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Post by Professor Fann on Oct 18, 2009 23:27:45 GMT -5
I'm terribly sorry for the non-update from 16th October, which the update should have been posted. My laptop just didn't want to load this full page, which I can't blame since it's so long and big ... but in any case, I have a nice Chapter 14 update and some nice musics for a good scene. Enjoy!
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This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter
Chapter 14: Soul’s Battle Ends and a Hometown
“TAKE THIS!” Ken yelled as he slashed a wide wound onto the next burly demon that sought to hurt him. He made a diagonal cut on the demon’s chest and on his left arm. “Don’t you dare underestimate me! You’re just bloody spirits!” Ken taunted back.
It was stunned and collapsed to the ground. “Such … power … the injury …” It merely mumbled. Emi felt awkward. Just … spirits? Just spirits!? I’m one too …
The cloaked villain had left to allow his demon minions to kill off both Ken and Hoh, but he did not know that Ken was mysteriously given a spiritual weapon to counter such vile beings. Hoh’s inflicted state of ill earlier made the teen more motivated to fight.
Several burly ones approached Ken from the front and back. “Don’t think you’re so great, kid!!” A skinny demon in front tried to slash Ken with its sharp claws, but he avoided the attempt and the sharp claws ended up scarring a few other demons.
“Me being all arrogant, huh!? Aren’t you the ones being just that!?” Ken spun around 230 degrees and slashed onto 4 demons hard on their stomach areas. “Urgh!” “Argh!” “Gah!” The demons cried out in pain from the wounds. However, another attack was coming.
“Try taking this, boy!!” A strong muscular demon threw its tight fist onto Ken’s back. GAAAHHH!! Ken was shocked. “Huh!? What the!?” Apparently, Emi had sensed that and grasped control over his nerves for that instant, thus absorbing all the pain.
“EMI!!” Ken became angrier and stomped hard on the road. “You demons are pathetic!!” Ken ran forth and stabbed the sabre sword deeply into the demon’s heart. The blade flared up on its own. “AARRRGH!!” The demon cried out from the great, excruciating pain. “You all just tick me off! RAAH!!” The teen shouted.
Clenching on his sword even tighter, he spun the demon in various circles, thus forming a wind-like barrier that slashed onto other incoming demons on various parts of the body. At one point, Ken stopped spinning and the stabbed demon was flung far away from him.
“AAAAHH!!” It cried in further pain and collided hard onto other demons, crashing at the far end of the street while Ken went on to deal with around another 50 ghouls. “This is for what you did to Emi just now!!” Ken hacked on the bodies of three skinny demons repeatedly. “No, the pain! Ah! Please stop! Ackk! I give up! HELP!!”
All three were severely bruised up and collapsed on the road with great tire.
Gulp … I didn’t know … Ken was so violent like this … Emi mumbled to herself. “Irritating demons! Why are you working for a human being who just wants to use you!? Just pass on already!!” He pierced the sword through a fat burly demon by the neck, stunning it to being weak, pulled the sword back out and charged at the next demon.
“Even if we want to pass on, we’ll never do that!!” A tall demon struck a punch on Ken’s cheek. “Urgh!” The teen got back his balance and rebounded on the road. “Isn’t it only proper to pass on!? Why are you ghouls so defiant!?” Ken slashed his sword, creating a large vertical scar from the demon’s forehead all the way to his stomach area.
Passing on … being defiant … that’s … just like me as well … ARGH! Emi yelped. Another demon has slapped a hard fist onto Ken’s back, causing him to jerk forward.
“You do not understand our master … he is the strongest human alive. He’s got huge numbers of us under his league. Think of what he can do to this world!!” Ken rolled on the road and stopped on his palms. “Urgh … that creepy hooded guy just now?”
One demon laughed. “Yes! That same person! He’s going to change the world you know as it is! Big changes!! It is our honour to finish you off for him! RAH!!” Some demons plunged forward and attempted to stomp hardly and punch him good. “Grrh!”
Ken rolled towards his left and on, avoiding the demons’ onslaught. Fists and muscular, sturdy legs crashed hard on the tarred road, giving out sound effects as though they cracked to bits. “How long do you plan to keep running away, boy!? Ha hah!!” A burly, fat ghoul suddenly jumped out and thrust forth his clenched fist.
Ken, watch out!! The teen instantly thrust out the sabre sword in his hand and its blade struck hard onto the demon’s knuckles. “ARGGHH!! My hand!” It screamed out wildly, with black ooze pouring out of the wound and was pushed aside by other more aggressive demons. The teen felt extremely disgusted at the sight.
“That’s it! I don’t intend to fight you for the next 30 minutes! This ends now!!” Ken quickly stood up and assumed an offensive stance. He grasped the sword with both hands and its blade flared a gargantuan fire, stretching some 10 feet into the air.
Many demons retreated backward out of fear, whereas the bolder ones tried to stand up against him. “Oh, so what do we have here now, eh?” Obviously, such kind of taunts failed to weaken his fighting spirit, as Ken didn’t care any more.
Even Emi was frightened by that and expected nothing but the worst. Oh no …
“I HATE ALL OF YOU!!” Ken screamed out his loudest ever and simply swung the fiery sabre sword in several revolutions of circles. The flames engulfed all areas where the two streets were concerned. As expected, all demons were burnt by the extreme heat. None of them were able to scream out their agony, for none escaped the fire.
Fifteen seconds later, it was all over. All ghouls were severely injured from the sudden onslaught and lay on the ground motionless. Ken panted hard and nearly collapsed himself. “Urgh … finally … it’s over … I should have done that much earlier and ended this faster …” Emi said nothing, for she was totally shocked with what Ken did.
The teen placed his palm on his chest. “My heart is running fast … I have to relax … wait! Wait a minute! Hoh! Where is he!?” Ken turned to look around hastily. Some 50 meters away from him, Hoh was still lying on the ground, breathing fine.
“Oh, thank goodness … Hoh is still fine …” Ken panted in breath and relaxed on his hands and knees on the ground. His sabre sword vanished, now that he felt it was not needed, and so did the globe of protective light enveloping Hoh. “Uh … um …”
Hoh mumbled and slowly opened his eyes, blink after blink. “Um … Ken? Where am I? Where are we?” Hoh tried to sit up but he irked from the pain all over himself. “Umph! Ow ow ow … it hurts …” Ken hit realization and rushed over to the bespectacled boy.
“HOH! Hoh, you’re okay!” That was the first thing he said as the bespectacled teen tried to stand up. “Yeah … I’m fine. Just … what was all this business about? Dark smoke … me getting sick … really, I felt like … dying back there. But I’m okay now …”
Emi gasped. That cloaked person … he really meant what he said … killing both Hoh and Ken … but why? What has Ken anything to do with him? Ken thought to himself at the same time: “Demonic influences … how exactly is all of this done anyway?”
Ken felt something strange, as though something was aimed directly at him and coming at a very fast speed. “GAH!” He stretched his hand outward and his sabre sword instantly appeared there. Its blade transformed into red flames and clashed with a spear.
Whoa! Emi gasped as the flames of his sword emitted harsh, pounding wavelengths against the spear-like object. Little by little, that object disintegrated into millions of black bits and eventually vanished. “Who goes there!? Wait, don’t tell me!”
“Hiss … yes it is, little boy. I did it.” A skinny demon, its hands over its wounded areas, came forth and so did other demons. “You have just seen some dark magic, which is the very thing that nearly killed your friend here!” They laughed wildly as Ken twitched at it. “This is not over, boy! The master’s orders are not yet carried out! KILL!!”
The teen made a face of disgust. “Geesh, do I still have to fight these guys away!?”
“You have done well, boy. I’ll take it over from here.” A voice, the very same that spoke earlier when Ken was given his sabre sword, permeated in the air. Ken rubbed his eyes and panted. “Is it me, or is it getting warmer suddenly?” Suddenly, gargantuan flames broke out from the roads and streets, stunning the two boys.
“Gah! Whoa!” The teen felt the earth shook and he collapsed on the tarred road. “What was that!?” Ken shouted to himself, whereas Hoh said dizzily: “Urm … what is all this … someone please tell me … I’m never more confused … or sick.” Ken held onto his sword even tighter, preparing for any bad scenario which could happen.
“BAH HAHAHAH!! Your time is up!” The same voice gave a menacing evil laugh, and out of the flames came 6 to 8 large green ogres of 40 feet height, each having metal headgear and big spears in their left hands. “Arrest all of them for judgment by the King of Yellow Springs!” That same voice commanded to all the ogre guards.
AH!? Could this be!? These are the guards from Yellow Springs! They’ve come to take away ghouls and ghosts for afterlife judgment! Emi exclaimed as she watched through Ken’s eyes: the green ogres picked up 3 to 5 demons with each bare palm and flung them into a nearby grey vertical portal. “That’s … the way to the netherworld!”
“Correct, boy.” The voice spoke, as a Yellow Springs ogre guard rushed over and easily pinned down little demons trying to escape. “No!! I don’t want to go! Nooo!!” The ogre guard snorted and simply flung them into the portal to the netherworld. Ken stared on at that particular scene. “Wow, is it okay to simply fling demons like that …?”
Ten feet in front of Ken, another flame erupted out from the tarred road, spilling in the air the broken tar bits. “Urgh!” Ken shielded his face before looking into the red and yellow fire. A shadowy figure slowly walked forth until the flames served as the barrier between the teen and this figure. The details are blurred by the flames, and thus are unknown.
“Congratulations, boy. You have learned how to use my sword well. As gratitude for gathering many of these ghouls and spirits for me to send to the netherworld, I am letting you keep it.” Ken wiped some sweat off his face and demanded: “Who are you!?”
“You know me in your History textbooks. I don’t need to explain further.” Ken became confused over what the shadowy figure said and wanted to recall back his lessons. “Tsk. Come now, you’ve just finished a battle. You and your friends need rest, especially that boy with the glasses.” Ken turned to a panting Hoh. “Hmm …”
“Soon, you’ll have to tell him about this battle.” Ken ignored that from the shadow figure and demanded again: “Who are you and how do you know about me!?” The figure laughed lightly. “I am everywhere. I don’t need to approach you just to see you.” Ken twitched at the confusing answer and tried to stand up. “Right … whatever.”
“Hm. I hope we’ll get to talk to each other soon. I’m looking forward to your exploits … Hahahahahaha HAH!” The figure gave his last laugh before waving his right hand in the air, extinguishing all the flames in one go and he vanished together with it. The teen looked around. The warmth was decreasing and it was back to chilly weather.
The scene was back to normal – no damaged roads; everything was okay as it was. Due to the calm situation, Ken relaxed himself and his sabre sword vanished on its own.
Ken grumbled and walked towards Hoh. “Come on … I’ll get you to my place, Hoh. Darn … it’s now two school bags to carry.” Hoh groggily walked, but he was almost going to collapse so Ken quickly reached out to him. “It’s okay, Hoh, just take it easy.”
His left arm moved on its own. Let me help you, Ken … I can’t just watch you do all the work alone this time. Let me have the portion of workload … please? Even if your movements are hurting me … Emi sounded rather sullen but also quite determined to do at least something. Ken smiled and replied: “That’ll be great. Thanks.”
Emi smiled to herself, nearly sporting a teardrop, and held onto both Ken’s and Hoh’s schoolbags as Ken held Hoh by the shoulder and slowly walked him back to his house.
Around 5.30 p.m., the whole Kazuguchi family was shocked to find Hoh in such a state. Mother Saya immediately rushed Hoh up to Ken’s own room and did everything she felt necessary, in which Ken and Emi both felt some were just unnecessary, to heal Hoh. “An heir to the last of the noble families … the Hoh family … in our house.”
Ken stared at his mother remarking to herself. “Ho ho ho! When I was a young lad, I remember being employed by this young lad’s grandfather! It was a time of war, and my dad and mum were all poor. My brothers and sisters were told to join the army, and only I stayed behind awhile … as a servant in that noble house …” Grandpa Ojiro sobbed.
Both Ken and Emi stared at him. “Alright, dad. Let’s leave Ken and his friend alone. You can save your childhood stories for later.” Father Ajima tried to dissuade Grandpa Ojiro from talking further of his long-gone times. “That’s right, Grandpa.” It was sister Ayumi.
“You’re bothering people again, so let’s go down and eat our dinner!” Sister Ayumi pinched Grandpa Ojiro’s nibble ear and dragged him out of Ken’s room. “What!? How dare you, granddaughter of mine! Let go of my ear now! Do as I say or – WAAAAH!” The old man made a childish cry, which was soon not heard by the closing of Ken’s door.
Sigh. Ken … I always thought that your grandfather is a strange man. Ken nodded in agreement to Emi. “He’s not just strange … he’s very weird and way freakish.”
The teen had his dinner plate brought up to his room by younger brother Ryushi. He watched over Hoh as he breathed uniformly in his sleep. Some 80 minutes had passed since Hoh was first brought into the house, and he woke up by then.
“Ugh … whoa!” Hoh let out a yelp, which briefly stunned Ken and Emi. “Hoh! You’re okay! Thank goodness, I thought I was going to lose you back there!” The boy picked up his glasses and wore them. “Yeah … I’m fine. I have something to say … Ken …”
“I heard a lot of things being said back there … I was conscious … but barely. I really felt that I was going to … die … for real. But you came in and saved me. I don’t know how … I don’t know what just happened … There was a lot of talk about killing and other stuff I’ll never understand … but I hope that one day, when you’re fine … I’ll like to hear the answers. A lot happened today … and I know you know all the answers. But, I’m not going to push you to tell me. You saved me … and I am very happy of that.”
Hoh looked at Ken, who was having a weak smile on his face. “Thanks … Hoh.”
It was only some time later that Hoh got his permission to leave the Kazuguchi house. Mother Saya insisted that Ken accompany Hoh home, but the bespectacled boy himself insisted not. “I’m fine, ma’am. Really. Ken has a lot of work to do and I don’t want to bother him.” Ken nodded in compliance. His mother retorted: “Really …”
“Well, I’ll see you in school tomorrow, Ken. Bye!” The neat freak skipped away with joy. Mother Saya walked to the backyard, leaving Ken alone at the house gate. “Hm … a cloaked figure who is after my life … a fiery figure who knows who I am … friends … he said that! That means … he might have known about Emi as well!”
He recalled the vivid flames and the sentence uttered: “You and your friends need rest, especially that boy with the glasses.” He blinked his eyes to get rid of the horrid imagery. The ghost girl said nothing, still being inside his body.
“Urgh … I need to eat something that lifts my spirits … I have a lot of work to do …” Ken walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. “Um … let’s see. Drinks … snacks … milk … aha, there we go!” Emi’s eyes widened with shock as Ken picked up a strip of plastic-enveloped seaweed snack.
No … Ken, I beg of you … don’t do it … no! NO!! AAAHH!! Emi pleaded and then screamed her heart out as Ken chewed on that green sheet after removing the plastic wrapping. The teen was too busy enjoying his favourite food to listen to Emi’s wailings over her most hated object in the planet EraS. WHY, KEN!? WHY!?
The next day – 20th September a Thursday. Emi started her day with a terrible feeling, as she could not get rid of the seaweed taste from her mouth. As Ken had a lot of work to do, he slept very late. She merely came out of his body when he was sleeping.
“Why … why does this boy have to love seaweed? Can’t it be something like tomatoes … or oyster meat … or a suckling pig’s head? Seaweed, of everything else! Gah!” She grumbled to herself as she shared the same aerotrain seat with Ken. He ignored her.
They got off at the station in front of Aoyaga Private Academy and crossed the road. Ken looked around and spotted no sign of the priest Jia anywhere. “Phew …” He skipped his feet and entered the school grounds. “I think Bak has my mechanical pencil …”
Emi’s eyes flickered. “Bak?” She forgot about the seaweed experience instantly and approached the walking brown-haired teen. “Ken … I was wondering …” The teen was grumbling away on how Mr Ahashi cancelled today’s PE class for more lessons instead.
“Haven’t you ever wondered why Bak looks so … young?” Emi asked Ken in front of the school gates. The teen merely looked at her amid the flow of walking students. Erm … no, not really. Why do you ask? Ken replied back in his thoughts.
The ghost girl started to fidget a little. “No, I mean … Bak looks too young to be a person like you … you know, someone who looks more like a 15-year-old! Doesn’t it bother you the least bit? And to be protected by his different … selves.” She hung her head down in slight depression. Ken shrugged his shoulders lightly and sighed.
“If it means that much to you, then I’ll ask Bak himself.” Then … “Huh, ask me what?”
“Gwah!” Ken and Emi jumped from their spots to find Bak popping up from behind him. Maz was closely following behind. “Hello again … Ken Kazuguchi … a nice day I presume?” Maz looked on with his signature cold gaze and Ken twitched a little.
“Erhm … alright, I guess. Say, Bak, just exactly how old are you?” Bak twitched at the question raised. “Um … uh … I …” Ken further analyzed him and Bak was getting nervous with those uneasy eyes. “Someone did just tell me that you do too young for a student in Grade 3, and oddly I agree. How’s that so?” Maz simply looked on.
Bak gulped and gathered the courage to speak. “Ah ... um … you see … I skipped grades. The year I graduated from junior school grade 6 … the school board of education promoted me … to skip 2 grades and enter high school grade 3.” Emi and Ken were stunned. “What was that!? That means you are!!” Ken exclaimed.
“This boy is only 13 years old … yes … and that’s why … I look after him … he’s a childhood friend of mine … you might say that’s why … we are rather close.” Maz gave away the ending and scuffled with Bak’s dark blue hair. The teen stared at a sight of Maz dully playing with Bak’s hair and the frail boy whining to that action.
“Hey, I’m 13 but I’m not a child! Come on!” That was among the things Bak whined while Maz played with him. Somehow, Ken noticed a very tiny smile embedded in Maz’s lips, though virtually unnoticeable to the common eye. “Well, what do you know …”
“Huh?” Emi approached up to him closer. “What is it, Ken? What did you just know?” Ken looked at her for a while and then shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. Nothing at all.” Just then, the school bell rang and the school clock chimed at 8 o’clock sharp. “Time for class. Why did they have to cancel PE class!? Now I have to stare at Mr Ahashi!”
Ken grimaced as he and the other two boys walked on, onto the school grounds. They were among the crowd of many other students walking to their classes.
