Chapter IV: The Fire Begins to Burn
-And besides... Last night, after the nightmare, I went to take a bath because I woke up drenched in sweat. Then, when I was about to change into fresh clothes, I began to feel a terrible itch... And when I realized what happened, a pair of wings grew out of me.
-You too? Last night, around midnight, I was deeply asleep, but I had to go to the bathroom. I went, and when I returned to my room, I felt this urge to scratch my back... But I wasn't able to. The place was unreachable, and then I saw how little by little they sprouted. For a moment I thought that I'd go bonkers.
-Yes, I thought the same. I told myself that although my name means wings, this was already the last straw.
-Yeah, I understand... But there's something. If your nightmare involved one of them attacking Hyuga, don't you believe that maybe him one is of us?
-Thought the same last night, but I don't have a way of proving it unless I went to Tokyo, and if we wait until the time of the National Tournament, it could be too late, although there's something that I'm worried for too.
-What is it?
-And if the other Archangels are out of Japan?
-It's a possibility we can't discard -and in that instant the class bell rang.
They went to class, and although Sanae caste them a 'you have to tell me everything' look, Tsubasa and Ishizaki knew that by now they had to hide what they had talked about, at least until the coast was clear.
Later, in the training...
-Pass the ball! -Ishizaki shouted to one of its team partners, while they made a practice match.
-Here it goes! –the other player exclaimed, and as soon as the boy received it, he passed it to Tsubasa who shot with all his strength. However, Morisaki was able to stop the shot with a lot of difficulty. The boy passed the ball to Iwami and he passed it to Izawa, one of the lads that transferred from Shutetsu to Nankatsu after the first national tournament they had won.
-But what...! -he exclaimed when Ishizaki stole the ball. He had never been able to do it before.
-Tsubasa, don't dare to fail! -he yelled when he passed the ball to the boy, who used the strength of the pass to do an overhead kick and scored.
Furuoya, the team's trainer ended the match, while the boys congratulated Tsubasa for his shot, and Ishizaki for being able to do such a maneuver.
-Heh, heh, nothing's impossible – he said, scratching his head.
-Congrats, Ishizaki-kun. Excellent move -Izawa said, shaking hands with the Monkey Boy.
-Thanks, Izawa-kun.
-OK, OK, training's over. Same time, same place and don't miss it – said Furuoya, the trainer, while the boys stored the training materials and went to the dressing room to take a shower and change clothes, although that meant trouble for Tsubasa and Ryou.
-Hey, Tsubasa, what's that symbol on your back? Did you get yourself tattooed? -Iwami said when noticing the mark of the dagger on the boy's back.
-Not exactly. It's a temporary tattoo.
-Ryou has one too.
-Well, yeah... What a coincidence.
-Yeah, we can figure it out. Are you sure it's not a real one? -Izawa said, rising one of his eyebrows.
-Sure. They're henna tattoos, and they disappear after a month or two. Besides, with what the real ones hurt... –explained the defender who had 14 on his shirt.
-If you say it... -and Tsubasa and Ryou sighed with relief, since luckily they had kept their magatamas in the handbags. Soon after, with their uniforms on, Tsubasa and Ishizaki left the field, although the girls were in the outskirts.
-Excellent practice, boys -Kumi said, excited.
-If in the next match we play just as we did today, the chance of the third victory will be greater -Tsubasa said. –Are we going out then?
-Sure -Ishizaki said, since he looked for any excuse to avoid working in his mother's bathrooms.
-I can't. I have to get home early -Yukari said.
-Ditto... -Kumi said, disappointed.
-I'll go with you –Sanae said, saying goodbye to her friends, and the threesome began to walk toward Tsubasa's house.
-...and I have the hunch that the other Archangels must be out of Japan -Tsubasa said, while they approached his house.
-Then, how could we find them...? Although I can't imagine Hyuga being an Archangel with that attitude he has...
-Hey, if you're a terrible student and a good for nothing, and yet you are an Archangel, it means that the least likely to be an Archangel can be one -Sanae said.
-You got to admit it, Ishizaki-kun; that was a good remark -Tsubasa said, while he opened the door.
-Well, yeah, but you don't have to be so harsh, Sanae... -Ryou said, depressed.
-Good, continue. I don't know if my mother or my father is here, but at least in my room we can speak normally.
