Hi, Guys! How was your Halloween? Mine was AWESOME! Best Halloween ever! And I didn't need to knock on doors for candy! Well, some people did, but they were drunk as hell, lemme tell ya! Although, there was nothing spooky going on. Speaking of spooky, what's going on with Ren?
Chapter 4
Contact Union
"The correct answer is innocence. That will be one of the questions in next week's text, so remember that." A young, female teacher with blonde hair was pacing in front of an interactive whiteboard. There were at least twelve year thirteen students in the room, including Toshiro and Ren. Toshiro was sat with his head resting on one hand, bored, with Ren on the row of tables in front of him, but several seats to the right away from him.
There's no place to hide here. Toshiro thought. There isn't even a proper way to get to the roof like in Karakura. Now, I have to sit through this boring English lesson. Why did I have to end up with the same timetable as her? Toshiro glanced over at Ren, who was paying close attention to what the teacher was saying while tapping the keyboard of her small grey laptop. It's been a few days since Sentaro attacked us, and she still doesn't remember what happened. Was it because of that other side of hers? Also…
"And Shiro was there."
Did I really appear in her dream? I don't know. There're so many things that need to be answered.
"Toshiro!"
"Um…yes!" Toshiro jolted upright in his seat at the sound of his name. The young teacher was staring at him, as were Ren and the other students.
"Well? What's your answer?" She asked sternly.
"My answer? It's…It's…" Toshiro's eyes darted left and right across the room, frantically thinking of an answer. His prayers were finally answered when the boy just in front of him held up three fingers. "Three." The teacher folded her arms with a smirk on her face.
"The way in which Handmaid's Tale presents feminism is three?" She repeated.
"Wha-" Toshiro glared at the boy, who was struggling to contain his laughter. "You're a dead man." Toshiro growled under his breath.
"Hey, you should've paid attention."
"In Japan, they sometimes throw chalk at you." Ren said in a cheerful tone.
"Brutal!"
"Well, that's what they do in anime. Other times, they'd whack them so hard a bump this big appears on their head."
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"Alright, class is over. Enjoy your lunch." With that, the students quickly packed their bags and made their way out of the classroom, the teacher following them while mumbling something under her breath about needing a coffee. All that was left in the classroom was Toshiro and Ren, who was packing away her books.
"Aren't you going to follow them?" Toshiro asked.
"Nah." Ren said dismissively. "Damn, this thing takes too long to turn off."
"Why do you use that? Why not use a paper and pen like everyone else?"
"It's complicated." Ren said dismissively.
"You always say that. It's not a real answer. Why do you really use it?"
"I just do."
"That's not a real answer either." Toshiro said, a frustrated tone to his voice. He stood up and went over to Ren's desk. He slammed a hand in front of Ren on the table, startling her. "What are you hiding? Answer me, now!" Toshiro demanded.
"Nothing." Ren answered, not looking at Toshiro's face and packing the netbook into a small bag.
"You never give me a straight answer! The Feathers, the dreams, what happened in the headmaster's office and this "It's complicated." thing! You're not answering any of them! I'm even beginning to doubt if you really have forgotten! Stop lying to me!"
"Shiro…"
"What?" Toshiro yelled. Ren stood up, packing the netbook case in her bag.
"I'm telling the truth. I really have forgotten what happened."
That tone of voice...It's just like… Toshiro thought, remembering back to the shop when Ren seemed to change.
"Also, when I say it's complicated…" Ren looked directly at Toshiro's face. His eyes widened slightly. Her smile was no longer there, and her eyes were narrow, and had lost the bright shine in them. "I mean that it's complicated. Besides, you shouldn't accuse others of lying. After all, only the liar knows that they're lying."
"…" Toshiro stared silently at the suddenly frightening Ren. Why did she get so angry at him? He just wanted answers. Suddenly, an ambulance siren rang out.
"YEEK!" Ren squealed, snapping out of her angry state. "Dammit. Why do those things have to be so loud?" Ren proceeded to walk out of the door and into the corridor. "I mean, I know it's an emergency, but come on! Some of us might not like loud noises!" Toshiro, however, was frozen on the spot, still slightly stunned by Ren's reaction. But, it nonetheless confirmed one of his suspicions. Ren was hiding something, and he wanted to know what.
"Hey, aren't you coming, Shiro?" Ren asked, trotting back to the door.
"Huh? Oh, right!" Toshiro gasped, quickly moving to Ren's side.
I can't let him find out about that. Ren thought. I just can't. Not yet, anyway.
…
"So that's what happened, huh?" Steph said.
"Yeah. I thought you might know something about it, seeing as you're her close friend."
"Ah, sorry about that!" Ren gasped, running into the common room. She stood in front of Toshiro and Steph, dumping her bag next to Toshiro's feet. "I had to hand in an essay."
"Oh, it's no problem." Steph said happily.
She knows… Toshiro thought.
"Hey, where's your flute?" Steph asked.
"My flute?" Ren repeated. "Ah, shimatta! I left it in the bag racks! Aw, it's all the way on the other side of school!" Ren quickly dashed out of the common room. "It's gonna take me forever to find it! And the bus is in ten minutes!" Steph and Toshiro stood in the almost empty common room in silence. After several seconds, Steph turned to face Toshiro, but not before she glanced left and right.
"Alright, I'll tell you, but only as much as I can."
"As much as you can? Did she put you on a gag order or something? She's not your boss."
"Well, yes she did. And, no, she isn't. She requested that I keep quiet, but seeing as you want to find out more about her, I'll "let slip" what I know."
"Fine." Toshiro nodded. Steph sat down on a blue chair behind her, Toshiro doing the same. "Spill it, then."
"Okay. It's like this. Ren…she has this…how should I put this? It's a very complicated subject."
"You sound just like her." Toshiro grumbled under his breath.
"It's like…Ren has some…difficulties that you and I don't have."
"Difficulties?"
"Yes. She's had problems with it in the past. If someone even hints about it in front of her, she'll usually say "It's complicated" and leave it at that."
"Yes, that's what she says to me. Also, what do you mean by problems?"
"All sorts. Misunderstandings. Isolation. Bullying."
"So? Lots of people get bullied, but they got over it."
"This is different." Steph looked at her hands. "Ren was treated like this her whole life."
