Part 14: Educational Purposes
It was a typical morning, where there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun shined to its fullest glory over the small town of Nekomi. However, to several it was just another workday or school day. For a certain hybrid and her family, this was another beautiful day to live. Because it was this hybrid, that made typical days like this possible.
Hope walked at a skipping pace down the street with a happy smile on her face as her hair swished from left to right. "Alright! For once I can take a casual stride to school! That's so not typical for me!" She laughed.
"Miss Hope you shouldn't humiliate yourself in such a delighted manner, what will people think?" Nauthiz looked at her worriedly.
"People talk like this all the time...at least I hope they do." Hope said then looked at him with a smile. Nauthiz had enrolled into Hope's high school so that he could gain an educational experience during his stay on Earth, though Hope believed he'd gain enough of an educational experience just staying at the temple for an hour. "You know Nauthiz, now that I think about it, your god garb isn't that much different from our school uniforms!"
"That may be why I'm so comfortable with this clothing!" Nauthiz thought aloud with a smile. "I'm not so much for casual wear, after all I am a gentle-god."
"I suppose so." Hope smiled. "I hope that he'll be able to fit in at school, life here isn't like it is in heaven." She thought to herself then saw a certain black haired girl standing at the corner street lamppost, tapping her foot on the pavement. "Akina!" Hope called out.
"Ah? Hey!" Akina spun around with a bright smile. "Hope Morisato early!? Now that's a first!" She teased, making Hope trip over.
"Hey! So I'm a little bad with time in the morning!" Hope sweat dropped as Nauthiz walked up to them.
"Oh..." Akina stared at him for a moment. "And who is this?"
Nauthiz smiled politely and bowed with his arm across his chest. "I am Nauthiz, I come from the foreign nation that Mrs. Morisato and Miss Urd and Skuld came from. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Akina Fujimi. Miss Hope has told me all about you."
Akina stared at him for a moment and had hearts beating in her eyes. "Oh My GOD!! He's SO cute! Hope! Please tell me he's not your boyfriend!" Akina asked frantically.
Hope stared wide-eyed for a moment as Akina shook her by her arms. "He's not! He's just staying here for a while! Um... he's a transfer student, I guess you could say."
"Really!?" She stared then looked back at Nauthiz. "Whaah! His hair, his eyes! He's SO CUTE!!"
Nauthiz blushed slightly and scratched the side of his head. "Pardon me...but shouldn't we continue to school?" he asked.
"Ri...Right!" Hope was seeing double after how hard Akina was shaking her. "This Way...UGH!" She slammed right into a lamppost then hit the ground.
"Oh dear..." Nauthiz stared.
"Oh don't worry! Hope always seems to snap outta minor injuries just like that." Akina snapped her fingers and stared down at her. "...er...well at least she always did in gym class."
"No worries, I shall carry her to school then." Nauthiz said and picked her up. "Would you please lead the way Miss Fujimi?" He asked.
Akina stared at Hope with pure jealousy. "You lucky... grrl!!" She growled to herself then looked up in shock.
"Miss Fujimi?" He blinked.
"OH! AHAHAHAH!!" She laughed and scratched the back of her head. "Don't mind me! Just talking to myself!" She turned bright red. "And don't call me Miss Fujimi, makes me sound like my mom, just call me Akina."
"Alright then, Miss Akina." He smiled.
She stared at him in awe for a moment, then like a robot turned around and got into a marching position. "Close enough... This way." She giggled and started to march towards the school.
"Such delightful friends you have Miss Hope." Nauthiz said and followed Akina down the street.
Akina looked over at him again and smiled. "So, how long do you plan on staying in Japan?" She asked. "I hope for a long time, you're pretty cute."
Nauthiz looked up for a moment, he was confused by human sayings, the least he could do in politeness and to help with his cover would be to repeat her saying. "Ah, yes Miss Akina, you're pretty cute as well." He smiled.
Akina had hearts floating around her head. "Really?"
"Um, yes. And to answer your first question." He coughed, noticing all the schoolgirls staring at him, which left him even more confused. "I'm staying here until I can grant Miss Hope's desire."
"Desire? What's that?"
"Well, she wants to see a man named Tyr again. I believe she is quite fond of him." He said and looked at her as they waited at a cross walk. "After all she's done for this world, it would be an honor to grant her heart's desire."
"What do you mean? Oh!" Akina smiled. "You mean her volunteer work?"
Nauthiz shook his head with a smile as they crossed the street. "Something much more than that. Miss Akina, haven't you ever felt that maybe your life is as it is now just because of the people you know?"
Akina looked up for a moment and held her hand to her chin in thought. "That's pretty deep, well Hope is a very good friend. I owe my good math grades to her so...yeah!"
Nauthiz laughed. "Oh, if she only knew..." He thought to himself.
"Agh... am I alive?" Hope mumbled.
"I would sure hope you are, it would be a shame if this world lost you." Nauthiz smiled.
"He's so cute!" Akina grinned happily to herself. "That's it! I'm getting this guy come hell or high water!"
A while later after they were finally able to make it into the school building, Hope helped Nauthiz find his shoebox then led him to their homeroom with Akina tagging along with little hearts floating around her head.
"Miss Hope, is your friend alright? It seems she always has hearts in her eyes and floating around her head."
"Oh sure, she's just being herself. Anyway, here we are." Hope smiled. "Our homeroom teacher is really great, her name is Mrs. Tetsuya, she teaches English." She said and walked in.
"Hey Hope!" One of her friends waved.
"Hi Ken, hey, do you know if the teachers are having a meeting today?" She asked, noticing that their teacher wasn't there yet.
"Nope." He shook his head plainly.
"Too bad, I was hoping you'd be able to talk to her for a few minutes before class started." Hope looked at Nauthiz with a sigh then walked into the room. "Come in."
"Yes Miss Hope." Nauthiz smiled, all the chatter in the room went to a halt.
"Everyone!" Hope smiled. "Mrs. Tetsuya isn't here yet so I'll just go ahead..." she said and put a hand on Nauthiz's shoulder. "This is my friend Nauthiz, he's our new foreign exchange student."
Nauthiz smiled happily and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
All the girls in the classroom had hearts throbbing in their eyes and the guys were glaring knives at him.
"Oh my..." Nauthiz stared. "Will I receive this reaction from all mortal women and men?" He whispered to Hope.
"Well...probably, you kinda seem like you were torn right out of a shoujo manga." Hope said and suddenly looked to the window.
"Something wrong?"
"Yeah, um, there's an open seat behind me so why don't you sit there?" Hope asked only to hear a collective objection from the entire classroom. Roughly taken apart, the girls were barking at Hope to keep away from Nauthiz and the guys were shouting at Nauthiz to keep off of Hope.
"He's sitting behind Hope!" Akina shouted. "Hope is the leader of the classroom when Mrs. Tetsuya is not here! So you better accept her terms or else!"
"You're just saying that cause you sit in the next row right next to where he'll sit!" A girl shouted.
"Enough!" Nauthiz barked, shocking the entire class. "I shall sit in my designated area where Miss Hope has chosen." He said. "Will you show me Miss Akina?" He asked.
"Yes Nauthiz! I'd do anything to you!" She grinned happily.
"Miss Akina didn't you mean 'for'?" He asked naively as she led him to his seat.
"That too!" She giggled.