Back in class, without PE there was Science, and Mr Ahashi distributed sample test papers to the whole class to answer. He was serious about revision for the upcoming national exams. Some students were expectedly unable to answer some questions.
“The process responsible for genetic division of the common cell in humans is called mitosis, not meiosis! Get it right!” He yelled to a dull-looking student, who was going to sob. “The lung has a wide surface area to maximize exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide as its primary function! Remember that!” He yelled at another female student.
Wei tapped uncomfortably on Hoh’s shoulder. “Mr Ahashi is fiercer than usual, isn’t he?” Hoh looked back with discomfort. “Um … yes … that’s pretty much his attitude all the time. The only teacher around who’s actually used to him is Mr Sanada.”
“MISTER HOH!” The bespectacled boy nearly jumped off his seat. “Since you enjoy talking during my class, why don’t you answer the next question!?” Hoh gulped and stood up. “Um … scurvy is the disease of the gums due to a nutrient deficiency whereas salt assists in providing our neural cells a suitable medium for signal transfer.”
Mr Ahashi rubbed his chin. “Excellent work, mister Hoh. I’ll forget that you were just talking to miss Chou then. Miss Chou!! Answer the next question since you were talking to mister Hoh when I’m around!!” Wei fidgeted and nervously tried to do her part well.
Ken sighed as he rested his head on his arm on his desk. “This is going to be a long day …” Emi, who was resting on top of his back, nodded. “I couldn’t disagree at this one …”
The school bell rang for lunch break. Wei made a disheartening face at Hoh, who made a guilty smile and Emi shrugged gently back at him. The trio living people sat together at Hoh’s desk and ate lunches together. Bak came in minutes later.
“Hey, guys …” The frail boy panted. “Maz and I won’t be joining you for lunch. Maz says he has to help Mr Sanada clear the school storeroom again and I … I have to be alone today.” Wei raised an eyebrow. “Hm? Why not, Bak? Something up?”
“I … I have to do some studying on my own … exams are coming … I can’t waste time. See you around!” With that, the frail boy zoomed off back to his classroom. The trio were too late to even stop him. “That’s Bak for you … he worries very easily … and he’s such a tender young age …” Hoh slurped out his pineapple juice. Ken twitched at that issue.
“Bak? How old is he?” Wei was confused. Ken shook his head. “Let’s talk of something else. I don’t really feel like we should be talking about something like that.”
Wei made a blunt wide-eyed face at Ken. “Oh … okay then … my dad said last night that we’re going back to my hometown west of the province for a short family reunion. This coming Saturday and Sunday. Ah … I missed Gaowu since I first came here … my first friends back there … all my relatives too.” She said all that dreamily.
“Oh I see.” Ken took notice of her. “What was the reason you shifted schools? Especially at this kind of time … close to the exams.” Wei snapped out of dreamland and looked at him. “Ah … my dad works as an accountant in this bank. He’s been in this same bank branch for years now. As part of management changes, they shifted him around.”
Wei continued: “Actually, I didn’t really want to leave … my mum opposed him. But he did research on the geography around Shijun city. In a few good years, we will be going to college, right? Shijun city is conveniently located north to some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the Republic, so … he wants me to go to the best one.”
Ken rubbed his chin. “So, your dad made you stay here for a few years before eventually going to college … and meanwhile, complete your high school here.” Wei nodded to that conclusion. “Hmm … interesting. So you come from Gaowu … pretty far west.”
He continued: “Gaowu is famous for pottery and the mountains. Quite modern, from what I heard. So, Hoh’s still from Shijun city … before it became a city … me Handao … Maz, Bak and even Ria … from Zhili town to the northeast … wait a minute. I think –”
Before he could think anymore, Ria simply burst into the classroom with a machine-gun-like object in her hands. “Ken Kazuguchi! I don’t want to keep on doing this to you!! Come with me so we can settle your ghost problem easily and quickly!!”
The whole class freaked out. “Ria the Weirdo is here!” “Out of my way! I’m not going anywhere near her!!” “Eeep!” Those were some of the wild exclamations when Ria burst in and students began to distance themselves away. She bore a spiteful yet childish face.
Ken’s and Wei’s reactions were unknown, as somehow in Hoh’s viewpoint, they were hidden under the shadows of their front hair. “This is not good … not good ...” Suddenly, Wei merely stood up from her chair and walked slowly over to a clueless Ria.
“Wha … what is it you want? I have business with Kazuguchi, not you – ah!!” Ria suddenly gasped hard. In her sight, Wei’s eyes were still hidden, but around her body was an emanating orange flame of unseen aura and she had this terrible atmosphere around her. Ria’s eyes shook in fear and despair. She dared not utter a single word.
“You … you’re Ria Osada … aren’t you? You’re the one that chased Ken and Hoh around the class on Monday.” Ria never said anything but only gulped. “You’re one bothersome person, to chase around after people with your baseless claims.” Wei lifted her face and Ria saw her flaming, angry eyes on a yet calm and composed face.
“GYAAH!!” Ria had to scream out her immense shock. Wei continued: “Back in my hometown, many people liked to befriend me, but they also fear me … because when someone comes up and says something nonsensical and utterly stupid, the first person whose fist lands in their face is always … mine.” Her lip frown got worse.
Ria watched and shivered at the sight of Wei pounding her clenched left fist into her empty right palm. “Do you want to end this little nonsense, or shall we take it outside?” Her glare was so fierce that Ria simply retreated a few steps back, let out a tear from her left eye and dashed out of the classroom wordlessly. “Tsk … that girl … AAAAH!!”
Instantly, the class roared in joy around Wei. “That was superb!” “Another one of us has confronted Ria the weirdo!” “Amazing!” “Wonderful!” Wei huffed to herself before retreating to her own seat. “That girl was too much. After the last time where I got involved in the mess, I just can’t stand it anymore. Something has to give.”
She turned her head around but found that Ken’s chair was empty. He was gone. “Hey, Hoh, where did Ken go to?” She asked puzzledly. Hoh shrugged. “I don’t know. Just a while ago, he suddenly got up and walked outside of class through the back door.”
“What was that for?” Wei stared on at the door; the period was still of lunch break. “Ken, wait!” Emi called out to him as he walked fast up a stairs and opened a door at the end.
“I … I’ve made up my mind, Emi. I just … want to do this.” The sunlight burst through the door and brightened up the dark part of the staircase. “Everyone’s hometowns … I’ve known them … but you’re an exception … and you’re just so mysterious a person.”
The teen stood in the middle of the rooftop floor, square-tiled and fenced neatly and with a good view of the surrounding Chaoge suburban area, and gazed to the blue skies. A chilly wind blew just past by him. Emi gulped behind him. “Ken … what are you planning this time? Why the sudden move?” She felt slightly cold and shivered.
Ken turned his head to look back at Emi. “I’ve made up my mind, Emi. I’ve decided that I want to go and visit to your hometown in Homyunggan Province.”
Continued in Chapter 15.
Notes: Battles, the mystery … so what exactly is dark magic, which was used to harm Hoh? The name Yellow Springs is an EraSean term in Comic Arts Page 72, taken from real-life Chinese language, for Hell. Ria’s incident on Monday of chasing Ken and Hoh around is in Chapter 10. According to proof in Comic Arts Page 24, the most prestigious learning institution in the Republic is the Mahora Academy, and exactly where Wei’s dad wants her to go. What’s this insanity Ken is saying now? Stay tuned!
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Oh you reckless Ken, you ...
In any case, here's today's feature Youtube musics, which I listen to to keep the mood going for my story writing. Enjoy.
For that slightly-rock but sentimental moment. It's a good song.
A whimsical moment in a land far far away, preferably somewhere cold and a bit of a stretch.
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Thank you all! Though I am studying for my finals now, the next Chapter 15 update is still due on the 29th / 30th October. Stay tuned!
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Post by Professor Fann on Oct 30, 2009 0:43:38 GMT -5
Today's update! End of the month of October already! Chapter 15! Just for your information, there was a mention of the term Yellow Springs. It can be referred back here to this Comic Arts Page 72, where it is revealed that the Yellow Springs is the planet EraSean version of HELL. That's right, our HELL. It's just a name change that's all. msiafanwriter.deviantart.com/art/FanWriter-s-Art-122-Page-72-98575780And another mention that Wei's dad wants her to enter the most prestigious academic institution in the Republic, that being the Mahora Academy. This page provides the proof. msiafanwriter.deviantart.com/art/FanWriter-s-Art-74-Page-24-64763069Why am I posting up these links? It's just to prove to you that the current story's setting is in the same place as that in the links above. Same country, different place and time, that's all. It's a linked continuum! Well, just for a reminder again, this Ken and Emi story takes place about 18 months before the events seen in these DA art links. And to my dear reader mgx0, just enjoy the story. You don't have to ask anything with regards to these above paragraphs. They are self explanatory. And now back to the update proper. Thank you! -------- This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter Chapter 15: Heading to the Soul’s Hometown Emi was aghast. She was with Ken on the school rooftop and she couldn’t believe her ears. “What!? You intend to go to my hometown!? Ken, absolutely not! I won’t allow that! It’s not worth it! I disapprove!!” She retorted back angrily at the teen. “Why, Emi?” The teen suddenly sighed. “Why do you insist on hiding your fears and running away from them?” Emi couldn’t bring herself to answer that question, but asked instead: “How would you like it if your deepest and darkest secrets were revealed? There is such a thing called privacy, you know! You have no right to invade my privacy!” Ken turned around to face Emi, causing the girl to gulp. “… but we are friends now, right, Emi? Surely there are some things we can confidently trust with each other?” Her face turned to that of grim and sullen sadness. “Ken … please, I’ll rather not talk about it. It brings back the heavy and terrible past, which I want to leave behind.” “Furthermore …” She lowered herself, so her formless feet took shape. “Even if I grant you permission to go to my hometown, that’s only me. What about your family? How would they react when you left without telling them anything at all? It breaks my heart even more, knowing that you’re doing all this because of me.” She walked forward on her own and surprisingly embraced Ken. “Please understand, Ken. You have no idea how horrible it feels to die in front of your own parents. Don’t talk to me about this, please. I’m only asking you of this favour now.” “Emi …” Ken allowed Emi to rest her head on his shoulder. “You’re so, so sad.” She glanced up at him. “What … do you mean?” Ken initially said nothing, but remained where he was so that Emi’s embrace of him wasn’t broken. “Exactly what I meant. You’re sad now … and I also see you as a sad person in another way.” The ghost girl eventually let go of him. “What exactly are you saying … Ken?” Ken folded his arms on his chest. “Emi, I may have not been in your shoes, but I know how it’s like to lose a loved one. Your family, or even your friends. Remember yesterday?” Emi vividly remembered the incident where Ken fought off demons on the streets. “After what happened yesterday with some person coming after my life, how can I not feel sad and angry that an innocent person like Hoh, who has been my friend for so long, was dragged into this chaos? You also made me appreciate Hoh!” Ken stared at her. “Um … your point here, Ken?” Emi bent her eyebrow, trying to go against Ken’s boring into her eyes. “My point is, just like how upset I was that I nearly lost Hoh, I also understand the anguish and pain your parents must have felt to watch you die.” He pointed a finger at her. “I understand your past is a private thing, but come on! Every time you think about it, you seem so sad! I have been watching you, whether you know or not. And you said you want to forget it all!” She merely looked down on the floor. “Shouldn’t you throw away that shadow of a past and look forward for the better!? I’m here, Emi! And I’m here to help you, just as you had helped me in these weeks in all sorts of things! I don’t want to be selfish! We are friends, and friends help each other out!” Emi was taken by surprise with those words. “I don’t want you to look back and be controlled by the past! I think it’s unfair if I don’t do something for you, now that you’ve done so much for me! I want to take off some of the sorrow your parents felt! The same goes for you! I don’t think you deserve that sorrow! I care for you too, Emi!” He turned around and clung onto the plastic fence. No one said anything for a while. The ghost girl turned to the opposite direction and said before stopping: “I’ll think it over … and you’ll have my answer when you return home.” Emi flew off in the air and beyond, not to be seen thus, such that Ken didn’t see her for the whole day in school. “Maybe I’ve done it … I might have been too selfish back there. And those reasons … popped up in my head so quickly … and yet, they were reasonable … and made sense in an awkward way. ” He said while the teacher taught on. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day. Hoh talked to Wei about where she left off of her hometown, Gaowu. Ken had a blank face when he picked up his school bag. Hoh approached him as they entered the class corridors. “Hey, Ken, are you okay?” “Oh!” He hit realization. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking about something, that’s all.” Wei stared back with a skeptical face. “Are you sure? You seem pretty depressed, as though someone had just told you off … or you were involved in an argument.” Somehow, Wei managed to guess Ken right. The teen stuttered a little. “Um … uh … it’s nothing really. I mean it.” That only caused Wei to be even more suspicious and she glared closer up to Ken’s face. “There it is! You’re hiding something again, Ken Kazuguchi! Just like yesterday after those five idiots attacked us! Speak it all up!!” Wei threatened a show of fist, whereas Hoh pitifully shrugged. Hoh, on his part, still wanted to listen to Ken’s explanation, but didn’t demand it so fast. Ken gulped. “I’m sorry, Wei, but I’ll tell you next time! I promise!” He dragged Hoh’s left hand. “Whoa! Hey!” Hoh exclaimed as he was pulled by Ken. Wei was definitely enraged. “Come back here!! I want to know some things, and I want it now!!” She chased after the brown-haired teen. Passing students watched on as the trio ran on the corridors and staircases. “Don’t try to run away from me, Ken Kazuguchi! Come back here!” The three of them continued running out on the school grounds. In front of the school was the usual traffic waiting to move on. The red light was blinking and going to turn green. “Oh no … Ken, you’re not going to make it! Couldn’t you just appease Wei!?” “No way! It’s not yet the right time for her to know!” The traffic light was seconds away from blinking to green and Ken rushed onto the zebra crossing. “Argh! My arm! My arm!” Hoh yelled when the pain in his elbow exceeded his limit from the harsh dragging. They made it across in time when the traffic light blinked green. “Gah!” Wei stopped at the traffic light as the taxis and trucks moved. “Grr … that Ken. Even if I chase him all the way to his house, he wouldn’t dare to come out no matter how many times I shout outside his gate. And I’m not an idiot to stay there the whole night.” She clenched her fist and twitched her eyebrow even more. She looked up. “I’m onto you, you hear me, Ken!? I AM!!” Wei shouted from opposite the road to Ken, but the teen didn’t look back and pulled Hoh further up the stairs. The result was just as expected: Ken managed to safely evade Wei for the rest of the day. After he was bidden farewell by Hoh at the aerotrain station at Handao suburbs, Ken sighed and walked with low spirits toward his home. Wei was onto him again, Emi left him without any message and he could have completely yanked off Hoh’s limb. “Hey there, young man! How was school today?” Grandpa Ojiro was the first to greet the weary boy. His mother was cutting vegetables in the kitchen while his father was seeing over the family farm plot. Ken tiredly replied: “It was … bad. I had to run away from someone again … but it was my friend who chased me. One of them sort of left me too.” Before Grandpa Ojiro could ask further, Ken had gone up the stairs to his room and slammed the door shut. His eyes soon registered the fact that Emi was in front of him, sitting comfortably on his bed, making deep thoughts. “Oh, hiya Ken …” The teen sighed hard. “Alright … I’m ready to hear your decision. Whenever you are ready, that is.” The ghost girl waved her hair to the back of her head. “Oh, yes … I’ve made my decision about 20 minutes ago. I can tell you now.” Ken sighed. “Ken … I’ve decided … that you were right.” The teen initially wanted to react by putting on a sour face, but turned to shock when he heard that. “Huh? What?” Emi placed her left hand on her chest area. “You were right about me. Even if you may have gotten those reasons by pure chance.” Ken glared mildly back at her for the ‘pure chance’ remark. “I have been hiding from my past, and I have been haunted by it for too long now. It’s about time I stood up to it and get over it for good!” She smiled at confused Ken. “Basically, yes, I approve of you coming to my hometown.” Ken whistled, meaning he was pleased. Emi continued: “My hometown is called Yange. It’s in the midwestern part of Homyunggan Province, by the great marshes and the province’s largest river which channels toward the northern oceans – Baijiang River.” “Alright!” Ken slammed his fists together. “I’ll check up the aerotrain track links and try to reserve tickets as quickly as possible. Oh, I have to get my luggage with clothes and stuff ready too! Most likely we’d be going on a Friday night – that’s the best I can do!” Emi stared at him. “You seem to have everything planned out in advance …” The teen nodded. “Well, I thought of things shortly before that Ria burst into class earlier today to taunt me … plus, I think tomorrow is the best I can