Note: I'M BACK! I'm so sorry it took me so long to post this chapter! Things have been pretty crazy, and I'm proud to say that I am a college student as of last fall! (So things will get crazier for me, unfortunately.) Although I'm in college, I'll still try to post as much as I can. Until then, please enjoy the second chapter of Touched By An Angel!

Recap:

I walked to an intricately-designed bench and sat, taking in the natural surroundings; above me, the sky was clear and blue with clouds that reminded me of fluffy down in a thick winter jacket.

"What's it like to fly?" I asked myself.

A little voice in my head answered, "You'll experience it soon, child."

I'm not sure what happened, but the next thing I saw was Kenichi floating above me, shaking my shoulders violently.

"...up! Wake up, Aya!" he whispered. It sounded like he was hurried, like time was running out for something.

I sat up on the bench. "What is it? Why are you whispering?" I yawned.

"No time to explain. Just follow me." he flew back into the mansion, then poked his head out the door to see if I was following.

I guess I didn't really have a choice, so I stood up and quickly walked behind him.

He led me through the spiraling passages of the mansion's corridors, and when he stopped I doubled over to catch my breath.

I looked up to see a massive dark wooden door in front of us.

"What...?" I was too surprised to say anything.

Kenichi opened the door and gestured for me to enter. "Go inside. I want you to see something."

When he said it like that, softly and gently, I couldn't stop myself from walking into the room. The second I entered, I was completely speechless.

The room looked like the main area of a temple; there was a giant altar surrounded by scenic paintings, wall scrolls with prayers written in elegant calligraphy, and burning incense at the altar's corners; just the sight of it made me think of my mom.

"Kenichi... what is this?" I turned to face him, but he averted my eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this."

I felt myself being pushed into the room, then heard the door slam and lock itself behind me.

"Kenichi! Let me out!" Pounding my fists against the door with all my strength, I felt a sudden rush of emotions come to me all at once.

"Aya, this has to happen, or everything is going to end. Please, just don't resist what's coming."

"No!" Even as I said it, I felt another presence in the room that sent violent shivers down my spine. Slowly, I turned around.

The altar began to glow, first a bright white, then changed to a disturbing red. I don't know what happened next, but suddenly there was a figure in front of me, its eyes flaring a vibrant pale blue.

"At last, the time has come for you to Awaken."

Flashes of white blurred my vision, and in an instant it was gone. I looked around, trying to see where the glowing figure went. The room still had a bright glow in it, but I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.

"Aya, you okay?" Kenichi's voice was clear though the other side of the door, but it felt distant.

"What just happened?" I started to ask, but the voice that formed the words wasn't mine. It was much more crisp and angelic, with a slight echo.

Kenichi came through the door, his expression changing from sorrow to worry to surprise.

"You've actually been awakened..." He stared at me in awe.

I guess at this point I was on the brink of insanity, because I didn't know why he was staring at me or what was going on. I felt as though I was the only person not getting a joke that everyone else understood.

"What does that mean, Kenichi? Just tell me."

"It means that the prophecy is coming true, and you're going to save the world."

Well fuck.

I glanced to the side, unsure of how correctly I was posing. "Kenichi, since when did you know how to fight?"

Kenichi looked at me seriously. "Since I was young. It was necessary for me to know how to fight, to survive. Since I was little I was always in school gangs, trying to become a better fighter and be the best."

I made an effort to throw a punch. "Because...?"

"Because I was always picked on for being popular despite my short height." He kept his eyes from mine, focusing on teaching me how to defend myself.

"I'm not sure how basic kicks and punches are going to help me stop a war between the two greatest supernatural powers in the history of the universe," I only said it as a joke, but Kenichi's face was still rigid with seriousness.

"It's a start. You should still be able to fight on land against the less powerful soldiers the Demon King's side will have."

I sighed. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with. I've only just found out that I have to save the world from total annihilation yesterday, and I have to learn how to fight with these 'awakened powers' if I can figure out how to use them at all. That's perfectly normal, right?"

Kenichi smirked. "Well, would you rather be God the Creator or the Demon King?"

I gave it some thought. "No, you're right. This is slightly better than being ultimate ruler of Heaven or Hell."

"See? Let's start over, okay?" Kenichi flew over to my side and guided me back into a basic fighting stance. "Do you remember everything so far?"

"I think so?" I replied, and started going through the series of punches and kicks he had taught me.

"Look at you, you're getting the hang of it already," Kenichi handed me a water bottle and sat on the grass next to me as soon as we were done "training."

"I don't know, Kenichi. I feel the same," I said as I took a gulp of water. "How long do you think this is going to take?"

"Relax," he patted my shoulder. "You'll be a Warrior in no time if you keep practicing."

I thought about the time frame for a bit, and it seemed like he was right.

"Okay, I got it," I told him. "I'll do my best," I wanted to sound more confident than I was, and it worked.

Kenichi smiled as he looked at me. "That's the spirit!"

I glanced at my watch and realized what time it actually was. "Shit!" I exclaimed, "I was supposed to meet Takuya today! I stood up quickly and brushed the dirt off my clothes. "I'm heading towards the convenience store where Takuya works," I said, "Takuya'll for sure be worried about me."

Kenichi also got up and hovered in front of me. "I can't let you go," he said firmly." "It's too dangerous, with your dad and all."

I stopped to look up at him, then continued to walk around him. "I'll be fine. My dad probably doesn't care anymore. Besides, he won't be outside the house."

"I'll take you there. It's better that way in case you get into danger," Kenichi was insistent.

I turned to face him and stared him down. "Wouldn't my death mean you get to go back? You should be happy if that happens. After all, that's your job, isn't it? To take souls back to the underworld? Just leave me alone!" With that I ran as fast as I could towards the convenience store, my face feeling warm from anger.

I never looked back at Kenichi to see what happened to him.

A/N: Again, I'm sorry for the late update, and for the short-ish chapter! Hopefully I'll be back soon once I get my life together. Until then, goodbye!