Hope stared wide-eyed for a moment then shook her head. "OH! The window!" She quickly ran over to it and slid it open as the second bell rang. "Okay everyone, class is starting...Mrs. Tetsuya should be here any minute..." she announced then heard the sound of rustling leaves.
"HUP!!" a figure shot through the window and landed gracefully on the teacher's desk.
"Whoa..." The entire classroom stared in awe as a women with long navy hair that encircled her face slowly stood up straight in her lavender skirt suit with her blue eyes hidden behind oval glasses that shimmered from the morning sun and classroom lights.
"OH my!" She exclaimed and scratched the side of her head. "Did you know that they lock the school gates after the second bell?" She asked as she pulled a tree twig out of her hair.
"Ugh...GAH!!" The entire classroom tripped out of their desks, except for Nauthiz who was still learning.
"Good Morning Mrs. Tetsuya." Hope sweat dropped. "And yes, they do lock the school gates after the second bell rings."
She jumped down from the desk and straightened out her suit. "I must have completely forgotten that! Silly me!" she giggled. "Did you open the window for me Hope?"
"Yes." Hope nodded uneasily, and for a reason because she could also predict her navy haired teacher's next move.
"You're SO sweet!" She smiled happily and gave her a big hug. "Oh I'm so proud of my students!"
All the guys stared in jealousy.
"Can't... breath..." Hope gasped.
"Damn that Morisato is lucky!" A guy growled.
"Dude...she's a girl..." Another guy stared at him uneasily.
"Okay!" Mrs. Tetsuya released her death grip hug on Hope and caught her by the back of her Sailor Fuku before she could collapse to the floor. "Time to start class!" she smiled and met eyes with Nauthiz. "Well now, you must be my new transfer student. Nauthiz, correct?"
Nauthiz felt something odd about this women, was this childish behavior just a cover? No one could possibly be like that at such an age. "Um, yes Mrs. Tetsuya."
She nodded at him and opened her gleeful eyes. "Okay then, now I assume everyone was introduced to Nauthiz...so let's begin!"
Hope still dangled by her sailor fuku. "My body may not last through the day...first Akina's wrath, a lamp post, and Mrs. Tetsuya's death grip glomps... grandfather have mercy on my soul..." She sobbed.
Meanwhile at the Morisato temple, Keiichi was revving the engine to the BMW and smiled to himself. "As good as ever." He said and pulled the bike back and steered toward his exiting path.
"Keiichi." Belldandy brought him his lunch. "Have a nice day."
Keiichi smiled at her. "I will, are you sure you don't want to come to work though? Chihiro is a little easier on me when you're around."
"Urd and Skuld are coming home today, the temple needs cleaning, and I may need a head start on preparing dinner for our family of six now." She smiled. "I'm sorry dear."
Keiichi smiled again with a nod. "Yeah, Nauthiz earns his keep though so I don't really mind...just wish Urd and Skuld could be as useful..." He thought the second half to himself.
"Keiichi?" Belldandy stared.
"Oho! Nothing! Nothing!" Keiichi laughed. "I hate to leave you home all by yourself all day though."
"I'll be fine." She smiled as Velsper jumped onto her shoulder. "I have company."
"Right." Keiichi nodded. "Okay, have a nice day Belldandy." He said and was a little surprised when she gave him a small kiss on his cheek.
"You have a nice day too Keiichi, be careful."
Keiichi pulled on his helmet and jumped onto the BMW. "I will, bye!" He waved as he drove off.
Belldandy waved until he disappeared down the road. "Well then Velsper, we have a lot of work to do." She smiled at the black and white cat.
"Rowwwrr!" He howled in agreement as she walked back into the temple.
An hour later...
The majority of the class was in tears. Mrs. Tetsuya was indeed a great teacher; she was reading to them the third scene of the final act of the tragic tail of Romeo and Juliet in English. "A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." She finished in a clear voice and closed her book.
"That...was so very touching." Nauthiz yanked a tissue out of his pocket and wiped the corners of his eyes.
"And so romantic!" Akina was hugging onto his arm and sobbing slightly as other sobbing girls glared daggers at her.
"These human eye tricks amuse me." Nauthiz thought as he wiped his eyes again. "Hearts and daggers, not to mention those odd sweat drops that appear on our heads sometimes..."
Hope seemed mesmerized by the story. "Romeo and Juliet were so desperate to be together...that they would have rather died than live without one another, am I that desperate to see Tyr again? Could I go that far?" She thought to herself until she heard a chocking sound.
"OOH! It's so touching isn't it!? The story of star crossed lovers!!" Mrs. Tetsuya sobbed while chocking a student in a glomp.
"Star crossed lovers..." Hope thought then looked over at Nauthiz and Akina.
"Miss Akina, may I ask you return to your desk? Our fellow students seem agitated by your hugging of my arm." Nauthiz whispered.
"Oh just ignore them!" She giggled.
"Ah...but..." He sweat dropped.
"No way..." Hope grinned.
"Miss Hope?" Nauthiz whispered. "When is the lunch period? I am eager to try more of Mrs. Morisato's cooking." He smiled.
"Nauthiz...I doubt you'll be able to sit down and eat lunch in peace..."
"Why's that?"
"You'll see..."
Later at the temple...
"Roowr..." Velsper nudged open Hope's door and quickly darted to her folded futon and curled himself into a little ball. This was his favorite place to nap during the day.
"Velsper, you shouldn't sleep on Hope's bed everyday, you shed all over it." Belldandy giggled, but the cat only folded its tail around its body and began to slowly doze off. "Alright then, I guess you'll just have to settle this with Hope." She said then began to sweep Hope's floor, she'd have to stop occasionally and put a book or a picture back up on her desk and shelves that fell from her morning rampages to get ready for school. "Perhaps we should buy her a new alarm clock?" Belldandy asked then came across an opened book on the floor. "Oh dear..." She bent down to pick it up, but the book sparked her hand. "Oww!" She quickly pulled back from it and watched as the pages began to flap, until they stopped on a certain page. There were pictures and handwritten letters. "What's this?" Belldandy thought and picked it up. "Hope's photo album?"
Later during lunch...
"AAAH!! PLEASE LADIES I HAVE MY OWN LUNCH!!" Nauthiz was running back and forth with a pack of girls screaming in glee with their lunches extended towards him.
"Poor guy...I told him so." Hope sweat dropped and took a bite of some rice. "Maybe he shouldn't have come to school with me?"
"What do you mean!?" Akina interrupted. "He's a stud! Do you know what crime it would have been if you hadn't had brought him here!?"
"Well...it was sort of an accident..."
"Accident my butt...just look at him." Akina grabbed Hope's head and twisted it to where Nauthiz was. "...He's so cute...look at him run in pure fear."
"My neck..." Hope sobbed in pain.
"Oh, sorry!" Akina twisted it back into proper position. "Hope you have to help me get him."
Hope glared at her while rubbing her neck. "I don't know; Nauthiz is a gentle-god...era Gentlemen!" She coughed. "And you're...well, you're Akina."
"MISS HOPE PLEASE HELP!!" Nauthiz cried as he ran by with the crowd.
Akina glared at her for a moment. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you'll glomp any hot guy you see, that you're hyper, that you're a diabolical mastermind, that you're..."
Akina burst into fake tears. "Some friend you are! What horrible things to say!!"
"Some friend you are." Hope grinned and popped her neck. "How many injuries have you inflicted or caused me today?" Hope asked while stretching her arms out.
"EVERYONE! I INSIST THAT YOU STOP CHASING ME IMMEDIATELY!" Nauthiz cried out as more girls joined in.