manage since I’m going to focus on my studies pretty soon. There are the big national exams soon …” Ken threw his school bag on his bed, which flew through Emi and took her by surprise, before going into the washroom for a bath. Emi could clearly hear running water and many other noises related to bathroom business. “Erhm … I’ll better leave him for now.” That night, after dinner, Ken began to pack a big luggage which had all his clothes, a sleeping bag and a map of Homyunggan Province he bought just before dinner just in case. “Oh, I forgot the toothpaste and toothbrush. And a comb.” He remarked. “Erm … Ken, I don’t mean to be rude, but you haven’t exactly told your parents about your intentions … and they can get pretty suspicious and ask you a lot of questions which can put a blow to everything …” The teen instead shrugged at her. “Um … I haven’t gotten any idea on what to tell her to cover up for that. It has to be really convincing though … maybe I can think of something tomorrow.” Emi fumed quietly at him while he tried to shut the thick luggage tight. “This may be bad …” The following day – 21st September a Friday. Ken made a surprising move, by waking up earlier than anyone else and even eating his own breakfast of toasted bread with wild fruit berry jam and a cup of cold milk. Naturally, the mother Saya was happy. “My son has done something I have never seen before! You’re such a good boy!” Mother Saya gave him a hug before seeing him off to the aerotrain station. The clock ticked 7.32 am in the dining room. Emi giggled as Ken purchased his train ticket at the counter. “Ken, you’ve made your mother so happy. That makes me happy for you too! You ought to do that more often!” She smiled but that smile of hers faded away when she saw Ken’s glum face. “Eh … I didn’t exactly wake up this early just to please my mum …” Emi tilted her head to the left. “Huh? Then why did you wake up at 6 o’clock? Besides packing your bag for today’s school?” Ken rubbed his fingers against his right temple. The clock ticked 7.43 am in Ken’s classroom 3-A. Ken sat down gently at his seat and hid his face under his arms on the desk. “Groan … I don’t know if I can think of any good reason to cover up for my visit to Yange, Emi. I woke up to reach class early so that I can think of some ideas … but this isn’t helping at all …” Two students walked by. She sighed at the given explanation. “Boy, it must be bad to be you, Ken Kazuguchi …” The sun glared a little brighter than just now into the classroom. “Ah, the sun …” The classroom door slid aside, revealing Hoh and more students. “Oh! Buddy, what a surprise to see you here! I thought I might have missed you on the aerotrain! That’s something different!” Ken smiled and waved weakly at the bespectacled teen. Hoh grabbed his seat and he too sighed. “Darn … I was looking forward to that study group we planned the other day, Ken … and the Ultrablast 450 too …” That got the brown-haired teen’s attention. “What do you mean? The study group this Saturday is cancelled?” Ken had totally forgotten about the study group they planned. Hoh nodded and continued: “My aunt – my mum’s sister – passed away last night.” Both Emi and Ken hung their heads down. “Oh … I’m sorry.” Ken remarked while Emi said nothing. “Ah, thanks … my mum called last night and now, she wants me to represent herself and my dad at the funeral. I have to go to Homyunggan Province.” The duo’s ears twitched on hearing the province’s name. “What was that!? Hey, can you take me with you? It just so happens that I want to go north as well!” Ken quickly rose his head and glance at a bewildered Hoh. “Um … sure, if it’s okay with your folks, I guess. I could use some company with me. I dislike being lonely all the time …” “Ah hah! Then count me in!” Wei appeared out of nowhere ever so suddenly. “Gah!!” All three of them, Hoh, Ken and Emi, jumped out of their occupied spots and nearly fell over on the floor. “Where did you come out from!?” Hoh remarked as he adjusted his glasses. Ken turned to her as well. “Weren’t you going back to Gaowu?” “Hi, guys! I just came in the class!” She then registered the questions bombarded at her. “Oh, back to my hometown? Nah … change of plans. My dad said last night that his new boss wanted him to attend a get-together dinner on a business trip during the whole weekend to the southern coastal Nanshangang Province. So, I’m free for the time.” She weakly waved her hand on herself. “My parents trust that I can take care of myself and I feel I don’t need to revise my books just yet. So, a little vacation might be nice for me to relax.” The rest of them stared blankly at Wei. “Wow, Wei is saying that she doesn’t need to study for the national exams. Amazing …” Ken remarked. More students started to enter the classroom as it was about to be 8 o’clock sharp. “Then it’s settled! I’m coming with you to the north, Hoh! You don’t have to be lonely now!” Hoh smiled meekly. “Ah … sure, I have no problems with that. Well, the only problem is Ken ... I don’t know if his folks will allow him to come with us.” That got Wei’s attention and she turned to Ken. “Oh? You’re coming along with Hoh to Homyunggan Province?” Ken stuttered a little. “Um … yeah, it’s rather convenient … I have something else I want to do there … so, I figured taking a ride together with Hoh would be excellent. Why not?” Wei bent an eyebrow and hunched forward, glaring into Ken’s eyes. “You’re hiding something again, aren’t you? I can tell, Ken Kazuguchi.” Emi gasped loudly. “She’s onto you again, Ken! I think you somehow gave it away!” Ken could only retreat slightly to the back. “ … Alright, I have a different agenda in mind. So, what? Is that really so suspicious to you?” Wei bored into his eyes even more. “‘Convenient’ was the magic word. It sounded like you’re going something which your parents don’t like, and you’re finding a way to let yourself out. Am I right?” Hoh was also wide-eyed from that conversation. “Is that true, Ken? Convenient?” Fortunately, the school bell rang at 8 o’clock sharp. The subject teacher was going to arrive any minute. Wei turned to Hoh. “So, when exactly do you plan to go to the north? You said something about our weekend’s study group being cancelled …” Hoh twitched and replied: “Ah … the funeral starts tomorrow, so I need to go by train tonight. After I get some things packed …” The green-haired girl darted a sharp eye at Ken. “Very well, then. Let’s all gather at Ken’s home first tonight. We’ll decide on a time later. Ken … I expect you to come with us. No hiding stuff again.” Ken twitched. Throughout the whole day in school, even during lunch break, no one talked about the proposed trip to Homyunggan Province. Maz was nowhere in sight, and so were Ria and Bak. Apparently, everyone is busy with something and most probably Ria hasn’t mustered the courage to confront Ken’s ‘problems’ after Wei’s angry face yesterday. It was only at the end of school when Wei finally asked Hoh what time he at least needed to leave Shijun city. After giving a reply of around 9 o’clock at night, Wei decided that they would gather at Ken’s place 30 minutes earlier. She wasn’t going to settle for a decline from Ken, and that gave him more trouble. “Oh dear … this is bad …” “This is bad …” Ken mumbled to himself after weakly waving his farewells to Hoh and Wei for the day. “This is bad … Wei wants me to come, but I’m not going after Hoh’s aunt’s funeral and I don’t know how to tell my parents about this trip.” Emi tilted her head to the right. “What do you mean, Ken? You just asked if you could go along with Hoh to my native land and he gave his word.” Ken sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “That’s it. I asked Hoh, not the other way round. My mum especially will fret if I am the one who wants to tag along other people, but not if they invite me.” “Oh …” Emi hung her head down slightly. “I see … someone else has to make the move for you … you’re not very comfortable with lying now, aren’t you Ken?” The teen nodded. “Yeah, ever since that pledge I made 6 months ago to change myself.” The duo walked on the zebra-crossing towards the aerotrain station. “I’m sure you can think of a good thing to say in time, Ken. I’m confident in you.” Upon stepping on the concrete slab of the street, Ken made a brief glare at Emi. “I’ll try.” She was quite uncomfortable with that look he made. “Ken, why did you look at me like that? Hey, come back here when I am talking to you! Come here, Ken Kazuguchi!” Obviously, the teen did not, for he proceeded to head to the station platform. Emi grumbled as they rode on the aerotrain back home. The teen was quietly encouraging himself to stand up to his parents to inform them he wanted to leave for Homyunggan Province on the night itself. “I will tell them … I will tell them …” In the end however, Ken just couldn’t bring himself to raise the topic to his mother. The clock ticked 8.25 pm and the Kazuguchi family had just finished dinner, with Ken passing in his plate earlier than the rest. He dressed up in thick clothes of several shirts, a jacket, a long trousers and black wooly socks. He anxiously tapped his feet. “Ho ho ho! What do we have here!? Grandson of mine, why are you dressed up so nicely? You can’t beat the cold, eh?” Grandpa Ojiro mumbled as he held on to his walking cane. The entire family turned their attention to Ken at that spot. “Mum, dad … I have something I need to tell you … this may seem as to a rush, but …” Ken tried to say those words out but he just couldn’t. Emi squirmed when she saw that. Mother Saya was confused. “What is it, son? What seems to be in a rush?” The house doorbell then inconveniently rang, taking Ken by surprise. “Oh, great … I think they’re here.” Father Ajima wanted to ask him something but Ken went ahead with greeting the guests. Outside of the house gates, there stood Hoh and Wei, who all had their own bag packs. Hoh sported a grey zipped-up jacket and white pants, whereas Wei had her hands stuffed in the pockets of her dark pink coat. Mother Saya and father Ajima came out of the door. “Oh, hello! It’s the heir to one of the old noble families, Chesong Hoh of the Hohs! What are you doing here in the middle of the night?” Ajima waved enthusiastically to Hoh, who also did so but rather meekly. “Ken, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” His mother demanded. Ken started to panic a little in front of everyone. “Um … alright. Mum, this is what I wanted to tell you earlier … that I need to go to somewhere far … because …” Wei only looked on while the ever-smart Hoh quickly grasped the situation. “Oh, ma’am! What Ken is trying to say is that I have invited him over to my family’s funeral! My aunt, on my mother’s side passed away yesterday! And I just need someone to come with me!” The Kazuguchis were well aware of the common myth, or fact, whichever way you see it, that children of the Hoh family tend to be very isolated and lonesome. Father Ajima gulped. “Well … since Ken here is going with mister Hoh, I guess everything should be fine.” His wife was aghast. “Honey, what are you talking about? Ken has exams soon!” Ken sighed. It was that particular kind of query that he was exactly worried about. Due to the upcoming exams, his mother especially has been pressuring him to work harder. Hoh intervened: “Oh, don’t worry ma’am. I’m sure you have looked at Ken’s recent minor tests from school, right? That’s because I’m coaching him for 6 months now!” His mother hit realization. “6 months …” She sighed. It was everyone’s turn to stare at mother Saya for the final decision. Hoh further added in: “Ken’s been doing great with me, and we plan to have some study group sessions soon too! In fact, before the funeral of my aunt’s this whole weekend, we will be doing some studying too!” Hoh held up a textbook for History and Science. “See? We planned all this out!” Wei glared at him from the side. “Does he always carry books with him everywhere? And since when did we plan a study – OH.” The girl finally realized the overall situation. Mother Saya sighed. “Alright … if it is as Hoh says, then I guess it’s fine then. Just come back in time for school.” Ken sighed with relief. He walked out with his luggage, which measured 3 by 3 by 2 feet, to his friends. “I should have told you soon, mum. Sorry …” “It’s okay, Ken. As long as you are studying hard.” That was the last of which he heard from mother Saya as the trio students walked on the soil road. Ken could hear the house gate close shut and his parents entering back into the living room. “Phew …” “You really saved me back there. My mum wouldn’t allow me to go out so far usually, so that’s why I never told her about this trip.” Hoh smiled. “It’s all for my buddy and pal, Ken.” Ken in turn smiled. “Nice.” The duo slapped each other’s palms in a greeting-like manner. Ken continued: “But … are we really going to study?” Hoh suddenly turned evil-looking. “Of course, Ken. That’s what I plan to do. I don’t want to waste time. And you’re going to join me as well.” He gave a snicker that had a drop of evil in it. A voice popped up: “Well, Hoh sure seems to be different.” Ken recognized that voice. “Emi!?” He turned around and saw the ghost girl behind him. “Where were you just now!?” He hissed quietly. The ghost girl nodded and continued: “I was behind you all the time. I saw how Hoh managed to convince your mother to allow you to go to my home province. You owe him a lot, Ken, whether you like it or not.” “Yeah … I’m rather aware of that.” Hoh and Wei didn’t hear Ken talk to Emi, so he was completely safe for the time being. The trio soon walked out of the Handao farming village into the suburb areas. The aerotrain station in front was active as always. Wei smiled. “I guess we are settled and we managed to bring Ken along, so … I’m going to purchase the tickets to … what was the name of the town in Homyunggan Province again, Hoh?” She turned to the bespectacled boy. “Oh … I believe it was Yange.” Both Emi and Ken felt as though they were struck by lightning. “Yange!? Isn’t that the town which you come from, Emi!?” Emi nodded with some embarrassment on her face. “Um … yes, it is … what a pure coincidence.” They stared together at Hoh. “This trip might be just more interesting than we thought, Emi …” Ken remarked. Emi approached Ken. “Um … didn’t you say yesterday that you were going to book tickets? Why is Wei buying them?” Ken sighed at her. “Well … it was mainly that I wasn’t sure if I could go or not. I was even betting that I wasn’t allowed to go.” Just then, Wei skipped back to them. “Alright … I got them, but they were definitely expensive, since we are actually going some 700 kilometers to the north … each of you will have to pay me back 80 EraSean dollars.” Both boys reached into their wallets. “Wow … this trip is really expensive …” Ken took out his portion of money. “Um … Ken … bad news …” Emi was stuttering behind him, having sensed a disturbing aura coming up the ascending stairs of the station. “Oh no! Could it be!?” A familiar red-robed figure walked up and approached the trio students. “My, my. What a coincidence.” Emi made a disgusted look. “You ... I read his thoughts, Ken. He’s been following you since school ended. He’s still not giving up on you.” Ken twitched at the testimony. “Ah … Ken Kazuguchi. What a remarkable surprise. What are you doing here?” Hoh and Ken stared at the priest. “Um … we’re going up north, if you don’t mind.” The aerotrain train still hasn’t arrived. Ken thought to himself: “Where is that train when you need it!? Man, for a temple priest, this guy is extremely irritating!” The priest Jia looked down at their tickets. “Oh? Going somewhere? Is it possible for me to come along?” The teen felt a nerve snap in his head. He really felt like going all out and beating the priest to relieve his anger. “That train had better be here soon, or else I’m really going to beat this guy …” Emi was frightened by Ken’s rising anger in his thoughts. Fortunately, Ken’s ears picked up that blissful noise nearby – the aerotrain’s arrival. “You know what? Come on, guys, let’s just go now.” Ken instantly dragged Hoh to the check-in counter and slipped his ticket in the slot machine for confirmation. “Whoa, Ken! Hey, wait!” Hoh managed to slip his own ticket in time before the machine checked him in as well. Wei became anxious of being alone with the creepy-looking priest. “Hey!! Why did you leave me here!? Wait up!” Wei ran as fast as she could away from the priest. Jia finally realized that they were escaping, and he wasn’t going to allow it. “No, youngsters! Wait, please let me talk to you for a moment! Come back here!!” He tried to at least hold one of them back. Emi was already in the aerotrain itself by then. But he was too late. Wei slipped past the check-in counter and it barred anyone from moving ahead. “NO! PLEASE! Come back here! This is an urgent matter! Please!” Jia even tried to climb over the counter, but that raised an alarm, alerting the security. “Hey, just what exactly are you doing there!?” “Get back in the platform!” “Those who don’t buy tickets are not allowed past the counters!” The human police came out of the security counter and attempted to clamp down on Jia’s actions. That, and the aerotrain was starting to leave, only caused him to act even more violently. “NO! SOMEONE STOP THE TRAIN! NO!!” He yelled out even more and the ruckus became worse. Several more human police had to come in and suppress the scene; and that was the last of which Ken and Emi would have seen of the priest. “Alright! All of you made it!” Emi cheerfully said. “Yeah … that was awesome. Running away from him …” Ken whispered. The aerotrain doors lid shut tight and moved on its track. Hoh stared back at the disappearing scene of Jia suppressed. “Eh …” The train started to pick up speed, and soon they were moving really fast. Hoh sighed and mumbled as he picked a seat to get some rest. Wei, sitting in front of and facing Hoh, turned to Ken. “What was all that about?” The teen shrugged. “I … I don’t even want to talk about it. Let’s just … enjoy this trip.” Emi sat just beside Wei. Ken relaxed and even tried to catch some sleep, as the aerotrain sped on to their northern destination. Indeed, this trip to a funeral will be more interesting than anyone thought. Continued in Chapter 16. Notes: Some mess … and some plot development. Everyone shall head to the north! Amazing how fast Ken thinks of something to reason out to Emi … thank goodness they all have avoided the cunning and sly priest Jia. And again, this issue of Ken changing since an incident 6 months ago from Chapter 4 as well. What is that all about? What will happen soon to the characters here going to the north? More mess perhaps? -------- And off they go. Everyone. Today's music feature are the following two, which I used to keep me inspired all the way to the end of the story. An extremely sad moment, but then a glimmer of hope arises ... A generally freaky song for you when exploring the deep unknown on your own ... And that be all for this time! Please stay tuned for the next fortnight for the next update of the Chapter 16! Thank you all for coming to read!
