-Chapter 9, All's well that ends well, I guess?

The hand covering Shido's head offered little shelter against the beating rain. His shirt, soaked through after his jacket's valiant attempts at keeping the rain away, clung tightly to him, freezing him to his bones. His teeth clattered from cold. "The weather forecast has been really off, lately," he groaned, remembering yesterday's showers too. "So much for only a ten percent chance of rain."

Looking for shelter, he eventually came to a stop beneath a tree, full with leaves and standing proudly within the local shrine. Surrounding him, tall wooden gates, or Torii, some painted red and others still a pale brown, dotted the shrine's courtyard, none reaching quite as high as the tree that provided some morsel of cover.

Beyond the shrine's grounds, however, towers of stone and steel stood even taller.

Splash

Shido turned just in time to see someone playfully dash through the clear puddle, sending a rippling echo of sound throughout the space, time slowing down as she bounced through the air. He watched the girl for a moment, her arms up behind her and head held high, then gasped as she crashed to the floor. He quickly moved to help her. "Hey, are you okay?"

With the boy's help, the girl rose back to her knees and tilted her head towards him, her long, bright hair covering her glistening, deep eyes.

Shido sighed with relief. "Good. You're not hurt?"

The girl recoiled and scrambled away from Shido, putting her back up against that same tree and retreating as far as she could. "P-please, don't hurt me," she whimpered.

Shido stood up, his expression guilty. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you." From beneath her big green hood, Shido could feel those eyes staring right at him.

Tossed to the side by the fall, a small rabbit puppet looked on, watching the two from afar.

"Shido!" Tohka Yatogami, dressed in Raizen's uniform, burst through the door to Shido's homeroom, earning more than a few confused glances, first at her, then at the boy. She rushed inside and slammed a plastic container down onto Shido's desk, jostling the assorted faces and shapes inside. "We made these things called cookies!"

Shido flinched and edged back from Tohka's sudden outburst, all too aware of the looks coming his way.

"We were supposed to make them during cooking class, but I didn't know how, so the other students helped me!" She eagerly pushed the box toward him. "So, do you wanna try one?"

"S-sure," Shido said, tentatively moving his hand to take one from the box.

The sudden appearance of Origami stopped him in his tracks. Apart from the bandage on her cheek, she looked okay. No doubt thanks to Kusakabe. "Oh, hey Tobiichi."

Tohka recognised the name, and turned to confront her. "No way! You get out! Be careful Shido, that witch is going to do more damage…"

Tohka's screams subsided as Origami bowed low in apology. "I'm sorry for hurting your friend, Shido, although I know an apology is hardly enough."

Tohka slowly lowered her karate-chopping hands, but hung close by Shido's side.

Behind them, Ai, one of Shido's classmates, asked, "Why is the super genius apologising to him? What are we missing?"

Beside her, Mai, added, "Maybe he's got some dirt on her?"

Finally, Mii, finished off their collective thoughts. "That's so lame."

Embarrassed, Shido brought his shoulders up, trying to hide from their stares. "Oh, it's fine," he started, loud enough for the three to hear, "you can stop bowing now."

To this, Origami nodded gratefully, then turned to Tohka. "The reports said that you stayed. Tell me what you're still doing here."

The Spirit flared up. "That's none of your business!" She looked to Shido, prompting him again to have a cookie. "Now, focus, Shido. Forget about the stupid, ugly witch and eat my cookies."

Origami, not keen to be outdone so easily, slammed another box down onto the desk. "And mine. I baked some too." Unlike Tohka's, Origami's cookies were tightly organised, perfectly square, and decorated with chocolate in neat lines and borders.

"You need to stop copying me!" Tohka whined.

"Actually, I baked mine first, so you're copying me," Origami corrected.

"Wrong!" Tohka declared. "And look at your dumb cookies! I bet they suck." To prove her point, she quickly took one of them and bit down.

Unfortunately for her, as soon as she tasted it, the classroom fell away to be replaced by nothing but the overwhelming tingling sensation she felt on her tongue, and the warm, sparkling smell it left behind. She closed her eyes, longing to be one with the sweetness of the chocolate and the texture of the cookie. Her cheeks glowed a rosy red.

Shido had his face in his palm by the time Tohka returned to reality.

"Y-yeah, they're not all that great," Tohka stuttered, struggling to convince even herself. "Here, eat! Quick, before she tries to make you eat her junk!"

Origami cut in, presenting her box to the boy. "No, you should try mine, first."