"That's not the point! Please Hope! Who would you rather have date Nauthiz? Me or them?" She pointed at the crowd as they ran by again.
Hope shook her head and sighed. "I'd rather that he meet a nice goddess..." She thought to herself and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Okay, Akina, I'll help you get his attention, just drop the head over heals routine you usually pull when you meet someone."
"But he's SO CUTE!" she giggled then shook her head. "Just kidding! Hope you're a true friend!" She slapped her hands down on her shoulders.
"That's the fourth injury..." Hope's eyes watered as she collapsed to the ground.
"Ah? Are you okay?" Akina asked as Nauthiz ran towards them with the sleeves to his jacket missing.
"SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!!"
With cat like speed, Akina snatched a sandwich from her lunch box and caught Nauthiz before he could run by her with one arm.
"Miss Aki...UGH!?" His eyes widened as she shoved the sandwich in his mouth.
"Oh Nauthiz! It's so nice of you to have lunch with me." She smiled sweetly then glared over at the crowd of girls as they screeched to a halt. "Scram! He's mine!"
Later as the school bell tolled the end of that day...
"What an educational experience..." Nauthiz sighed in exhaustion.
"Think you can handle the rest of this semester?" Hope asked as they walked out of the classroom.
Nauthiz straightened his posture. "Of course, I am a highly trained god..."
"Sssh!" Hope hissed. "That's for us to know."
"What was this about God?" Mrs. Tetsuya bumped into their conversation.
"Oh! It was nothing!" Nauthiz shook his hand.
"I see, forgive my intrusion then." She said then looked at Hope. "Be careful on the way home, sharks are attracted to the blood of wounded prey."
Hope stared at her for a moment then nodded. "Okay, see you tomorrow Mrs. Tetsuya." She smiled.
Mrs. Tetsuya's eyes grew big and shiny. "OH! SO CUTE!" She gave Hope a crushing hug. "Okay then, I'll see you both tomorrow morning." She smiled happily and let Hope drop to the floor. "Good bye!"
Nauthiz picked Hope up and flung her over his shoulder. "Good bye!" Nauthiz smiled and walked down the stairway with her. "That teacher isn't to be taken lightly...did she just threaten you Miss Hope?"
"N...No... it was a warning. It might make our walk home a little safer." Hope coughed.
"Eh?" Nauthiz stared over at her.
"You'll see, just remember if we see Akina tell her that..."
"Tell her what?" Akina bumped in. "Hey! Why is he carrying you again!?"
"First people are injuring me, then interrupting..." Hope sobbed.
"Did you think you were gonna ditch me and walk home with him by yourself? You're being really mean today Hope." Akina teased.
"I am not, but seriously you can't walk home with us today..."
"Why not?" Akina interrupted. "We've walked home together halfway at least everyday of our school lives!"
"Uh...well..." Hope looked down. "It's..."
"Just halfway." Akina took Nauthiz's arm. "Let's go."
"Why are you so hesitant to letting Miss Akina walk home with us Miss Hope?" Nauthiz asked.
"Because, I'm the bait."
Back at the temple, the bathtub in the bathroom lit up, the water began to spiral around until Skuld came flying out, reading a manga. "Man what a hard day..." She scratched the back of her head and opened the bathroom door. "All day Peorth's going around all 'blah blah blah do this, do that! Blah blah blah!' Sheesh!" she grumbled and walked to the kitchen. "Big sis, your favorite lil sister is home." She said jokingly as she opened the kitchen door, usually Belldandy cooked with much enthusiasm but she had a rather deep expression on her face. "Big sis?"
"Eh?" Belldandy looked up a bit startled and smiled slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry I must have been day dreaming...welcome home Skuld." She said then looked behind her. "Where's Urd?"
"She may be a little late, she was having an argument with Peorth so I just came home without her." Skuld said. "Are you okay?"
"Of course, Dinner will be ready in a little while." She said and stared back down at the pot.
Skuld stared at her curiously for a while; Belldandy's eyes looked a little red, almost as if she had been crying. "Better not ask..." Skuld thought to herself. "Okay, I'm going to run a maintenance check on Banpei and Sigel then." She said and closed the kitchen door and looked over at the entryway to see that Hope's shoes weren't there. "Hmm...funny, Hope's usually home by now..." She thought.
Nauthiz received nasty looks from all the male students as he carried and walked Akina and Hope home from school. "Miss Hope, are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah, you can put me down." She smiled and he quickly sat her down on her feet. "Thank you."
"I'm always willing to help a damsel in distress." He smiled and received a collective awe from a group of schoolgirls that were following them.
Akina glared back at them coldly and they took a hint to leave. "Geez..."
"Akina, I'm sorry for the way I acted today." Hope smiled. "Forgive me?"
"Nah! I should be asking you for an apology!" Akina caught her in a headlock and laughed. "You know how I get when I see a really cute guy!"
Nauthiz admired them; he'd never had a close friend before. "Well then, it seems this would be half way..." he announced as they came to an intersection leading to the city and the temple.
"Yeah...too bad..." Akina inched closer to him. "I'll see you tomorrow Nauthiz!"
"Um...you seem to be in my personal space Miss Akina, but until tomorrow." He sweat dropped.
Akina sweat dropped back at his naivety. "R...Right... Anyway, See Ya Hop...where did she go?" Akina stared blankly.
"Eh?" Nauthiz looked to the side only to see some bushes rattle, leading into the forest. "Oh dear." He jumped up the side of the wall and darted into the forest.
"Hahh...Hahh..." Hope ran at an amazing speed through the forest, it was her goddess side that she hardly ever revealed. "Hahh...Hahh... Found you!" She came to a stop, a gush of wind shot from behind her that made dirt swirl in the air. Cautiously she glared around, waiting for a sign, a sound, anything.
"Ku ku ku...very good, Goddess of Revolution..." A voice cackled at her. "I thought that I'd have to emerge from this lovely forest to come after you, but you've saved me the effort. Now come to me, let me taste that precious blood of yours...the blood of a goddess..."
Hope grimaced; this whole thing of certain spirits and creatures wanting her blood was really starting to creep her out. "My blood is like sugar to you guys now isn't it?" She laughed and shook her hand. "Honestly, the nerve of some spirits today..."
"I must have your blood, with it my master's power will rival that of Kami-sama himself... oh I can smell the sweet scent power..."
Hope yawned and blinked. "Listen... I really don't have time for this, I have homework in three subjects, video game training with Aunt Urd, and I need to help my Mom do dishes after dinner. So why don't you be a sweetie and just give it up? Just go back to whoever sent you and tell them to try again this summer when I'm not so busy!"
The spirit emerged; it looked almost like a locust, but so much more displeasing to the eye. "Ku ku... rumor has it, that you have a weakness... in that precious human heart of yours... it aches for the King of Muspelhiem."
Hope stared at him in slight shock. "It does... but keep your...um, whatever you breath out of out of my business." She said with a clenched fist.
He twitched his head and bobbed his antennae in laughter. "I don't see what a demon king sees in a weak hybrid goddess like you anyway... you have so much power that it makes me sick to see it go to waste."
Hope's right eye twitched, she had a look on her face that she inherited from Keiichi and her Aunt Skuld. "Oho...you did NOT go there..." Her fist sparked as it opened around a pink orb.
"Oh? So that's what makes you angry? Well then, what of your foolish parents?"