Tsubasa, Ishizaki and Sanae entered the empty Ozora house, and after leaving the handbags on the host's bed, went down the stairs for some sodas and went back up. Before talking, they decided to do their homework together. It was much easier working as a team (for obvious reasons) and after it, Tsubasa made sure of soundproofing his room with his powers, in case his parents arrived.
-Tsubasa, answer me something. Did you have that nightmare just how you tell it, or did something happen so that it happened? -Sanae asked, analyzing the situation.
-Well, the truth is that although I had the nightmare just as I told it, I saw it before while I was awake, after I had another attack.
-Attack?
-You know, when I feel someone's giving me an electric shock.
-And did Shiro explain you what happens every time you have those attacks? -Ryou asked, furrowing his brow.
-Guys, you know that Shiro's unable to give a clear answer. "Or you still don't control completely your powers, or it can be that maybe they're attacking one of the Archangels. But only you can know it," it told me after the attack. I concentrated, and I had some kind of vision. In that moment I didn't know that it was a Black Archangel the one who was attacking Hyuga, but it was, although in the real life he was able to find a way to escape and survive.
-You mean that... to know if Hyuga is one of us or not, we should go to Tokyo.
-Do they remember that yesterday a monster had been to destroy Ryou, although we had already discovered him? -Sanae said, realizing everything.
-Yes... why? -asked Ryou.
-Because if the Black Archangels plan to destroy the Archangels that have not woken up...
-... It means that we have to save Hyuga right now -Tsubasa said, hitting his thigh with his fist. –We got to leave now, Ishizaki-kun.
-But, what about your parents? -Sanae asked.
-You're right... How would they react if they only see our suitcases here?
-I have an idea. Ishizaki-kun and I will return to our houses, and you meet somewhere at a definite hour. You'll be able to go to Tokyo without problems.
-OK. In half an hour we'll go to Tokyo, Ishizaki-kun. We meet at the park statue, transformed -Tsubasa said, checking the time on his alarm clock.
-OK... -and Sanae and Ryou left in a hurry.
Tsubasa waited until it was time to leave, but he was startled because of his parents' absence. However, a thought crossed his mind. He ran to his mother's telephone and found a note:
"Tsubasa: We went to your grandparents' house since your grandmother's sick, and we'll take a long time. I left you something prepared in the fridge. Mom."
-I should've known it... -Tsubasa gave a sigh of relief. –It'd be better to leave the notes on the refrigerator, mom...
He went down the stairs, took a soda, got ready to leave, and just when his clock signaled the time to go, he took his keys, left the house, and turned into a hawk. He flew to the park and way up in the air he flew in circles around the statue. Many of the pedestrians were a little surprised of seeing a hawk in the park, but Tsubasa didn't put attention to them. Soon after, he saw a duck settling in the lake, and upon seeing Tsubasa flying, it tripped on purpose. That was Ryou's signal. Knowing what he had to do, Tsubasa dove as if to catch the duck, and the boy transformed in a duck flew in fright. And both began their flight to Tokyo.
"May I speak the human language without any trouble..." -was the thought of both 'animals,' while they flew together.
-Tsubasa-kun, you almost scared me to death! -Ryou hollered while he flapped his wings.
-Sorry for that, but you know we have to act as animals when we're transformed in them.
-In what direction's Tokyo then?
-Northeast... When we see the sky-scrapers and the Tokyo tower, we'll know we're there.
However, the flight was very long. Several times they had to stop and rest, until Tsubasa had such an intense attack again he was completely tapped out, in the Odawara outskirts.
-Ishizaki-kun... Something tells me the Black Archangels are about to Hyuga, but I'm out of energy.
-But then, what will we do? -and once again a light bulb turned on in Ishizaki's head.
"We need to be now where Hyuga's being attacked..." -and he felt a tingling sensation in his body. Tsubasa felt that peculiar tickling too, and in a blink they were in Tokyo... Just where they saw a Black Archangel was just about to give the final blow. Ishizaki used his powers so that the barrier they used to invoke to avoid damages and witnesses appeared in the place where he, Tsubasa, Hyuga and the Black Archangel were.
-Shout of the Gods! -Tsubasa exclaimed, his magatama shining. The attack hit the Black Archangel, making him fall. Meanwhile, Ryou regretfully ran to help Hyuga. The teen was quite wounded, but his eyes didn't lose the rebelliousness they had.
-You... What the heck are you doing here! -Hyuga exclaimed, astonished.
-Gee, thanks for the welcome. We came to save you, dude –said Ryou, annoyed, while he left Hyuga in a safe place and went to fight. -Tsubasa-kun, let me fight too.
