Chapter 2: "C" is for Competition!

"Man, what a drag! We've got so much homework again!" said a classmate of Kokoro's. Hitomi was her name. "Hm? Is that a bandage on your toy bunny's head?"

Kokoro glanced at Nishiki, who now had a vein popping out of his head. "Ehehehe! Uhhh, ya! Umm.. Some stuffing started coming out of its head and I didn't have time to fix it this morning so I just put a bandage on it! Ya, that's right, ehehe.."

Hitomi stared at the plush toy with a quizzical expression.

"You're pretty good at lying on the spot, Kokoro.." said Nishiki, now in boy form. It was just Nishiki and Kokoro walking home, since Misaki and Kaname had gone off on a date.

"Ehehe.." Kokoro sweatdropped. The two walked in silence for a good few minutes before Kokoro stopped walking. "Nishiki..."

Nishiki turned. "Kokoro, what's wrong?"

Kokoro looked very hurt. "I'm so sorry.. I never mean to hit you so hard.. It's just an instinctive reaction, you know?.." Her head was low and her eyes were dark as she spoke.

"Kokoro... It's okay, I always forgive you, don't I?" Nishiki tried to smile, but it was difficult to do while seeing Kokoro looking so hurt.

"No.. It's not okay... Nishiki, I-.. W-WAH!" Kokoro was trying to take a step forward, but she tripped on a crack in the sidewalk.

Nishiki easily caught her. "Are you alright?"

Nishiki was slightly blushing, but Kokoro's face was completely red as she stared up at him. But for some reason, her body refused to move. Her chin and hands were resting comfortably on Nishiki's muscular chest, and Nishiki's arms were wrapped around her, his hands gently touching her back.

Finally, Kokoro slowly stood up straighter, but Nishiki's arms stayed where they were. All Kokoro could do was look into his eyes. "Nishiki... I.." Tears started forming in her eyes, which startled Nishiki.

"Kokoro, what's wrong?"

"Oh, Nishiki..!" Kokoro flung her arms around his neck, and a confused Nishiki wrapped his arms around her a little tighter. Kokoro was sobbing on his shoulder, but Nishiki decided to stay quiet. "Nishiki... I just wanted to tell you that I.. I really do like you! Even though I'm mean to you all the time..! For a while I was afraid you thought I didn't like having you around.. But that's not true!" Kokoro kept crying.

Nishiki took a moment to let what she had just said fully sink in, and then his lips softly curled into a smile. Instead of just holding her, he warmly embraced her back, which startled Kokoro. "I'm glad.."

The two remained standing on the sidewalk, happily in their embrace as the sun began to set in the distance.

As the two continued on their way home, they came across another duo- a boy in another school's uniform with brown hair and a girl who was dressed in clothes that resembled Nishiki's and had pink hair tied up in big pigtails. Both looked to be about Kokoro's and Nishiki's age.

"Huh?" The four said in unison.

Suddenly, the girl jumped up in the air with her arms spread out. "NISHIKI!" Then she jumped into Nishiki's arms and rubbed cheeks with him, and hearts were popping up all around her.

"H-HEY! Who is this girl!" Kokoro exclaimed. She couldn't quite name the emotion she was feeling at this point.

Nishiki grabbed the girl by the waist and set her down so he could get a good look at her face. "E-Eisha?"

Eisha grinned cutely. "Oh, Nishiki, I knew you wouldn't forget me!" She resumed hugging and rubbing cheeks with him.

Kokoro had a "disturbed" look on her face. "Now just wait a minute! Who the heck are you!"

Eisha kept her arms wrapped around Nishiki's neck. "I'm Eisha! A shikigami summoned by this boy, Fuuma!" She pointed towards the boy.

"H-How do you know Nishiki?"

Eisha smiled. "You must be the one who summoned Nishiki-"

"I am! My name's Kokoro Nagahara!"