"Stop it..." Hope warned.
"Falling for a weakling of a mortal man, Belldandy is a Foo....UUGGH!!" his mockery was cut short with Hope's pink orb.
"Nobody talks about my Momma that way! Come on Bug Boy!" She tossed her briefcase to the side.
"Er?" He sweat dropped. "Perhaps I shouldn't have egged her on so much." He gulped then felt a sharp pain in the middle of his head.
"How dare you! I will not tolerate your insulting Miss Hope and her family you vile creature!" Nauthiz barked and kicked him into the air.
"Wow, thanks Nauthiz." Hope smiled happily. "I didn't know you had it in you."
"Your welcome Miss Hope, and this god certainly has had his share of combat training." He stepped to the side as the giant locust slammed down onto the ground. "After all my mother is a valkyrie!"
"Two? Where did you come from?" It glared up at Nauthiz then it's antennae twitched. "THREE?!"
"Three?" Hope and Nauthiz repeated until they heard a twig snap. "Eh!?"
Hope stared behind her and saw Akina staring in disgust. "Akina!?"
"Eww! What the heck kinda bug is that!?"
"HAH!" He shot above them and grabbed Akina. "Stand back white haired god!" He hissed then glared over at Hope. "You're blood, give it to me, or I'll settle for this human's blood instead! My master hasn't had a sacrifice in ages!" He grinned as a spike shot out of his hand and he held it to her neck.
"Akina!" Hope stared.
"AAAAH!! Let me go!! You freak! Pervert!!" she screamed and kicked him in his abdomen.
"Stay still!" He hissed.
"Let Miss Akina go at once!" Nauthiz shouted and took a step forward; he was stopped as Hope held out her arm. "Miss Hope?"
"He's not very clever..." She whispered then glared back over at the locust. "Very well then, I'll give you my blood...."
"Hope are you crazy!?" Akina stared while still kicking at the locust. "Just get out of here!"
Hope smiled happily. "Akina, you're such a good friend, but I wouldn't dare loose my best friend to such small fry." She said; her blue eyes became florescent. "Now, let her go..."
"Hnnk..." The locust felt his grip loosening.
"NOW!"
"D...damn you..." He hissed as his arms flung away from Akina.
"Ah!?" Akina stared in shock and soon found herself quickly being carried to safety in the trees by Nauthiz.
"Hahh...Damn you..." The locust kept on hissing until Hope took a step forward, making the ground tremble at her feet.
"I don't take lightly to those who threaten my friends and insult my family." Hope said in a low tone. "But, for the sake of your knowledge, I'll show you why I've been wasting..." She slowly rose up her hand and clenched her fist, her sword hilt appeared and she drew its blade out of thin air. "...This wretched power of mine!"
The locust began to cackle in delight. "Ah, yes... Come on then! Show it to me! HYBRID!!"
"FINE!" She held her left arm up and cut it lightly, the left side of her sword was outlined in crimson. "HERE IT IS!" She shouted and lunged at him.
"FOOL!" He grinned in delight and shot the spike at her only to miss. "WHAT!?" She jumped into the air and landed behind him.
"HERE!!" Hope shouted and ran him through with her sword, her blood sparked with electricity.
"HAGGHH...." His eyes bulged.
"TAKE THAT TO YOUR MASTER!" She growled and tore her sword from him.
"Hngggkk...SHHHGGYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!" he roared out and vanished into black dust.
"Miss Hope?" Nauthiz jumped down from the tree with Akina and ran over to her.
"Eh? Oh!" Hope dropped her sword on her foot. "HNKK!! OWW!!"
"Hope?" Akina stared in a serious way. "All this time...you...you were..."
Hope ignored the sharp pain in her foot and looked at Akina. "Um...well you see I was hoping that you'd never have to know that I'm a..."
"Magical Girl!?" Akina's eyes sparkled.
Hope sweat dropped. "A what?"
"Honestly! You coulda told me! Wow! This is SOO COOL! You just sliced that thing in half with that sword and everything!" She cheered in delight until she caught a glimpse of her sailor fuku. "How come you don't have a cool outfit?"
"Miss Akina, you are very much mistaken." Nauthiz coughed as he wrapped Hope's arm up with his handkerchief.
"Listen guys...I just want to go home now...could we talk about this tomorrow?" Hope pleaded.
"It sure is late..." Keiichi stared at his watch and listened to it tick. "I wonder if Hope had a little trouble coming home from school?"
"What if she did, there's nothing that girl can't handle." Urd said confidently.
"No thanks to you." Skuld coughed.
"I taught you the mock and cough!" Urd glared.
"Oh yeah..."
"No fighting at the table you guys, come on!" Keiichi sweat dropped and looked over at Belldandy. "Bell?"
"Eh?" she looked up a bit startled. "I'm sorry."
Keiichi smiled a bit worriedly after what Skuld had told him earlier. "Bell, is there something wro..."
"We're home!" Nauthiz announced. "Sorry that we are late!"
The group quickly jumped to their feet and slammed the tea room door open to see Nauthiz with Hope dangling on his shoulder like a rag doll.
"Hi everyone..." Hope smiled then tumbled to the floor.
"Oh my! Are you alright Miss Hope?" Nauthiz stared.
"Floor..." Hope sighed. "I thought I wasn't going to make it home alive after today..." She thought to herself as everyone crowded around her and asked her if she was okay or still breathing. "Still...I have to find out who sent that locust...it may be a problem for me later down the line..."
"Hope." Belldandy held her up in a hug.
"Ah?" Hope blinked then looked to the side. "Mother?"
"Please be more careful dear." She said and held up Hope's left arm.
Hope looked down and smiled a little. "I...I will...I'm sorry."
"No, you don't have to be sorry for anything." Belldandy smiled a little as her eyes glistened with tears. "Anything at all."
Later that night, Nauthiz opened up his journal and sketched down minor notes from his day.
"Human males and females have the odd ability to distortion their eyes to various shapes or figures to express their moods, along with this mystery sweat drop that I seem to have as well..." He wrote and noticed the sweat bead on his head. "My Earth teacher Mrs. Tetsuya is very exceptional in her field, I feel as though I can speak the entire English vocabulary already after one class, despite that I already know how to speak English, exclude that last remark. However there's something very ominous about her that I will take into observation." He finished then remembered Akina. "Miss Akina Fujimi is a very odd girl just like the others, though I hope that we can be friends just like she is with Miss Hope..." He paused for a moment and recalled on her. "It seems, that there were some attributes of Miss Hope's that were left out of her biography ... she's a remarkable women, or goddess, whichever she would prefer to be known as." He thought he was finished, but he had to put in one last remark. "After witnessing her combat skills, I can highly verify that she is not to be taken unlikely."
*A Fan Author's Worthless Rant :3 *
Well that was a long wait ^^;; I'm so sorry, but this chapter was a hard one because I had to decide which events to use now and which to save for later :3 Another thing I struggled with when I did the second chapter of the first half ^^;;
Hope: She's lying! She's been drawing and playing the InuYasha game and Guilty Gear X2!!
Silence! XD (duct tapes Hope's mouth shut) I've been cleanin house too X*D heheh ^^ sorry, I'll try and stay more devoted to the fic (Can't write much during the daytime cause someone always wants on the comp or is leering over my shoulder and saying I'm writing ecchi stuff XP)
Until Next time! ;3
BTW: That lil tidbit of Romeo and Juliet is credited to the great Shakespeare himself X3
It was a typical morning, where there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun shined to its fullest glory over the small town of Nekomi. However, to several it was just another workday or school day. For a certain hybrid and her family, this was another beautiful day to live. Because it was this hybrid, that made typical days like this possible.