"Her whole life?" Toshiro gasped. Steph nodded. She then proceeded to look at Toshiro directly in his eyes.
"Through primary school and most of her time at this school. Each time, it's someone different. She had about two in primary school. And a whole gang of them right here. Nothing violent or anything, though people do mistake the scars on her body as beating scars, but they're just big bites, burns and the other times she fell over." Steph gave a light chuckle. "She can be a right klutz sometimes. Anyway, it only really stopped just as she entered year twelve. The bullying, that is. Everything else? That's still happening now."
"Whoa…" Was all Toshiro managed to say. "So you're telling me she was…is treated like that all the time, all because of some problem she has?"
"It's not a problem!" Steph protested. "I know it isn't. And I know that's what Ren would say, too. She hates calling it a problem. It's dehumanising to her."
"But what is it? What is it that made her suffer like that?" Toshiro asked.
"I can't say. It's up to Ren when she'll tell you. Or maybe, she's already begun."
"Eh?"
"You see, when Ren dismisses something as "It's complicated", it's like a clue. She's giving you a puzzle to figure out. But, she prefers it if she tells you herself. Because it shows that she trusts you completely."
"She trusts me now."
"Yes, but not the same way she trusts me. Right after she told me about it, she said that she now trusts me with her life. She does trust you too, but not enough. She's afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that you'll treat her like everyone else treated her in the past. She was bullied most of her primary life. She found out why when she turned eleven, and explained herself to her class, thinking it would get better. Big mistake. So, when she came to secondary school, she decided to keep quiet about it, and she'd tell people in her own time. Even when she was bullied again, she didn't say a word about it. But, two weeks after her twelfth birthday, she was taken out of her form room for the morning, and she learnt that the head of her year was talking to her form about her difficulties. She even proceeded to tell the other forms in her year, too. Again, it got worse. Some of her friends understood and stayed with her, but the rest, including the bullies, either stayed away from her or made the bullying worse. She's had a grudge against that teacher since then. Her new start in life went downhill. We've had new pupils since then. Pupils who don't know about Ren. But, she still stays quiet. That's why she's not telling you yet. She's testing you."
"Testing me?"
"She wants to make sure you won't turn out like them. She's waiting to see if you won't treat her like an outcast."
"I see…"
"Also, try not to make her angry."
"Huh?" Steph looked at the ceiling.
"When someone mentions that subject around her, she gets angry. Scarily angry. Even in situations that are nothing to do with what she has. I saw it once when one of her friends was being picked on, and it scared me. She apologised about it to me, but I never forgot it."
"She seemed to have no idea what I was talking about when I brought it up."
"Yeah, sometimes she can't tell whether it was appropriate or not. The time I saw her angry, she knew that it wasn't appropriate when she calmed down. But, as soon as you see her like that, don't cross the line any further. As she says, it's complicated."
"I still can't believe she can get angry like that. Not only that, but even though she went through so much, she still has a smile on her face. I don't get it."
"That's Ren for ya." Steph said, smiling. "She's sees her life as half full rather than half empty. And anyone of her friends who thinks the opposite will realise that too."
"How do you mean?" Steph stood up and looked across the room at the door Ren had run out of minutes ago.
"Ren has this…ability."
Ability? Toshiro thought, wide eyed. Could she mean that other side?
"It's not magical or anything like that…" Steph continued while Toshiro mentally slapped himself for thinking it was. "But, somehow, she finds a way to touch people deep inside without even realising it. Even the coldest and meanest characters in this school aren't immune to her ability. She has a huge amount of kindness inside of her. A kindness that you can't help but love about her. I guess what didn't kill her only made her stronger. Many people in her situation would have ended it when they barely even entered secondary school. If they get in, that is. I'd say Ren is one of the lucky ones in that department."
"What's your point?" Toshiro asked.
"My point is, Ren may look like she's dense and doesn't join in, but actually, she pays close attention to what's around her, especially her friends. That's because she values the friends she has more than anything. She was alone for most of her life, so now she is spending the rest of it with the people she knows and loves. It's part of her selfless personality. It's amazing really." Steph smiled warmly. "If she had some sweets to share, she'd share them with no questions asked, even if she did end up with only five sweets for herself. As long as her friends are happy, then she is happy. Several times before, she stepped in the middle of a fight to save a friend, and she didn't fight back. She only defended herself with what she knew about martial arts. Again, she said "As long as you're okay, then I'm happy." She'd even get gifts for friends when it's their birthday or they're unwell. Hell, it doesn't even have to be an occasion. If a friend needs something, she'll get it. If a friend needs help, she'll be there to provide it. And if a friend's life was threatened, without a doubt she would defend it, even if it would cost her own life. She's just that selfless."
"You call that selfless but I call that foolish." Toshiro said bluntly.
"Call it whatever you want. I say she's selfless. In short, Ren is a very complex person, but before you know it, you know her better than the back of your hand." Steph smiled happily at Toshiro. "So don't worry about Ren and her secrets. She'll tell you when she's ready. Or maybe you'll figure it out yourself." Steph giggled after what she said.
"That's all well and good, but how long will it takes. Days? Weeks? Months?"
"It depends on the type of person she's testing. For me, it took a week. For others, it took a month or two. Who knows with you? I mean, with that attitude of yours, I'd wager it'll take half a year."
"What's wrong with it?" Toshiro exclaimed, standing up.
"That. You're so short tempered, it's no wonder she hasn't left you many hints. And there's that cold personality of yours." Steph bent down to pick up her bag and slung it on her shoulder. "If you need any other advice, let me know." In that instant, Ren slammed the door open and ran inside the common room.
"Mission accomplished!" Ren yelled, triumphantly holding the flute case above her head. Steph and Toshiro stared speechlessly at the breathless Ren. "Hn? Was I interrupting something?"
"Oh, no. Nothing!" Steph said, smiling. She hooked an arm around Ren's shoulders. "Grab your bag. The bus gets here in five minutes."
"What? Five minutes?" Ren exclaimed. "Aw, crappers! Was I really searching that long?" Ren quickly grabbed her bag from the ground. "C'mon, Shiro! I heard there's gonna be thunder tonight!"
"So?"
"I hate thunder!" Ren yelled, a panicked expression on her face.
"!" Toshiro's eyes widened a little at Ren's exclamation.
"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Ren dashed out of the door and through the corridor.