"Nice to meet you! Well, back in the Rhelm of Shikigami, me and Nishiki were the BEST of friends! Lovers even!"

"Now HOLD on Eisha! YOU always thought that, but I never-!"

"Ohh Nishiki! How can you be soo mean? You know you love me!" Eisha hugged him closer and drew circles on his chest with her index finger.

"Eisha! You know that's not true, now get.. OFF of me!"

"Noo! I dun wanna!" Nishiki was trying to peel her off, but she just wouldn't give up.

All this time, Kokoro had just been standing there with her head low and eyes dark..

"Just what exactly is your relationship with that shikigami girl! And why did she say you were 'lovers'!"

"I told you! It's not true!"

"Then why was she all over you!"

Nishiki crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "I guess 'cause she has a big crush on me or somethin'.."

"...!" Kokoro was really pissed. "Geez.."

The two were in Kokoro's room, and it was almost 9 o'clock. 'Why do I hate that girl so much! Why am I so mad?.. Am I actually jealous?..'

"Kokoro! Nishiki! Time for lights out! You were planning to get up early right?" Kokoro's brother Kodama called from outside the door.

"Yeah! Goodnight big brother!"

"G'night guys." At that, Kokoro could hear him walk away.

"Kokoro, you're getting up early tomorrow? But it's the weekend," Nishiki questioned.

"Well..." Kokoro blushed. "I thought I'd make lunch so we could go on a picnic tomorrow.."

Nishiki stared at her for a moment, almost in disbelief, but then smiled. "I'd like that."

Kokoro smiled back at him, and then went to turn the lamp off. "Okay, Nishiki, we better get lots of sleep so we can wake up early tomorrow!"

"Right! G'night Kokoro," said Nishiki as he relaxed against a big red bean bag where he usually slept.

He always sat facing Kokoro, so when she turned to her side, she could see his already sleeping face. She then suddenly remembered the first night he had tried to sleep in the same bed as her.. Of course she punched him. So he had settled for sleeping on the bean bag instead.. 'He really is rather clueless and innocent.. the biggest airhead I've ever known.. But.. it's so cute...' Kokoro blinked and widened her eyes at her own thought. She sat up and shook her head. "Did I really just think that!"

"Think what?" Kokoro's commotion had woken Nishiki.

"N-Nothing, nothing! Ehehe.." Nishiki looked puzzled, but ignored it and relaxed back against the bean bag and closed his eyes. Kokoro was still sitting up, just looking at Nishiki.

Nishiki felt he was being stared at, so he opened one lazy eye. "What is it? I thought you said to get a lot of sleep tonight."

"U-Um..!" Kokoro blushed severely, but luckily it was dark and Nishiki couldn't see. "Would... Would you like to sleep with me..? I mean! On the bed.. You know, so you'd be more comfortable..?"

Nishiki blinked. Even though it was a little dark, he could still see how much she was blushing. "Kokoro... You never let me sleep on the bed before.."

"Um..! You don't have to if you don't want to! I just thought... Uh..!"

Before Kokoro could say another word, Nishiki was under the covers next to her, smiling slightly with his eyes closed. "Good night, Kokoro.." Not before long, Nishiki began to softly snore.

'He's already asleep..'

Kokoro's bed was fairly large, and even though there were now two people on it, there was still a lot of room left. Nishiki, being the gentleman he was, slept close to the edge, giving Kokoro the most room. But even so, Kokoro scooted not farther, but a little closer to Nishiki. She smiled and just lay there, shyly staring at Nishiki while he slept. She blushed, and for some reason her heart couldn't stop pounding. 'What are these strange feelings that Nishiki gives me? Sure, I've had crushes before, but this doesn't feel at all like a crush.. I can't quite put my finger on it.. Nishiki's my guardian, but I can't as easily label him as just a friend... Just what is he to me?'

"Ah! Noo... I can't eat any more..." Nishiki said in his sleep, drooling a little.