Hope walked at a skipping pace down the street with a happy smile on her face as her hair swished from left to right. "Alright! For once I can take a casual stride to school! That's so not typical for me!" She laughed.
"Miss Hope you shouldn't humiliate yourself in such a delighted manner, what will people think?" Nauthiz looked at her worriedly.
"People talk like this all the time...at least I hope they do." Hope said then looked at him with a smile. Nauthiz had enrolled into Hope's high school so that he could gain an educational experience during his stay on Earth, though Hope believed he'd gain enough of an educational experience just staying at the temple for an hour. "You know Nauthiz, now that I think about it, your god garb isn't that much different from our school uniforms!"
"That may be why I'm so comfortable with this clothing!" Nauthiz thought aloud with a smile. "I'm not so much for casual wear, after all I am a gentle-god."
"I suppose so." Hope smiled. "I hope that he'll be able to fit in at school, life here isn't like it is in heaven." She thought to herself then saw a certain black haired girl standing at the corner street lamppost, tapping her foot on the pavement. "Akina!" Hope called out.
"Ah? Hey!" Akina spun around with a bright smile. "Hope Morisato early!? Now that's a first!" She teased, making Hope trip over.
"Hey! So I'm a little bad with time in the morning!" Hope sweat dropped as Nauthiz walked up to them.
"Oh..." Akina stared at him for a moment. "And who is this?"
Nauthiz smiled politely and bowed with his arm across his chest. "I am Nauthiz, I come from the foreign nation that Mrs. Morisato and Miss Urd and Skuld came from. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Akina Fujimi. Miss Hope has told me all about you."
Akina stared at him for a moment and had hearts beating in her eyes. "Oh My GOD!! He's SO cute! Hope! Please tell me he's not your boyfriend!" Akina asked frantically.
Hope stared wide-eyed for a moment as Akina shook her by her arms. "He's not! He's just staying here for a while! Um... he's a transfer student, I guess you could say."
"Really!?" She stared then looked back at Nauthiz. "Whaah! His hair, his eyes! He's SO CUTE!!"
Nauthiz blushed slightly and scratched the side of his head. "Pardon me...but shouldn't we continue to school?" he asked.
"Ri...Right!" Hope was seeing double after how hard Akina was shaking her. "This Way...UGH!" She slammed right into a lamppost then hit the ground.
"Oh dear..." Nauthiz stared.
"Oh don't worry! Hope always seems to snap outta minor injuries just like that." Akina snapped her fingers and stared down at her. "...er...well at least she always did in gym class."
"No worries, I shall carry her to school then." Nauthiz said and picked her up. "Would you please lead the way Miss Fujimi?" He asked.
Akina stared at Hope with pure jealousy. "You lucky... grrl!!" She growled to herself then looked up in shock.
"Miss Fujimi?" He blinked.
"OH! AHAHAHAH!!" She laughed and scratched the back of her head. "Don't mind me! Just talking to myself!" She turned bright red. "And don't call me Miss Fujimi, makes me sound like my mom, just call me Akina."
"Alright then, Miss Akina." He smiled.
She stared at him in awe for a moment, then like a robot turned around and got into a marching position. "Close enough... This way." She giggled and started to march towards the school.
"Such delightful friends you have Miss Hope." Nauthiz said and followed Akina down the street.
Akina looked over at him again and smiled. "So, how long do you plan on staying in Japan?" She asked. "I hope for a long time, you're pretty cute."
Nauthiz looked up for a moment, he was confused by human sayings, the least he could do in politeness and to help with his cover would be to repeat her saying. "Ah, yes Miss Akina, you're pretty cute as well." He smiled.
Akina had hearts floating around her head. "Really?"
"Um, yes. And to answer your first question." He coughed, noticing all the schoolgirls staring at him, which left him even more confused. "I'm staying here until I can grant Miss Hope's desire."
"Desire? What's that?"
"Well, she wants to see a man named Tyr again. I believe she is quite fond of him." He said and looked at her as they waited at a cross walk. "After all she's done for this world, it would be an honor to grant her heart's desire."
"What do you mean? Oh!" Akina smiled. "You mean her volunteer work?"
Nauthiz shook his head with a smile as they crossed the street. "Something much more than that. Miss Akina, haven't you ever felt that maybe your life is as it is now just because of the people you know?"
Akina looked up for a moment and held her hand to her chin in thought. "That's pretty deep, well Hope is a very good friend. I owe my good math grades to her so...yeah!"
Nauthiz laughed. "Oh, if she only knew..." He thought to himself.
"Agh... am I alive?" Hope mumbled.
"I would sure hope you are, it would be a shame if this world lost you." Nauthiz smiled.
"He's so cute!" Akina grinned happily to herself. "That's it! I'm getting this guy come hell or high water!"
A while later after they were finally able to make it into the school building, Hope helped Nauthiz find his shoebox then led him to their homeroom with Akina tagging along with little hearts floating around her head.
"Miss Hope, is your friend alright? It seems she always has hearts in her eyes and floating around her head."
"Oh sure, she's just being herself. Anyway, here we are." Hope smiled. "Our homeroom teacher is really great, her name is Mrs. Tetsuya, she teaches English." She said and walked in.
"Hey Hope!" One of her friends waved.
"Hi Ken, hey, do you know if the teachers are having a meeting today?" She asked, noticing that their teacher wasn't there yet.
"Nope." He shook his head plainly.
"Too bad, I was hoping you'd be able to talk to her for a few minutes before class started." Hope looked at Nauthiz with a sigh then walked into the room. "Come in."
"Yes Miss Hope." Nauthiz smiled, all the chatter in the room went to a halt.
"Everyone!" Hope smiled. "Mrs. Tetsuya isn't here yet so I'll just go ahead..." she said and put a hand on Nauthiz's shoulder. "This is my friend Nauthiz, he's our new foreign exchange student."
Nauthiz smiled happily and bowed. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."
All the girls in the classroom had hearts throbbing in their eyes and the guys were glaring knives at him.
"Oh my..." Nauthiz stared. "Will I receive this reaction from all mortal women and men?" He whispered to Hope.
"Well...probably, you kinda seem like you were torn right out of a shoujo manga." Hope said and suddenly looked to the window.
"Something wrong?"
"Yeah, um, there's an open seat behind me so why don't you sit there?" Hope asked only to hear a collective objection from the entire classroom. Roughly taken apart, the girls were barking at Hope to keep away from Nauthiz and the guys were shouting at Nauthiz to keep off of Hope.
"He's sitting behind Hope!" Akina shouted. "Hope is the leader of the classroom when Mrs. Tetsuya is not here! So you better accept her terms or else!"
"You're just saying that cause you sit in the next row right next to where he'll sit!" A girl shouted.
"Enough!" Nauthiz barked, shocking the entire class. "I shall sit in my designated area where Miss Hope has chosen." He said. "Will you show me Miss Akina?" He asked.
"Yes Nauthiz! I'd do anything to you!" She grinned happily.
"Miss Akina didn't you mean 'for'?" He asked naively as she led him to his seat.
"That too!" She giggled.
