Hunting Darkness

Chapter 33

Part 5

~Astral/ Black Mist/ Dark Astral~

~Astral~ I sit on one of the good gears, one of the few my evil side has not wrecked, and meditate to keep the evil at bay. I found that it help just yesterday.

"Astral," Justice calls. "What are you doing?"

I open my white eye, my focus unwavering. "Keeping the evil at bay with meditation. I found it helps," I answer. "Is there a problem I should know about?"

"Nah. I was just wondering what you were up to." Justice sits down next to me and closes his golden eyes. "This really is relaxing, isn't it?"

"Justice, I have found that we are getting along better than before." I close my eyes again and go back to my meditation, sensing what is going on outside.

"Yeah. I guess the situation we're in has caused us to get along better."

"Yes, I suppose so." I can feel Shiro climbing up my back, but I pay no mind to his childish behavior. In fact, I can hardly feel it. I wonder why that is.

"It's because of me, Astral," my inner voice says. "I'm the one blocking the pain. It's such a bother, you know?"

"Is there a way to control you while you are out?" I ask him through telepathy. "If so, then we can strike a deal. I keep you under control, and you get to be free for a certain amount of time. We will both decide on that time, deal?"

"Hmm, I dunno," he says slowly. I know he is mocking me. "If there is, I'll have to trust that you won't destroy me the moment you have no more use for me."

"In exchange, I will also have to trust that you will not kill any of the remaining Agents, Yuma, or Cathy."

"...Done."

~Black Mist~ I walk around the streets in my human form, bored to death. I sigh. Mizuki's been following me again. Can't that little female dog (aka a bitch) trust me?

"Mizuki, you can't hide from me," I call, stopping.

"Darn," she says. I watch as she comes out from behind a bush. Baka.

"You call that sneaking?" I ask, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Mizuki and I continue walking. "If an Agent was after you, you'd be caught by now."

"I know," Mizuki responds with a pout. "I just don't understand how you or they do it."

"I use my color to my advantage, they have years of training to sneak without getting caught despite their glow." I stop again. "You know, I gave Edward dark magic to help me get blood. They sure helped. Would you like me to do the same to you?"

Mizuki hesitates. "What do they do?"

"They'll help you sneak around. You'll dissolve into the shadows...and I mean that quite literally. You'll be able to read minds, sense when someone's near, and use black magic. All you have to do is say yes."

Mizuki hesitates for a while. Then, she looks me in the eye for the first time. "Yes."

~Astral~ The next morning, Asterite and I go to Cathy's house. We are in our human forms, but we have changed them from our normal appearance. Asterite has brown hair falling to her waist, a white shirt with a pink skirt that reaches her knees, sandals, tanned skin, the stature of a nine-year-old girl, and chestnut-brown eyes. I also have brown hair that reaches my ears, chestnut-brown eyes, and tanned skin. I have the form of a fifteen-year-old boy, a white shirt like Asterite, black pants, and white sneakers. This gives us the appearance of being siblings, which is exactly what we want. Shiro rides on my right shoulder as usual.

"Cathy," I call through telepathy when we reach the house. "Wake up and  get out."

A few minutes later, Cathy opens the door. "What is it?" she asks, looking bright and alert. I can tell she knows it's us; I feel her feeble mind probing ours.

"Come," I say as I turn my back to her. "We still have much training to do. There is still much you need to learn."

"Where are we going?" Cathy asks, following us.

"Somewhere abandoned," I reply.

"Ooh, spooky!" my evil voice says. "What are you gonna do there? Scare the living shit out of her?" I can hear him cackling.

"If the place is empty, then there will be more peace," I tell him calmly yet somewhat annoyed. "Besides, the place I have in mind is an abandoned park. No one goes there, so we will have some privacy."

"I see, I see," he muses.

After a while of walking, we reach the park. We all sit down, and the training begins.

~Black Mist~ Mizuki and I go to her house so I can transfer some of my powers into her.

"You do realize that this is gonna hurt, right?" I ask, not really worried about her. What I am worried about is that her screams might burst my ears.

"I-it is?" she asks, her eyes showing fear. "Why didn't you mention this?"

"Oh, come on. If I'm transferring my own energy into your weak system, how would it not hurt?"

Mizuki gulps. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Having second thoughts?" I ask with a smirk. "There's still time to take back your response."

She shakes her head. "No, I'll still do it."

"Okay. Just don't say I didn't warn you."

We reach her house, and I go back to my spirit form. I leap up, climb through the window, and send a tendril down to retrieve Mizuki. She hesitates before grabbing the tentacle, which she lets go of with a squeal.

"It's gross and cold," she complains. "I can't do it!"

"Come on," I sigh. "I've hit girls with better guts than you. Just be grateful that I'm not attacking you with this."

"Can't I just go through the front?"

"No, that'll take more time, and I don't want to waste any more time than we're wasting right now! Grab on or I force you up!"

Reluctantly, Mizuki grabs hold of the tentacle. I wrap it around her entire arm and yank her up through the window. I make the tendril taut before she hits the ground, suspending her just inches from the ground.

"Using these tendrils is much faster than using anything a human can make," I inform her as I let go of her arm. "I'm not gonna give them to you, though, because they take years to master using them." I sit down in front of her and begin to transfer some abilities.

~Astral~ Asterite and I mentally assault Cathy, but we do not go full-force. The more we push her, the more she will be able to defend herself. When we are all tired, which is toward midday, we stop.

"I feel light-headed," Cathy says, resting her head in her hands.

"It happens," Asterite, who has gone back to her spirit form, says. "It's the end result of seriously defending your mind for the first time."

I morph back into my spirit form as well. "You have done well, Cathy. Very well. Just rest for now."

We all lay down on the grass. I look up at the sky, then to the two girls, who are now asleep.

"Can we start now?" he asks. "I'm feeling really bored."

I sigh. "Alright."

I gasp softly as my evil side forces its way out.

A/N: HEY!! This is Chibi Astral, the Zexal-loving sister~! It's that time of the year for the Catholics, the time where we give up one thing for forty days, and I've chosen to give up using my computer . 3. So, if I don't post "Hunting Darkness" for about a month, that just means I'm not using my computer. I'll still post my other stories, but I need my computer for "Hunting Darkness." Why? It's much easier to do it on my computer than on my phone. My phone is just used for a story I didn't pre write. Lent is just next week, and I most likely won't post chapter 34 in time since it takes a while. This was just to give you all a heads-up, okie? Sayonara, you awesome otaku!