Chapter 7 - Rhapsody of Relationships

Moyoko prodded Kamatari silently. Kamatari turned around and saw her soft, brown eyes. He could face Moyoko for only a couple of seconds before he had to look away. He blushed and his face turned into an intense shade of red. Her face was only a few inches from his own. He looked up and saw her smiling at him – the sunlight was eclipsed by her wondrous presence.

Moyoko asked, "Kamatari? Hey, are you alright?"

Kamatari looked around blankly, he was a little confused as to why he suddenly remembered his past, but for some reason, his this same scene always followed him around. He shook himself out of his daydream and found that he could see clearly once more. The trees lightly swayed as the soft breeze of the air passed through the dance grass.

Kamatari blew a puff of air at his bangs and said, "Yeah... I was just thinking about something."

Moyoko took off her archery chest guard. "That's kind of dangerous to be lost in thought like that. You never know who might just jump you." she concernedly said.

Kamatari smiled, "Like you?"

Moyoko pouted, "Hey! That's mean."

The two of them laughed. Kamatari wished this kind of peace could last forever. He closed his eyes and felt Mother Nature's soft breeze blowing around him. He could smell some tonkatsu wafting off from a nearby shop. Even though he tried to stave off the pain, his right arm continued to buzz with intermittent shocks.

Moyoko asked, "Kamatari, did you come here to watch?"

He responded, "Archery practice?"

Moyoko nodded. Moyoko glowed as she smiled. The two walked along the path, their feet shuffling in the gravel as they came closer to the rather large stone building in the forest. As they ventured further, Kamatari noticed that there was a definite change in scenery. No longer were there the glowing, green trees, but only dead branches and dead trees.

Suddenly, a hot, burning flash shot through him. He felt short of breath; he became unable to breath in the air around him. He gripped his throat, hoping for some sort of way to expel the nonexistent iron chains wrapped around his neck. His heart beat fast, sweat began to pour out of his body, and his vision blurred once more.

What's... what's going on?

Kamatari looked up, as his eyes moved closer to the school building, the feeling of being chained intensified. His pupils constricted, focusing on the spot where he felt the most intensified version of the pain. All he could do is whisper out a single chant before his voice failed him.

"WeiBer Anblick." (White Sight)

Kamatari's eyes shined bright white for a moment. His reinforced vision allowed him to see an almost x-rayed version of everything. He could see every level of the school, as if the entire wall of the eastern wall was completely and cleanly ripped off. His eyes darted from left to right. Whoever the person was, they somehow managed to get away without leaving a trace behind. Kamatari knew the limitations of his own magic. If the person who observed Kamatari knew about Kamatari's envisioning abilities or was just lucky, the person would have to stand in the back of a classroom since his ability could not pierce that far. Kamatari felt the chains slowly unraveling themselves, allowing him to breath. He knew that he would have to ask his mother about this new turn of events.

Moyoko asked, "Kamatari?"

Kamatari looked around and saw Moyoko coming back without her quiver of arrows, bow, or chest guard. She looked completely oblivious of the troubles Kamatari just went through.

He strained out a weak "Yes."

"Aren't you going to come inside?"

"I am," he coughed, "I was just looking at something."

Moyoko looked at the direction Kamatari was staring at. All that was there was the roof and maybe the occasional bird.

"What are you looking at?"

Kamatari thought quickly. He answered, "That cloud... it looks like a fish." Moyoko couldn't see the fish since the only cloud there was the shape of a ring.

"Kamatari... you're kind of weird, you know that?"

"Yeah... I guess I am. But why are you going to archery practice if you guys don't meet today?"

Kamatari chuckled and shook his head slowly in laughter. Moyoko glared at Kamatari. Her eyes once more teased Kamatari. She pushed Kamatari away and smirked.

"Fine, in that case, I won't go."

Kamatari shrugged, realizing that he had won the argument.

"Then you wouldn't mind going to the movies with me?"

After hearing that, Moyoko suddenly froze as she nervously looked around. She began to sweat. She began to blush. Her breathing pattern became erratic.

"Um... just you... and me?"

Without thinking, Kamatari has said that, but now that he realized what he had said, he began to feel the same way as Moyoko. As friends, they had never gone beyond the line of "just friends." When they did go to the movies, they usually went with other people. Usually, it was Jacob who went with them, but he was nowhere to be found. Kamatari tried to act as if nothing had happened, he was in truth, both afraid, and embarrassed.