Nishiki's sudden little outburst had startled Kokoro out of her train of thought, but she was glad he did. She needed to get her sleep. She smiled and continued just gazing at Nishiki for a moment until her eyes slowly closed.

'I don't know what I feel for Nishiki.. But whatever it is.. It feels good.'

The next morning, Kokoro and Nishiki woke up early just as planned, and Nishiki even helped make lunch.

"Nishiki... You really didn't have to help cook... This is my treat to you."

Nishiki was cutting some sandwiches. He turned and just stared at Kokoro for a moment before smiling and said casually, "Don't worry! I want to help.. Besides, I'm your shikigami after all. Helping you is what I do."

Kokoro blushed and just turned around and kept cooking.

Kodama raised an eyebrow. Although he was sipping a cup of coffee and facing the other way, Kodama's eye was turned towards Kokoro. Even if she herself didn't know it, Kodama knew exactly how Kokoro felt for her shikigami. Anyways it was so plainly obvious..

'Kokoro and Nishiki are so cute together, don't you think, Master Kodama?' Kujyo said warmly in Kodama's mind.

'Maybe, that is, if there will be a "together" with them.. Shikigami aren't as into the whole "love" concept like humans are.. Not all shikigami are like you, Kujyo.'

Kujyo smiled and blushed slightly at her master's last remark, and Kodama lightly smiled back.

'But... I cannot allow him to make her cry... If he does... I'll be forced to send him back into the Rhelm of Shikigami...' Kodama thought to himself, staring coldly at Nishiki as he cooked.

"Alright, big brother! We're leaving now!" Kokoro said while opening the front door.

"Okay! Be careful!" Kodama said back.

"We will be! Bye!"

Once the two were outside, Kokoro climbed onto her blue bike, and Nishiki sat behind her with the lunch. Once Nishiki was situated, Kokoro peddled forwards and headed for the nearby park.

When they arrived, they were surprised to not see that many people there. Usually on the weekends the park was packed. Kokoro and Nishiki got off the bike so they could enjoy walking through the park to their favorite picnic spot, which was by a fountain in the center of the park.

"The weather is so nice today, huh Nishiki?" Kokoro stretched her arms above her head and smiled.

"Ya, it sure is!" Nishiki said, also smiling.

After Nishiki laid a blanket on the grass near the fountain, they sat down and began eating. There was fried shrimp, octopus, and rice, tuna sandwiches, random veggies and orange soda- both Nishiki's and Kokoro's favorite lunch spread.

While Nishiki and Kokoro were sparring with their forks for the last fried shrimp, two familiar people suddenly walked into the picture.

"Nishiki!" the pink haired girl jumped on top of Nishiki, causing him to lose the shrimp war.

"Eisha!"

"Wow! How lucky that I get to see you again so soon! Ah! Fate must be calling us together!"

"AHEM..!" Kokoro butted in.

"Oh, you're the summoner girl, right?"

"Yes I am, so get off of Nishiki!" Kokoro pulled Nishiki by the arm away from her.

"Hey! Just because you're his mistress doesn't mean you get to keep him all to yourself!" Eisha then pulled him back by the other arm.

"Nishiki obviously doesn't like you so just leave us alone!" Kokoro pulled back. This whole time, Eisha's master Fuuma just stood there sweatdropping and Nishiki's eyes were little swirly circles from being the rope of a tug-of-war.

Eisha let go of Nishiki and folded her arms, looking away. "Humph! Like you've got a lot of room to talk! The only reason Nishiki deals with you is because you're his little life-line."

Kokoro's eyes widened. "What..?"

Eisha smirked evilly. "That's right. If you die, then Nishiki dies. That's the price of a shikigami bond. And shikigami need to be bonded to a human in order to live in the human rhelm. And that's why Nishiki kisses up to you!"

Kokoro turned to Nishiki with a sort of horrified look on her face. "Nishiki... Is that true..?"

