Chapter 3: Dawn of Darkness
"Agh! That's cold!" Nishiki said happily after he had shoved a bunch of ice cream into his mouth. "Man, this place really does have the best ice cream huh Kokoro?" He said sloppily talking with his mouth full.
Kokoro was in a daze, just playing with her ice cream as she was more focused on watching Nishiki. It took her a moment before she finally snapped back to reality and realized he had just asked her something. "Oh! Sorry, did you say something?"
Nishiki eyed her curiously. "Kokoro, you've been acting kinda spacey lately. Is everything alright?"
She smiled nervously and shook her hands. "Of course, silly! Everything's fine."
Nishiki continued to look at her with suspicion for a moment. "Okay... If you say so.." Immediately after that he went back to scarfing his ice cream without mercy.
Kokoro sighed softly and continued to just stare at the shikigami. She had been spacey a lot lately... The real problem? She couldn't get Nishiki out of her mind... Every time they were together, which was practically 24/7, she couldn't help just getting lost in gazing at his every actions. She had never been in love before, but it seemed the more she looked at Nishiki the deeper she was falling for him. Sure he was immature and goofy, but it strangely captivated her... Yeah... She loved it.
"Kokoro!"
She snapped back and blinked. Staring back at her were two huge, ugly bug-like eyes. "H-Huh..." Suddenly the monster growled and bore its mouth full of teeth. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
'Dear Diary... I'm literally going crazy out of boredom! Why else would I be writing in a diary! Usually on a week day I've got homework or chores to do, or Nishiki to talk to, but both the teachers and Kodama decided to give me a break today, and Nishiki's sleeping because he just got done fighting some really nasty demon that suddenly showed up at the ice cream parlor... About that; There have been more and more demons showing up these past few weeks, and poor Nishiki is tired from fighting so often... Nishiki...' After Kokoro wrote Nishiki's name, she started spacing out and doodled a little heart for the dot in the last "i". She turned from her desk towards the bed, where Nishiki was sleeping with his limbs all spread out. She got up and leaned close to the sleeping shikigami and gently brushed a stray blonde hair away from his eye. She had never got to really examine his face in the light before. Even though they were closed, she could never forget his pretty red eyes.. The strange marking on his cheek, symbolizing their eternal bond... His cute cheeks, and lips, which were slightly open as he slept... Her heart stopped... His lips... 'Should I..?' She was just itching to.. She had dreamed about the day they would finally kiss for days. 'Go for it! I might not get another chance like this again!...' So, very slowly, she leaned forward and closed her eyes.. Her heart was pounding, and after a moment, when their lips were only inches apart, she opened her eyes to make sure he was still sleeping. But she was shocked to see his big red eyes looking back into hers. He blinked, and she screamed and jumped back. "GAH! Nishiki!"
"Kokoro... What were you doing?"
Kokoro was redder than ever. "Um.. Um.. Um! I was.. um, I was...! Oh! That's right! I haven't taken a bath today, silly me! Gotta go!" With that she was gone.
Nishiki scratched his head in confusion. "What was that all about?"
'Geez, I can't believe myself! Usually I'm good at making something up in a hurry, but I couldn't think of anything!' Kokoro thought to herself as she relaxed in the bath. 'I've got to just tell him! Tell him..' Kokoro blushed, '..That I love him... But, even if I do, I don't have a clue what he'd say! I know he cares about me a lot, and he's always so nice to me even when I'm mean to him.. But still...' She hugged herself as she sank a little into the bath water and closed her eyes.
"Nishiki..."
The next day, Kokoro's school was having an athletics meet day, where all the kids would do various sports and exercises. Since Kaname and Misaki were in a higher grade than Kokoro, they went their separate ways at the school gate, and Nishiki transformed into his bunny plush form, which Kokoro held close to her heart instead of putting him in her backpack like she used to. 'It's funny... To think that I'm in love with this stuffed bunny!' Kokoro thought to herself, smiling down at Nishiki.
"What's up? You've been awfully smiley lately," Nishiki whispered.
"Have I?" Kokoro giggled.
Nishiki still didn't get what was going on. "Ah well, I'm just glad you're happy."
"I am..." Kokoro tightened her grip on Nishiki slightly.
In the school's track field was where Kokoro's class was at. There they were the first to practice pole vaulting.
"Yikes.. Looks kinda scary from here.." Kokoro said, clenching Nishiki close.
"Don't worry! You're pretty good at athletic stuff, so you'll be fine! Besides, I'm cheering for you!" said Nishiki.