"See? What did I tell ya?" Steph winked at Toshiro. "Little hints. They're worth paying attention to."
"…" Toshiro nodded. He clearly had a lot to absorb about Ren. Bullies, isolation, secrets, and on top of that, the puzzle she's putting him through. Clearly, Ren had a lot of trouble in the past.
"Guys, come on!" Ren yelled, peeking her head around the doorway.
"Coming! Let's go, Toshiro!"
"Yeah…" Toshiro followed the girls out onto through the gates and to the bus stop. However much Ren went through seemed insignificant to Toshiro right now, or it would be as a Soul Reaper. Even though he only wanted to know Ren's secret, he couldn't help but think about her past, and her complex personality. Even through all that, Toshiro couldn't help but admire Ren.
"Ah, by the way, Shiro. I have something for you back home. I'll show it to you when we get there if you like. I think you might find it useful against the um…pests." Ren smiled happily at Toshiro as they walked together. "Okay."
"Sure." Toshiro nodded. And that smile was the precise reason why he admired Ren. Despite the hardship, he admired how Ren never lost the ability to smile. And that only strengthened his resolve to discover more about Ren. Not just about her link to the feathers, her dreams or her other personality, but also about her as a person. If anything, he just wanted to make sure Ren never lost her smile.
…
"Tch. Look at them. Living their lives as if they never had a care in the world." In a crystal orb hovering in the air, there was the image of Toshiro and Ren walking together through a village. "Makes me sick to the stomach." The viewer himself was Sentaro, who still kept his hood over his head. "That girl…" He glared at Ren, who was smiling happily, while Toshiro still wore his trademark frown. "That girl is dangerous and moving. The boy…I'm not sure about him. But, the mistress said to keep an eye on him, too. He may be weak, but he could be a powerhouse just like her. No, I shouldn't say that. That was an entirely different person." Sentaro looked into the palm of his hand. In it was a small silver charm shaped like a feather. It flashed in the sunlight, and seemed to give off a low growl. "Mark my words. This Feather will test your strength to the limits…girl."
"Sentaro."
"Yes, mistress?" The orb changed to show the same silhouette of the woman he spoke to several days ago.
"I know what you're thinking. That Feather is dangerous, even if it was by my recommendation. Test the two children, but don't kill them. That girl is too important to die."
"She's not important. She's a lethal weapon." The silhouette was silent, except for the sound of bubbles rising around her in the orb she floated in.
"You know what that girl's message said. She is alive inside the one known as Ren. Don't kill her. Not yet, anyway."
"Understood." Sentaro said somewhat grudgingly.
…
"Ta-da!" Ren beamed, holding out her gift for Toshiro. In her hands was a single edged, wooden sword. Both of them had changed out of their uniforms, with Toshiro in his usual white trousers and black shirt, while Ren had a white blouse decorated with red flower patterns, a red sleeveless jumper over it and a small ribbon was tied on the blouse in a bow just above her chest, along with a pair of light blue jeans. Right now, they were in the living room of her house.
"What's this? A kendo sword?"
"Nah, we don't have kendo here. It's a sword my brother made. He makes wooden weapons in his free time. They're pretty strong. I know you're a swordsman, so I hope it'll be useful, even if it isn't metal."
"Then get him to make a real sword."
"What are you kidding?" Ren exclaimed. "I don't want the police knocking on my door!"
"Alright, fine." Toshiro took the sword out of her hands and looked at it from the tip to the handle woven with string. He must admit, it did look a lot like a regular katana, other than the fact it was made of wood. "Your brother is a good craftsman."
"Isn't he?" Ren smiled. "He's studying engineering at university because he was always building stuff in the garage. But, he still makes stuff like this in his spare time. You should meet him."
"For all I know, he already knows me."
"What do you…Oh, yeah. That thing that happened."
"Anyway, thank you."
"…" Ren looked at Toshiro, a little surprised.
"What?" Toshiro said.
"Oh, nothing. I just never heard you say thank you before."
"What of it?" Toshiro scoffed.
"Yeah, it is pretty stupid." Ren shrugged.
"Then why say it?" Toshiro sighed. "Never mind."
Rrrrrrrr
"Huh?" Toshiro glanced left and right. What was that sound he just heard? "Did you hear that?"
"Eh?" Ren looked up from a manga she was reading.
"Don't read in the middle of a conversation!"
"I thought we were finished."
"Can't you tell?" Toshiro exclaimed.
"It's complicated."
"Urgh! Why do I bother?" Toshiro yelled, throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation. Steph had to be wrong. There's no way Ren could be paying attention to things. She was reading a manga book, for goodness sake!
Rrrrrrrr
"What was that?" Ren asked
"That's what I said."
"You heard it then?"
"Yes." Toshiro sighed. She was definitely dense. No way could she be observant.
"Where is it coming from?"
Rrrrrrrr
"The park!" Ren went to the window, opened it and stuck her head outside. She listened again, and she heard that noise once again. "Yeah, it's definitely the park."
"You have a park?" Toshiro asked.
"Yes, we do. There's a pond there and everything." Ren shut the window while she spoke. "I sensed something that way, too. Can you sense it, Shiro?"
"No I…actually, yes. Yes, I sense it now!"
"A feather." Ren narrowed her eyes. Quickly she grabbed her handbag from her sofa, threw it across her body and ran to the front door. "We're going out for a bit mom!" Ren yelled, hopping on one foot to slip her trainers on.
"Don't be out too late."
"C'mon, Shiro. Grab your sword. We've got a feather to kill.
…
"Huh." Ren scratched her head. "I could've sworn it was around here." In the surprisingly large park, there was greenery ad far as the eye could see, along with the occasional playground equipment, like swings and climbing frames. In the middle of it all was a pond that was so large, anyone would have thought that it was a lake. But, there was no sign of life except for Toshiro and Ren, who were stood on the very edge of the pond.
"I thought so, too." Toshiro said, confused. "Maybe it was a false alarm."
"No. We never have that noise on a daily basis. We sensed it up here, too." "Ren looked at her reflection in the water. "Where did it go?"
"I think it's still here." Toshiro looked at the wooden sword he held in his hand. "I can feel it."
"Battle instinct?" Ren asked. Toshiro nodded. "You look over there. I'll check here."
