Nat’s POV:
Sniffling, I quickly pulled him into the front step of the house, his hair over his eyes and almost half of his face like a hood in one of those Zelda games Rin used to play as a child. I watch him, my eyes filling with even more tears as he slowly pulls his arms up and beckons me into them, as if knowing what I was thinking. I let out a soft cry, my feet slipping under me as I ran into his waiting arms, even if I were to get a cold along with the silly boy, even if a visitor-someone who didn’t even know us- was watching us.
“Kami.” I hear him playfully mumble against my hair, and I only start to cry harder, feeling myself loosen and let go on the ledge that kept me rooted to the crust of the earth that surrounded and protected the core- my heart. I start to bawl, my fingers clutching wildly at his shirt and curling into a ball of a fist as I nestled myself tightly against him; like I always did when he knew that I wasn’t having a good day, and so he would just open up his arms for me.
“Kami, why do I love a baka like you.” I whisper against his chest, my cheeks burning slightly as he kissed my head.
“I dunno what ya said, but we need ta get in the shower or we’ll never hear the end of it from Rin and Koko.” He said, lifting me easily off my feet by my waist, causing me to squirm and blush. I felt myself get set back down on the familiar feel of wood, my toes flexing in my wooly socks as I slip a little. He laughs slightly, amused that I had such weird, mostly mismatched socks.
“Ryuuji, I’ll get you some clothes that are dry. Just go into the bath for now and I’ll bring them.” I say softly, blushing as I peck his chin lightly, quickly scampering away to the wardrobe room before he could say a word.
Hoshimi’s POV:
I sat in my bed, staring down at my toes, that were starting to turn a light gray, almost like scales. A monster. I was a monster. “Monster, Baka Monster.” I mumble to myself, flinging my head into my knees. “Monster. Baka monster. What would Konke-chan think? What would Izu-chan think? What would-what would she think? I have to go. I can’t hurt them-if that happens again, who knows-”
“Do you want to get rid of that?” A new voice silkily threaded its way into my mind, like a spider would cocoon its victim. Looking up from my knees, my eyes narrowed as I looked pointedly at Akiko, who was leaning against the door-frame.
“What’re you doing here?” I scowl at her, quickly covering my toes with a blanket. She only shrugged, chuckling slightly; it seemed that she was amused-or maybe entertained of my behavior. “I don’t need you. You’re only a visitor, you have no right to butt into my business.” I protest, and glare angrily at the chocolate-curled woman, who only laughed, the sound sickeningly sweet. Rolling my eyes, I turn on my side, only to hear her creep closer. “Go away you creep.” I threat, only to sigh. “State your business, then get out. I wanna be alone-”
“I can see that. But if you want to know how to get rid of that-or should I say, if you don’t want to be a monster, then I can help you.”
“Help me how?” I ask slowly, an eyebrow raised as I played with the blue string that was a part of the belt that was wrapped around my waist.
“Help you to control your power. Your heritage and your flame. While it may be a useful weapon for you at the moment, overusing it and having such negative emotions so frequently can cause it to transform you negatively; into a monster. You wouldn’t want Nat, or ‘Konke-chan’ to see that, would you?” She mused, checking her nail and running the tip of her index finger over the other hand’s fingers.
Wearily sighing, I slowly sit up. “Yeah, but-but it’s already started. I’ve been looking through every book in the library here and at True Cross. And nothing. I have to talk to Mephisto or Azazel, probably not Egyn, maybe Amaimon-”
“You can just come to me.” Akiko’s voice sliced into my thoughts, causing my train track of thought to swerve into the chasm of blankness.
“Why? You’re no demon king, daughter of Satan or anything. You can’t stop this.” I argue, and flip a page through my journal, starting to scribble down the people or things I could look for.
“Maybe I might. But you are mine, and you know it.” She stops, thinking for a moment, then laughing. “Not mine, but the heir of my clan.” She said, and stretched as she slowly walked away, then stopping, pulling something from her yukata.
“No I’m not, I’m my own person!” I consider the statements she’d been spouting out like a tea pot spilling its liquid into cups.
“Hmph. That’ll change. Read this; you’ll understand then. But you won’t utter a word to Natsuki, you hear?” I nod, wincing as she tossed a huge hard-cover book my way, and so I take an intake of the scent of the yellowing pages, my eyes widening and my pupils slitting.
“Augh!” I cry out, my fingers turning into claws that were dark blue to a crystal white, my eyes wild and ferocious. “Stop! Make it stop!” I whimper, tears flowing from my eyes, seeing the scarlet drip down from my chin and to the carpet. I claw at my eyes, only to feel my hands rake down my cheeks, scarlet rain of blood storming over the carpet.
“See who you really are, Mai Hoshimi. See who you belong to, for this will determine your future. This will determine whether you side with us or with Satan!” She said, her smile taunting and hauntingly beautiful as she held me down, cradling me as I sobbed, my eyes aching as I started to slowly feel myself weaken, and so I propped myself up on my elbows, looking up at the woman with trembling fingers.
“Give me the book.”