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Post by Professor Fann on Nov 6, 2009 3:37:04 GMT -5
And the great reader mgx0 has replied with his feedback and criticisms! Thank you so much! And now, let’s get down to answering your questions and such. Oh yes, no chapter update for now, since I’m still studying for my on-going exams, and since it’s not yet the right time. And for now, a tip … it takes time to understand the story, but in the end, it’s all worth the effort. Firstly … Chapter 11: The Poor Soul Calms Down. Yeap, that’s Shinjuku Han. Your friendly neighbourhood … mysterious spiritually-aware peasant guy. And yeap again, the ramblings of Ken’s parents can surely tell when an operation is expensive. Eh … I won’t say he’s a guardian angel, because by the way he acts to Emi and passes his messages, he enjoys being a reclusive guy. And usually the guardian angels are nice people … well, at least you agree Han is a nice addition. And again, yeap, the clichéd forebearing of an experienced person … or is it? Heh heh. Oh, you are impressed by Han’s method of asking Emi to stay on. Well … usually when someone does this, you know when some clichéd hidden motive is in place. Similarly goes for his so-called sources. I’m not revealing these sources for now. Well, I guess I can give you some hints as to our cloaked villain’s plans for Ken and Emi - going back to the first few chapters, you can tell he’s piqued at how Ken is aware of Emi’s presence … similarly is applied to all other ghosts and ghouls. Think of this sudden ability of Ken’s in the evil guy’s viewpoint … why does he think this ability is a threat to him? That is the most important question. Bwahah, Jia is like Team Rocket’s Jesse and James. We’ll see some more bit of him in the future as side plots. Oh come on. Although Maz is rather emotionless, it doesn’t mean he’s showing his feelings. Well, you know what happened to Bak, that drunkard and him being a young boy … surely that will scar him for some time. I won’t say it’s Bak’s fault for getting Ken into that mess. Bak didn’t get the drunkard to come and cause danger, right? I agree with that first sentence. If you were suddenly in a situation like the drunkard’s, you might want to stay away from trouble for a while. And again, agreed with the second sentence. A break and relaxation … anyone will want away from a great catastrophe. Secondly … Chapter 12: A Soul's Chat and a Newer Threat Seems like Sim knows what he is doing. And yes, I’m sure there’s only four of them, including Bak. I’ll just go along with Sim’s words if I were you. Some strange things should not be explored in too deeply for now. So do everyone else who know Bak well. No more questions on this will be entertained. Ken did say he wanted to change for the better about six months ago, and personally I hate to miss out everyday on school. Which is why I detest getting sick as much as the next person who feels school is a responsibility if they want a better future than be useless, living people. Back in Chapter 10, since Ken and Hoh were the first ones in her new school she talked to, similarly on your first day of school and you’re all alone and stuff. You know how it feels. But gradually, we move on. And yes, based on Ken’s telling of his friendship with Hoh to Emi in Chapter 4, I guess she is their first female friend. Note the absence of the term ‘girlfriend’ to reinforce a non-romantic terminology stereotype here. “I have to go … the teacher needs me again …” That was what Maz said. Meaning he was asked to by Mr Sanada. That explains why he’s not with Bak at point of time. The bullies don’t really need a name for each person, like all the nameless unreferred people on the streets, in school and other places who are citizens of the Republic. As long as you know who they are, that’s good enough. No further unnecessary details needed. Our cloaked villain wants to do something to Ken and Emi, and since Hoh and Wei are there … don’t you think they are the first ones who would care and want to get Ken in particular to safety? So … might as well deal with everyone where necessary in this case. Thirdly … Chapter 13: Emergent Souls from Underground. Again, refer back to when I said on how to think of Ken’s new ability in the evil guy’s perspective. And … because Han is a recluse and his first contact was only to Emi? No way. Who would want themselves to be possessed by demons, the very term that connotes a supernatural being of great evil? That demon should be a very universal connotation by now, unless specified, right? Even real bad guys will want to run away. And boy, you’re mean, wanting Ken and Emi to beat them up again … and clearly, you can see how happy they are when they want to avoid contact with Ken. Clearly, no, he didn’t. I don’t recall Ken telling Hoh or anyone, other than Emi’s knowledge, of the timber incident since the fight’s end in Chapter 5 itself. You should know by now that one moment ago, bullies were fierce and then suddenly they are cowards and Ken is not saying anything … isn’t that strange? At least the reason for this questioning is nobler than Jia and Ria. I shall go with a fact that Hoh is like most people who don’t know how powerful evil is and that when the real deal hits you in the face, it always hurts the most. I wanted nice plot devices. The end. When Ken got that sword, and was covered in red fire and stuff, and exclaims that a whole lot of knowledge and skills are going into his head … and usually when you are aware of what amazing things you can do, you will get the hang of it and go with the flow, isn’t it? Like in our real world too? Hmmm … maybe the way I imagine how the sword would be didn’t really strike you. Well, I guess I’ll make a good art on this and show it to everyone else how I imagined what Ken’s saber sword would be like. Well, actually I dunno if the gem part is cliché or not, since I just felt the holder of the sword needed something … heavier. Oh well, I’m going to work on that saber sword art to show you and everyone soon. I’m not really familiar with the first two swords, and I forgot how your designs look like as well … but judging that KH is a well known series with highly credible artists at work, and so is said for Final Fantasy franchises, and since I know how outrageously radical and different your own art style is, I can roughly imagine what you are pointing to. For other readers, mgx0’s art page can be found at mgx0.deviantart.com for reference, if you are interested in knowing what we are conversing of. A bit of difference in opinion is cool, no worries. A bit of criticism never really hurt anyone too. Unless I be taking stuff too personal. And again, working on that art of the saber sword. Fourthly … Chapter 14: Soul’s Battle Ends and a Hometown. Indeed. Don’t take lightly the possibility of death, indeed. Eh … judging that Emi’s floating beside Ken on a daily basis and he hasn’t exclaimed “Oh noes a girl spirit with you!!” to Ken so far, despite his senses there … I’d say NO. Ummm … no. I went back to Chinese mythology for this, which is probably the most developed piece of spirituality in all of our world’s cultures. In Chinese belief, like all other beliefs, there is a place for bad people after life called HELL, but it goes by a wide variety of names, and the term Yellow Springs is really one of them, which I chose since the Republic where all this story takes place in, is designed to be a modern Oriental nation, like Japan, China or Korea. In Chinese belief, specifically, it is held that Hell, or Yellow Springs, are managed, or policed, by guards, to ensure that all bad people doomed to punishment serve their sentences and not try to run away from their sins. Hence, the guards of the Yellow Springs. I will emphasize here again, just like how the five bullies are called five bullies, the guards will be referred to as ‘ogre guards’. So, truly no Megaman X Maverick Hunters influence here. Like above, Ken’s sword will be simply referred to as ‘saber sword’. No comment on the being behind the fire for now. Simply put, he worked for the Hohs as their servant before going on to serve in the army of a former princely state in the great Northland Civil War. Grandpa Ojiro is 92 years old after all, so that means he had plenty of time to do many stuff. We all have some sort of odd likings in the end anyway. Most wonderful. Well, actually, I never thought that whole speech would be catchy. In fact, though this type of scene can happen in any manga or anime plot, I have second thoughts if it can really happen in real life. Unless … Wei really is dead serious, which is what we can also be. And the last, which is the fifth … Chapter 15: Heading to the Soul’s Hometown. Your Question: Your Own Answer: You just answered yourself. We’ll find out soon. When your family is bad company in rare occasions, and your friends make the call, for the right motives, you should just stick with your friends. Since they do know what’s going on, instead of your family. I’m not asking everyone to always hang out with your friends and then neglect your family, note here. There’s a good moral here too – you should learn to judge what is right and necessary and what is wrong and unnecessary. We all get to learn more of Wei’s positive qualities, so why not? Your answer: this entire paragraph. Read it again. When you don’t understand stuff, read and read until you can understand … until when you do reach breaking point and you have to ask for a direct answer. The teen was quietly encouraging himself to stand up to his parents to inform them he wanted to leave for Homyunggan Province on the night itself. “I will tell them … I will tell them …” In the end however, Ken just couldn’t bring himself to raise the topic to his mother.… and by his mum and ‘them’, I’m going with Ken’s parents and Grandpa Ojiro too. Jia’s taking stuff too far. No one likes busybodies. Ever. The next update of Chapter 16 is middle of this month November and Chapter 17 is at the end of this month. Stay tuned for the progressive plots. Thank you very much!
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Post by Professor Fann on Nov 15, 2009 4:08:00 GMT -5
Today is time for the update! Wheee! Firstly, I'll start with some new information. I noticed I haven't spelt how the entire series is divided into several arcs ... so, the story is indeed divided into several arcs! Arc 1 was People Introduction from Chapters 1 to 6. Arc 2 was Starting Annoyances from Chapters 7 to 14. And now, we are into Arc 3, promptedly named Emi Takahiro's Secret from Chapter 15 to ..... ?. We'll find out soon how well this arc's plot goes. Secondly, I think I've once told you on how I finished writing the whole story ages ago. So I'm pleased to inform you that I've printed out all the chapters on paper, double sided, and even bound them all into one thick book! I've even got it to be a hard cover book, and it's like so thick, about almost 2 inches thick. And that's wonderful! Wheee! Thirdly, this month and November, I've decided that I'm going to post up Chapters 16 and 17 in November itself, and then I'm going to post Chapters 18, 19 and 20 in December. December's updates will be like, one chapter per ten days. So stay tuned to them. Because after all this, I'm definitely and absolutely posting the chapters like twice per month for the whole of 2010. Until further notice or changes. Fourthly, the Chapter 16 update itself. Enjoy the new update. With an interesting side story. -------- This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter Chapter 16: A Soul’s Sad Past and a Meeting Ken grumbled and then blinked his eyes. “Ughgie … um … where are we?” He opened his eyes wide and looked around him. A stunned Wei and smiling Emi were staring back at him, facing him at their own twin seat. Hoh was still asleep beside Ken. “Oh, right. We’re on the aerotrain north to Homyunggan Province.” All four of them were nicely seated in twin seats, facing each other, along with another 12 passengers. The aerotrain sped on the ground this time, for the government saw no reason to build aerial tracks where population densities weren’t so high. “Phew … still here.” “Ha ha. Kind of forgetful, aren’t you, Ken?” Wei giggled lightly at him. “Hoh managed to convince your mother to allow you to come with us to the north for funeral attendance. I believe it starts early in the morning; that’s why Hoh is catching some sleep now.” Ken blushed. “Ah, yeah … I know that. It’s just that I’ve never travelled this far … ever. The most I had ever gone was to the western altars. That’s roughly about 30 kilometers west of Handao. For a small praying business. So … how long have we travelled?” Wei placed a finger on her chin. “Um … about 2 hours so far. The train has already made stops at three other towns. I don’t know how long more it’ll take for us to go there, to Yange town, so I figured it’s best that I stay awake to keep track for all of us.” The teen folded his arms. “Whoa, you sure you don’t need to sleep?” Wei shook her head as she was being looked at unknowingly by Emi. “No, I’m fine. I’ve got enough rest. I can make up to the lost hours some other day.” Silence prevailed again for a while. The train sped on strongly-secured cliffs, looking over thousands of jagged hills and lush green forests. A rather large river flowed with seemingly dark blue water and had the reflections of a dim half-moon and misty clouds. If he wasn’t mistaken, Ken spotted some large rafts floating on the waters, and some people were rowing them. For Wei, she saw something truly worth reminiscing. The moonlight gleamed with just the right angle onto Ken’s face and upper body, somehow making his brown hair flicker and relive a sentimental atmosphere. “Ah … older brother …” She spoke to herself. She earned Emi’s attention. “Ah … where have I heard that term before?” Before she knew it, Wei already stretched out her hands to grasp Ken’s own two hands. “Ah! Hey!” Emi protested against the action, but of course, only Ken heard her all too late. Wei was already giving him that puppy-face look and those glittering eyes of sentiment. “It … it really is you, older brother!” Wei said with full spirits. “I missed you so much!” Her grip on Ken’s hands became tighter. Ken became fully alarmed. “Hey, Wei! Planet EraS to Wei! Wake up!” He immediately flicked her forehead with his finger. “Ow! … Ah, oh dear … I did it again. I’m really sorry, Ken. I did it again. I mistook you for my older brother. Sorry … I just miss him so much.” Wei hid her face in her palms. Ken sensed a terrible feeling of sadness and worry, and even confirmed by Emi distancing herself away from Wei. “Ken … her aura is increasingly black … scary!” The teen sighed. “Wei … you did the exact same thing on Monday itself, when you just transferred over to our school. Would it be okay if you tell me the whole story to this reminiscing of yours before I go completely nuts?” Wei raised her head at him. “I’m really sorry, Ken … really I am.” Wei was close to crying but she held back her own tears. “Alright … I hope I can make it up to you by telling my past … I normally don’t tell this to anyone … but … somehow, since you resembled my older brother a lot …” Wei inhaled and exhaled to relax herself. The train sped forth with full speed and Hoh was still asleep. Ken and Emi were patiently waiting for Wei to tell her rare tale. “Alright … it went back to the years during the Civil War. My brother Xucao Chou was born 14 years before the Republic and he’ll be 26 at the end of this year.” Wei briefly hung her head down in sadness before continuing and sobbed at the same time. “The previous princely states kept on fighting one another for dominion over the lands. With constant army recruitments, people were starving because the lands weren’t tilled or the rice weren’t harvested. Everyone felt like an inch away from death.” “Brother Xucao was no different. My parents had barely enough to eat, let alone give us food. Brother Cao knew of this well at the age of 8, so he risked himself a lot.” “According to mum and dad, he had to work for 16 hours per day for different jobs … one was an apprentice for a merchant dealing with spices, another was keeping check of accounts for a medicine shop, he towed carts containing sacks of grain, which no one had access to … mother even said that he had to steal bits of grain for the family.” Emi gasped while Ken listened intensely. “The harvest was terrible … dad said the taxes were so high, he sold everything for money … Brother Xucao stole milk for me …” Wei shrugged and rubbed her cheeks. “Now … I might be throwing out all those stuff from our History books they emphasize so much, but I know they are true … when the Republic came … everything changed. Father and mother got their lands … we were given free tractors and seedlings … there was so much harvest! I might be only 4 years old, but I can still remember … the fields were the most yellow I had ever seen!” “In 2 years since the war ended, everyone had enough to eat. Brother Xucao and I often played together in the fields. Those were the happiest times of my life. Soon, tall buildings were starting to rise and we never forget the first highway we saw together.” Emi was close to tears and sobbed. She tried to soothe herself by drying her eyes. “My brother was sent for an education program the government instituted for those who had no school during the war. Five years in school, he turned 21 years old and graduated.” “The first thing the government would do is warn us poor folk that laws have been toughened to ensure social stability. Punishments were quite heavy to be honest. Brother Xucao soon got a job, and soon the family was earning a lot. He said it was something to do with plant manufacturing, and I didn’t know what it was that time.” “When the President came in office some 3 years ago, there was his infamous crackdown on the rising problems of the society. Rogue employers and employees, officers deemed corrupt by the courts and common folk were all rounded up for their crimes.” “Can you imagine the shock I had when we were told that Brother Xucao was part of a ring smuggling and transferring plants used to manufacture illegal drugs? For the whole two years! Mum and dad cried a whole night, and I didn’t go to school the next day.” Emi let out a tear from her right eye. “It’s … so sad … and touching …” Ken watched as Emi sobbed too. Wei was pretty down by that time. “We attended the court sessions whenever we could. The judges examined the evidence brought in by police and local neighbours. It turns out that brother Xucao had been unknowingly lured into all this mess, under promises of good pay.” Wei rubbed her face again. Her tears were gone. She almost sobbed again: “What broke our hearts was that, after 3 weeks of trial, the county judges sentenced everyone and brother Xucao to be hanged to death. The worst part was that we weren’t allowed to appeal against the verdict.” Ken was shocked. “What was that!?” Ken burst his immense shock, but was quickly silenced by Wei. Her finger nearly touched his lips and she pointed to Hoh: she didn’t want him to be woken up. “But … that’s unfair! How could that be!? What happened after that!?” Ken hissed lightly and Wei shook her head lightly. “His execution was due in 5 days. We were allowed to visit him as much as we wanted. Everyday my mother brought his food fresh-cooked from home. Brother Xucao would cry, saying that he was tricked into everything and he didn’t know it was all illegal. Then, the fateful day came.” The teen hunched forward to listen closely to her story. “It was about 3.20 pm, after school ended. I rushed immediately to the public market site where the execution would take place.” Wei the green-haired girl recalled back her ancient-looking hometown. At the time, Wei was dressed in a blue school uniform with red collars and cuffs that time. She panted, running as fast as she could and held her school bag tighter. “No, I don’t want my brother to die!!” She screamed with her eyes tightened, dropping tears as she went on. The public market site was in sight. Some 400 people had gathered in a circle around the execution platform, where 36 people were awaiting the noose. “Brother Xucao!” She made her way to the police force forming the barrier of the execution ground. “No! Let my brother go! He’s innocent!” The green-haired girl had a little scuffle with some human police officers. “Hey, girl! Don’t cross the line!” “Move back!” Xucao, who really looked a lot like Ken, as Wei claimed, wordlessly cried. “Quiet. We have a surprise guest of honour.” The same group of judges announced at the center of the grounds. The commotion soon subsided. “The President has come specially today to announce and witness the execution of these criminals!” They showed the direction to a stage nearby the execution platform, where the person entered silently. “Let this be a warning to all people that misdeeds are bad to not only themselves, but to the society as well!” The judges finished their speech and moved away. The President was no different than a regular high-school graduate, but his black hair was short to his chin in all angles, he wore a black suit and his face was particularly emotionless. Wei’s eyes widened. “That’s the President? He’s … young!” He grabbed a microphone and his voice beamed out through the speakers. “The execution is due in 5 minutes.” The people who had been wailing since the start wailed even louder. Parents and children were crying, and only a handful of the criminals were crying. The rest were grim-looking. “Wei! Is that you, Wei!? I’m so glad you’re here!” Wei tuned to her brother. “Brother!!” Tears were flowing like a river out of their eyes. “Wei, you came … even if I have no chance to start over … I will always remember you all … and the times we had.” “NO! NOT YET! NOT YET!!” Wei cried even louder and the human police struggled to restrain her from moving forward. “Security, we need back-up here! Come in, come in!” “Release that man.” The President’s voice boomed over the place. He pointed towards Wei’s brother Xucao. “Let him go. I see that man has a clear conscious. He deserves a chance to start over.” Some people cheered loudly as security released Xucao from his cuffs. Cao was led over by the police, who was then hugged tightly by Wei. “Brother! I’m so glad you’re fine! Mother and father will be so happy!” She cried as he held onto him. The crying Xucao leaned his head on her head as they walked away from the execution platform. The cheering crowd gave way to the brother and sister. “Release those 5 more people. They too should have a chance to start over.” More people cheered as others were released. Wei didn’t care about that; brother Xucao was coming home with