"Right." Toshiro proceeded to wander away from Ren, never letting go of his sword. He knew that it probably won't be that useful, but for some reason, it provided him with some form of comfort just by having something that looked like a weapon by his side, even if it wasn't Hyorinmaru.
Something doesn't feel right… Ren thought. I'm sure I felt it here.
Rrrrrrrr
"Speaking of feeling…" Ren muttered. She looked at her feet. "I felt something." Her eyes widened. "Wait a second…" Ren looked at her reflection in the water again. After several seconds, she heard the noise, and at the same time, the water vibrated. "I knew it! Shiro!" Ren yelled over to Toshiro. "I found it!"
"What? Where?" Toshiro yelled back.
"I think…I think it's below us!"
"That's impossible!" Toshiro ran back to Ren's side. "If it went underground, wouldn't there be some evidence of that happening?"
"I felt it. I know I did!"
Rrrrrrrr.
"There it is again!" Ren protested. "The ground vibrated!"
"There's no way a huge monster could-"
"The water, Shiro! Look at the water!" Ren pointed at the surface of the huge pond. Toshiro looked. Almost instantly, the noise happened again, and once again, the water vibrated. "I know I'm right."
"But…where?"
"I don't know. It's below us somewhere." Without warning, Ren grabbed Toshiro's sword. "Get out here and face us, you coward!" Ren yelled, pounding the ground with the sword.
"Hey, cut that out!"
"Why?" Ren asked, an innocent look on her face. "If we whack the earth, it'll come out."
"…" Toshiro stared at Ren with a sweat drop expression.
"It's true. Enemies underground are attracted to noise, like moles. So, if we make a lot of noise, it'll come out and we can face it. I've seen it on TV loads of time."
"Real life and TV are completely different." Toshiro muttered.
"Any better ideas?" Ren asked.
"No."
"Whacking it is!" Ren grinned. "As soon as it comes out, then we can play a little whack-a-Feather!"
"Fine."
"And for your information, I saw it on a reality show."
"You watch reality shows?"
"I was bored, alright?"
RRRRRRR
"Whoa!" Ren and Toshiro both lost their balance and fell back onto the grass. "What the hell was that?"
"That noise was louder." Ren felt the ground. "It's like an earthquake." Suddenly, the ground began to crack under Ren's hand. "Eh?"
"What now?"
"Shiro, get back!" Ren said frantically, standing up.
"Why? What's happening?"
"Just come on!" Ren grabbed Toshiro's arm, pulled him off the ground and forced him into a run. "It's coming out! It's gonna burst out of the ground! And it's huge!"
"What? Here?" Toshiro gasped. The ground suddenly exploded behind them, forcing them off their feet and skidding across the grass. The two of them were showered with bits of earth and grass, and there was now a large hole in the ground from the explosion. Lowly, a silvery hand grabbed the edge of the pit, followed by two more. Gradually the ends of the hands emerged with a loud creek, and Toshiro and Ren could only watch as the monster rose out of the pit. A head eventually emerged out of it, and the monster stood tall and straight in the park. It looked like a machine, except it was made out of flesh, and the skin had a grey colour that looked like metal in the sunlight. The head of the monster bared a striking resemblance to a manta ray, with a slightly pointed front, and many silvery tentacles were waving where there would be a mouth.
"A tripod?" Ren breathed. "Man, H.G. Wells is probably turning in his grave right now."
"Who?"
"Never mind." Ren stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. "It's out now, so let's kick its ass."
"Are you crazy? We can't defeat that!"
"Haven't you fought Hollow's this big before?" Ren asked.
"Yes, they're called Menos Grande. But that was when I was a Soul Reaper."
"So, maybe this is the Feather's equivalent to a Menos Grande." Ren said thoughtfully, not listening to Toshiro.
"There you go being reckless again." Toshiro stood up and went towards Ren. "Let's get out of here and-" Toshiro stopped himself as soon as he grabbed Ren's hand.
"What is it?" Ren asked. "Shiro?"
What is this? Toshiro thought, wide eyed. As soon as I grabbed her hand, I felt something. Something is inside of me. Is it…is it spirit energy?
"Shiro!" Ren forced Toshiro to let go of her hand.
It's gone…
"So what? Are we running or are we fighting?" Ren asked impatiently.
It wasn't a lot, but there's no doubt about it. When I touched her, most of my powers were temporarily restored. It's not enough to use Hyorinmaru, or even to get out of this Gigai, but it's enough. If I can just use that energy and attack that Feather… Toshiro looked up at the Feather, a new determination in his eyes. Then we might have a chance of winning.
"Well?"
"Listen to me. I have an idea. But I'll need your help."
"Just tell me what to do." Ren said, attentive. The tripod Feather, meanwhile, raised its tentacles up and crouched down to force them deep into the ground, causing another small earthquake.
"Ah!" Ren clung onto a climbing frame to prevent herself from falling over. "What's the plan?"
"Give me your hand." Toshiro instructed. Ren immediately did so, and Toshiro grabbed a hold of it. Immediately, he felt a powerful force go through his arm and spreading into his body. It indeed felt like spirit energy, and it was a little more than the first time they made contact. Perfect. "When we make contact, my powers a temporarily restored."
"Eh?" Ren exclaimed. "Then bring out your big sword!"
"I can't. It's only a little. But it's enough to land a good hit on that thing."
"Well do it quickly. I've got a bad feeling about those tentacles."
"Come on!" Toshiro ran straight towards the tripod, never letting go of Ren's hand. He stopped short of the tentacles. "Its head is in range. Just what I need."
This energy is strong, but I'll have to use the full incantation. I should count myself lucky that it's vulnerable right now. Toshiro jammed his wooden sword behind his belt, and keeping a firm grip on Ren's hand, raised his free right hand up to the Feather. I'll have to use a mid-level. With my power, it should be enough to at least leave a hole in its head.
"The one who reigns!" Toshiro began. "Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, the flute of wings, the one who crowns us with the name! Gathering of heat and war, beyond the seas in reverse, take steps to the south!" While Toshiro recited the incantation, he saw a red ball of energy developing on his palm.
It's working!
"Hado thirty one: Shakkaho!" With that, the red energy ball blasted away from Toshiro's hand towards the centre of the Feather's head. It was a direct hit, and the monster staggered back, the front tentacles snapping off its head in the process.
"Ha-ha!" Ren yelled triumphantly, snapping her fingers. "Nice one, Shiro!"