Kokoro smiled. "Thanks, Nishiki."
"Alright! We'll go by last names starting from Z to A! So that makes.. Yamazaki! You're first up!" shouted Mr. Terada. The boy known as Kuroda Yamazaki walked up and grabbed a hold of the vaulting stick. "Okay, now I'll show you- Huh! Wait! Yamazaki!"
Before the teacher could even say another word, Yamazaki had vaulted in the air, and as he let go of the stick, he did a double twirl and a front flip, and landed perfectly on his feet as if it were the easiest thing to him. The whole class was just silent in disbelief, but then everyone started cheering. Kokoro and toy Nishiki just stood there and blinked.
"Can you believe that..?" Kokoro said, still in shock.
"I'm trying to, but it just don't add up! Yamazaki's gotta be the geekiest, most athletically challenged kid in your school!" Nishiki whispered back.
"Huh. Well isn't that strange.."
"Next up, Nagahara, Omura, Satsugi, Tsumoyuki, and Yamazaki!" called Mr. Terada. Kokoro's class was now doing the obstacle course.
'You're up, Kokoro! Do your best and blow all those other kids away!' Nishiki said in Kokoro's mind.
'I'll try.. Although I'm kinda nervous about being against Yamazaki... He was the best pole vaulter and he beat everyone in basketball...' Kokoro smiled at him after she set him down, and then ran towards the starting line.
The teacher raised his hand. "On your marks! Get set! Go!"
At that, the five kids ran for the first obstacle. They had to push big, semi-heavy rubber balls through a curvy course without losing control of the balls. One girl fell and lost control of the ball, leaving four to go. The next obstacles were to run across a balance beam without falling, climb a ladder, go through a long set of monkey bars without falling, and then drop down and swim through a pool of foam squares. One girl fell off the balance beam and the other kid fell off the monkey bars, leaving only Kokoro and Yamazaki. But while Kokoro was still going through the monkey bars, Yamazaki was already in the foam squares. Unfortunately, after Kokoro finally got out of the foam squares, Yamazaki had already sprinted across the finish line.
"Aww! Too bad.. That Yamazaki kid was just too fast!" Nishiki said to himself, sad that Kokoro lost. 'But it's so weird... Just yesterday in P.E. he couldn't even do one sit-up! Something's just not right...' he thought to himself.
The next event was the 100 meter dash. First all the boys ran and then the girls. Kokoro sat on the sidelines holding Nishiki close as both had their eyes fixed on Yamazaki.
"On your marks! Get set!"
Nishiki gasped as he noticed a dark red aura suddenly emit from Yamazaki. 'What the..!'
'Nishiki, what is it?' Kokoro asked in his mind.
"Go!"
At that, all the boys took off. Since it was only 100 meters, the race was fairly short. All the girls gasped as Yamazaki crossed the finish line. He had badly beaten even the top football and cross country jocks.
Kokoro was nearly speechless. "Incredible..!"
'Kokoro, something's definitely not right about that kid... Right before the race started, I sensed something evil coming from him,' Nishiki said in Kokoro's mind.
'You don't suppose.. A demon?'
'I'm pretty sure, although I don't know why I didn't notice it before. Usually I can clearly see when someone's possessed by a demon.. Hmm... But how are we gonna get rid of it? I can't just fight out here where the whole school can see!'
Just then, Kokoro smirked as she got an idea. 'Don't worry, leave that to me. Just wait until school's over and I'll work my magic..'
Nishiki blinked. '?'
As soon as school ended, Kokoro ran over to Yamazaki, put on her cute face and said, "Um.. Yamazaki? You were soo awesome out there today.. Would you like to walk home together?"
By now, Yamazaki was deep red in the face. "W-Why of course!" he said with a nervous tone. He had obviously never gotten this kind of attention from a girl before.
"Oh Yamazaki, you're so cute! Thank you soo much.." Kokoro sweet talked.
'Geez, you sure can act..' Nishiki said in Kokoro's mind, a little annoyed.
Kokoro blushed. 'Why do you sound so angry?'
'Dunno,' he said, still annoyed.
Kokoro just sweatdropped.
They walked and walked, until finally they passed the park. Nishiki thought this was as good of a place as any, so he transformed into boy-mode.
Yamazaki was kind of freaked out. "Huh?"
Suddenly, Yamazaki's eyes glowed red. "A shikigami!"
