Chapter I: The Awakening Of A Miracle
-Tsubasa, Tsubasa, wake up.
-Huh? What's happening, mom?
-Wake up. You're late for class -said Natsuko, the lad's mother.
-OK -and the boy got up. He hardly had fifteen years, and a great talent for soccer. After washing very well his face, he put on his uniform, cleaned up part of his room and went down the stairs. Natsuko was preparing breakfast, and Koudai, who was at home in those days, was reading the newspaper.
"How peaceful... When dad's at home, everything seems to be perfect. I just can't complain" -Tsubasa was full of great happiness and peace when he saw his family together. He sat down to have breakfast quietly, which was only broken because of the sound of the newspaper when the page was changed or because of the noise of the dishes. Soon after, the teen got ready to go to Junior High.
-Have to go! Good-bye! -he said while he changed shoes, took his handbag, his lunch and his soccer ball, and leaving the house.
-Take care -said his father and mother at the same time
As always, he went running to Nankatsu Junior High with the ball at his feet. Ever since he was little he had had a ball, since the first one that his father had given him had saved his life. In the way he met with one of his best friends: Ishizaki Ryou.
-Hi, Tsubasa-kun -said the boy that had great resemblance with a monkey. -You're again late?
-Stop chatting and start running! -exclaimed the other boy, running even quicker. When he was little, he had been quite quick, but now his muscular mass had reduced his speed. Ryou could barely follow him.
-Tsubasa, careful with the stairs! -screamed Ryou. Tsubasa reduced his speed and went down the stairs with the ball still in his feet, but somehow it escaped and went into an alley.
-My ball! I have to go for it.
-No time, Tsubasa! Let's go.
-Not without my ball -and Tsubasa at full speed went for it. However, when he arrived to the cold alley, a strange feeling filled him. He looked everywhere, but somehow the noise of the traffic had vanished. He could see Ryou running towards where he was, screaming, but everything as if it was in slow motion and with no sound.
"What's happening here?" -wondered the young soccer player, while a strong chill went thru his back.
And as if nothing had happened, the noise of the traffic and Ishizaki's shouts rang in his ears again.
-Tsubasa-kun! You didn't listen to me? Let's get going already! -said Ryou, pulling him by the jacket. Immediately both boys began to run toward the school, and they arrived just on time.
-Just a minute more and you'd be late -said a girl when both arrived. -Thank God you arrived on time.
-We almost arrived late because this fool a.k.a Tsubasa failed to control his soccer ball and he had to go pick it up in an alley, Sanae -said Ryou, sitting down in his place and unfastening the neck of its jacket.
-I don't buy it -Sanae said. She had short brown hair, and before, when she was a little girl, she had been a very hard and aggressive girl, but now she had changed completely, except for a thing: Ever since she was a kid she had been in love with Tsubasa.
-Oh, yeah? Why don't you ask him, and see what does he answer to you.
-Tsubasa, is it true what Ishizaki said?
-Um, yes. I'm afraid Ishizaki-kun's right.
-What's wrong? You're distracted.
-Nothing at all -said Tsubasa, looking towards another side. What had Tsubasa so distracted was what had happened in the alley.
"For a moment everything went mute and everything seemed to go in slow motion. And that chill? It wasn't an ordinary chill by any means. It was rather like a kind of... warning. I don't understand it."
-Tsubasa... What's happening with you? Come on, answer me -said Sanae, passing a hand near the lad's face.
-Huh? Sorry, Sanae-chan. It's just that something really weird happened to me today.
-Well, if I were you, I'd concentrate, because here comes the teacher.
The teacher went into the classroom, and class went on normally. However, the sky clouded over and a storm began to fall.
-Oh, rats. We won't be able to train today like this. The field's full with mud – said Iwami Ken'ichi, one of the members of the Nankatsu soccer team.
-There's nothing we can do. We'll have to cancel the training session –said Furuoya, the trainer. Resigned, the boys changed clothes again and every one of them went home. Tsubasa was about to leave when...
-Tsubasa, can I go with you? –asked Sanae.
-Yeah, sure, Sanae-chan.
Both teens left, each one with an umbrella, and walked together in silence, since though when they were in elementary Tsubasa though of Sanae as a friend, now he did so in another way. They passed by the alley where Tsubasa had felt that chill, but this time there was somebody wrapped in a white cloak.
-Tsubasa... Tsubasa... -said that person with an ethereal voice, impossible to know if it was from a man or a woman. The youth heard his name, stopped and looked everywhere.
-Tsubasa, what's wrong?
-Didn't you listen, Sanae-chan?
-What? I only hear the rain.
-I heard somebody calling my name –said Tsubasa turned and noticed that being wrapped in the white cloak. -Who are you? Why do you call me?
-Tsubasa, what's wrong with you? There isn't anything there -said Sanae, looking at the alley.
-Don't you see that person wrapped in a white cloak?
-What do you say? There isn't anything there. I think you've gone bananas.
