Chapter 2: Friends in High Places

Hiro was sitting at Shisuta's 'Altar of Knowledge' reading her 8000 page dictionary. She was only on page five, and she was half asleep.

How can she stand to write all of this down!? Now I have to read ALL of it.

...This really sucks.

Shisuta was looking at some files in a black folder. The folder was marked with a white N.

"What'chya reading?" Hiro asked.

Shisuta jumped. "Oh! I was simply... Simply examining some paper work for... For some very important customers..."

Hiro saw right through that.

"Ooooh... Are they loooove letters? Let me see!"

She tried to peek over her shoulder, but Shisuta closed the folder.

Her expression darkened. "It is considered very Russ to dabble in other's affairs! I had better not find you reading these... There will be consequences."

Was this the same Shisuta?

"Sure, okay. I won't read it... Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes... I'm fine."

Nina walked in the room, and she concealed the folder.

"Shisuta, you need to come back to the office. There's a lot we have to prepare for, and there's not much time."

She looked confused, but stood.

"Understood. Let's go then."

Hiro spoke.

"Wait! What about me!? Like, can I stop readings?"

Shisuta shook her head. "No, just stay right there. I'll be back in a moment."

They left the room.

Hiro slammed her head on the book in front of her.

"Ugh, and she's gone. Wow..."

"Hey Hiro... I'm back. Mom and dad told me to stop coming around this place, but I had to see you again."

Hiro smiled. She loved it when Eiji came to visit. She would never tell the others about him though, they'd think she was crazy! Eiji was a ghost, so no one else could see him. For some reason, Hiro could.

"Hey Eiji. I'm sorry your parents are giving you such a hard time. This place is so boring though..."

He laughed. "What!? No, this place is far from boring. Where I live? Now that's boring."

She sighed. "Well, now you're here... So make yourself comfy, or something."

He looked at her with concern. He never liked to see her sad or displeased about anything, and if it was something he'd said, he'd try with all of his might to fix it.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "I didn't say something to upset you, did I?"

She shook her head. "No, it's just... I would love to see where you're from. I bet it's pretty chil- ...nice. I bet it's really nice."

Hiro felt very comfortable around Eiji, and didn't feel the need to show off as much.

He smiled. "Yes, in some ways, it's very nice. The thing is, I always here stories about my parent's adventures in this place. I just want to do something new for a change, you know?"

She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, join the club. I have to finish reading this eight thousand page dictionary... It sucks."

He shook his head. "I don't understand why you can't just talk to them like you do to me... You wouldn't have this problem as often."

She looked down. "You're different than them though... It's the same reason you won't tell your parents about those adventures you want. It's just that... I'm always stuck doing things like this, because no one has time to actually talk to me."

He frowned. "I wish I could show you where I live too, but that's waaaay against the rules..."

She laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. How many rules do you have anyway?"

He grinned. "Well, more than you do, that's for sure!"

Shisuta was taking longer than usual, so Hiro figured she had some time to kill.

"Hey, I have an idea! We should pull out the chess set again! You were a real challenge, and we didn't have time to finish last time."

He nodded eagerly. "That's a great idea! My dad and I were practising the other day, and he was so surprised when I'd beaten him."

Her face fell.

I wish my dad would play chess with me...

She perked up again, before Eiji could notice.

She walked up to the cabinet, and unlocked the padlocked safe code that she had cracked when she was six. She pulled out only the chess set, and began to set up the board.

"So will you be black, or white?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "You know I always pick white."

She had met Eiji when she was seven. She was messing with the chess board, when she saw him staring at her.

She smiled as she remembered his reaction to her seeing him, and her reaction when he told her no one else could. He had taught her how the game worked, and she picked up on it like a fish to water.

She saw he was going to use his queen this round, she could tell from his first move. She moved her next piece accordingly.

He grinned. "Good move..."

They had been playing for a while, and it was close. They could both for see a draw, if that were even possible. Though neither of them would admit it.

"Just face it, I'm going to win." Said Hiro.

He shook his head. "No, I know I can still move something, just give me moment..."

The door clicked open, and they both jumped. Hiro his the chess board behind her, the pieces now scattered.

Her dad stepped in front of her.