"That should be enough to damage it, even if it is a little."
"Hell, with all that smoke from its head, I'd say you killed it! You did it, Shiro!" The feather slowly stood upright as the smoke faded away. When it cleared, Ren and Toshiro were shocked to realise that there was only a small dent in the centre of its head.
"It didn't work!" Ren gasped. The feather gave a low growl, prompting Ren and Toshiro to ready themselves for an attack. Nothing happened. "It's not doing anything."
"It doesn't add up." Toshiro let go of Ren's hand, looking up at the still Feather. All it did in response was move one leg back with a creak and stare down at Toshiro (although it was hard to tell due to the lack of eyes).
"Wait! Shiro, look! Those tentacle things!" Ren pointed at the tentacles, or rather, the spaces where they would be. The silvery tentacles were gone, and only the holes where they were remained. "When did this happen?" Ren ran over to the holes, dropped onto her knees and peered down one. "There's nothing there! Hello!" Ren sat back up again, looked to Shiro and brought her hands up to shoulder height.
"They're underground again." Toshiro said, voicing what both of them thought.
"Yeah." Ren nodded. She stood up and walked backwards to Toshiro slowly, until the two of them were back to back.
"What about the Feather?" Toshiro asked in a hushed voice.
"It's not doing anything, so we might be safe, but don't let your guard down. It might be using those tentacles to attack us, and while we're distracted, it will attack us."
"How cowardly." Toshiro muttered, rather disgusted.
"Ah! I'm unarmed!" Ren exclaimed, looking at her empty hands. After looking left and right repeatedly, she made do with a cricket bat lying on the ground next to her, and proceeded to hold it us as though she were holding a sword. "Good thing the neighbours left this behind. Shiro, you'd better get armed, too."
"With this thing?" Toshiro said, holding the hilt of the wooden sword.
"Yes, that thing." Ren responded, rolling her eyes. "It's actually useful, and very durable. I tested it myself."
"Saying "actually" doesn't quite reassure me." Toshiro muttered, but he complied and pulled the sword out from his belt, holding it out in front of him, ready to attack. There was a long silence. Nonetheless, Toshiro and Ren kept their guards up, glancing in different directions for any sign of movement. Nothing. The Feather, meanwhile, was standing stationary, towering over the pair. Yet, it never made any attempt to attack them. Several more minutes passed, and the sky was starting to turn a light shade of orange as the sun set.
"Rrrrrrrr…" Ren growled, clenching her bat. "This tension is killing me!" Ren screamed, throwing her arms up in the air and startling Toshiro. "Come out already!"
"Um…hey. Calm down." Toshiro said nervously.
"Over there!" Ren ran straight past Toshiro, and slammed the bat on the ground. There was a loud crunch as it made contact with a tentacle. Ren removed the bat, and there was the head of the tentacle, snapped in two from the blow, yet it didn't bleed.
"I got one." Ren smiled to herself. "Huh?" Her smile fell when the tentacle started to move. The head broke off completely, and grew a new body, while the former body sprouted a new head. With that, they both dove back into the ground, just missing another swing of Ren's bat.
"They clone themselves when damaged." Toshiro said, making note of the observation mentally.
"Great. Just great." Ren said sarcastically. "Ah!" Five taller tentacles suddenly burst out in front of her, prompting her to back away to Toshiro's side. The five tentacles glared down at the two of them with their invisible eyes, their bodies twisting left and right.
"There's five more on this side, too." Toshiro said when five more burst from the ground behind him. "We're surrounded."
"Well, then." Ren clenched the handle of her cricket bat. "I guess we gotta break out of here. Listen, I'll take care of these tentacles. You try and go after the Feather and use that weird magic of yours again. This time, make it a big one."
"I have to be in contact with you."
"Okay, that's plan A down the drain. Plan B; get rid of these things, then we both charge at the Feather."
"That might work."
"So let's bust ourselves out of here!" Ren charged at the tentacles again, snapping three necks in half with one swing. Several others stabbed at the ground Ren stood on, but she dodged each one as though she were dancing. Each time she destroyed a tentacle, two took its place, but Ren did not falter. A tentacle crawled across the ground and wrapped itself around Ren's legs.
"Yah!" She yelped. "So you're a leg type, eh?" Ren smashed the body without hesitating. "Ow!" Ren rubbed at her leg as soon as the tentacle let go. "Maybe that wasn't so smart."
"Hyah!" Toshiro followed suit and swung at the tentacles with his sword, breaking their necks in half, and the sword didn't even crack. "It worked." Toshiro said, rather surprised.
"See? I told you!" Ren boasted, overhearing Toshiro's remark. "I'm through!" Ren jumped over the lower bodies of some tentacles before they had a chance to regenerate. "Hold on, Shiro!" Ren brought the bat down and smashed the heads of the tentacles in front of Toshiro. In a split second, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him out of the circle just before they regenerated again. Unfortunately, Ren lost her balance and they both collapsed on the ground.
"You alright?" Ren asked.
"I'm fine." Toshiro answered. "But…" Toshiro and Ren looked up at the tentacles as they slithered towards them like snakes. Ten had suddenly become fifty, and Ren and Toshiro were surrounded. Before the tentacles reached them, they burrowed underground, leaving multiple holes around them.
"Oh, great. We get to do this some more?" Ren said.
"Forget them. That Feather is controlling them. We have to take it out. Let's go!"
"Right!" Toshiro and Ren ran over the holes straight towards the Tripod Feather. However, Ren was cut off from Toshiro when five tentacles burst out from the ground in front of her. "Wah!"
"What?" Toshiro skidded to a stop and turned to Ren, who was trying to hit the tentacles with her bat, but they had learnt their lesson, and were evading her every move by bending their bodies this way and that.
"Don't worry about me! I'll be there soon!" Ren yelled, aiming another swing at the tentacles, which they dodged. "Ah! That does it!" Ren spun on the spot, and aimed a kick at the tentacles. It was successful, and all five of them were caught in the hook-like shape of her leg and promptly slung to the ground, where they borrowed into the soil again. "Alright! Eh?" Before Ren could even think of moving to Toshiro, two tentacles had snuck out of the ground, and wound themselves around each of Ren's feet. "I'm stuck!" Ren tried to pull her feet free, but to no avail. "Let go dammit."
