, so... okay, whatever.
Revelations, magic, all of it mashed into one chapter. Heh heh heh. Hope you'll be back, and please, reviews will be nice. -smile- Thank you thank you thank you!