"Well.. Yeah, but not the part about me only being with you because you're my life-line! Kokoro... I care about you." Kokoro still had a hurt look on her face, but she was really just sort of confused.

"Enough! I'll send you to another dimension, and then Nishiki will be all mine!" Eisha began laughing evilly.

"What!" Nishiki and Kokoro exclaimed in unison.

Before they knew what was going on, Eisha leapt into the air, and her hand started glowing. When she landed, it was as if she had ripped a hole in the air. She then fired a magic ball of energy out of her hand towards Kokoro, hurling her into the rip in space. Then the rift started glowing as it began to get smaller and smaller.

"KOKORO, NO!" Nishiki ran to it and tried to keep the rift from closing with his bare hands, but an electricity-like force field stopped him. When the rift closed completely, it disappeared with a small flash, along with Kokoro. Nishiki fell on his knees as tears fell down his cheeks. "Kokoro... No..." he said with an unstable voice.

"You need not worry about that annoying girl any more. Besides, she was just a human," said a victorious Eisha. Fuuma was just in disbelief as all this played out.

"You... How DARE YOU!" Nishiki shot back at her, his tear drops like flying sparkles in the sun.

"Uughh... Where... Where am I...?" Kokoro weakly opened her eyes, but all she could see was dark, cold, nothingness. "..Nishiki? Where are you?.." She hugged her legs until she was in the fetal position as tears started welling up in her eyes. She hated being alone.. "Nishiki.. Big brother.. Kujyo-san... There's no one here..."

Suddenly, memories began uncontrollably flooding her mind. The day her parents went missing... Kodama coming to Parent's Day... Kujyo's smiling face... Kaname and Misaki...

"My family and friends... I love them all so much..."

Then, in the distance of her mind, she could see a dark figure. "Who..?"

I'll be rooting for you as always!... You've got a beautiful heart... I'm here for you... We'll always be together...

At that, the dark figure became clear, and Nishiki's image shone through the darkness, though he was looking away.

"Nishiki..! ...I..."

I do need him... Always stay with me... Just what is he to me?... Is there something more...?

Nishiki turned and smiled. "Kokoro!..."

Kokoro's eyes shot open as every memory she had of Nishiki from the day she summoned him until the present replayed in her mind at light speed."... I... I love him... Nishiki! You're my most important person!"

At that, Kokoro's unconscious body shot back as she floated in the void, and then she started glowing with a bright light, which began shattering the dark space around her.

Back in park in the regular world where Nishiki still mourned, there suddenly came a bright light.

"Huh...?"

Finally, the invisible rift shattered, and from the bright light Kokoro appeared, still unconscious.

"Kokoro!"

"Th-That's impossible!" Eisha exclaimed.

Nishiki ran towards Kokoro, who was slowly floating downwards as the light around her dimmed. He easily caught her and the rift closed with a small flash once again.

"Feh.. Come on Fuuma, let's get outta here!" Eisha said angrily, grabbing her master by the arm and running off.

"Kokoro... Kokoro!.." Nishiki said gently.

Kokoro sleepily opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first, but a moment later she could clearly see Nishiki's worried face. "Nishiki..."

Nishiki slowly fell on his knees and hugged her tight. "Thank goodness!... I thought I had lost you!..."

Kokoro was surprised when she felt a small wetness on her shoulder. "Nishiki... You really care about me?... I'm not just a life-line to you...?"

Nishiki pulled away so he could look her straight in the eyes. "Of course you're not!... Kokoro, I really care about you..."

Kokoro could see that he had in fact shed tears for her. She blushed and smiled gently, and then slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and softly fell into an embrace as she closed her eyes. "...Thank you..."

While this was all happening, Kodama's dark figure silently watched from a distant tree...

Tada! That's chapter 2! Ah, the power of luv . But will our favorite shikigami be able to love Kokoro back? Chapter 3, on the way! Comments welcome!