-Sanae, I'm sure I'm not nuts. There's someone there.
-Bah, I think I'll go –said Sanae, about to leave, but immediately that being in white moved, and quicker than light, it caught the girl and disappeared with a jump.
-Sanae! Sanae! –Tsubasa shouted, trying to follow the one who had kidnapped the girl. He ran as quickly as he could, but he didn't seem to advance, until finally he arrived at a temple, hidden in the heart of Shizuoka.
-Sanae? Where are you? Answer me!
-I'm sorry for having had to get to this, but it was the only way that you'd arrive here -said the same ethereal voice that had called to the boy before. Tsubasa turned to see from where the voice came, and that being in white was behind him.
-You! Where is Sanae?
-She's in good hands. I had to use the girl to lure you.
-Why did you make me come here then? Do you have anything to do with what happened to me this morning?
-I'm afraid so. You see, you are the Kami no Tsukai, and you'll have to face your fate very soon, Ozora Tsubasa.
-I'm the Messenger of the Gods? No, this can't be true. I just want to be a soccer player.
-If you want to be one and win the World Cup, which is your dream, you'll have to fulfill your fate.
-And if I don't?
-Not only you won't achieve your dream, but this world will come to an end.
-That the world... will come to an end? No, it just can't be true. I couldn't do it alone...
-The fate of the world is in your hands... And if you can't, no one will.
-But, I'm just a soccer player. I don't even have powers or something like that... This is a complete madness. I think Sanae's right.
-It's not madness. It's reality –said the being, lifting its cloak a little, letting Sanae, who was unconscious fall.
-Sanae! -Tsubasa ran up to where she was and took her in his arms. -Sanae, wake up...
-Unless you accept your fate, she won't wake up.
-She won't wake up? You're a blackmailer! Make her wake up!
-She won't wake up unless you accept your fate.
-Wake her up right now! -and suddenly an energy wave attacked the being, that although it didn't fall, tottered a step or two.
-You've begun to realize your powers. There is no coming back. Accept your fate –it said, throwing a stronger energy wave that the one Tsubasa had caused and making the boy, with Sanae in his arms, crash against a stone pillar. –Or you won't only lose the one you love, but everything will die.
"I think I don't have any choice, but, will I be the same one? What will happen?"
-I have no other choice... I'll have to accept my fate -said Tsubasa finally. –I only do so Sanae can wake up.
-Mmm... Tsubasa? What happened? -Sanae had woken up.
-Sanae-chan! You woke up... I was really worried.
-What's happening here? Where are we? I can only remember I was about to leave when we were near that alley...
-It's a long story, Sanae-chan. What do I have to do?
-You have to find the Five Archangels. They are the only ones that will be able to help you.
-The Five ...Archangels... I don't get it.
-According to the Catholic religion, the archangels are the most powerful angels among the servants of the Lord. But up to where I know, they're four –said Sanae, confused.
-You know too much, girl. I can't allow any people who aren't involved in this to know anything else –and the white being tried to attack Sanae, but Tsubasa immediately interfered.
-If you try to attack Sanae, you'll have to attack me first, whoever you are –he said, and he seemed to irradiate an even stronger energy than before. Sanae somehow was able to feel Tsubasa's energy, but instead of being surprised, she was in a state of supreme tranquility.
"Tsubasa..."
-Fine, well, but she can't speak of this with another person except with you.
-You have my word that she won't say a single word about this. And by the way, tell me who you are once and for all.
-I was known before as an unnamed messenger of the gods, but my situation is different. I was sent by them to look for you... Later I was known as Karen, and now I'm simply called Shiro.
-Have you been at the same time a man and a woman? –asked Sanae.
-You're right. Right now, I'm an androgynous being.
-This is no doubt very strange... Mostly for what I felt this morning. Was it kind of a warning, right?
-Yes... And since you have decided to accept your fate, Ozora Tsubasa, it's time to wake up!
Shiro, that strange being in white made a strange symbol shine around Tsubasa, and as if it had applied a powerful electric shock, Tsubasa screamed in pain, his eyes white.
-Tsubasa! No! –Sanae, when seeing that, tried to come closer, but Shiro didn't allow it.
Then, without being able to make anything, the girl noticed that of the teenager's body three things came out: a white magatama, a bracelet, and maybe the strangest thing of all: a delicately adorned dagger whose jewel was of an iridescent white color. Although those three things went out of Tsubasa's body painfully, none had a single drop of blood on it. As soon as those objects came out, they were located each one in their place: The magatama hanging of the neck by an almost invisible chain; the bracelet on his right hand where the bracelet Sanae had given him was, and the dagger was... The dagger was like a tattoo on his back!
-The Kami no Tsukai has awakened... Now the fate of the earth is in his hands -and Shiro disappeared in a flash. As soon as that happened, Tsubasa fell heavily to the floor.
-Tsubasa! Are you OK?
-I think so. I've never felt so much pain, but at least I'm alive, Sanae-chan –he said, smiling.