"…" Toshiro watched Ren struggle, frantically thinking of a way to help her without risking the tentacles grabbing him. But, his attention was soon drawn to behind Ren. A tentacle was behind the ailing Ren, which towered over her. The head of it became much more pointed, until it sharpened into something resembling a spear head. His eyes widened. It was going to kill Ren!
"Ren, watch out!" Toshiro yelled "Behind you!"
"!" Ren gasped, staring right at Toshiro with wide eyes. She had stopped struggling in her shock, and had even dropped the cricket bat she was using.
What's she doing? Toshiro thought, gritting his teeth.
"Behind you!" Toshiro yelled again. Ren quickly recovered from her shock and looked behind her, just as the spear headed tentacle lunged at her. She ducked to her left just in time, but it still managed to make a large gash on her right upper arm, making her cry out in pain and clutch her injury. Another tentacle took advantage of this distraction and shot out of the ground, binding her arms to her sides and squeezing tighter and tighter around her. Five more tentacles slithered out of the ground, and their heads also sharpened into spear heads, ready to strike at Ren at any moment.
"Ren!" Ignoring every instinct that told him not to charge in, Toshiro rushed at the tentacles, his wooden weapon ready to snap their necks. He didn't understand why, but some part of him wanted to see Ren alive and well. Not because of the mission, her abilities or the Feathers. He just had to save her! "Grah!" With one mighty swing, the tentacles ready to attack Ren snapped in two. He then proceeded to raise the sword above his head, and with another loud yell, he brought it down on the tentacle binding Ren, freeing her. He stamped on the tentacles at Ren's feet, grabbed her arm and ran out the circle of tentacles before they could even begin to regenerate. He stopped running when he saw a dome shaped climbing frame that was surrounded by some flooring that looked like concrete but was made of rubber. He crawled through a hole and into the dome.
"In here." Toshiro grabbed a hold of Ren's arm again and gently pulled her into the dome. "There." He said somewhat breathlessly. "They can't get us in here." His attention immediately went to Ren, who was lying on the ground with one hand on her wound. "Hey. Ren! Ren, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I think so." Ren answered, sitting up onto her knees.
"You're hurt! Let me see!" Toshiro said with a frantic tone that surprised him a little, but he was too concerned about Ren to care. He immediately crawled to Ren's right side to look at the wound. Ren's hand was covered with blood from clutching it, but he could clearly tell that it was a large gash.
"It's fine. It's just a cut." Ren reassured.
"You're bleeding! It's far from alright!" Toshiro went back to where he was so that he could look directly at Ren. "This wouldn't have happened if you'd ducked in time!"
"Yeah, I know. Sorry." Ren apologised.
"Don't just be sorry! When I say watch out, I mean watch out! Do you have any idea how-" Toshiro stopped himself from finishing his sentence with a stunned expression on his face.
"Shiro?"
"I…" Toshiro started, his voice quieter. He almost told Ren exactly how he felt when Ren was attacked. He was about to say how scared he was. Why was that? Toshiro quickly shook of this thought. "It doesn't matter. Just tell me why you didn't duck when I told you too."
"…" Ren hesitated, looking down at her lap. "I just… I was surprised."
"Anyone would be surprised. That's the idea of a sneak attack."
"No, not that." Ren shook her head. "I was surprised because that was the first time you…" Ren paused in the middle of her sentence.
"First time? I've told you to get out the way lots of times." Ren looked away, hesitating.
"It was the first time you told me to get out the way like that."
"Huh?" Toshiro blinked, confused. First time? What was she talking about? Ren turned back to Toshiro and looked directly in his eyes, which immediately made her feel uncomfortable.
"That was the first time you called me by my name." Ren said, looking away from his eyes as soon as she finished speaking.
"!" Toshiro gasped after what Ren said. Her name? That was all? Thinking back on it now, Toshiro realised that since meeting her, he never referred to Ren by her name when talking to her. He didn't even use it when talking to her friends. Toshiro thought back to what Steph said.
"My point is, Ren may look like she's dense and doesn't join in, but actually, she pays close attention to what's around her, especially her friends."
She was right…
"Ren…" Toshiro started.
"Yeah?"
"Did you really pay attention to something like that?" He asked, avoiding eye contact with Ren. Somehow, he felt too ashamed to even look at her.
"Uh-huh. It was kinda unconscious, though."
"Were you sad?"
"I…I guess. I don't understand feelings very well. It's complicated, though." Ren giggled. "Why are you asking these things, Shiro? It's not like you."
"…" Toshiro said nothing.
"But, somehow, she finds a way to touch people deep inside without even realising it. Even the coldest and meanest characters in this school aren't immune to her ability."
She was right about that, too. Toshiro thought to himself.
"Hey, look! My scratch has healed!" Ren beamed at her healed arm, even though it was still stained with blood. "Whew! I'm glad there's no blood on my clothes."
"Really? It's healed?"
"Yup." Ren grinned. "Wait, was it on the forearm or the other arm name? I forget. Hmmm…Shiro, is the forearm the bit between the elbow and wrist?"
"Don't…"
"Eh?" Toshiro hesitated for a moment. He couldn't really believe he was about to say this, especially to a human.
"Don't scare me like that."
"Yeah." Ren smiled. "Sorry. I'm alright now."
"Good."
"Say, why aren't we being attacked by those tentacle things?" Ren asked. "Oh, I get it." Ren tapped her fist on the ground. "It's rubber. They can't get in, even if they are alien." Suddenly, a bump appeared in the ground just below Ren's hand. "Ah!" Ren crawled back away from the bump, which disappeared back into the ground. "Shiro, about our plan…"
"Ignore those things. We need to get to that huge Feather." Toshiro decided, shrugging off the previous conversation. He would worry about that later.
"Right. Try that weird magic of yours again."
"It's not magic!"
"Whatever." Ren grabbed Toshiro's left hand.
"…" Toshiro stared down at the sudden contact with Ren's hands, feeling his face flush a little.
"What?" Ren asked. "We have to be in contact."
"Yes, yes. Forgive me." Toshiro shook his head quickly. "Let's go!" With that, Ren and Toshiro dashed forward and through a large hole in the climbing frame, just as several tentacles burst inside the frame, making so many holes that the frame collapsed into a hole. The large feather slowly turned its head to face Toshiro and Ren. The pointed front of its face began to glow a faint green. Without warning, it fired a blast straight towards the pair.