his neck secure. She also heard something of a promise to reform many part of the social laws for everyone’s benefit, but she didn’t care. The last thing she heard was “Execute the rest” and a loud clanking noise. The remaining 30 people were hanged to death and it lasted at most 14 seconds. Everything else was blur to Wei. “Welcome back … brother dearest.” Wei said as she led him home. Wei had her happy face on with her eyes closed, in this present. Emi and Ken had been listening intently to her story in the aerotrain. Two tiny streams of tears rolled down on Wei’s cheeks. “Wei …” Ken tried to say something but he just couldn’t do so. “It’s okay, Ken …” She rubbed her tears away. “I am quite happy you’re listening to this tale of mine. Someone to share a story and it relieves your troubles. Thank you …” Ken looked on with a sorrowful face. “So … what happened to him after that?” Wei looked down on the floor. “Brother Xucao had his criminal record erased and was allowed to find a decent job at a local food processing factory. The family started to be stable and happy again. This went on well, until about 9 months ago … brother ended up in a coma.” Ken felt as though he was just struck by a lightning bolt of reality. “What was that!?” Ken almost yelped out but he then covered his mouth that instant. Hoh was snoring away on his right and Wei sobbed a little more. “Brother Xucao was walking back home one fine day after work ended … and out of nowhere, a large cargo truck slammed into him on the roads. He’s been in that coma ever since.” “By law, the company at fault has to provide compensation. We got the compensation alright, but that wasn’t enough to pay for the life-supporting treatment. Word has it that the government got news of the incident and the health ministry was ordered to pay for us, since our family can’t afford the cost despite the profits from the wheat harvests.” “Ever since then, brother Xucao has been like that … I miss his cheerful self …” The green-haired Wei couldn’t stand it anymore. The memory of her brother in coma was the worst part of the whole story. She shook a little violently and began to sob again. “I miss him so much … Ken …” She began to cry out loudly, which prompted Ken to act. “Hey!” He rushed over to her right side, for which Emi gave way, and held onto Wei. “Whoa there … it’s alright. It’s okay, Wei. I’m pretty sure he’ll be out of his coma soon. Just don’t give up … have faith. I’m sure he’d be okay. Just relax, okay?” He rubbed his hand on her back, trying to console her. He then realized that Emi was watching. Ken turned to Emi, who was on his earlier seat. “It’s okay, Ken. Go ahead and console her. I’m fine with that. I would have really given you a slap if you didn’t go over to Wei and comfort her feelings.” Ken stared back bluntly at her retort as Emi smiled. The green-haired girl calmed down a bit. “My brother … I want to see him again … I wished I wasn’t made to move here … just because dad was moved to a different bank branch and he wanted me to go to college … I really miss my brother! And to think how my family is burdened more with duties for the fields! That’s just wrong!” Wei sobbed a little louder than before, stirring up the other passengers. Ken quickly returned to comforting Wei and keeping her voice as low as possible, while still crying. “Ugh … brother … I want to see you again … someday, you will see my face too …” Eventually, minutes later, Wei stopped crying and calmed down until she too had fallen asleep. “Brother … someday … you will see me again … I promise.” She then said no more. Hoh gargled in his snore somehow and mumbled something Ken couldn’t hear. Ken didn’t know how long he held onto Wei to prevent her from falling off her seat, but he was definitely getting tired. He tried to stay awake but his eyes were closing by themselves, and he had to repeatedly jerk himself to stay awake. The aerotrain made two more stops at different towns. Only 2 to 4 people boarded the train during that ride, but many more left at each stop. That made Ken, Wei, Hoh and Emi the only ones left in the same compartment they boarded when they started their journey. The clock hence ticked 11.44 pm on the aerotrain compartment walls. “Um … Ken, are you okay?” Emi looked pitifully at him. “You really could use some sleep now. Don’t force yourself, okay? Let me do the guard for you instead. We ghosts do not need sleep.” Ken jerked his head again. “Ah, uh? No, no, I’m fine. Thanks.” The aerotrain suddenly rumbled loudly, shocking poor Hoh to consciousness. “Whoa!” Hoh nearly fell off his seat. “What … what happened!?” Wei woke up too and jerked forward. “Ah! What was that!?” Everyone in the compartment looked around. “Hm … nothing seems odd. The train is still moving …” He looked out of the window. “Guys, look! A town!” Wei and Hoh looked outside the same window Ken looked through. They were in the middle of a bustling suburban town with lit homes and some tall buildings scattered everywhere. Seems they have exited from the forest areas. Wei looked at the electronic map at a screen nearby. “Current location: Meifujang. The train will stop at the service hangar for a while.” At the same time, the aerotrain jerked again, shaking all three of them on the platform. “Hey! It’s changing tracks!” Instead of heading to the main platform hall, the aerotrain diverted to a track on its right and entered into a hangar, which had all sorts of machinery. It halted rather smoothly and all doors opened instantaneously. Bright lights instantly lit the whole place. Ken looked around. “What’s going to happen to us now?” A young man in a repairman’s blue suit entered the aerotrain. He rubbed his moustache for a while and stared at the trio. “This aerotrain will be out of fuel shortly, and refueling usually takes an hour or so, so that the train runs for another 38 days non-stop. In the meantime, welcome to Meifujang, southerners! Hurry now, get your bags and move out! Enjoy our lifely town! You’re just in time for the celebrations!” The trio did so without question and nearly ran out of the train hangar. Emi was a little scared and floated behind Ken all the time. “Where are we exactly … gulp.” Meifujang, as the town was called, is indeed lifely. Just outside the station, there were countless stores operating on the streets and being visited by customers. People were buying goods, snacks, or were simply having fun. Red lanterns dominated the skyline. “Well, what do you know? This place seems fun. I’ll be going to check out some of the stores now! Call me by cell phone if there’s anything!” Wei happily skipped off before Hoh could stop her. She made a right turn and disappeared in the crowd. Ken sighed. “She’s probably right. We should take the time to relax as well.” Hoh hung his head down and reluctantly agreed. “And I thought we’ll get to Yange soon …” The two friends and Emi travelled together as they experienced the place’s cultural zest. Emi got the chance to taste various kinds of food she had never eaten before, while Hoh admired the lanterns, wooden toys and bought an orange. Ken, however, bought his favourite food – seaweed strips from a store selling ocean food products. Emi stared with disgust at Ken, who munched on the green stuff. “Urgh … again with the seaweeds. I hate seaweeds, and you know that.” Ken chuckled lightly and swallowed the whole thing. “That’s for me to enjoy and for you to turn your head away from.” “Hmph!” Emi snorted back at Ken before sticking out her tongue. The teen walked together with Emi further down the lane, rather uncomfortable with the high nose Emi gave him. The tense atmosphere dissolved when Hoh called out to Ken. “Ken, over here! This is something totally historical!” The bespectacled boy waved to Ken, some 100 meters to Ken’s right, past some stores and small buildings. “Hoh! What are you doing over there!?” He rushed over to Hoh and Emi merely followed. “You shouldn’t be … here … what is this place?” Behind a series of small buildings was another road, bordered by a fenced street and overlooking a large scene of mist. There were small hills far away too. “Alright, Hoh, what is so interesting about this place?” “I recognize this from an old painting my family has! Down there is a valley which is said to have occurred the Battle of Fawang! About 60 years ago, two princely states clashed down there and on this very road to seize control of territory! Thousands of soldiers perished and the battle ended after a stalemate!” Hoh was excited. Ken was shocked and hit realization. “Perished soldiers here!? Could that mean!?” Emi nodded at what the teen speculated. “Ken, this isn’t good! I’m seeing black aura all over the place! It’s possible for ghouls to be lingering around this place! We have to get out of here!” Ken nodded and tried to dissuade Hoh from further interest in the place. “Hoh! Listen to me! Let’s get out of here and go back to the train station! I’m sure the refueling is done by now and we can head off to Yange!” The plea fell on deaf ears as Hoh acted in a delightful manner to the place itself. “This is wonderful!” The bespectacled teen took out a camera and wanted to take a shot of the misty valley. “It’ll make a great souvenir of this trip! I want to focus on the whole valley itself!” Just then, a strange foul wind blew out of the valley onto the trio. “Whoa!” Hoh lost grip of his camera and it was dropping down into the dark valley. “NO! My camera!!” Ken’s eyes widened with shock. “Hoh! No!” He reached out and grabbed a hold of Hoh at his stomach area, trying to pull him back from falling over. “Yes, I got my camera! … uh oh.” Hoh tipped over the fence too much, and the duo ended up falling down. “NO!!” Emi screamed and followed them as well. The two boys continued falling down the valley. “Darn it! If I don’t do something fast, we’re all going to die! For real!” Ken made a face of disgust and made it so that his right arm gripped onto Hoh and his left hand reached to the top, trying to grab onto something to halt their fall. “Aha! A thick branch!” In mere milliseconds, Ken’s left hand instinctively grabbed hold of that tree branch tightly. The fall was stopped, but they were hanging over the valley and who knows how deep it was. Hoh stuttered in fear. “Um … Ken … this is bad …” Ken attempted to smile. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you go, Hoh.” The branch wasn’t a branch; it was a tree root. It lost its firm grip on the soil and was pulled outwards by the sheer weight of Ken and Hoh. “GAAAHHH!!” Both boys screamed as they fell again. “NOO!!” Emi screamed out, fearing the worst. Instead, she heard some other noise. Ken and Hoh were perfectly safe, as they crashed onto hard ground. When Emi realized that, she was so happy that she was speechless and even let a drop of tear out. “Urgh … hey, we’re safe.” Hoh remarked as he helped Ken stand up. “Phew … lucky …” The teen looked upward. “We must be like 100 feet or so down this valley when I held us back. We really could have died.” Hoh hung his head down. “Ken, thank you … for saving my life. I owe you a lot for this.” Ken shook his head and folded his arms. “I suppose that’s what friends are for … well, we really need to find a way out of here fast, before Wei comes back.” Ken stared to the front. Everywhere was covered by mist, but he could make out that the valley was wide flat land with many jagged rocks teething out of the ground. He also heard a stream flowing nearby. The rest was a thick fog. Ken felt sick. “Urgh … what is this sick feeling I have? Hoh!!” The bespectacled teen was all sick again and wordlessly collapsed on the wet soil. “No … feeling sick again … why?” He said no more. Ken instinctively thought of his sabre sword and it appeared fine in his grip. “Don’t worry, Hoh! I’ll protect you! You need THIS!” He waved the flaming sabre sword in circles around Hoh, creating that sphere of aura. This time, the globe was more powerful than previously, and Hoh was very much fine. “Hah … hah … so warm … so calm and nice.” Hoh mumbled and was silent. “What do we have here? A little boy reaching into our territory! He has a sword and a girl with him! They match the descriptions! Surround them!” An evil voice surfaced and the black wind blew in the air. The wind surrounded all three of them, and began to take form. It was a giant pack of disgruntled, ugly spirits in ghastly and ancient armour. “Just what do you want with us!? We come in peace! Please let us go in peace as well!” Emi stepped forward and countered them. Many ghouls hissed back at Emi, who had no fear on her face. They whispered amongst themselves. “My, my. We cannot let you go, I am afraid.” The head of the ghouls calmly walked out and approached them. “We have orders to arrest you and kill you too! Oh, it’s from this person … who wears a cloak all over himself. He said that you are dangerous folk, and you should be destroyed at all costs!” All ghouls thrust out their weapons with angry expressions on their ugly human faces. Emi made an offensive position. “You mean, that person!?” Ken gritted his teeth. “That guy again!” He remembered that vivid image and conjured up his spiritual sword. “So, that maniac is still after us!? We don’t hurt anyone unless you want a fight!” The blades flared humongous yellow fire. The head ghoul was shocked. “Ah, so we do have a reason to come after you! You’re trying to wipe out all of us!” All ghouls roared out in anger and rushed over to Ken and Emi with blades, spears and fists. “Gah! Come get some, filth!!” Ken slashed his sabre sword through several burly ghouls’ ancient armour. “ARGH!!” Instantly, they all collapsed on the soil ground. Emi was also giving her best at hand combat. “I’m not one to so easily let anyone just come and take me away, whatever the reason! RAAHH!” Emi launched multiple kicks and punches onto six ghouls confronting her in all directions. “We can do this all night if you want to!” “Stab them! Strike them!” The head ghoul ordered extra ghouls with muscular arms to attack Ken. Emi struck blows of fist onto a weak ghoul, knocking his teeth out and collapsing on the ground. “KEN! Watch out!!” Emi flew straight at those five ghouls, gathered strength in her left fist and unleashed a simultaneous palm attack on them all. “Thanks, Emi! Grrh!” The teen stabbed his sword into the upper chest of another ghoul, close to the neck area. “AAARGH!!” He swung the ghoul in circles and suddenly halted the spin, throwing the ghoul out by momentum’s force, crashing onto incoming others. “Die! They must die! Show no mercy!” The head ghoul urged, and the ghouls got even fiercier. “Do not let them take away the ideal which has been offered to us!” Ken made a face of anger and disgust. “Ideal!? What ideal!?” He swirled his sword in multiple angle rotations and in every direction possible, hitting on all the incoming ghouls. “Gah!” “Oww!” “Wah!” Those were some of the squeals made by the ghouls. He was even surprised he could do such an attack. “Some things never cease to amaze me.” He stopped his mid-air sword-spinning and charged at other ghouls, stabbing them. “Let me try something here!” Ken flared his blade and fired many flame shots. “AH!” Several ghouls were burnt, running around and even causing other ghouls to be burnt on mere contact. “Sweet! I should – RAH!” He stabbed a ghoul attacking from behind. “AH!!” Emi grabbed onto a ghoul’s leg and swung him in circles. “AH! Let me go!” It cried out. “If you say so! Ken, heads up!” The ghost girl flung it up, crashing into some ghoul comrades and throwing them off as well. “Got it, Emi!” He slashed them hard on any skin contact he made. “AAH!!” They limped and collapsed on the wet soil. “Kill him! Kill him! He wants to wipe us out!” The head ghoul shrieked. Many more pounced, trying to subdue him. “Wipe you fiends out, huh? I never had the intention at all … until you moved first!” Ken shouted and burnt some ghouls in great fire. Meanwhile, no one took notice of Hoh, who was trembling away. “Ulp … eep …” He had apparently woken up from the state of relaxedness, still in that aura sphere. “What is this strange sensation? Not again! NOT AGAIN!!” Hoh screamed his heart out at the sight of dark smoke and clashes of different coloured lights; that of Ken’s sabre sword. “The master taught us to use dark magic! Prepare yourself, little boy!!” Several ghouls leaped in mid-air, with others charging on the ground. Ken put up a defensive pose. Continued in Chapter 17. Notes: In Wei’s past, where she wore the sailor uniform, during the execution, it’s that platform where you open a trapdoor on the floor and hang the person till he or she is breathless. Imagery of the President; refer back to Comic Arts Page 4 onwards, no names mentioned. Again, the cloaked figure strikes … indirectly. Stay tuned for more development. -------- With reference to the note on the President of how he looks like, here it is. msiafanwriter.deviantart.com/art/FanWriter-s-Art-54-Page-4-43635686And today's round of music I listen to to keep me moving when I was writing the story. Welp, that's all for today's update! Stay tuned for this end of the month's!
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Post by Professor Fann on Nov 30, 2009 8:37:28 GMT -5
Alright, everyone. It's time for the chapter update. Chapter 16 was what's posted last time, and now we have the Chapter 17. Enjoy the continuing fight in a foreign land.
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This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter
Chapter 17: Souls Rest after the Battle End
Wei skipped as she ate a Meifujang delicacy-on-a-stick. “The food sure is tasty! I’m glad we stopped over for a rest.” She munched on the last bit of grilled pork with white sauce and threw the stick into the trash bin. The local clock tower chimed loudly.
“Oh … it’s past midnight. We’ve been here for” – she looked at her watch – “about 15 minutes. I wonder where those two are now.” She took her bag pack off her shoulders and reached for her cell phone. “I’m going to call them.” She then dialed Ken’s number.
“No signal!? What’d you mean by that!?” She tapped on her phone a little, but the call disconnected by itself. “What about Hoh!?” She hurriedly dialed Hoh’s number and also got the same response. “Could we be in an area where phone reception is poor?”
Wei’s theory was both right and wrong, for the town itself had public telephones installed but there was no reception because the valley in which Hoh and Ken fell into was out of receiving range. “YAAH!!” Emi made a heavy blow on an armoured ghoul’s chin.
“Urrkk!!” The ghoul was thrown up into the air. “Don’t you get so smug on us, little girl!” A burly ghoul attempted to pin down on her by leaping into the air. Emi bent an angry eyebrow. “Who said anything about being smug!?” She jumped up towards it.
“YAAH!!” She made a double jump and a spinning kick onto the back of his neck. “AH!” The ghoul yelped as it plummeted hard onto the soil. On Ken’s side, ghouls were aiming dark magic material at him. “Taste this, boy!” They flung long poles at him, after having extracted black-coloured energy with some effort out of their own palms and remolded the extracted energy into a desired shape. “Oh no, you don’t!” Ken yelled.
His sword’s blade flared strongly, spread out and confronted all the dark magic attacks, dissipating all of them in one go. “What!? Impossible!!” Some ghouls expressed their shock. “Fire some more!” The same ghouls tried to do so, but they were already pierced hard in their chests and were flung high up in the air, stunned of pain.
“As if I’ll let something like that happen again!” Ken sliced through the feet of some more ghouls, making them immobile on the soil. “Ugh … no … the ideal …” Ken heard one of those soft comments. “Ideal? Again!?” He went on to charge at other ghouls.
Meanwhile, Hoh was watching everything from inside the sphere of aura protecting him. He was panting for breath earlier on, but thanks to Ken’s sword, the dark magic on him was healed and he was fine. Everything started since Hoh nearly dropped his camera.
Hoh looked at his bag pack. His camera was neatly tucked inside. “My camera …” The bespectacled teen turned his attention to Ken. He couldn’t make out details so well in the misty fog, but Ken was clearly fighting against something … which nearly killed him.
“There’s some much dark smoke … Ken is fighting … he’s doing this for me. I feel … so ashamed. I don’t know exactly what’s going on … but I can’t just remain here and watch him. What should I do!?” Hoh cried out softly and let out a stream of tears from his eyes.
A voice surfaced. “So, you want to do something for yourself and your friend?” Hoh was stunned. “Huh!? Who said that?” The voice didn’t reply, but it sort of smiled.
“Foul filth!” Ken set several ghouls ablaze with injurious fire. “Hah!” He sliced through more demon limbs and the wounds were spilling out black ooze, like a rushing river.
Emi overturned a ghoul and slammed it on the ground. “DIE!” Another one was aiming his sharp spear at Emi. She wordlessly stopped the weapon with her mere two fingers and pushed it back to the ghoul, piercing into his neck. “You’re not good enough.” That was all she remarked before kicking a burly ghoul into the air. “AAH ~” It yelped.
“RAAHH!!” Ken slashed his sabre sword through the upper chests of seven weak ghouls, stunning them and throwing them to the back. “Oh, darn it all … there are thousands of them … I think I roughly took out about a hundred of them. Wait! I have an idea!”
“If I take out that ghoul, who seems to be the boss to me, I’ll end this ruckus soon! Just like in the video games!” Ken dashed in that particular direction. The head ghoul was taken back by the decision and cowered in fear. “Gah! Stop that boy! Now he wants to kill me!” Several ghouls leaped in the air, attempting to strike fists and spears on him.
Emi heard that remark, just as she swung a large ghoul crashing into another group of ghouls. “This is not a video game, Ken … really, boys and video games …” She commented as she struck hard on a skinny ghoul’s shin. “OW! My shin! Argh!”
“Hah! I’ve got good enough experience with fighting games and the last fight! Beating you lot is easy for an athlete like me!” Ken easily slashed his way through a myriad of incoming ghouls. Spears flew in the air, and so did many smaller minion ghouls. “Ha ha! It’s so easy to just hurt them and throw them up in the air!”
The head ghoul twitched. “So, that’s how you want it, eh? Alright, I’ll fight this human boy as well!” From his grip, out came a creepy aura. From black of colour, it materialized into an ugly spear of moldy dark-green with dripping slime. “Show me your strength!!”
Meanwhile, Hoh and that same unknown voice were having a conversation.