-Tsubasa... let's get out of here. I think it must be very late –said Sanae, while they went down the stairs of the temple. However, when they arrived to the street, they noticed that time seemed to be frozen while everything had happened, since it hadn't still darkened.
-Excuse me, sir, could you tell me the time? –the girl asked a pedestrian.
-5:23 in the afternoon, young lady.
-Thank you -nonetheless, Sanae was pale.
-What happened, Sanae-chan?
-Tsubasa, time didn't pass while we were in that temple. When all this incident began it was 5:23 in the afternoon.
-It can't be. And when I ran here to save you?
-I don't know... Let's get out of here; I don't want to arrive late.
-I say the same –said Tsubasa, walking next to the girl he secretly loved. When he arrived home, neither his mother nor his father was there.
"How strange. Where can they be? Maybe they went to take a walk -however, another thought crossed his mind.
"And what will I tell mom about the tattoo? She hates those things! I'm always in trouble, unless I tell her it's a temporary tattoo, because I believe I won't be able to tell them what happened."
He made homework (a lot of it), wrote a couple of letters for his best friends and went down to the kitchen to make himself a sandwich.
He took a simple sandwich with a glass of milk and went up the stairs. After having finished his sandwich, he heard the door of the house open and he went down the stairs not just to leave the plates in the kitchen but to see who had arrived. A pair of thieves was in the house!
-Luckily there's a phone in mom's room -the lad said, going up the stairs as quietly as he could. He went into his mother's room, took the phone and dialed the police's number. Whispering, he gave his address to the operator, and later he decided to make something very risky: lock the main door. But, how would he do it without being seen?
"Somehow I need to be able to close the door without being seen... -and in some way he felt he was shrinking. He fell on his knees and hands turning smaller at the second, until it stopped. However, he felt very agile and quick.
"What's happening? -with a jump, Tsubasa went to his mother's bureau, and he almost blacked out from the surprise when he saw that he had turned into a black and white cat!
-Meow! –he exclaimed, surprised. He turned to see his back, and the mark of the dagger was there, like a stain of golden fur. However, that gave him an idea.
"It's time to lock these rats"
Tsubasa went down the stairs as quick as a wisp, went to the main door and with a jump he was hanging from the main key. It closed, the cat jumped again and took the keys. Loading them in his muzzle he went to his room and waited peacefully for the police to arrive.
"I need to go back to normal... -and the metamorphosis he had suffered it began again, but this time he grew. His fur disappeared to give space to his uniform and the "tattoo" that now in the midfielder's back.
"If this is one of the powers I have now, it'll be by far the most useful."
-POLICE! GO OUT WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR! –the lad heard out of the house. That was the signal. Tsubasa went down the stairs running, and he met face to face with the thieves.
-We thought the house was totally empty! –said one of the thieves, surprised upon seeing Tsubasa.
-Raise your hands, boy, or I'll put a hole in your head! –the other thief said, seizing a revolver. Tsubasa lifted his hands, and inch by inch he came closer to the door. And quick as an arrow, not giving time to the thieves to react, he unlocked the door with the key and allowed the police into the house.
-You're under arrest for first-degree theft! –a bulky officer exclaimed, pointing with an even bigger revolver at the thieves.
-I give up! I give up! –said the unarmed thief, scared to death. The other thief saw he had any more options than to give up. After that, the agent who had been the first inside congratulated Tsubasa because of his quick thinking.
-However, how is it that the door was locked?
-I suppose it could have been one of the thieves' fault, or something like that.
-Anyway, thank you for your help -and the cop left. A moment later, Tsubasa looked toward the room; it was a mess, and the things the thieves wanted to steal were in a slimy sack.
-It'll be better to fix this quickly, before mom arrives -and he began to clean the room. Soon after he finished, the doorbell rang. It was Natsuko and Koudai.
-Mom, dad... Where were you? -Tsubasa asked, worried.
-We went to dine together. Sorry for not leaving a note –said Koudai. -But since I arrived home I didn't have the opportunity of going out with your mother, son.
-I see... I'm glad you were happy.
-Tsubasa, what's that bracelet you have on your wrist? –asked Natsuko, observing the Messenger's bracelet.
-This? It's Sanae's. She asked me to take care of it. I forgot to take off it. Why?
-It seems to be very fine. For heaven's sake, if it is made of pure gold! -Natsuko said, taking her son's hand and examining the bracelet carefully, until she let it go suddenly.
-What happened? –asked Koudai.
-I felt a current. Whatever. Did you already have dinner, son?
-Well, I made myself a sandwich, mom. I think I'd better go to sleep. Good night.
-Sweet dreams, son -said Koudai.
-Sweet dreams –said Natsuko, still surprised by the current that had gone by her body. Tsubasa went up the stairs, went into his room, took off the bracelet and the chain with the magatama, put on his pajamas and crept into his bed. In spite of everything that happened that day, the youth slept so deeply that he didn't remember what he dreamt.