"Watch out!" At the same time, Ren and Toshiro leapt to their right and carried on running.
"That was a Cero! I mean, it was like a Cero! Just like the other Feathers!"
"Oh, NOW it attacks us!" Ren and Toshiro jumped over a see-saw in their path, but the Tripod Feather stamped on the ground in front of them with one of its huge legs, preventing them from moving further. It lowered its head to ground level to get a closer look at the two of them, prompting the two of them to walk back away from it.
"Crap…" Ren said.
"I think that sums it up."
"Wait a minute, you need to do your thingy, Shiro! You know, your chokaho thing!"
"My what?" Toshiro asked, confused.
"I dunno! Something about thirty one! Why would we be holding hands?" Ren lifted up their joined hands to prove her point. "Just do it while it's here! And make it big! That little one only dented it!"
She's so bossy. Toshiro thought, mentally sweat dropping while placing his wooden sword back behind his belt.
"The one who reigns!" Toshiro raised his hand up to the Feather, however, the Feather expected this, and the lip of the head sprouted another tentacle, which flicked behind its head, ready to strike. "What the…"
"This thing can regenerate, too?" Ren gasped. The tentacle came down and swatted Toshiro and Ren away as though they were flies, making them go flying through the air and into the pond. The Feather charged up another blast on its tip while Toshiro and Ren resurfaced.
"Are you alright?" Toshiro gasped, shaking the water out of his hair.
"I'm fine. Whoa, this pond's deeper than it looks. It's practically a lake." Ren glanced at the feather, and her eyes widened. "Oh, crappers! It's gonna attack us again!"
"That thing's insane!" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the tentacles coming out of the ground, surrounding the duo in the pond. One by one, they dove into the water and slithered across the surface towards them. "This isn't good."
"No crap!" Ren exclaimed. One tentacle reached Ren and wrapped itself around Ren's wrist. "Ah! Get off!" Ren shook her arm frantically, and the tentacle flew off back into the water several metres away. However, it recovered quickly, and it slithered towards Ren again.
"Get underwater!" Toshiro shouted, swatting away another tentacle that pounced towards him with his arm.
"I can't hold my breath for very long!" Ren protested.
"Which is better? Drowning or…" Toshiro stopped short when a tentacle tried to strangle him by wrapping its entire body around his throat. He quickly pulled it off and threw it away. "Or being strangled?" He finished.
"…" Ren held her chin thoughtfully, thinking it over. "Drowning." She decided.
"You didn't have to think about it…" Toshiro grumbled. With a huge roar, the Tripod Feather shot its blast straight towards Ren and Toshiro.
"Shiro!" Ren reached her hand out towards Toshiro. Toshiro reached out to grab it, but the blast hit the water just as their fingertips touched, splitting the water into two massive waves, each one containing either Toshiro or Ren. They both fell out of the waves as the water began to fall back to the earth, and several tentacles showered on them. Once again, they reached out hands, one trying to reach the other.
"Ren!"
"Shiro!" As the waves got closer towards each other, Toshiro and Ren touched fingertips once again, until their hands finally linked together, just as the waves collapsed on them. The waters tossed and turned in the hole, and after the waves chopped for a while, it was still. The Feather stared at the water for several seconds. It gave a low growl, and the tentacles slithered out of the water, across the ground, up its long legs and into the bottom of its head. The Tripod stared at the water for a few more seconds. In the centre, there was a small whirlpool the size of a tennis ball. Gradually, it became the same size as a football, until it suddenly grew larger to take up half the massive pond. In the middle of this, a bubble-like shield floated out of the middle and in the air, level with the Tripod's head. Inside of it were Ren and Toshiro, alive and very confused.
"Wh…what in the…" Toshiro stammered, placing a free hand on the shield. It felt wet and smooth to the touch, like a real bubble.
"When did this happen?" Ren thought out loud. The two of them looked at one another, then at their firmly clasped hands, then at the whirlpool below their feet.
Are we doing this? They both simultaneously thought.
"Well…What happens if I do this?" Ren raised her right arm above her head. To her right, a waterspout emerged from the whirlpool next to Ren. "Whoa!" Ren exclaimed. She looked at her hand. She looked over her shoulder and raised her hand up again. Once again, a water spout came up. "One more." Ren raised her arm to her right, and a third water spout came up. "Wow, you know, that's kinda cool." Ren looked at Toshiro. "You try."
"I don't have powers, stupid."
"But we're in contact. Just try it."
"Fine." Toshiro sighed, reluctantly raising his free hand up. Immediately, water from the whirlpool followed the sweep if his arm, and twisted to form another water spout, rising up to the bubble until it was the same level as them. "Huh?"
"I knew it! We're doing this!" Ren looked at the Feather. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Ren asked, smirking.
"You mean…?"
"Yup." Ren nodded. "With these water thingies, we can win!"
"I'm not sure…"
"Just trust me." Ren said with a smile, looking right at Toshiro. With that, Toshiro said nothing more. How could he say no when Ren had that determined look on her face?
"What do we do?" Toshiro asked. Ren opened her mouth to answer, but was distracted when the Feather charged up another blast and fired it directly at the bubble. Ren and Toshiro braced itself for the impact, but instead, the attack bounced off like a mirror straight back at Tripod. It was a direct hit, and the Feather loudly staggered left and right from the blow.
"Return to sender…" Ren muttered, dumbfounded. "I-I mean, ha! Bet you didn't see that coming! Alright, Shiro, you ready?"
"Yes." He nodded. "Do you know what you're doing?"
"Of course not!" Ren replied happily.
"Eh?" Toshiro sweat dropped at her.
"But…But something inside me seems to know what to do." Ren raised their joined hands up to look at the bond. "Do you feel it, Shiro?"
"Not really…" Toshiro admitted. "Although it does feel familiar."
"Whatever the case…" Ren tightened her grip on Toshiro's hand, and he could have sworn that the water spouts around them were spinning faster than they were before. "Let's give it our best shot!" With that said, Ren thrust their joined hands towards the Feather, forcing the two of them to stand back to back. The spouts detached themselves from the whirlpool and shot straight towards the feather, and flew around its body this way and that, preventing it from escaping. Each blow dented the head, until one burrowed straight inside it, creating a massive explosion, prompting the other three spouts to shoot back to the whirlpool into their original form. The Tripod stood still for a moment, but eventually, it fell forwards and collapsed on the ground, scraping the ground in its path, until it came to a halt and was still.