Hope stared wide-eyed for a moment then shook her head. "OH! The window!" She quickly ran over to it and slid it open as the second bell rang. "Okay everyone, class is starting...Mrs. Tetsuya should be here any minute..." she announced then heard the sound of rustling leaves.
"HUP!!" a figure shot through the window and landed gracefully on the teacher's desk.
"Whoa..." The entire classroom stared in awe as a women with long navy hair that encircled her face slowly stood up straight in her lavender skirt suit with her blue eyes hidden behind oval glasses that shimmered from the morning sun and classroom lights.
"OH my!" She exclaimed and scratched the side of her head. "Did you know that they lock the school gates after the second bell?" She asked as she pulled a tree twig out of her hair.
"Ugh...GAH!!" The entire classroom tripped out of their desks, except for Nauthiz who was still learning.
"Good Morning Mrs. Tetsuya." Hope sweat dropped. "And yes, they do lock the school gates after the second bell rings."
She jumped down from the desk and straightened out her suit. "I must have completely forgotten that! Silly me!" she giggled. "Did you open the window for me Hope?"
"Yes." Hope nodded uneasily, and for a reason because she could also predict her navy haired teacher's next move.
"You're SO sweet!" She smiled happily and gave her a big hug. "Oh I'm so proud of my students!"
All the guys stared in jealousy.
"Can't... breath..." Hope gasped.
"Damn that Morisato is lucky!" A guy growled.
"Dude...she's a girl..." Another guy stared at him uneasily.
"Okay!" Mrs. Tetsuya released her death grip hug on Hope and caught her by the back of her Sailor Fuku before she could collapse to the floor. "Time to start class!" she smiled and met eyes with Nauthiz. "Well now, you must be my new transfer student. Nauthiz, correct?"
Nauthiz felt something odd about this women, was this childish behavior just a cover? No one could possibly be like that at such an age. "Um, yes Mrs. Tetsuya."
She nodded at him and opened her gleeful eyes. "Okay then, now I assume everyone was introduced to Nauthiz...so let's begin!"
Hope still dangled by her sailor fuku. "My body may not last through the day...first Akina's wrath, a lamp post, and Mrs. Tetsuya's death grip glomps... grandfather have mercy on my soul..." She sobbed.
Meanwhile at the Morisato temple, Keiichi was revving the engine to the BMW and smiled to himself. "As good as ever." He said and pulled the bike back and steered toward his exiting path.
"Keiichi." Belldandy brought him his lunch. "Have a nice day."
Keiichi smiled at her. "I will, are you sure you don't want to come to work though? Chihiro is a little easier on me when you're around."
"Urd and Skuld are coming home today, the temple needs cleaning, and I may need a head start on preparing dinner for our family of six now." She smiled. "I'm sorry dear."
Keiichi smiled again with a nod. "Yeah, Nauthiz earns his keep though so I don't really mind...just wish Urd and Skuld could be as useful..." He thought the second half to himself.
"Keiichi?" Belldandy stared.
"Oho! Nothing! Nothing!" Keiichi laughed. "I hate to leave you home all by yourself all day though."
"I'll be fine." She smiled as Velsper jumped onto her shoulder. "I have company."
"Right." Keiichi nodded. "Okay, have a nice day Belldandy." He said and was a little surprised when she gave him a small kiss on his cheek.
"You have a nice day too Keiichi, be careful."
Keiichi pulled on his helmet and jumped onto the BMW. "I will, bye!" He waved as he drove off.
Belldandy waved until he disappeared down the road. "Well then Velsper, we have a lot of work to do." She smiled at the black and white cat.
"Rowwwrr!" He howled in agreement as she walked back into the temple.
An hour later...
The majority of the class was in tears. Mrs. Tetsuya was indeed a great teacher; she was reading to them the third scene of the final act of the tragic tail of Romeo and Juliet in English. "A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." She finished in a clear voice and closed her book.
"That...was so very touching." Nauthiz yanked a tissue out of his pocket and wiped the corners of his eyes.
"And so romantic!" Akina was hugging onto his arm and sobbing slightly as other sobbing girls glared daggers at her.
"These human eye tricks amuse me." Nauthiz thought as he wiped his eyes again. "Hearts and daggers, not to mention those odd sweat drops that appear on our heads sometimes..."
Hope seemed mesmerized by the story. "Romeo and Juliet were so desperate to be together...that they would have rather died than live without one another, am I that desperate to see Tyr again? Could I go that far?" She thought to herself until she heard a chocking sound.
"OOH! It's so touching isn't it!? The story of star crossed lovers!!" Mrs. Tetsuya sobbed while chocking a student in a glomp.
"Star crossed lovers..." Hope thought then looked over at Nauthiz and Akina.
"Miss Akina, may I ask you return to your desk? Our fellow students seem agitated by your hugging of my arm." Nauthiz whispered.
"Oh just ignore them!" She giggled.
"Ah...but..." He sweat dropped.
"No way..." Hope grinned.
"Miss Hope?" Nauthiz whispered. "When is the lunch period? I am eager to try more of Mrs. Morisato's cooking." He smiled.
"Nauthiz...I doubt you'll be able to sit down and eat lunch in peace..."
"Why's that?"
"You'll see..."
Later at the temple...
"Roowr..." Velsper nudged open Hope's door and quickly darted to her folded futon and curled himself into a little ball. This was his favorite place to nap during the day.
"Velsper, you shouldn't sleep on Hope's bed everyday, you shed all over it." Belldandy giggled, but the cat only folded its tail around its body and began to slowly doze off. "Alright then, I guess you'll just have to settle this with Hope." She said then began to sweep Hope's floor, she'd have to stop occasionally and put a book or a picture back up on her desk and shelves that fell from her morning rampages to get ready for school. "Perhaps we should buy her a new alarm clock?" Belldandy asked then came across an opened book on the floor. "Oh dear..." She bent down to pick it up, but the book sparked her hand. "Oww!" She quickly pulled back from it and watched as the pages began to flap, until they stopped on a certain page. There were pictures and handwritten letters. "What's this?" Belldandy thought and picked it up. "Hope's photo album?"
Later during lunch...
"AAAH!! PLEASE LADIES I HAVE MY OWN LUNCH!!" Nauthiz was running back and forth with a pack of girls screaming in glee with their lunches extended towards him.
"Poor guy...I told him so." Hope sweat dropped and took a bite of some rice. "Maybe he shouldn't have come to school with me?"
"What do you mean!?" Akina interrupted. "He's a stud! Do you know what crime it would have been if you hadn't had brought him here!?"
"Well...it was sort of an accident..."
"Accident my butt...just look at him." Akina grabbed Hope's head and twisted it to where Nauthiz was. "...He's so cute...look at him run in pure fear."
"My neck..." Hope sobbed in pain.
"Oh, sorry!" Akina twisted it back into proper position. "Hope you have to help me get him."
Hope glared at her while rubbing her neck. "I don't know; Nauthiz is a gentle-god...era Gentlemen!" She coughed. "And you're...well, you're Akina."
"MISS HOPE PLEASE HELP!!" Nauthiz cried as he ran by with the crowd.
Akina glared at her for a moment. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"That you'll glomp any hot guy you see, that you're hyper, that you're a diabolical mastermind, that you're..."
Akina burst into fake tears. "Some friend you are! What horrible things to say!!"
"Some friend you are." Hope grinned and popped her neck. "How many injuries have you inflicted or caused me today?" Hope asked while stretching her arms out.
"EVERYONE! I INSIST THAT YOU STOP CHASING ME IMMEDIATELY!" Nauthiz cried out as more girls joined in.