"I-I... It was already open, I swear!"

She hung her head... She was so busted.

"Who were you playing with...?" He asked.

She looked up at him. It wasn't her dad, it was his brother.

"Um... No one, just myself." She lied.

He laughed. "Yes, because you were talking to yourself, telling yourself to give up the round."

She looked down nervously.

...

I looked down at the board, and smiled.

"That was my first chess set you know..."

I knelt down next to her, and picked up the scattered pieces.

"Where is the person you were playing with?" He asked.

"Wh-What person...? Like I said, I..."

He heard a boy's voice. "It's just Kahn, you can tell him. It's not like he can tell my parents now anyway..."

I jumped with surprise. "Eiji? Is that you?"

"You can hear me!?" He exclaimed. "Please don't tell mom and dad! Can you even...? I don't know, just don't tell them..."

So this is where he'd been off to, playing chess with my Niece.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I see! That's my Niece you know, and if she's anything like I was, she may prove quite a challenge."

"Wait?" Asked Hiro. "You know Eiji, and you you can hear him? I thought I was the only one here who could see Eiji..."

Right. How could she see him?

"That is because Eiji is a spirit, like I once was. I can only hear him though, but you can see him..."

"Yeah, I've actually been visiting her for two years or so." Said Eiji. "Kahn and my parents were friends."

"Oh okay..." Hiro said softly. "Just don't tell on him, he's really not hurting anything, I swear."

I sighed. "Even if I could, there's nothing anyone can do stop you really..."

I sat in front of her. "Can you... See more than just Eiji?"

She looked down. "Well... There's... No, I don't-"

"You can trust him." Eiji said. "He might be able to help you."

I was curious. "Help...? Who else are you seeing?"

She looked up at me. "How many brothers do you have besides my dad?"

Brothers... She couldn't mean...

"There is one more." I said. "But I wouldn't consider him a brother. He has been dead for some time now."

She nodded shakily. "That makes sense..."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "When did you see him?" I asked.

"At first it was only in dreams." She said. "There were some nights when I was young when the dreams were so bad, I woke up and hurled everywhere. Ask my dad, it was pretty scary... When I was about five, he started bothering me when I was awake. Eiji showed up when I was seven, and when he caught your evil twin, he sent him away. He doesn't come around as much, as long as Eiji's close."

"That's why I have to come back and check on her so much." Eiji said. "She's my friend, and I don't like it when demons pick on her."

I sighed. "You should tell your parents Eiji, handling a demon of that caliber was impressive. It could also become very dangerous."

"I've kept her safe for years!" Eiji protested. "I can handle it on my own."

He really had no idea, did he?

"Do you realize that if you are too careless, you could get stuck here? You would never be able to go home. He could be waiting for an opening like that, and then both of you would be in danger."

Hiro went pale. "Maybe he's right Eiji... I still want to see you, but I don't want you to get hurt."

"So you think I should tell them? Well okay... Just give me few days then, I need to prepare for the wrath..."

"Does your dad get that mad at you?" She asked.

I smiled. "Try, his mother."

"Yeah, he knows what I'm talking about..." He said. "She can get really scary!"

I laughed. "Well, as long as you tell her she'll be fine. Well... Let's just leave it at, it's better that you tell her then for her to find out."

"Don't worry, I'll get on that!" He exclaimed. "Just... Give me a few days, really..."

Hiro laughed. "You're so overdramatic sometimes."

I stood. "Well, I'd best be off."

"Wait, what's going on?" Hiro asked. "I know something's up, because Nina and Shisuta left in a hurry. Shisuta hasn't been back like she said she would, and Shisuta's NEVER late."

She was smart. She was anylitical like me, which explained the skillfully cracked padlock.

She knew, but it was best not to tell her now. It would only worry her.

"Yes, there is something wrong. All I can tell you now is to not stray far from here. You should be fine if you do that."

She sighed with annoyance. "Ugh, no one tells me anything..."

I smiled. "It will be handled soon. Nothing too exciting I assure you..."

I walked out.

I hated lying to her like that, but this wasn't something a girl should be worrying about at her age. Not exciting? Well, try terrifying.

I just hope we're ready.