“So, you’ll do anything to help your friend?” The voice spoke. “Don’t worry, boy … only you can hear me. Speak your heart out.” Hoh was initially trembling in his sphere of aura, but he then clenched his fist tightly. “Yes … I’ll do anything! Just show me how! I can’t sit here and just watch Ken fight whatever it is on his own! Please help me!”
“I ask you again, boy … are you sure? Do you know exactly what you are pledging to here? This is serious.” Hoh spoke even louder: “Yes, I am sure! I’m serious as well!”
The green-haired Wei sighed in front of the train station. “Hoh and Ken sure are taking their time in relaxing in this town. They had better be back soon, or else the aerotrain will leave us here.” She leaned on the bench’s back and exhaled calmly. “Sigh …”
“Almost got her!” One ghoul reached out its hands to try and grab Emi’s legs, just to halt her. She spat with disgust and taunted back: “Don’t think you can easily sneak up on me!” She jumped and slammed her elbow onto the ghoul’s neck; consequently throwing it towards a row of incoming attacking ghouls. “Urgh! I wonder how’s Ken doing?”
Ken was making multiple sword attacks, trying to hurt the head ghoul even a little. The speed was so fast, yet both sides managed to defend themselves and attack the other.
“Why are you taking orders from an evil human!?” Ken clashed with the head ghoul’s sword. It was amazing; dead and alive clashing together and it was so real. The head ghoul sneered: “We know he is evil … but he offered all of us hope and salvation.”
The head ghoul drew back his sword and clashed with Ken’s on his right rib sides. “Salvation!? You’re joking! An evil person can’t give salvation when he orders the murder of others!” Ken countered back and continued his clashing. The head ghoul blocked them quite well. “Yes … salvation. How can we not want salvation?”
“Ghouls like us will have the chance to experience the perfect world he wants to create … and the conditions were total loyalty to him and that we kill anyone in our way. It just so happens it was both you and your ghost friend.” The head ghoul threw a fist at Ken.
“URGH!” The fist went through Ken’s physical body, but his spiritual senses still registered the blow on his neck. “Urgh! Darn you! This isn’t over just yet!” Ken yelled and swung his sword to the ghoul’s neck, which was swiftly blocked. “Grah!” Ken charged again with multiple attacks and engaged in a battle of speeds again.
“Receive this weapon of mine … awaken your inner self … be brave!” The voice made a commanding voice and just from the sky, something came down dating to Hoh. It stabbed into the soil ground, causing a mild earth rumble. “Whoa!” Hoh nearly tripped over.
The weapon in front of him was that of a long mechanized pole, which had gold handles with a dragon carving on it at its end. Towards the tip of the pole were some cogwheels that connected to seemingly no sources but were attached to a set of machetes, bound together by a metal cuff. A machete was 2½ feet long and the overall weapon was 6½ feet long. Hoh made a determined face. “Alright, here goes nothing!”
Hoh rushed out of his globe of aura, which then dissipated, gaining other ghouls’ attention. “The boy with the glasses came out!” One of them squealed. Hoh grabbed the machete pole and pulled it out of the soil. Instantly, he was burned by red fire.
“GAAAH!!” Hoh yelled out as his eyes were on fire. Ghouls retreated backward, not wanting to be injured by the flames. “This is … what is this flowing into my head!? This is … amazing! Knowledge of fighting skills and … I feel much more confident!”
All ghouls held up their dark magic weapons, extracted and formed from their own palms. “Get ready to attack this one now …” Seconds later, it was over and Hoh was very exhausted on the ground. “Pant … pant … what is this I am seeing!?”
The teen saw very sharp outlines of the ghouls and a lot of their facial features, but the only colour he saw was purple-black. His eyes turned to Ken amid the wild crowd attacking something silvery white. Ken was attacking another purple-black figure.
“Argh!” The head ghoul repelled Ken off backward. The teen collapsed on the ground and wanted to quickly stand up, but he was halted by the head ghoul. “Too bad, boy. I win this round. With this dark magic power” – the moldy-slime sword emitted a black aura of pure evil – “it’s time to stop you and we can earn our salvation!”
“NO, YOU DON’T!” Someone yelled and when Ken finally realized it, his friend Hoh was the one who pierced the head ghoul’s body from the back with his revolving machete weapon. “AAARGH!!” The head ghoul cried out in pain, and collapsed unconscious.
“Ow!” Ken yelped as the ghoul fell on him. Still, the teen got up as he passed through the head ghoul’s spirit body. “Hoh … you … you have a weapon? I didn’t know that … that looks really awesome. … I expect him to show up anytime soon …” Hoh was confused.
“Um … some voice spoke out … and this thing came falling down from the sky … I grabbed it and I felt as though knowledge and power was flowing inside me. I can even hear the black smoke talk. Kind of scary at first, but I think I can manage …” The bespectacled teen said just before conveniently stabbing a demon charging behind him.
“Ken!” Emi called out to the teen. “It’s good you got rid of the head ghoul, but I need help with the hundreds of them here!” Hoh was frightened. “Gah! Who said that!? Was that a girl’s voice!? … She said your name! Have you met!?” Ken laughed a little.
“I’ll explain later … but right now, we need to get rid of these evil spirits. Yes, they’re not just ‘black smoke’, Hoh.” The bespectacled teen was aghast as Ken rushed forth to help Emi. “Evil spirits!? That’s just madness! Hey … hey! Wait for me!”
For the following minutes, Ken slashed through a crowd of ghouls as he pleased, to stop their possible harming actions. Emi repeatedly used some ghouls as hammers to smack out on other ghouls. Hoh was fired up like never before on all this fighting. “This … this spike of energy … knowledge and confidence … it really is like … WOW!!”
“Wow, it’s just like the video games, only that I’m the character I control to fight the bosses!” Hoh yelled in ecstasy, as he whirled his rotating machetes furiously, damaging incoming ghouls as he ran forward. “This is much more fun than the video games!”
“Let me try out this special attack!” Hoh yelled as he swirled his weapon in the air. He gathered a lot of his strength into his weapon, which was glowing red, and struck it hard on the soil. Eruptions from underground came out straight in front of him; only that it was frenzy of lightning bolts that struck all ghouls in its straight path.
“Attack!” Ken also went into an attacking frenzy. “This is too much! We’re losing lots of comrades! We must band all at once and charge!” A ghoul shouted. “I agree!” “Yes!!”
Ghouls screamed and collapsed unconscious. However, that wasn’t enough – more remained well and they charged at the bespectacled teen. “Wow! I’m not ready yet! Retreat!” He ran off in another way and collided with Ken. “Oopff! Argh!”
“Ken, we’re surrounded! What do we do!?” Emi called out to him. Hoh didn’t hear her talk during the commotion; the three of them were surrounded by the remaining 60 % of the original squad of ghouls that confronted the trio. “This is bad …” Ken said.
“Ah, you people need some help.” The earth rumbled as though there was an earthquake and pillars of flames emitted out of the cracks. “Gah!” Ken nearly fell whereas Hoh really fell over. Out came a fiery vertical spiraling portal which allowed familiar-looking figures to come out. “Ah, it’s the Yellow Springs guards again!!” Emi shrieked.
Many ghouls gasped and before they knew it, most of them were knocked out cold by the might of the pillars of flames erupting from the ground everywhere. The 40-foot-tall green Yellow Springs ogre guards went on a rampage of collecting knocked out ghouls.
“It’s happening again. They’re dragging all spirits to the netherworld … except me.” Emi remarked to herself. She watched as the hundreds of ghouls were flung brashly into the spiraling portal. Some minor ghouls wanted to escape, but they were rounded up too fast.
Hoh stared at Ken as the cleaning-up process was nearly over. “Um … Ken … I think now would be a great time to explain to me everything while I’m still … sane.” Ken placed his palm on his forehead. He briefly looked at a worried Emi, who nodded lightly at him, and turned back to Hoh. “Alright … what’s relevant to this situation only.”
Ken sighed. “To put it simply, the other day, we were attacked by demons by the orders of some cloaked guy. You almost died that time under the influence of … some dark magic power and I had to fight off those ghouls with this.” Ken held out his sabre sword.
“Wow …” Hoh awed with shock. Ken continued: “Apparently, the same mastermind of the last attack also wants us terminated this time. He somehow managed to order these ghosts of the past Battle of Fawang to do his bidding.” Ken looked at him.
“You’ve seen these ghouls yourself and you’ve fought them too. But it’s still up to you to believe in all this.” Hoh made a face of dissatisfaction. “Are you crazy!? After what I’ve just been through! It’s too hard to ignore, let alone deny! I’m with you on this, Ken!”
The voice surface again. “You two boys done talking yet?” Silence instantly followed as both Ken and Hoh shut themselves up. Emi looked around to the source of the voice.
“You three have helped me haul up one of the biggest nests for spirits alike, and I am very grateful for you. The boy with glasses … you can keep my weapon ... consider it a gift.” Hoh looked around with a face of doubt. “Um … well, thanks for it, I guess …”
“I’m glad to see you three fine … you’ll find a staircase leading to the top of this valley … you need to go to the north, don’t you?” The voice echoed the whole place. Ken made a disgusted look. “Who exactly are you!? How do you know all these stuff!?”
The voice didn’t speak initially. “Like I said … you already know who I am. I don’t need to introduce myself. … I’ll be off now, and thanks for the haul. You three have really made my day. Gah hahahahahaHAH!!” In an instant, all flames vanished and everything appeared normal. The misty fog remained, but Ken felt no cold and fiendish aura.
“Well, I guess we can take our leave here.” Ken dusted himself, and then turned to Hoh. “Oh yes, Hoh. Can we keep this business secret? It’d be troublesome if things like this got out to people.” The teen was quite tired and panted lightly. Hoh had a sympathetic look on his face and nodded. “Alright, it’s a secret then, Ken my good old pal.”
Ken smiled. “Thanks, Hoh … you’re truly a great friend.” Barely had he taken a footstep forward and he spotted a steep-looking staircase nearly. “Well, what do you know? There is a stairs here after all! Come on, let’s go back to the train station!” Hoh examined the place before following him. “Maybe we should have looked for the stairs first …”
Emi the ghost girl smiled, shrugged her shoulders lightly and followed behind Ken.
While they were climbing the staircase, Hoh asked: “Say, Hoh, that person who gave us these weapons … there were only two of us. What did he mean by the three of us?” Ken sighed on the spot. “Um … I’ll explain when the time is right, Hoh. Sorry.” He said.
Wei had waited for them on a bench in front of the train station. A total of 40 minutes had passed and she expects the aerotrain refueling to be complete. “No news from them …” She sighed and supported her chin with her palms. “Where are they anyway?”
Just then, two familiar figures came out of the light mist. They were laughing amid their little conversation and playing at each other. Ken and Hoh were tapping shoulders, or lightly pushing each other to the back or front. Wei was initially happy to see them, but when her eyes registered something disturbing, that happy mood evaporated.
“Oh my goodness!!” Wei shouted a little too loud, attracting on-lookers. “How in EraS did you two end up being so dirty!?” Ken and Hoh smiled meekly and glance down at their partially-dirtied clothes. “Erhm … it’s okay, Wei. We’ll take care of it in a second.”
“No, it’s not okay! You soiled yourself, and you’re wet! You can catch a cold! Really, if my grandparents were here, they’ll smack you two hard upside-down! Go get changed before the aerotrain starts running!” Ken gulped, while Emi giggled behind him. Wei was rather angry at them, so none dared to defy her instructions and incur her wrath.
Ten minutes later, the aerotrain was ready to leave and it picked up some extra people, excluding Emi and the trio students. The boys were fully dressed in new clothing, but they were rather thin, so they had to wear their thick jackets together with the clothes.
“Really … falling down a valley. Hoh, you should be grateful that Ken saved you, otherwise you would have died. Just make sure that doesn’t happen again.” Wei sighed with a drop of grief in it. Hoh hung his head down in shame. “Yeah … I know.”
No one said anything for a while. The aerotrain ran smoothly on its tracks and the town Meifujang was soon out of sight. Ken had explained their little adventure – minus the parts of Hoh nearly dying again, the fight with ghouls, Hoh’s spiritual weapon, the sight of Yellow Springs guards and the unknown voice – to Wei, making her sigh earlier on.
The bespectacled teen Hoh was very exhausted from the fight, so he slept again. Wei said nothing and Ken likewise. He looked at Emi, who closed her eyes but had a smile on her face, sitting next to Wei. “Meadow by the river … so sweet and tender …”
Hey, Emi, what’s that you’re humming to yourself? The teen spoke in his mind so that Wei would not be suspicious of him again. Emi was a little surprised from his question, but remained calm nonetheless. “Oh, Ken … it’s my favourite song.”
“It’s a local folk children’s song back in Yange town. The song is about time. The meadows are always by the flowing river. But the people living at the meadows cannot watch over it forever. Time is limited for those alive, so we must make the most out of it before we eventually pass on.” Ken was touched by the sincerity in her heart.
“Amazing …” Unfortunately, that got Wei’s attention. “Huh? What’s amazing?” Ken shivered and quickly replied: “No, no, it’s nothing. I was just wondering … I was just wondering about the funeral attendance! I wonder how the place will look like.”
Wei blinked once. “Oh, I see. Well, I’ve never been this far either, so my curiosity is big. Fancy Hoh’s mum coming from such a place … maybe it’s their past or something. I don’t know. But you’re right. I’ll check the maps.” Wei got off her seat and checked the electronic display on one of the walls. Emi and Ken stared at each other.
“Sigh … the map says we’re still in Chuhongyun Province, but almost to the border of Homyunggan.” Wei got Emi’s attention as her home province’s name was mentioned. “We still have about 300 kilometers to go, north-northeast. This may take a while …” She commented as the train compartment’s clock ticked 1.18 am.
Ken made a weak smile. “Yeah … probably another 2 more hours. You’re fine, Wei? I think you should get some sleep. I’ll take guard and wake us when we arrive there.” The girl smiled. “How thoughtful of you. I guess I can trust it to you then.”
Before the girl attempted to sleep, Wei stopped to think for a while. “I’m wondering too … how does Yange look like? I hope we don’t get lost on the way there.”
“Yange town has a lot of swamps and marshes. There’s a really wide river next to the town, which my father travels to the northern oceans to fish. There are ancient stone temples everywhere and yellow-green fields as far as the eyes can see. But more importantly, Yange has a lot of swamps. So, be careful where you walk.” Emi said.
Ken nodded lightly to Emi for describing her hometown. “Relax, Wei … Hoh must surely know the way there. We’ll just follow his guide.” The girl shrugged her shoulders. “I guess so … ah, yes, Ken. About another issue … we might be taking a nice time off together from school, but remember, I’m still waiting for an explanation.”
The teen gulped. “Um … still thinking about that?” He in turn received a sharp eye from her. “Of course I still think about all those! How can I forget being bound and gagged for the first time in my life!? How could those five idiots not know a thing after you fought them and why would you suddenly want to go north with Hoh!? That’s why!”
Hoh grunted in his sleep. Wei quickly covered her mouth with her hands; she may have said it too loud. She spoke softer: “Pretty soon, you’ll have to burst. By that time, I’m ready to hear everything you’ve got.” Both Ken and Emi gulped down their throats.
“Whoa! I see Wei’s brother!” Hoh jumped out of his sleep, stunning the other trio. Ken was in particular most surprised. “Oh … it’s just Ken. I must be sleep-talking.” Ken’s face blushed red as Wei and Emi laughed to the humour of it. Hoh was just confused.
After a grueling 1 hour and 37 minutes, the four of them finally arrived at Yange town; the outskirts that is. The aerotrain station was on the top of a hill and under the moonlight gleam, everyone got an excellent view of the sleepy town below, just next to a large river. “Home … I’ve finally come back …” Emi started to cry with happiness.
“What are you kids doing here late up in the morning!?” Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of a human police officer. “Shouldn’t you all be in bed!?” Ken and Wei stared at each other. Hoh coughed and said: “Um … officer, we’re southerners.”
The officer’s face lightened up a little. “Oh … I see. But, aren’t you kids a little too young to be travelling on your own?” Hoh stuttered some more. “Oh, it’s okay, we all have our parents’ permission to come here for the Dead Festival.” The officer raised an eyebrow. “Say … I know you from somewhere. Hey! It’s you! Chesong Hoh!”
Everyone was surprised. “Um … yes, that’s me.” The officer smiled. “I remember you when you were a young toddler! Your aunt and mother would often come up here and enjoy the view over the town! You were 5 years old, but you look like your father now!”
“Well, I’ll be darned! Come on, kids! I’m sending you back to your dad’s home! Back then, mister Hoh senior himself asked me to patrol the family home! I remember it all too well!” Everyone gladly followed the cop to the station to get his driving vehicle.
It took them about 20 minutes to get down to the hill’s bottom, amid the rugged terrain. As Emi said, there were a lot of farm fields – some bare, some still sprouting green and not harvested yet. The cop gladly dropped them off in the residential areas.
“Welcome to the Hoh family’s home in Yange, guys.” Ken and Wei awed at the sheer size of the large brick private house. The interior stone gardens were surprisingly clean and there was no sight of dirt at all at any angle of the house. “My mum informed my aunt’s family that I’ll be coming, so her family got the place cleaned for me.”
Ken made an awkward look. “Unbelievable.” Hoh slammed the front door shut and locked it with a long square log, some 9 feet long. Using a hidden spare key under the stone slab of a nearby mini altar, Hoh opened the entrance door. Everyone entered the main living hall and enjoyed the splendor of its design and furniture decorations.
“Actually, this house was built by my dad when he got married here. When he brought my mum south, this place was abandoned. So … there’s no one around except for us.” Hoh remarked as he locked the entrance door. “Make yourselves at home. There are four bedrooms, so choose whichever you want. I’m thankful dad still keeps this house …”
Ken turned to Hoh. “What do you mean by that?” The bespectacled boy shrugged. “Like I said, my dad’s a wealthy man. He could have this house destroyed and built another 5 more houses for his pleasure. But he’s not that stupid.” Ken and Emi glared at that claim.
Wei skipped on the staircase. “I’m going for the largest bedroom! Ha ha!” Ken and Emi followed behind, while Hoh remained downstairs as he went to check on the place itself. “We’re leaving by 9 o’clock to the local temples, okay!?” He shouted back.