"That's right, and I'm takin' you out!" At that, Nishiki moved his hands in a magical formation and chanted something, and Yamazaki looked like he was struggling, but suddenly it seemed as if he had fought Nishiki's attack off.
"Ahaha! You fool! You'll never be able to take me out using that level of magic!"
"Aw man... Looks like that kid's made some kind of deal with that demon! No wonder I couldn't see it! But that means it'll be harder to take it out, and I just don't have the strength to use such magic right now.. The only other way to get rid of it is if the kid decides to break their deal!"
"No! I won't!" Yamazaki's eyes were now normal. "With this demon inside me I'll finally be strong and popular! I won't break our agreement!"
"Hehe, good boy, Yamazaki.."
Kokoro looked a little sad after she had heard what Yamazaki had said.. She felt guilty, for she suddenly remembered times where she had ignored him because he wasn't "cool" enough, or she had called him a geek behind his back. But after talking to him on their walk home together, she had learned that he was actually a really nice person to hang around with. "Yamazaki..." Kokoro started walking towards him, and he just had a questioning look to him as he backed up a bit.
"W-What?"
"Yamazaki... I'm so sorry... But, you really shouldn't be doing this!"
Yamazaki's eyes glowed red again and he jumped back. "What do you know?"
"Please! Just listen to me!.. I know you've been picked on by other kids in the past, but you really are a good person!"
Yamazaki's eyes returned to normal. "..Really?"
Kokoro smiled and nodded. "Yes, and besides, you don't need anything to make you strong, especially not a demon! If you just worked at it, I'm sure you could do it! And if people are too conceited to realize just how wonderful you really are, then you're too good for them! But I'm sure if you just let people get to know you, you'd be so popular you wouldn't know what to do! So what do you say..?"
"Well..."
"No! Yamazaki! Don't listen to her! She's trying to trick you!"
"No. She's right. I don't need you!"
"Noooooooo!" Yamazaki's eyes were glowing brighter than ever as his fingers dug into his scalp and his body struggled with the demon inside. "I.. need.. this.. body!"
"Too bad! Thanks Kokoro! Now I can finally take out this trash!" Nishiki then chanted his magic spell once more, and the demon was finally released and being destroyed.
"Damn you! This is just the beginning, just you waaaaaait!.."
After the demon was finally vanquished, Kokoro ran to Yamazaki and helped him stand. "Ugh.. Thanks, guys..." he said with a hand on his aching head.
Kokoro smiled. "No problem."
"All in a days work," said Nishiki, dusting his hands.
"But Nagahara... Did you really mean all those things you said..?" asked Yamazaki.
"Call me Kokoro. And yes, of course I did!"
Yamazaki just blushed and stared in awe at the smiling girl.
On top of a high, nearby tree branch stood the shadowy figure of Kodama, and Kujyo beside him.
"Master, did you hear the demon?"
"Yes, I did."
"It seems your visions might be accurate."
"Hm.."
Kujyo smiled. "But on a lighter note, did you notice your little sister lately? It seems she has finally figured out how she feels for Nishiki."
Kodama's eyes turned into slits. "That's a lighter note?.."
After Kokoro and Nishiki walked Yamazaki home, the two headed back for home. It had been a long day.
"Kokoro.. What do you make of what that demon said?" Nishiki asked.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You know.. When he said that this was just the beginning.."
"Oh.. I don't know.. Why, what were you thinking?"
"I don't know... But I've got a bad feeling about it."
Kokoro looked down and didn't say anything after that. But she couldn't resist just looking at him from the corner of her eye as they walked. Even when he was acting serious he was still cute.. She blushed. "Nishiki..."
"What is it?"
"I..."
"Kokoro! There you are! You're supposed to make dinner tonight, remember?"
"B-Big brother!"
"Hurry up, I'm starving!" he called from a window.
'Grr... Kodama always ruins everything..!'
"Kokoro? Is something wrong? You look angry... Oh! What was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Nothing, nothing! I'm, uh, just gonna go make dinner now!" Kokoro was blushing terribly, and so she ran inside the house and started yelling at her older brother. "Kodama, why do you always surprise me like that!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, now cook my dinner!"
"Geez! You're so lazy and ungrateful, you know that!"
"What was that!"
"You heard me!"
While all this commotion and sibling wrestling was going on, Nishiki was still just standing in the sidewalk, confused and clueless, as always. He sighed. "I just don't get it.."
Hehe, just can't end a chapter seriously, can I? Oh well, reviews, reviews! Chapter 4, on the way!