"Yes!" Ren clenched a fist triumphantly. "We did it!"
"That's a relief…" Toshiro sighed.
"Is that all you have to say?" Ren asked, letting go of his hand. Instantly, the bubble shield disappeared with a pop, and the whirlpool vanished. "Ari? Nanda?" Instantly, the duo fell down back to the pond with screams of exasperation, and they landed back into the pond with loud splashes. Silence. Several seconds later, Toshiro and Ren resurfaced above the water, coughing and gasping. Ren clung to the pond to regain her breath, while Toshiro climbed straight out of it.
"Are you alright?" Toshiro asked.
"Cold." Ren answered gloomily.
"Let me help." Toshiro outstretched his hand towards Ren, who flinched.
"I don't want to." Ren said, fear in her eyes. "That whirlpool's gonna come back. With me in it!" Ren climbed somewhat ungracefully out of the pond and sprawled on her back on the ground. "Whew!"
"We won…" Toshiro said out loud, sitting down beside Ren. "I can't believe it myself. But…"
"Hm?"
"What was that attack we just used?"
"Don't know, don't care! As long as it helped, that's all that matters to me!" Ren exclaimed. She sat up to look at the feather. "Hey, isn't it supposed to turn into ashes by now?"
"You're right." Toshiro stood up and walked slowly towards the motionless Feather. Up close, the head was at least five times as tall as them. "It looks dead to me."
"If it was dead, it would turn to ash." Ren joined Toshiro by his side. She proceeded to bang on the head with er fist, making a metallic booming sound ring out in the atmosphere. "Helloooooooo? Anyone home?" Ren took a step back from it, hands on hips. "Stone dead. Deceased. Or maybe…" Ren then banged repeatedly on the Tripod very loudly. "Hey! Are you deaf?" She yelled. She suddenly stopped. "Wait, this thing doesn't have ears!" She turned around to face Toshiro. "Yeah, it's dead. It's probably just a machine Feather, or whatever." Ren saw a few flakes of ash float past her in the breeze. "Oh." She turned around again to look at the feather, walking backwards to Toshiro's side again. The feather was glowing white, and in one second, it burst onto ashes. "Wah!" Ren flapped her arms in front of her, fanning the ashes away from her while spluttering. "Do they have to make such a mess when they die?"
"What's that?" Toshiro saw something flash in the grass. He knelt down on the ground and picked it up. It was a silver charm shaped like a feather. "Look at this." Toshiro beckoned Ren over to look. "What do you think it is?" Toshiro asked, turning it over in his palm.
"Not sure. Let me have a look." Ren took the charm out of his hand and placed on her palm. Almost immediately, it flashed and turned from a silver colour to gold. "Hey, it changed colour."
"Why?"
"Dunno. But, I think this is a big clue in this mystery." The narrowed her eyes. "Dammit, I sounded like Scooby-Doo."
"Scooby-Who?" Toshiro asked, confused.
"Never mind." Ren dismissed what she said, placing the charm in her pocket.
I'm glad that's over. Ren thought. But…
"Ren, watch out! Behind you!"
For some reason, that made me happy. He hasn't called me by my name since the battle finished. Ren glanced at Toshiro, who was brushing the dirt off his trousers, but looked away as soon as he looked at her. Maybe it' wishful thinking, but I don't want him to stop calling me by name.
"Well…" Toshiro started, shaking some water out of his damp hair. "Shall we head back, Ren?"
"Eh?" Ren blinked pointing at herself.
"Your mother will get worried. And we'll catch a cold if we stay out here too long." Ren ignored what Toshiro was saying, and grinned from ear to ear. He called her by name again!
"Right!" She said cheerfully, wrapping her arms around Toshiro's, startling him.
"H-Hey!"
"What?"
"What's with your behaviour all of a sudden?"
"Oh, it's nothing! I'm just happy!"
"You're always happy!"
"Yes, but this time I'm really happy!"
"Quit dragging me! I can walk!"
"Then catch up, Shiro! I'm pretty fast at walking!"
"Ren!"
"Ahahaha!"
…
"I have returned." Sentaro bowed down on one knee to the silhouette once again.
"I heard that your Feather got destroyed."
"Yes. The girl took its core too. It purified on touch. Someone of her current level shouldn't have been able to defeat a level two feather." Sentaro clenched his fists. "What magic was that?"
"I believe I know."
"What?" Sentaro looked up at the silhouette, but with a gasp, he lowered it again.
"It is an ancient magic thought to be lost. Countless times have people tried to achieve it, but to no avail. That magic is only to be cast by certain people when there is a strong enough bond in that very instant."
"What magic is it?" Sentaro asked.
"Contact Union."
"!" Sentaro let out a gasp at the sound of the name.
"I see you recognise the name."
"B-But…That's impossible!" Sentaro protested, standing up. "To perform it out of luck is one thing, but for it to be two humans? That's incomprehensible!"
"Yes, those two are very special, indeed. Especially her."
"By her… you mean Ren?"
"Precisely." Sentaro could faintly make out the silhouette nodding. "This performance of Contact Union only confirms my suspicions. That girl wasn't bluffing when she gave her message." The silhouette raised her hand up. The blue bird appeared once again. "Repeat." She commanded.
"I'm back." The bird said in a muffled voice that sounded like Ren's.
"You don't think that it's true, do you?" Sentaro asked, bowing back down on one knee.
"I do." She answered, making the blue bird disappear. "I don't understand myself, but she seems to be acting through that girl called Ren. I can understand why. They do look somewhat similar. It's possible she is her reincarnation. We must look into her further before deciding what to do. Whatever happens, do nopt kill her."
"I understand." Sentaro said, standing up, bowing and turning to leave. However, he stopped himself. "But…"
"Hn?" Sentaro looked over his shoulder at the silhouette. Underneath his hood, he smiled wickedly.
"We can kill the other one, right?"
TA DA! Man, that was kinda long. But it's looks cool. And sounds cool. Ah, crap! It's 2am! Heh, time flies when you're having fun. Am I right? Whoops! Anyway, favourite, review, and all the rest of it! See you next time!