"I... I guess, I mean there's nothing wrong with that right?"

"No, I suppose there isn't."

Completely overtaken by her own emotions, Moyoko completely forgot her things, leaving them at school and blindly following Kamatari. She had followed him outside of the school, towards the movie theater. On their way to the theater, Kamatari's eyes constantly scanned Moyoko, not sure on how to act since they had never done this before.

Is this a date? No, if it was a date, then she wouldn't have come so willingly. Of course! Or not... I mean we've always been with someone else... I know, if she pays for her own ticket, then it's not a date. That makes perfect sense! Wait – but then again, doesn't one of us usually pay for everyone so that we switch off every time? Maybe since it's the two of us, we'll each get our own separate tickets. Wait – If it's separate, then that would make this occasion special, thus making it a date. God! This is so confusing! Jacob! Where the hell are you? Right when I need some help, you're probably at home with another ero-game.

Jacob sneezed as he continued watching a couple explicit image on his computer screen. He pulled out a couple tissues then wiped his nose. He shrugged and continued on.

The movie theater was bright with shining lights, spraying their crude incandescence everywhere in order to attract people like flies. People crowded around the box office. All ranges of people from old couples to a small child with his mother would stand in line. There was absolutely nothing like the magic of the silver screen to bring people together. Kamatari looked up, the flickering of the street lamps made him wary. He quickly pulled out his black glove and shoved it sloppily over his hand. There was an intense surge of pain as he covered his hand. The glove forcefully insulated the sparks which came out of his hand. He tried to calm down, but nothing would calm him down now. Looking at the sky, he saw the moon slowly appear as the sun relinquished its dominance over the skies. He slid his hands into his coat pockets. They came closer to the movie theater and Moyoko rested her head on Kamatari's shoulder. She latching her arm around Kamatari's arm.

[i[b Score! That makes this a date right? Well, she once did this to Jacob, but I'm sure she was just playing around. [/b[/i

He looked nervously to his right, but coolly pretended not to notice her doing so. Moyoko looked at all the advertisements concerning the movies. There were your usual romantic comedies that come a dime a dozen, the horrors, and then that one movie that everyone talks about. Moyoko instantly pointed to a poster that had an army of half-naked, spear welding soldiers.

"Kamatari, let's watch that."

Kamatari felt as if it were a normal day, nothing really had changed from the other times they had gone to the movies, he began to feel more relaxed. She didn't act any different from the other times that they had gone out. Though he was throughly disappointed, he felt like he could try another time. He figured he might as well just enjoy the movie and go on with life like normal. What made it seem more like the other times was that the three of them went in an order every time they went. In this case, it was Moyoko's turn to pick and Kamatari's turn to pay. Nothing had changed.

"300 huh? Jacob told me it was good... I think we should."

Yes! Yes! Yes! I so wanted to see this movie.

Instinctively, Kamatari walked to the booth and ordered two adult tickets to the movie. He paid for them and pulled out the tickets as he handed one to Moyoko. Moyoko looked away after realizing that she truly felt something for Kamatari. On the other side, Kamatari acted as if nothing happened because to him, today was a normal day.

As the movie played, the screen lit up the bleak theater with its luminous light, Kamatari watched with excitement as sword clashed in front of the screen. Moyoko thought about lowering her head onto Kamatari's shoulder, but she wasn't sure how he would react. So, as if she wanted to ease her own feeling into it, she slowly lowered her head. She sort of awkwardly hovered right above the threshold. If anyone else were watching Moyoko, he or she would instantly believe that Moyoko had some sort of physical problem. All the while, the smell of light dabs of perfume flew into Kamatari's nose. Did she put this on for tonight? Normally, she didn't wear perfume because she considered it too much of a bother. He could feel a couple strands of hair tickle his neck. As he turned around Moyoko jumped up. Completely by accident, Kamatari's lips touched Moyoko's. The two stared at each other for a moment. The world completely dissolved around them. Neither one could bear to face the other. The two faced forward and continued watching the movie as if nothing happened. It was then that Moyoko finally rested her head on Kamatari and he wrapped his arm around Moyoko. Today was not a normal day.

--- So this chapter is sort of suppose to let you see into the other characters. I think it's a nice and peaceful contrast to the horrible things that happened before.