“Sure, no problem!” Ken replied back before he opened a random door. The bedroom he found was rather lush-looking, and definitely bigger than his own. He switched on the lights and threw his luggage on the nearby couch. “I guess the sleeping bag wasn’t necessary.” He jumped onto the large bed and bounced on it.
“So, Ken.” Emi popped up beside him. “What’d you think of Yange town?” He tilted his head a little. “Nice, not bad. There’s more nature here and it’s more peaceful …”
His mind ringed up a lot of questions – he had just been through a lot today itself. Will Wei somehow find out the purpose of his trip here? Will she know about Emi and Hoh’s new secret? Why was the cloaked figure constantly after him? What was this so-called ideal world of salvation he wants to bring? Who gave the boys their spiritual weapons?
Emi frowned. “Um … Ken, you’re thinking too much.” Ken looked back at her. “Huh? Oh, that’s right. Spirits can read my thoughts. Say, is this place safe? Any sort of ghouls or demons, whatever?” Emi glanced around the room. “It’s okay, don’t worry. Besides, throughout the house, I had brief glances of the presence of spirit-warding talismans.”
“And that doesn’t apply to you for some reason …” Ken said. Emi looked around and shrugged her shoulders. “You’re right when you’re right. I don’t know why as well.”
“There’s a lot of love in this place. Even if Hoh says it’s abandoned … the aura of this place is telling me that we’ll be just fine. I neither sense nor see anything dark around. Besides, I’m here to protect you as well!” Emi beamed on her face full confidence.
The teen smiled. “Ha ha … then I guess I can trust you to protect me in my sleep then. I’m going to sleep, then tomorrow we head to the temples and probably we can head over to your family’s place.” He laid down on the firm yet comfortable mattress.
“This bed is … good. Really relaxing … it feels just like heaven itself.” Ken said no more and somehow slept within minutes in his unchanged clothes. Emi was walking around the room when she glanced at a mirror on the wall and remembered something important.
“Oh no! I completely forgot about it! Ken might have some trouble seeing my family tomorrow! This is bad! I have to warn him when he wakes up!” She quipped.
Continued in Chapter 18.
Notes: The plot thickens. Hoh becomes an ally to Ken inside the sphere of the cloaked villain’s influence and the journey to the temples begins. Why does the mysterious figure keep on helping Ken and friends? Indeed, how long can Ken stall from Wei? Will Hoh ever learn of Emi’s presence? What is that important thing Emi wants to warn Ken about?
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Hope you liked today's bit of story. Proofread and all clean of errors, to make things clearer.
And now, for yet another moment of relaxation, with a bit of music I listen to to keep me moving.
And that is all for today. Stay tuned for the coming update on December 10th! Wow, thank goodness my Internet is good today - otherwise I have to postpone this update ...
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Post by Professor Fann on Dec 9, 2009 23:08:47 GMT -5
Today is the 10th December (here anyway where I am), so it's time for the Chapter 18 update! Will the guys get what they want, and more importantly, about Emi's past and whatnot? Read on!
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This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter
Chapter 18: He Gets to Know the Soul’s Tragedy
The alarm clock rang loudly in his ears. “Ah!” His left hand quickly moved to shut the alarm and the noise was all over. “Urgh … huah …” Ken Kazuguchi yawned with a wide mouth. “Uh … oh, right … I’m with everyone in Homyunggan Province now …”
It was about 7.50 am. Ken stretched his arms and did some warming up. “Eh … I’ll best be taking a shower now … after all that last night, I can’t believe I was fine.” He walked to his luggage and picked out his toothbrush and toothpaste. “Well, let the day begin.”
“OW!” He accidentally knocked himself on the head. He didn't notice that large lamp looking over the couch where he threw his luggage hours earlier. Ow! That hurts!
“Huh!? What the!?” A split second of cold realization hit him. “Oh no … Emi! Why are you inside my body now!?” Ken burst out his shock. Ken, I’m really sorry … I needed to remind you of something important … unfortunately, I need to use your body.
Ken hung his head down. “But does it have to be early in the morning like this? When I have to use the showers …” Horror struck Emi instantly. Oh no … I forgot about that as well … this is bad … I’m troubling you, Ken … please … just go ahead.
The teen pressed on his temples. “I can just relax again and you’ll be free … no barriers, right? But … I don’t know how long that’ll take now.” Just then, his bedroom door opened and there stood was Wei in her pyjamas. “Hey, what’d you shout so loud for?” Ken was stunned at the spot. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I shouted. I was … shocked.”
Wei bent her eyebrow. “Shocked? About what?” Ken quickly thought of a lie. “There was a rat by the cupboard. I was going to get my toothpaste and on top of that lamp there” – pointing to the lamp – “it suddenly appeared. But I got rid of it already.”
“Oh, I see.” Wei relaxed a little. “I’m going to wake Hoh up. You get changed. We’re going to find a local restaurant and eat breakfast there. It’ll be better for all of us. Really, that Hoh … asking us to leave early when he’s still sleeping …” She closed the door.
Ken sighed. “Hmm … better get this done quick.” He heard poor Emi gulp. He entered the bathroom, closed the door and the … embarrassingly impossible happened. She let out a loud scream deep in her heart, unheard by Ken. AAAAAAAAHH!!!
Emi never felt worse. She had experienced being with Ken in the bathroom in the past – the most vivid ones were during their first encounter and after Ken checked out of the hospital. There were others as well, but she didn’t want to think about them. Ken felt her aura as really cold and unwelcoming, but tried to ignore it for her sake.
The trio students set off to Yange town proper after Wei forced Hoh to hurriedly clean himself up. Ken locked the house’s gates and caught up to the others. “Really … I have to force you out of bed … how pathetic can you be, Hoh?” “Sorry … I was just tired …” “You’re rather lucky no one else from school knows about this, or else you’re dead …”
In a local restaurant, they chewed down on local noodles and meat-based delicacies for a cheap price. No one recognized Hoh other than the cop in the morning hours. They then proceeded to the local temples where everyone would assemble to celebrate the Festival.
“The Dead Festival is a festival celebrated by the locals to wish well being to the spirits of the departed. But it’s only for those who had passed on from this precise day last year to today this year, annually.” Hoh explained as Wei looked on. Ken wasn’t listening.
It explains everything. I remember now – the Dead Festival. Probably my name is on one of those wooden mortuary tablets too. Ken’s interest was aroused when he heard Emi say that. “Hmm … maybe I can find your family there as well.”
“The Duke declared that it was to be a holiday for all on this special day alone. Huh, did you say something, Ken?” Hoh and Wei were then gazing at the teen. Wei, suspicious of him again, bent an eyebrow at him, but that move didn’t affect him in anyway.
Ken nodded lightly. “I think it’s time for me to tell you guys why I wanted to come here.”
Upon arriving at the temples, Ken said it all. Though, he planned up a whole different version of the actual truth. He made it sound so convincing in which he and Emi had been friends for a long time, and he was curious why ‘he hadn’t heard from her in 6 months’.
Wei nodded to that cooked-up tale. “I see … Emi Takahiro. I guess that makes sense why you were so secretive about your intentions to come here. If anyone, even Hoh, found about that back in school, you’ll be teased around with.” Ken nodded.
“I guess you can say that … hey, look! They’re performing some dances!” Performers in various coloured costumes and carrying many celebration objects like lanterns and banners made many moves in the main grounds. The crowd cheered on loudly. The performance was now mimicking an old tale of an old man chasing an ancient ‘dragon’.
Wei was particularly excited. “Wow, that reminds me of back in Gaowu!” – her original hometown – “when they celebrate New Year! The dances are so alike!” She applauded with the crowd while Ken noticed that Hoh was moving away from them.
Ken asked: “Hey, Hoh! Where are you going!?” The ‘dragon’ was now terrified when the old man flashed fireworks towards it, ‘threatening’ to kill it if it dared to terrorize the village anymore. The ‘dragon’ then left disgracefully. The crowd cheered nicely.
“Oh, Ken … I don’t really like loud noises, so I’m going to the worshipping chamber to find my aunt’s mortuary tablet place. Her family might be there and I want to see them.”
Ken saw this as an opportunity to find the Takahiros as well. “WEI! I’m going to follow Hoh to the chambers inside! Do you want to come along!?” He shouted to her amid the loud noise of firecrackers and music. Fortunately, she managed to hear his shouts.
“NO!! I’m staying here! Go ahead! I’ll call you by cell phone!” She shouted back and quickly returned to observing the ritual performances. Ken followed closely behind Hoh as they rushed through the crowd on the complex toward the largest temple hall.
“Whoa … this one is larger than the western altars.” Ken admired the ceiling painted with deity imagery and their golden statues on large platforms. Everywhere was full of tables with countless mortuary tablets. Monks were either receiving donations or giving incense to burn and people were praying for their dead relatives. “Ken!!”
Hoh called out to the teen amid the din. “I found my aunt’s tablet location! I think I also see your friend Emi’s one too!” The monk holding the register book, closed it and led the way. Emi was very nervous when she heard that. Oh dear … how will this turn out? She gave Ken the shivers, who then shook himself to rid of those feelings.
“Relax … I think everyone will turn fine.” He watched as Hoh’s mother’s family greeted Hoh in front of his aunt’s mortuary tablet not far away. Um … Ken, this is where I need to use your body. Can we go somewhere secluded, please? She pleaded to him.
“Huh? Oh, sure. You’d better explain the meaning of all this too.” Ken left the hall and turned to an empty bench outside the temple, far from the public performance. He sat down on the bench and said: “Alright, what do you want my body for this time?”
I need a piece of paper and black pen first. I’m going to write down the poem I was humming the other day. That can serve as proof that you and I have really met when I was alive. You see, my parents are very suspicious of any foreigners who gained my trust and friendship. They’ll want proof that I approve of them. Strange, isn’t it?
Ken hit realization. “Hey, you’re right. That way, we can avoid any suspicion when I go and talk to them! Excellent idea!” He reached into his bag and grabbed a paper and pen he had somehow. “Well, here you go – Aaaaaarrrkkk!” His voice became muffled.
Emi had grabbed control so fast, he was shocked. “Let’s see here …” His mouth spoke out Emi’s words. “Meadow by the river ~ so sweet and tender ~ why can’t I be with you ~ I am so unfortunate ~ my time is limited here ~ I wish you my best. By … Emi Takahiro.” She signed her name. “There! My parents will be convinced by my signature.”
The girl then released control of his body at ease. Thank you, Ken. You can go now. Ken blew a sigh of relief and stood up. “Yeah … we might have no problems after all.”
He walked back into the temple hall and retraced his steps. The crowd subsided a little, but there were people still offering burning joss-sticks. “Ken, over here!” He heard Hoh calling out to him again from a corner of the hall. This time, there were people with him.
Oh! There’s my family, Ken! The teen looked at 5 individuals: one tall, stern-looking man who is presumably Emi’s father, a slightly-down woman who is her mother, two older folk who are the grandparents from either parent’s side and a young boy, presumably her brother. “Whoa, that must be them. Gulp … time to go on.”
Ken walked on through the crowd. He was a little nervous, and his heart beat faster than usual. “Relax, Ken … take it easy. You’ll be fine …” He was closing on to them.
Mother … father … everyone … you’re all here. Emi muttered to herself as Ken’s eyes fixed on the Takahiro family. Hoh looked on at his friend as the whole Takahiro family gazed on him. Ken made his greetings weakly. “Um … hi, mister Takahiro.”
The man made a scoff. “You must be the one this young man told me about. A southerner meeting my daughter? I have never met you before and you say you have met Emi many times previously? How suspicious.” He said as Emi’s mum made a light cough.
“What was that? This boy is another friend of my granddaughter Emi, my son?” The older man spoke to Emi’s dad. “How intriguing … a southerner. I have never seen one before in my life.” The older lady cackled and stared her small glary eyes at Ken.
It’s okay, Ken. Grandmother wouldn’t bite you. Just show my dad the poem I wrote. Ken trembled a little from the sight of her glary face. “Um … yeah, once I came to this very village 10 months ago and that’s when I first met Emi. We talked and talked for some time until we departed. She even called me and we had conversations together.”
“Suddenly, she stopped 6 months ago.” The phrase ‘6 months’ slammed hard into the Takahiro family’s heads. Emi’s dad stopped looking sullen and stern. “… Very well. Do you have any proof that you have met my daughter in the past?” Emi was happy.
Father opened himself to you! Go on, show him the poem! Ken took out the paper he just crumpled and opened it up. “Um … back months ago, she wrote out this poem. I brought it just in case.” Hoh was even surprised and asked: “Where did that come from?”
Emi’s parents were shocked to see the poem and her signature. “Dear, that’s really … our daughter’s handwriting.” The both of them sobbed, nearly burst into tears but calmed down. “Very well, young man … we’ll tell you what happened to her … at our place.”
Hoh and Ken were both glad. “Congratulations, pal!” Ken sighed back at Hoh. “Yeah … thanks. Hey, what about your mum’s family?” The bespectacled teen shook his head. “I’ll be joining them later. My mum gave me the directions to their place for dinner tonight.”
“Hmm … so where should I go?” Both boys jumped in the air due to Wei’s sudden appearance behind them. “Gah! Wei, you gave me a fright!” Ken glared at her. Wei stuck out her tongue childishly and rubbed her head. “Yeah, sorry about that. The performance was over, so I just came here. So, how are things here?” Ken gave her a simple smile.
Meanwhile, three spirits were talking together above the crowd. No one noticed them, not even Emi or Ken. The Takahiros led the way for the trio to walk out of the altars.
“It is strange, I tell you! A girl inside a boy’s body!” The elderly lady cackled. The younger man sighed. “Yes, yes, we believe you. I saw it too. How very peculiar.” The third person, a young woman of motherly affection, hit realization. “Wasn’t that Emi Takahiro? The young girl who was the martial arts expert?”
The young man and elderly lady gasped. “Say, you’re right! It is her! I saw her in a martial arts competition in her old school last year! I wonder if dear Emi saw us … her death was most tragic.” The young man looked at the elderly lady. “It’s really her.”
“Isn’t it strange why she’s still lingering around until now? Should we call her?” The young woman asked the other two. The young man made a thought and then shook his head. “I don’t know … we had orders to not interfere with her current position. That’s what the King of Yellow Springs said anyway. A request from that person …”
The three ghosts vanished immediately, presumably going back to the spirit world.
Altogether the trio students and the Takahiro family left the temple. To them, Dead Festival was already over. They rode on two large empty carts drawn by horses. The Takahiros stayed together whereas Ken and gang stayed on another. “Wow, now we’re going to your friend’s home.” Wei remarked as she stretched her arms.
Ken nodded. “Yeah … finally some answers.” The teen laid down on the wooden platform and closed his eyes to rest. His watch ticked 11.20 am. Wei and Hoh decided to lie down as well and relax. The sky was dim blue and the sun rays weren’t so glaring.
The journey from the large temple grounds to Emi’s home took about 1½ hours now. The horses drew their carts past stone bridges connecting two wide banks, the vast areas of farmland with people working to harvest them all before the harsh winter comes, marshes of thick mangrove trees and murky green water and a small urban area.
“Alright, we’re here, young lad! Welcome to the Takahiro household!” Emi’s dad called loudly and the horses stopped drawing their carts. Ken opened his reluctant and heavy eyes, rubbing them to stir him up. Uuwah! Don’t do that, Ken! Urgh!
Emi moaned inwardly as Wei shook Hoh to consciousness. They stopped in front of an amazingly-simple brick home. It looks a little modern, but managed a largely ancient look of rough tiled roofs, short stone fences, trimmed grass everywhere and had the most beautiful flower garden. Behind the home was a vast plain of brown barren farmland.
Wei couldn’t hold her surprise. “This place … is where your friend lives? Amazing and … soothing.” Around the area were other large brick homes, a forest of dark green pines, a hill and nearby lake of clear blue water. “I like this place already.” She smiled.
The living room was rather wide with brown walls; furniture cramped here and there, a section reserved for family pictures and arts, a decent TV on top of a small cupboard and walkways leading to the kitchen and dining room, the bathroom, the parents’ and grandparents’ room, the children’s rooms, including Emi, and a door to the backyard.
“Wow … very classic. You’ve got a nice home here.” Ken remarked. Everyone stared at him and he quickly coughed up: “Emi never showed me this place before. We met up at one of the bridges back there.” Emi’s dad nodded to him. “Hmm … I see.”
“Come now, lad. Sit down. We’ll tell you everything about Emi, about how she passed away.” The man choked in his tears and sat on a slightly small chair, and so did the trio students. Emi’s mum stayed with her husband whereas the rest vanished elsewhere.
Ken gulped and so did Emi. “… You have known it by now. You saw my daughter’s tablet during the Dead Festival in the temple. It was a fine afternoon one day, about 6 months ago. Emi’s school had just ended. She just arrived home.” Emi’s dad said.
Emi made a loud gulp inside Ken. The teen brushed that aside and listened on.
“My girl came back home and I was getting ready to go to the local market.” Emi’s mum continued. “I was going to buy some groceries for dinner and additional food for an ancestor worship festival two days later. I asked her if she could come along.”
“At first, Emi was fussy. She had some homework to complete by that night itself, and she needed to do it fast so she could help with the other chores around. I insisted that she take a break and come with me. After some time persuading her, she finally agreed.”
The lady rubbed her cheeks. “I bought all the groceries later on, and Emi was carrying them for me. It was an easy task for her, since she trained with her uncle from a young age in the martial arts. Along the way, she passed by a shop selling firecrackers.”
The ghost girl gasped. No … the firecrackers … not that again … shrapnel everywhere … I … I can’t ever forget them … the explosions … the sharp glass pieces …
Ken hit realization. He finally figured everything out – that was why Emi was very afraid of sharp things, why she was afraid of blood, why she was so afraid of the past tragedy and kept it a secret all the time. When Ken stared into the sharp syringe needle in the hospital, when he was slashed with sharp glass of a beer bottle … everything.
“She was so happy to see firecrackers. She begged me to let her see some and even buy them for celebration for the ancestor worship day itself. I agreed to it and we stopped for a while to watch the vendor demonstrate the firecrackers. Everything went wrong from that point onward.” Emi’s mum sobbed and wiped her eyes at that point.