"That's not the point! Please Hope! Who would you rather have date Nauthiz? Me or them?" She pointed at the crowd as they ran by again.
Hope shook her head and sighed. "I'd rather that he meet a nice goddess..." She thought to herself and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Okay, Akina, I'll help you get his attention, just drop the head over heals routine you usually pull when you meet someone."
"But he's SO CUTE!" she giggled then shook her head. "Just kidding! Hope you're a true friend!" She slapped her hands down on her shoulders.
"That's the fourth injury..." Hope's eyes watered as she collapsed to the ground.
"Ah? Are you okay?" Akina asked as Nauthiz ran towards them with the sleeves to his jacket missing.
"SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!!"
With cat like speed, Akina snatched a sandwich from her lunch box and caught Nauthiz before he could run by her with one arm.
"Miss Aki...UGH!?" His eyes widened as she shoved the sandwich in his mouth.
"Oh Nauthiz! It's so nice of you to have lunch with me." She smiled sweetly then glared over at the crowd of girls as they screeched to a halt. "Scram! He's mine!"
Later as the school bell tolled the end of that day...
"What an educational experience..." Nauthiz sighed in exhaustion.
"Think you can handle the rest of this semester?" Hope asked as they walked out of the classroom.
Nauthiz straightened his posture. "Of course, I am a highly trained god..."
"Sssh!" Hope hissed. "That's for us to know."
"What was this about God?" Mrs. Tetsuya bumped into their conversation.
"Oh! It was nothing!" Nauthiz shook his hand.
"I see, forgive my intrusion then." She said then looked at Hope. "Be careful on the way home, sharks are attracted to the blood of wounded prey."
Hope stared at her for a moment then nodded. "Okay, see you tomorrow Mrs. Tetsuya." She smiled.
Mrs. Tetsuya's eyes grew big and shiny. "OH! SO CUTE!" She gave Hope a crushing hug. "Okay then, I'll see you both tomorrow morning." She smiled happily and let Hope drop to the floor. "Good bye!"
Nauthiz picked Hope up and flung her over his shoulder. "Good bye!" Nauthiz smiled and walked down the stairway with her. "That teacher isn't to be taken lightly...did she just threaten you Miss Hope?"
"N...No... it was a warning. It might make our walk home a little safer." Hope coughed.
"Eh?" Nauthiz stared over at her.
"You'll see, just remember if we see Akina tell her that..."
"Tell her what?" Akina bumped in. "Hey! Why is he carrying you again!?"
"First people are injuring me, then interrupting..." Hope sobbed.
"Did you think you were gonna ditch me and walk home with him by yourself? You're being really mean today Hope." Akina teased.
"I am not, but seriously you can't walk home with us today..."
"Why not?" Akina interrupted. "We've walked home together halfway at least everyday of our school lives!"
"Uh...well..." Hope looked down. "It's..."
"Just halfway." Akina took Nauthiz's arm. "Let's go."
"Why are you so hesitant to letting Miss Akina walk home with us Miss Hope?" Nauthiz asked.
"Because, I'm the bait."
Back at the temple, the bathtub in the bathroom lit up, the water began to spiral around until Skuld came flying out, reading a manga. "Man what a hard day..." She scratched the back of her head and opened the bathroom door. "All day Peorth's going around all 'blah blah blah do this, do that! Blah blah blah!' Sheesh!" she grumbled and walked to the kitchen. "Big sis, your favorite lil sister is home." She said jokingly as she opened the kitchen door, usually Belldandy cooked with much enthusiasm but she had a rather deep expression on her face. "Big sis?"
"Eh?" Belldandy looked up a bit startled and smiled slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry I must have been day dreaming...welcome home Skuld." She said then looked behind her. "Where's Urd?"
"She may be a little late, she was having an argument with Peorth so I just came home without her." Skuld said. "Are you okay?"
"Of course, Dinner will be ready in a little while." She said and stared back down at the pot.
Skuld stared at her curiously for a while; Belldandy's eyes looked a little red, almost as if she had been crying. "Better not ask..." Skuld thought to herself. "Okay, I'm going to run a maintenance check on Banpei and Sigel then." She said and closed the kitchen door and looked over at the entryway to see that Hope's shoes weren't there. "Hmm...funny, Hope's usually home by now..." She thought.
Nauthiz received nasty looks from all the male students as he carried and walked Akina and Hope home from school. "Miss Hope, are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah, you can put me down." She smiled and he quickly sat her down on her feet. "Thank you."
"I'm always willing to help a damsel in distress." He smiled and received a collective awe from a group of schoolgirls that were following them.
Akina glared back at them coldly and they took a hint to leave. "Geez..."
"Akina, I'm sorry for the way I acted today." Hope smiled. "Forgive me?"
"Nah! I should be asking you for an apology!" Akina caught her in a headlock and laughed. "You know how I get when I see a really cute guy!"
Nauthiz admired them; he'd never had a close friend before. "Well then, it seems this would be half way..." he announced as they came to an intersection leading to the city and the temple.
"Yeah...too bad..." Akina inched closer to him. "I'll see you tomorrow Nauthiz!"
"Um...you seem to be in my personal space Miss Akina, but until tomorrow." He sweat dropped.
Akina sweat dropped back at his naivety. "R...Right... Anyway, See Ya Hop...where did she go?" Akina stared blankly.
"Eh?" Nauthiz looked to the side only to see some bushes rattle, leading into the forest. "Oh dear." He jumped up the side of the wall and darted into the forest.
"Hahh...Hahh..." Hope ran at an amazing speed through the forest, it was her goddess side that she hardly ever revealed. "Hahh...Hahh... Found you!" She came to a stop, a gush of wind shot from behind her that made dirt swirl in the air. Cautiously she glared around, waiting for a sign, a sound, anything.
"Ku ku ku...very good, Goddess of Revolution..." A voice cackled at her. "I thought that I'd have to emerge from this lovely forest to come after you, but you've saved me the effort. Now come to me, let me taste that precious blood of yours...the blood of a goddess..."
Hope grimaced; this whole thing of certain spirits and creatures wanting her blood was really starting to creep her out. "My blood is like sugar to you guys now isn't it?" She laughed and shook her hand. "Honestly, the nerve of some spirits today..."
"I must have your blood, with it my master's power will rival that of Kami-sama himself... oh I can smell the sweet scent power..."
Hope yawned and blinked. "Listen... I really don't have time for this, I have homework in three subjects, video game training with Aunt Urd, and I need to help my Mom do dishes after dinner. So why don't you be a sweetie and just give it up? Just go back to whoever sent you and tell them to try again this summer when I'm not so busy!"
The spirit emerged; it looked almost like a locust, but so much more displeasing to the eye. "Ku ku... rumor has it, that you have a weakness... in that precious human heart of yours... it aches for the King of Muspelhiem."
Hope stared at him in slight shock. "It does... but keep your...um, whatever you breath out of out of my business." She said with a clenched fist.
He twitched his head and bobbed his antennae in laughter. "I don't see what a demon king sees in a weak hybrid goddess like you anyway... you have so much power that it makes me sick to see it go to waste."
Hope's right eye twitched, she had a look on her face that she inherited from Keiichi and her Aunt Skuld. "Oho...you did NOT go there..." Her fist sparked as it opened around a pink orb.
"Oh? So that's what makes you angry? Well then, what of your foolish parents?"