Shido grumbled, before reaching into both containers and taking one cookie from each. He tossed them both in his mouth at the same time and started chewing. "Yum," he said as he finished, "they're both good."

Tohka grinned. "Mine must be better! He ate it much faster."

"Incorrect. He ate mine point-two seconds faster," Origami corrected once more.

"Excuse me? How could you even tell? You're lying!"

"I'm not lying. You're just hysterical."

Before the situation could get any worse, Tonomachi appeared, clutching a plastic bag full of cookies. "Hey, some strange little stranger just gave me a whole bag of cookies. Do you want one, Shido?" He held up his phone to them all, letting them see his pink-haired, virtual girlfriend giving an apologetic expression. "I'd ask her, but she's watching her figure."

Shido, Tohka, Origami, Ai, Mai, Mii, and the rest of the class all stared at him, completely speechless.

The rain refused to let up for the next few days, and every afternoon, Shido found himself sprinting home under the furious downpour. He never saw that girl again, despite making sure to pass by the shrine every day on his way home.

Shido pushed through his front door, shouting out to his sister, Kotori, that he was home, and kicking off his shoes. Sometimes the eternal absence of his parents bothered him. Were they really that busy?

Eager to ditch his sopping wet clothes, Shido beelined towards the shower, tucked away in the bathroom at one corner of the house. He scrabbled out of his uniform, grabbed a towel, and made to open the translucent shower door.

Tohka, completely naked with her back turned, peeked over her shoulder at the sound of the sliding door. Her face twisted with horror.

Shido squealed, unable to form an actual word, as he stood, frozen.

"Get out of here, right now!" Tohka shot out an open palm slap, throwing Shido onto his behind. He tumbled to the door, and as soon as he stopped, he bolted out of the bathroom, his towel wrapped around his waist.

He quickly donned a pair of blue trunks, and went to the lounge to confront Kotori. "Kotori! What's going on? Why is Tohka here?!"

Kotori leant back and looked at her brother, her head upside down over the couch's backrest. "Hey, bro! How was school?" she asked, putting on her innocent 'little sister' voice.

"Oh, thanks, it was pretty good! Tohka and I-" Shido stopped himself. "Don't change the subject! Tell me what Tohka's doing in our house!"

"Well, I decided that she should live with us! At least, for the time being," she answered, waving around a bright pink lollipop.

"Okay…?" Shido made a face. "Mind telling me why?"

Reine Murasame, previously silent up until this point, chimed in from the modest kitchen, just across the room, "We have a good reason for this, chill."

"Reine? What are you doing here?"

Nat popped up from behind the counter, his scraggy, black mop even messier than usual. "I am also here."

"Hinata?! What next, is Kannazuke gonna fall out of the ceiling tiles?!"

Shido was sure he heard a scream, followed by a sudden CRASH as Kannazuke fell through the ceiling and into the dining table. "Y-you rang…?"

Shido shook his head, dispelling the thought, leaving just Reine and Kotori once more.

The woman took a seat at the table, beckoning for them to join her, before continuing. "It's about Tohka's aftercare."

"Aftercare?" Shido echoed, tilting his head.

"That's right. Fortunately, when she kissed you, her Spirit Mana was immediately and effectively sealed." Reine traced a line in the air between her cup of coffee and Shido's. "Now, there is an invisible road – what we call a 'Path' - between the two of you."

"Okay," Shido started, fairly sure he was following along, "what's this thing about a seal?"

For this one, Kotori chimed in, "I explained that to you after it happened." She rested her chin on the bridge she'd made with her arms. "When you kissed Tohka after raising her mood points, you, in particular, were able to absorb her Spirit powers and seal them."

"Then, why do I alone have that kind of power?" Shido asked.

"I...don't know," came Kotori's solemn answer. "I just got lucky and figured it out...with Ratatoskr's help."

"May I?" Reine put a hand between them, bringing Shido's attention back to herself. "If the Spirit's mental condition become unstable, there is a significant probability that the power sealed inside of you will return back to her."

Shido thought for a long moment. "You said before that I was the only long-term solution you had. That Sam was only a temporary thing. Is this what you meant?"

Kotori nodded. "Mmm. Sam can't seal a Spirit like you can."

Shido scratched his head. "I don't know… Sam got shot because of me. Origami got hurt because of me. Maybe I'm not cut out for this…"

To his surprise, it was Reine who leaned over to console him. She placed a hand on his drooped head and gently smoothed his hair. "It's going to be okay. You're great at what you do, and you've got everyone's full support."