-It's all yours -and Tsubasa went back. Ryou sent his main attack against the Archangel, but he stopped it with ease.
-I'm not a monster like the useless one the Archangel of Darkness sent. So don't even dream that those attacks can harm me -and that Archangel attacked with thunderbolts.
-You're the Archangel of the Thunder! -Tsubasa exclaimed, realizing everything.
-Wow, someone who recognizes me... Pity that I have to destroy you, Tsukai! -and the attack that the Black Archangel sent against Tsubasa made the teenager collide against the wall where Hyuga was also resting.
-What the heck did that black-winged monster say? He called you Tsukai?
-It's a long... -and there was no end to the sentence, because just as had happened with Ryou, the now familiar pain attack got Tsubasa. When Hyuga saw his opponent's eyes go white, he thought that maybe he suffered an epileptic attack, but when he noticed the magatama, the bracelet and the sword Tsubasa had, he discarded the idea immediately. And a powerful red light, coming from the Kami no Tsukai's comma-shaped jewel hit Hyuga Kojiro... And a bracelet, a red magatama... and what in the beginning seemed to be two tiny pocket knives appeared from him.
"Search in your heart and you will find the power you need to conquer the Black Archangels, the guardians of darkness. You must use the power of the fire... with your Salamandra's Daggers" – Shiro's voice sounded in his head, although Hyuga didn't recognize at all that voice. And just like the Archangel of the Earth, a violent flow of images filled the Toho forward's mind, enabling him to understand everything.
-Get back! This Black Archangel was attacking me, so I'll take charge -Hyuga said, taking the knives that became a pair of powerful daggers in a twinkling.
-Whatever you say, Hyuga-kun... -and Ryou gave a wide berth.
-Fire Storm! -while his magatama shone because of the power it contained, Hyuga joined his fists, separated them opening his hands, concentrated his energy on that space and sent the attack upwards. Immediately, several enormous blazes attacked the Archangel of the Thunder, leaving him hurt. He, angry before the defeat, disappeared in a flutter of black feathers. After the barrier disappeared, and those that had more experience disappeared their fight items, Hyuga cornered Tsubasa, who was still recovering consciousness and demanded him an explanation.
-Hey, wait a moment! You can't ask for answers so quickly! Don't you see Tsubasa suffered a colossal pain attack so you could wake up as the Archangel of Fire? -Ishizaki said, pushing Hyuga with one hand and helping Tsubasa to get up.
-What do you mean...? All right, you explain to me then, Ishizaki, if you're able of doing it.
-Geez... I only do this because you're already in this whole mess -and word by word Ryou explained what happened.
-... That's why we had to come to rescue you. If it was my problem, I wouldn't give anything, but we're talking about this big chunk of rock floating in space and you have to help, like it or not.
-And if I don't?
-Let me say that... you could never defeat us in a soccer match; there wouldn't be a way of doing it.
-Well... I have weapons, powers although I don't know how to control them... Aren't you going to tell me what to do? -Hyuga asked, still upset.
-Calm down, Hyuga-kun. Since you can't leave Tokyo, we can't do anything about it. However I can tell you something -Tsubasa said, looking at the 'Tiger' in the eye. -You have to discover your powers for yourself and to control them however you can, because the Black Archangels are much more powerful that us. Up to now Ishizaki-kun and I have been able to form barriers, become animals, teleport, disappear things, we've grown wings and we've even made people forget what happened or modify critical situations. You have to concentrate and request what you need to happen.
-Besides, every time this dimwit gets scared, he sends a mighty energy wave... And if you're not one of us, you don't feel it, but you can notice some things falling.
-And if I'm one of you...?
-That energy wave pushes you to the floor. That's the way I realized Ishizaki was an Archangel.
-And you how did you know that I was... well, what I am? –Hyuga asked calmly, but still with his armed crossed.
-Well, in the beginning I had a vision of this, and later a nightmare in which you died. Luckily we didn't let the nightmare happen -Tsubasa said, now steady
-It's too much information for me. But I can't do anything about it, and if it's part of my fate, it'll be better to grin and bear it.
-Don't think we like to be what we are. I don't like to be what Shiro calls the Kami no Tsukai; I only accepted because Shiro had kidnapped Sanae and if I didn't accept my fate, she wouldn't wake up.
-Shiro? Who is that?