"Stop it..." Hope warned.
"Falling for a weakling of a mortal man, Belldandy is a Foo....UUGGH!!" his mockery was cut short with Hope's pink orb.
"Nobody talks about my Momma that way! Come on Bug Boy!" She tossed her briefcase to the side.
"Er?" He sweat dropped. "Perhaps I shouldn't have egged her on so much." He gulped then felt a sharp pain in the middle of his head.
"How dare you! I will not tolerate your insulting Miss Hope and her family you vile creature!" Nauthiz barked and kicked him into the air.
"Wow, thanks Nauthiz." Hope smiled happily. "I didn't know you had it in you."
"Your welcome Miss Hope, and this god certainly has had his share of combat training." He stepped to the side as the giant locust slammed down onto the ground. "After all my mother is a valkyrie!"
"Two? Where did you come from?" It glared up at Nauthiz then it's antennae twitched. "THREE?!"
"Three?" Hope and Nauthiz repeated until they heard a twig snap. "Eh!?"
Hope stared behind her and saw Akina staring in disgust. "Akina!?"
"Eww! What the heck kinda bug is that!?"
"HAH!" He shot above them and grabbed Akina. "Stand back white haired god!" He hissed then glared over at Hope. "You're blood, give it to me, or I'll settle for this human's blood instead! My master hasn't had a sacrifice in ages!" He grinned as a spike shot out of his hand and he held it to her neck.
"Akina!" Hope stared.
"AAAAH!! Let me go!! You freak! Pervert!!" she screamed and kicked him in his abdomen.
"Stay still!" He hissed.
"Let Miss Akina go at once!" Nauthiz shouted and took a step forward; he was stopped as Hope held out her arm. "Miss Hope?"
"He's not very clever..." She whispered then glared back over at the locust. "Very well then, I'll give you my blood...."
"Hope are you crazy!?" Akina stared while still kicking at the locust. "Just get out of here!"
Hope smiled happily. "Akina, you're such a good friend, but I wouldn't dare loose my best friend to such small fry." She said; her blue eyes became florescent. "Now, let her go..."
"Hnnk..." The locust felt his grip loosening.
"NOW!"
"D...damn you..." He hissed as his arms flung away from Akina.
"Ah!?" Akina stared in shock and soon found herself quickly being carried to safety in the trees by Nauthiz.
"Hahh...Damn you..." The locust kept on hissing until Hope took a step forward, making the ground tremble at her feet.
"I don't take lightly to those who threaten my friends and insult my family." Hope said in a low tone. "But, for the sake of your knowledge, I'll show you why I've been wasting..." She slowly rose up her hand and clenched her fist, her sword hilt appeared and she drew its blade out of thin air. "...This wretched power of mine!"
The locust began to cackle in delight. "Ah, yes... Come on then! Show it to me! HYBRID!!"
"FINE!" She held her left arm up and cut it lightly, the left side of her sword was outlined in crimson. "HERE IT IS!" She shouted and lunged at him.
"FOOL!" He grinned in delight and shot the spike at her only to miss. "WHAT!?" She jumped into the air and landed behind him.
"HERE!!" Hope shouted and ran him through with her sword, her blood sparked with electricity.
"HAGGHH...." His eyes bulged.
"TAKE THAT TO YOUR MASTER!" She growled and tore her sword from him.
"Hngggkk...SHHHGGYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!" he roared out and vanished into black dust.
"Miss Hope?" Nauthiz jumped down from the tree with Akina and ran over to her.
"Eh? Oh!" Hope dropped her sword on her foot. "HNKK!! OWW!!"
"Hope?" Akina stared in a serious way. "All this time...you...you were..."
Hope ignored the sharp pain in her foot and looked at Akina. "Um...well you see I was hoping that you'd never have to know that I'm a..."
"Magical Girl!?" Akina's eyes sparkled.
Hope sweat dropped. "A what?"
"Honestly! You coulda told me! Wow! This is SOO COOL! You just sliced that thing in half with that sword and everything!" She cheered in delight until she caught a glimpse of her sailor fuku. "How come you don't have a cool outfit?"
"Miss Akina, you are very much mistaken." Nauthiz coughed as he wrapped Hope's arm up with his handkerchief.
"Listen guys...I just want to go home now...could we talk about this tomorrow?" Hope pleaded.
"It sure is late..." Keiichi stared at his watch and listened to it tick. "I wonder if Hope had a little trouble coming home from school?"
"What if she did, there's nothing that girl can't handle." Urd said confidently.
"No thanks to you." Skuld coughed.
"I taught you the mock and cough!" Urd glared.
"Oh yeah..."
"No fighting at the table you guys, come on!" Keiichi sweat dropped and looked over at Belldandy. "Bell?"
"Eh?" she looked up a bit startled. "I'm sorry."
Keiichi smiled a bit worriedly after what Skuld had told him earlier. "Bell, is there something wro..."
"We're home!" Nauthiz announced. "Sorry that we are late!"
The group quickly jumped to their feet and slammed the tea room door open to see Nauthiz with Hope dangling on his shoulder like a rag doll.
"Hi everyone..." Hope smiled then tumbled to the floor.
"Oh my! Are you alright Miss Hope?" Nauthiz stared.
"Floor..." Hope sighed. "I thought I wasn't going to make it home alive after today..." She thought to herself as everyone crowded around her and asked her if she was okay or still breathing. "Still...I have to find out who sent that locust...it may be a problem for me later down the line..."
"Hope." Belldandy held her up in a hug.
"Ah?" Hope blinked then looked to the side. "Mother?"
"Please be more careful dear." She said and held up Hope's left arm.
Hope looked down and smiled a little. "I...I will...I'm sorry."
"No, you don't have to be sorry for anything." Belldandy smiled a little as her eyes glistened with tears. "Anything at all."
Later that night, Nauthiz opened up his journal and sketched down minor notes from his day.
"Human males and females have the odd ability to distortion their eyes to various shapes or figures to express their moods, along with this mystery sweat drop that I seem to have as well..." He wrote and noticed the sweat bead on his head. "My Earth teacher Mrs. Tetsuya is very exceptional in her field, I feel as though I can speak the entire English vocabulary already after one class, despite that I already know how to speak English, exclude that last remark. However there's something very ominous about her that I will take into observation." He finished then remembered Akina. "Miss Akina Fujimi is a very odd girl just like the others, though I hope that we can be friends just like she is with Miss Hope..." He paused for a moment and recalled on her. "It seems, that there were some attributes of Miss Hope's that were left out of her biography ... she's a remarkable women, or goddess, whichever she would prefer to be known as." He thought he was finished, but he had to put in one last remark. "After witnessing her combat skills, I can highly verify that she is not to be taken unlikely."
*A Fan Author's Worthless Rant :3 *
Well that was a long wait ^^;; I'm so sorry, but this chapter was a hard one because I had to decide which events to use now and which to save for later :3 Another thing I struggled with when I did the second chapter of the first half ^^;;
Hope: She's lying! She's been drawing and playing the InuYasha game and Guilty Gear X2!!
Silence! XD (duct tapes Hope's mouth shut) I've been cleanin house too X*D heheh ^^ sorry, I'll try and stay more devoted to the fic (Can't write much during the daytime cause someone always wants on the comp or is leering over my shoulder and saying I'm writing ecchi stuff XP)
Until Next time! ;3
BTW: That lil tidbit of Romeo and Juliet is credited to the great Shakespeare himself X3