Shido lifted his head, then did his best to return Reine's kind smile.

"Now, our results are conclusive. Tohka's mental condition is most stable around you. Sam is second, but obviously…"

"I get it."

"In light of this, until the special housing unit for Spirits is completed-" said Reine.

"-she's living living with us, bro," Kotori finished, giving a cheery wink.

"Right, I think I understand," Shido replied.

"This isn't a bad thing," said Kotori. "Think of it as part of your training."

"Y-you mean, I wasn't finished? Tohka's powers are already sealed. What else am I supposed to do?"

Subtly, Kotori shook her head. "Did I say Tohka was the only Spirit around? There are more out there."

"A lot more, in fact," Reine added. "Special Designation Disaster Beings, or Spirits. They come in all shapes and sizes, just like us."

Shido held the back of his neck and averted his gaze. "I…"

"We want you to continue speaking with them, Shin. We need you to become even better...no. The world needs you to become even better at dealing with women."

"Great, no pressure at all!" Shido got up, planting his hands onto the table. "But, I still don't get why I have to live with Tohka!"

At that moment, Tohka appeared through the open door to the lounge, dressed in a loose, blue tracksuit, her eyes downcast. "I…I apologise, Shido. I knew it. I shouldn't be here, after all."

"No, you're fine. I'm a jerk," Shido quickly apologised, embarrassed for lashing out.

"Are you sure you're not mad at me?" Tohka mumbled.

"I'm sure. Just a little overwhelmed, is all," Shido assured, walking over to give Tohka another gentle pat on the head.

Shido flopped onto his bed, thoroughly exhausted. Another day with Tohka, another day of Kotori's stupid pranks, another day of getting hit in the head by a very angry Spirit. He sunk into his mattress, the spring twilight already well underway, taking any hopes of a sunny evening with it. At least he was safe in his room.

"That girl," he whispered to himself, "why was she so sure I was going to hurt her? And how come I haven't seen her again, since?" His mind flooded with images of that look. The look of pure, abstract fear. "And, for that matter, why is she sticking in my head like this?"

The boy turned over onto his back and faced the ceiling. His room was sparsely decorated, with a solitary double bed, bookshelf and desk making up almost all of it. Atop the desk was a futuristic-looking monitor, as well as various cups and plates that he hadn't cleaned. He reached for his phone, and traced his finger over the dormant screen, debating whether or not to call someone. "Who would I even call?" he thought. "Kannazuke? Hinata?" He thumbed the phone for a little while longer, before deciding to just get some rest, futilely preparing for the next day of craziness.

The school's clock chimed mid-day, and as the dark sky promised more rain to come, Tohka thrust her desk next to Shido's, shouting his name as she did so. "It's time for lunch!"

On the other side of him, Origami did the same, the two girls glaring at each other over Shido's attention.

"Why are you here, witch? You're not welcome," Tohka huffed.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing," Origami retorted.

Shido put his hands up to shush the two. "Can't we all just eat together?" he cried, glancing between them.

Despite the grumbling and quarrelling, both girls sat down and retrieved their lunch, Shido's and Tohka's looking far too similar for Origami's liking. She glared.

Tohka noticed and, mouth full, said, "What? Stare all you want; I'm not sharing."

Origami ignored Tohka and asked Shido, "Excuse me, what is that?"

The boy panicked and quickly came up with a lie. "Uh, the thing is...this morning, Tohka and I bought our bentos from the same place! I bumped into Tohka while she was there."

Hot off the heels of Shido's lie, Origami held up his box's lid. "Liar! You bought this one-hundred and fifty-four days ago at the discount store in front of the station for fifteen-eighty Yen. You've been using the same container ever since. This is not from the bento shop."

Shido blinked twice. "And...how, exactly, do you know this?"

"Irrelevant. Tell me why you're lying."

"Uh, don't leave me out of the conversation like that, it's rude," Tohka interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

Caught between the two girls' stares again, Shido wanted nothing else but to just shrink away and hide. Perhaps fortunately, perhaps unfortunately, something else came to do the trick.

A long, rising, droning tone filled the school's halls, followed shortly by the warning Shido new all-too-well.