-It was before an anonymous messenger of the gods, but not like Tsubasa. Then it was Karen, a woman, and now it's just Shiro. It's nor a man, nor a woman.
-Androgynous, hey? This is very strange... To be an Archangel, and I'm not Catholic... It'll be better to investigate more on the matter... This is absurd.
-Sanae is investigating for us -Ryou said. –She isn't Catholic either, but she is our only ally that doesn't possess powers, so she helps us with the investigation.
-Sanae? Your girlfriend?
-What do you say? She's not my girlfriend -Tsubasa said, redder than a beet.
-Truth is, he likes Sanae –said Ryou, mocking, but he received a good jab from the boy in question.
-Ah, OK... Then she helps you with the investigation.
-Yeah. Sanae's very good at analyzing what we know, and thanks to her we know that the groups consists of the Archangel of the Earth, that means me, the Archangel of Water, the Archangel of Fire...
-That means me.
-Yeah, the Archangel of the Wind, and don't laugh... the Archangel of Love -Ryou said, trying not to laugh, but Hyuga took it with a lot of seriousness.
-For what you say and as you tell it, it could be the most powerful in our band, right?
-Yeah.
-And what's that of the Black Archangels?
-They are practically our opposite; they're already up and about, but they have to find the Kage no Tsukai, I mean the Messenger of the Shadows, and when they find it, it will be the decisive battle for the Earth's fate -Tsubasa completed.
-They are the Archangel of the Darkness, with who Tsubasa already fought, the Archangel of Hatred, the Archangel of Ice, the Archangel of Thunder whom you beat today, and the Archangel of Chaos, which is the most powerful one according to Shiro.
-If the same name tells it... Oh, shoot. I have to go. Sorry for being rude with you at the beginning, but since now I understand this whole mess, I think the best thing I can do is not to get well, but a little better along with you guys, -and Hyuga Kojiro became a powerful striped cat. He probably wanted to become a tiger, but his common sense was stronger and he decided to turn into a cat.
-What a copycat, Tsubasa-kun. You're the one that becomes a cat.
-I don't care. Let's go home -and just as when Ryou used its powers to be able to T-port to Tokyo, now both boys, felling much better, 'T-ported' to Shizuoka, to Tsubasa's house, since Tsubasa had told Ryou that his parents would be late while they flew. In a blink they were already inside the house, although Ryou had a great idea by taking off his shoes. Immediately they called Sanae told her what had happened. The girl couldn't help gasp in astonishment when she hard that Tsubasa's vision had come true, but it tranquilized her to know that although he was far from them, they had a powerful ally.
-... then I'll have to make more bracelets, since the truth is that I make them so that Ryou and the other Archangels can fuse their bracelets with them and not have the need to disappear them. I think that disappearing the bracelets isn't very practical
-If you say so, Sanae-chan -Tsubasa said, shrugging while he held the phone with its left hand.
-We'll talk about this more calmly tomorrow. Walls have ears, you know.
-I agree. Bye.
-See you then
A while later, Ishizaki left home.
-What a day... Flying like as a bird is cool, but it's tiresome too... -and Tsubasa's stomach roared with hunger. -It'll be better to eat what mom left prepared -and taking out the dish of the refrigerator, he ate the cold dinner as it was, because like they say, you don't think when you're hungry. After he washed the dishes, he dried them, put them in their place and went upstairs. He changed clothes, although that uniform needed a good washing already, put on his pajamas, and tried to sleep, but he wasn't able to sleep. Immediately he realized that there was something on his desk. He got up and took the envelope. It was from Roberto Hongo, his eternal idol and coach!
-Tsubasa: How are you? I hope you're OK, although knowing you just as I know you, you're fighting to improve and win the championship so you can come to Brazil. I became the trainer of the São Paulo youth league, and believe me, now I can enjoy soccer like before, although it's not in the field actually.
How's Junior High going? How are your parents? I hope it's all well, since you mustn't forget that although you are an excellent soccer player, a good education counts too, and you should take advantage of the privileges you have. Don't forget to practice your Portuguese, and don't forget that the road to win the World Cup is a constant fight for your dreams. You're the only one who can know where you are going to get to, and you have to learn how to discover your virtues for yourself. I wish you the best of luck. Greetings from Brazil, Roberto Hongo."
-This is funny... You have to learn how to discover your virtues for yourself". That sounds just like the things Shiro always tell me. Well, must be because of something, I reckon -and finally Tsubasa fell asleep.