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THERE HAVE BEEN PRECURSORY SIGNS OF AN IMPENDING SPACIAL QUAKE IN THIS VICINITY. PLEASE EVACUATE TO THE NEAREST SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. I REPEAT…

Origami briskly stood up and left, making for the hallway. Shido watched her go, fully aware of where she was headed. Then, within moments of Origami's exit, Miss Okamine burst through the other door, shouting and waving her arms, instructing everyone to follow her to the shelter. Really, she was the only one panicking, despite her telling everyone else not to panic. Shido helped Tohka pack her lunch away, before they joined up with the other students in the hall.

Before they could move off to the shelter, however, Reine stopped him. "Shin, listen, we're going to leave Tohka with them. You need to come with us to the Fraxinus."

Shido hesitated. "You want to leave her behind?"

"Yes. Remember, her powers have been sealed, so, she's the same as a normal human girl." Tohka tried to peer over the crowd of students in front of her, but she couldn't manage it at her slightly less-than-average height. "Besides, seeing a fight could raise her anxiety. Any negative mood swing puts the Path at risk. We can't afford that."

"That's true," Shido agreed, if not entirely convinced.

"Tohka, Shido, Miss Murasame!" Okamine yelled as she ran toward them between the crowd of students. "Why are you dawdling back there? If you don't hurry up and evacuate, you're gonna be in serious trouble and serious danger!"

Shido took the woman's hand, stopping her in her tracks, and placed Tohka's hand in her grasp. "Miss Okamine," Shido started, thankful beyond words that she seemed to have forgotten their conversation during his training, "will you take care of Tohka, for me?"

"Wh-what? Of course!" the little lady replied. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Shido?" Tohka asked, worried.

"Hey, Tohka, I need to leave you here, okay? Something just came up, but I'll be right back."

"No way!" she protested. "It's dangerous, isn't it?"

Shido let go and made to dash away. "I promise, I'll be okay. Just stay with them." With that, he and Reine took off down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"Shido, get back here! You too, Miss Murasame! Where do you think you're going?!" Tamae squawked.

"Oh, Shido…" Tohka held her hand close to her heart.

Squeak-thwap! Squeak-squeak-squeak-thwap-thwap!

Hinata bounced on the balls of his feet, sending sure, strong punches into the sandbag.

Thwap-thwap-thwap!

The bag shook with every impact.

Squeak-squeak-thwap!

His trainers glided over the gymnasium's lacquered floor.

"Yah-tah!" he yelled, driving his fist into the bag. A thousand memories flooded his mind. A million images filled his head. Sam staggering and falling. "Yah-tah!" Thwap! The shot ringing out. "Hi-yah!" Thwap! The spray of blood. "Come-on!"

THWAP!

Nothing.

Try as he might, Nat couldn't bring forth the power that saved Sam's life. There was no static in his stomach. No prickling under his skin. No buzzing in his ears. He leant his forehead against the bag and started to sob, his body subtly quaking with each pockmarked breath. His muffled tones bounced around within the empty hall. The feel of Sam's icy skin lingered under his fingertips.

He wanted so desperately to draw on that power.

Closing his eyes, Nat brought the memory of that first training session to the forefront of his mind. He tried to envision his movements. That natural ebb and flow of his body. Had that been the same power?

He adopted a stance, now emulating Sam's position: wide, low, versatile. He imagined the world around them: trees, sky, grass that nipped his ankles. The gym around him faded away. His ears filled with chirping and rustling.

Sam's form enveloped the bag, gesturing for him to bring his best. She smiled and winked, then mouthed something Nat couldn't hear.

Renewed, Nat threw himself forward, sending a flurry of jabs into Sam's guard. A left hook bounced off her arm. A right uppercut grazed her chin.

"Where's that fire in your eyes, Nat?! I'm not even feeling this!" Sam's voice rang out.

Nat bared his teeth and charged.

THWAP-THWAP-THWAP!

His hands were numb, but he kept going, sending punch after punch after punch into her, but he just couldn't wipe that grin off her face.

Striking a spark in his heart, Nat brought his arm back and aimed for Sam's stomach. He clenched his fist so hard it shook. The world fell away once more. His body buzzed with power. "Don't you dare...mock...me!" With a deafening cry, Nat's fist blasted forward, his rage transforming into a streak of yellow and black that shrouded his body. He twisted his hips, pushed with his feet, and drove with his soul.

BANG!

Nat sent the bag flying into the back wall, yellow lightning leaping from his hand. There it was, at last. The static in his stomach. The buzzing in his arm. The prickle under his skin. Nat could finally feel hope welling inside him. The same hope that saved Sam's life. The fire of hope in his eyes.

"Don't you dare mock me, Sam. I'm not that far behind you, any more."