The trio students gasped and made awkward faces. Everyone in the living room knew the obvious sequence of events for that scenario. Emi’s mum continued: “The next thing I knew, a loud sound and everything hit me. I saw nothing but total darkness. As you may have guessed, the gunpowder explosion was immense. I couldn’t even think.”
“The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital in the Yange urban town with my husband and whole family around me. I couldn’t find my daughter at all. It was only later that the doctors informed me that Emi was suffering from severe bleeding damage and she was in intensive care unit … I don’t know what that is, but it sounded really bad.”
Hoh gulped. “Intensive care unit!? That’s horrible! How could Emi had died from that?” He blurted out a little, stunning everyone in the room. “Ooops. Sorry.” He returned to being silence. Emi’s mum shook her head. “It’s okay. I was shocked as well.”
“The doctors informed us that the bleeding was unusually persistent, which according to them was very unlikely for a girl to experience. They said something about such bleeding like this being only for boys and usually extremely fatal, should the cure be not applied on time. They talked about a lot of things us common folk never understood …”
She turned to her husband. “Dear, do you still remember what the doctors said about Emi’s condition?” He scratched his head as a reply. “Um … no, I’m afraid not. These things about science are so hard for us ordinary people to understand. Emi wanted to one of them when she grew up. I had so much hope in her future …”
Father … Meanwhile, Hoh was thinking deeply of the subject. “It’s familiar to me … I can across this before on the Internet … I need to check it out … girls bleeding heavily instead of boys … hmm.” He turned back to listening to Emi’s parents.
“Anyway, the doctors figured out the solution, it seems. They tried to get the cure and use it on Emi as fast as they could, but it was out of stock. They tried to delay the onset of death with other substances, but by the time the cure arrived, Emi was losing it. And the last thing she said was … ‘I love you all’.” Emi’s dad let out a stream of tears.
“She died 14 minutes after midnight.” Emi herself was feeling so touched and sad at the same time. Father … mother … I’m so sorry … She cried inwardly, looking at the sight of both her parents crying too. Wei and Hoh hung their heads down in sadness.
Ken sighed. “That’s really a sad story … I’m sorry.” Silence prevailed in the room for a few minutes. No one spoke a word until Emi’s dad stood up. “Young lad, what’s your name?” Ken blinked his eyes. “Oh … it’s Ken Kazuguchi. Just call me Ken, sir.”
“Very well … Ken. I really appreciate you coming all the way here … just to find our daughter, I really do. At least … it helps to know that someone else also cares for Emi. We’re very happy to know that. Sharing this tale with you also relieves some trouble in our hearts … so … if it’s okay with you, would you like to see her one last time before you head back to the south?” Emi’s dad smiled. Wei and Hoh looked on at Ken.
Ken’s eyes widened. “I’ll be insulted if I didn’t.” Soon after some tea, Emi’s dad was preparing a horse-drawn cart from the family shed. He attached the horse to its harness and drew it out onto the open road. “It’s the only way of transport around the village. Come on, we’re all getting on board.” Ken and Wei happily skipped onto the cart.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be back soon for a family lunch. Please join us.” Emi’s dad turned to the trio. Hoh immediately declined. “Um, uh, no. I can’t join you for lunch, mister Takahiro. I have to meet up with my aunt’s family – she died just yesterday.”
They were already moving on the barren roads. The horse pulled the cart on a moderate speed. Wei looked around as the surroundings changed from plains of harvested farmland to the swamps and mangrove marshes. The sun glared strongly this time.
“Sun when it’s close to winter? Urgh …” Hoh stared on the wooden platform. “Well, that was some terrible history. To think that it would happen to a friend you knew … a friend I didn’t even know! That’s not fair! I thought I was Ken’s best friend!” The bespectacled boy acted strangely and earned the side glares of Ken, Wei and even Emi.
“That Hoh … he should be worrying about something else.” Wei folded her arms. “I like this journey to the north so far. It’s been very enjoyable. What do you think, Ken? You got what you wanted.” Ken shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, I know that but …”
“We have exams coming up soon … sigh …” He earned an unexpected soft punch on the face from Wei. “Come on now, Ken! Wasn’t it you who wanted to come up north to meet your friend? Just enjoy the time you have here now! We can tackle those national exams together, can’t we?” The green-haired girl retorted back and folded her arms roughly.
Ken made a guilty laugh. “Ha ha … yeah, I guess you’re right. We can always have that study group at Hoh’s place.” Emi’s dad quietly smiled to himself and saw through that the horse led them up the slope properly. The wind blew a light breeze.
They arrived at a spot of a cemetery hill 50 minutes later. Wei sat on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast valley of green mountains and mist. Ken and Emi’s dad looked on at Emi’s photo attached to the gravestone. “That’s my daughter under there …”
Ken made an awkward face. “But Emi’s right here with me …” He earned a retort from the girl: Hey! Don’t say that! Her dad took out a cigarette lighter and burnt the tips of incense joss-sticks. “Oh, right.” Ken took four from his rough hand, and so did Hoh. Wei just only realized it was time for a show of respect. “Hey, leave some for me!”
All four of them took turns to stick their burning joss-sticks on the soil in front of the grave. “My dearest daughter … wherever you are, may you find happiness and peace.” Emi’s dad let a tear drop out behind bowing down in respect. The others followed suit. Emi was deeply touched by that moment. Everyone … thank you.
All of them briefly admired the nature around them before eventually resigning back to the cart and headed back to the Takahiro home, taking another 50 minutes of their time. Emi’s dad offered to send Hoh to his aunt’s family’s place, but Ken didn’t want to go, so he decided to stay back at Emi’s home. He was to be dropped off along the way.
“Well, I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done. I just want to stay here for a while.” Ken skipped off the cart in front of the stone fences. At the same time, Wei just remembered another issue related to the near past and darted that question immediately at the teen.
“Say, Ken … remember back on Monday when I just transferred to school, and Bak got us into that mishap on the floor?” Ken coughed on the spot. “Um … yeah, so?”
“That time … you mentioned the name Emi.” Ken felt as though lightning had struck his head hard. Emi was aghast. What was that!? I’m not aware of that! Ken!? Ken gulped again. “You … you really remember all this kind of stuff?” He stuttered.
Wei made her suspicious eye again. “Yes, I do … I have a very good memory; that’s why you don’t find me studying yet for the exams. The subjects are easy as a snap.” She snapped her fingers. “So, what was that for? You calling her name back then? How was that incident anything to do with her?” Ken was speechless and couldn’t answer back.
“Ahem.” It was Emi’s dad. “If you don’t mind, I want mister Hoh to not be stalled for his family reunion. Hiyah!” He gave a small whip on the horse and it started pulling the cart.
“See you later back here, Ken!” Hoh waved as the horse-driven cart rode on the road. “I’m still onto you, Ken Kazuguchi!” Wei yelled out in a rather happy tone to the brown-haired teen, who shook in horrid reminder. “Urgh … I think I did it again …”
Ken, I think you need to work on your answering. They’re raising too much suspicion from Wei. That is already bad … The teen ignored the ghost girl and walked towards the backyard. But … Ken, I want to thank you again. I hate to admit it, but you really helped make my parents feel very comforted and relieved over my death.
He smiled to himself. “Heh, that’s nothing at all. I have been interested in that since we first met, and I might have been the rare idiot who would go to an extreme to pursue what I want. So … could you tell me how you came to be afraid of sharp objects? I was wondering … how was an explosion to do with anything sharp?” Emi shivered.
That explosion ... hit me, no doubt. But it was during that intense few seconds that I felt countless sharp slashes on my body … it was broken glass pieces. I don’t know where the glassware came from, though … I felt it at my skin … the sharp crystals, really very sharp … that’s why. Emi stopped talking right there. Her aura turned cold.
“I see …” The teen rested on a slouching chair in the backyard. “So, Emi …”
Um … yes, Ken? The teen rubbed his nose. “You feel alright now? Your folks just told me how you died and … I don’t believe I felt anything from you saying that you were embarrassed or angry or ashamed, right? You took all that rather calmly.”
The ghost girl initially said nothing. I guess I was rather calm throughout the time. Crying isn’t counted, is it? Ken gazed his eyes to the dim clouds. “No … crying doesn’t count. I nearly cried myself.” Both of them shared a moment of laughter.
Ken sat on a chair and watched over the Takahiro fields. “Who would’ve thought … we share some things in common?” Emi giggled lightly. Yes … who’d knew?
“Young man, would you care for some local pastry?” Emi’s grandmother walked out of the back door, holding a transparent container of a red lid with cake-like biscuits in them. “Oh, yeah. Don’t mind if I do.” Emi smiled and inwardly shrugged her shoulders as Ken got up from the chair and walked quickly to the smiling, near-toothless grandmother.
While Ken ate those delights from her grandmother’s container, Emi heard a light plastic rubbing in the pockets of his pants. That sound … it’s familiar … seaweed! Ah … She trembled in fear. No … please, dear Heaven, don’t let him eat it now …
“Mm … I’m sure there’s some seaweed in my pants …” Ken mumbled as he didn’t want any more delights. Emi gasped and shivered. “But … these biscuits are much better than seaweed.” The ghost girl sighed with relief as he stared at the clear blue water.
Continued in Chapter 19.
Notes: Answers, traditional cultures and respect-paying. Chapter 10 is when Ken called out to Emi after the incident caused by Bak and Chapter 15 for Ken wanting to know Emi’s parents’ feelings on her death and relieving them. What’s this; this someone is even not allowing Emi to depart to the spirit world? A harness is the overall object that a person ties to the horse’s body and head to pull a cart, actually. There you go.
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I think things moved on very fast, in this chapter ... perhaps ... maybe it's my style of writing here or something ... but I can earnestly tell you this though - in real life, with some luck, whatever your problems and things you want done can actually be solved very quickly. You just don't know or can't predict when that moment will arrive though.
In any case, moving on. Some small video game music pieces for your listening pleasure, if you want to.
Boss musics. But ... the top one is more for a mid-stage boss, but the bottom one's for a full fledged decent boss that is not the final boss.
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Post by Professor Fann on Dec 20, 2009 6:01:23 GMT -5
Hey there. It's update time! Chapter 19 is up! -------- This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter Chapter 19: The Soul’s Moment of Change “It’s right here! Check it out!” Hoh moved the laptop computer mouse and clicked on an Internet link. “I made a search on the Internet for anything related to Emi Takahiro and the fireworks explosion. Here it is! A newspaper article in an online paper!” The clock ticked 7.15 pm in the Takahiro living room. Hoh was sitting on the floor with folded legs supporting his laptop computer, joined by Wei and Ken on his left and right respectively. “Local student dead from fireworks disaster: police aghast on case.” That’s me! That’s me! Emi pointed out to the photo showing her smiling face and her distraught parents. “Hmm … A fireworks explosion in a public market in Yange town, Homyunggan Province killed a local girl, student Emi Takahiro, and severely wounded 17 people ahead of the national day for ancestor worship.” Ken read out. “Police managed to trace the seller, who was severely injured, and had him reveal an illegal manufacturer of gunpowder-based products. A local factory was raided, all illegal products and substances seized and all staff were arrested in light of the girl’s death.” Wei made an awkward eye. “People aren’t afraid that the Reploid police will even kill them? We had one case back in Gaowu, where a thief who killed a man was beaten to death by those metal human lookalikes.” The four of them read until the article’s end. “Emi Takahiro was sadly missed by her local classmates and remembered as the smart long-standing champion of martial arts in the local Kansu County.” Hoh laid his back on the chair and closed the Internet program. “Well, that’s that.” Wei and Hoh had returned from a 2-hour-plus visit to Hoh’s mum’s family, where they also ate lunch, mingled with the people there and played with his cousins. Ken had also eaten with the Takahiros, assisted in some of their chores and simply had fun, even with the grandparents. Hoh had his laptop computer with him all the time. “Um … Hoh.” Ken stared at the bespectacled teen. “Where in planet EraS did you get this laptop computer?” It was his turn to be looked onto by the others. “Oh, my dad bought it for me last year when I topped the whole of Grade 2 finals. This year, he promised he’d buy me what I want when I do it again.” Wei’s eyes widened. “I guess it pays to be intelligent.” She bluntly remarked, as Hoh opened a music player application and listened to local Northland band music. The three of them spent another 2 hours at the Takahiros before eventually deciding to leave back for Hoh’s family manor. “Aw, young boy, must you leave already? It’s been such a long time since we last had guests come over. Please stay just a little longer.” Emi’s grandmother smiled her near-toothless mouth at Ken, which freaked him and Emi out. “Um … no, we must go now.” Emi’s dad smiled. “If you want to come back, the Takahiro family always welcomes you and your friends. You’ve helped us ease our minds over this issue, and we couldn’t thank you enough.” The entire family waved the trio off as the cart driver whipped his horse to start pulling the cart on the main road. Hoh relaxed and gazed at the black sky. “We have to head back home by late morning tomorrow. The journey from Handao took about 6 hours alone, so we can’t waste time. But either way, today was cool, wasn’t it?” Hoh spoke to Ken. “Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s all great. Everyone gets what they want.” “Except me.” Wei clenched her fist. Ken freaked out at that and looked away from her. “I want a good night’s rest, since we slept at only 4 in the morning today. So, I expect no one to disturb me.” Both boys weakly nodded in compliance to her. The brown-haired teen yawned in front of the mirror. He was fully dressed in pyjamas and was going to brush his teeth when Wei entered his room. “Goodnight, Ken. See you tomorrow.” Her voice was calm instead of being angry. “Um … goodnight, Wei.” She slammed the door shut, and he heard her footsteps heading back to her bedroom. Ken sighed with relief and brushed his teeth. Wow, Ken. Good thing Wei wasn’t onto you now, wasn’t it? The teen gargled his mouth and spat all contents into the sink. “Yeah … plus, a lot of good things happened today. You didn’t freak out even when I was pointing the knife at my eyes during dinner, and I liked it when you were happy.” He washed his face with soap. Thank you! But, actually … I was happy because it’s been a while since I tasted mother’s gravy chicken with sour tomato. It’s my favourite.Ken switched off the bathroom lights and jumped onto his bed. “I’m very sleepy … hm, goodnight, Emi.” Oh! Goodnight, Ken! Sweet dreams! She chirped back when Ken wrapped himself under the thick blanket. “Hmm … nice warm bed again … yummy …” The clock ticked 11.20 pm. Ken tossed and turned around on his bed for the past 5 minutes already. He’s still not relaxing himself. Sigh … I’ll just have to wait some more … One last movement and Ken stopped his body for good. He snored. Great … he’s snoring. Just like father. Some minutes passed by, and Emi was still patiently waiting for the opportune moment. She waited some more, and then she got what she wanted. Ah … the pressure barriers are retreating … I should move now.With ease, she moved her head out of Ken’s head, and soon it was her hands and some parts of her legs. “Phew … thank goodness. I was wondering when I could be free. Ken has not been practising self-relaxation lately. I need to pressure him more …” “Ugh-um … Ultrablast … must beat Hoh …” He laid his body facing his right, and Emi struggled to free herself. “Ah, almost there … hey, my leg is stuck!” She remarked, as most of her body was free, except only her right leg remained attached to the fibers of Ken’s body. “Hey, let go! Let go!!” Emi started to panic and tried to force her leg free. “Why am I stuck!?” She made a curled lip and put some more strength into it. “Aha! Free!” Her right leg exited from Ken’s shin. “Whoa!” Poor Emi fell down on the floor with a thud. Somehow, that little bit of stirring woke up the brown-haired teen. “Um … gah … what happened?” He rubbed his eyes and Emi was shocked with wide eyes. “Emi? Is that you? … What are you doing on the floor?” Ken asked groggily. Emi looked back at him half-eyed and with some embarrassment. “Ah … let’s not talk about that, can we?” Ken yawned with a wide mouth. He no longer felt the need to sleep, since Emi abruptly woke him up. Ken drank a glass of water from a tap in the kitchen, gargled on it and spat all contents out on the sink. Emi was looking very regretful behind him. “Ken … I’m sorry. I woke you up … and now you can’t get the rest you deserve. I’m sorry …” She hung her head down and stared at the floor. Just then, she felt a palm softly landed on her head and the palm rubbed her head. She looked up and found Ken smiling. “Eh, it’s okay. You didn’t mean it, right? I’ll just have to wait till I get tired and hit the bed.” He removed his palm from her head and walked out of the kitchen. Emi made another childish smile and followed closely behind him. Ken continued walking until he reached the house’s front door. He took the keys, wore his shoes and unlocked the door. “Hey, where are you going?” Emi asked as he slid the door to the side. “I’m going out to stare at the dark sky.” Outside, it was nothing but great darkness. Although the town had many lamp posts installed, their light altogether cannot make up for the total darkness everywhere. Sparse white and orange lights glittered throughout the town of Yange. The teen sat on the edge of slanting cliff, overlooking a large river and the mountain range just the other side. The stars glittered brilliantly and formed a strange constellation. “Huh, it is rather beautiful tonight. I don’t know why, I’m not tired anymore.” Emi returned to feeling guilty and slowly sat beside him on the right. She said nothing. “How long has it been already, Emi?” Ken suddenly spoke and stunned her a little. “Huh? What do you mean, Ken?” She was puzzled. Ken started to make calculations with his fingers. “Um … how long have you been with me already? Let’s see …” “Two weeks only, Ken. Why’s that?” She laid her legs on the grass and shook her legs. “So much happened in just two weeks, and everything changed. Scaring away the five bullies, we talking together, a weirdo villain suddenly comes after me, this trip …” “Is it … my fault then, Ken?” She timidly asked the teen, to which he shook his head in disagreement. “No! I didn’t say that, did I? I learned a lot of things – to appreciate Hoh, my family, things of the spirit world – what an ordinary person could never know.” “For that, I thank you.” Their eyes met each other. Ken’s eyes were full of confidence, whereas Emi was touched to hear that. “I … you’re welcome. You’re a sweet person. As your friend now, even when I’m dead, I cannot leave you alone.” She smiled again. “Well … thanks for that. I guess change is inevitable. It’s been going on for six months now …” Ken sighed to himself. The crickets made their trademark noise; a short breeze of wind blew by them. Good ingredients for a lonely moment together. “Ah …” Ken turned to Emi. “What’s wrong, Emi? Something the matter?” The ghost girl played with her fingers. “You kept talking about something 6 months ago, and it’s nothing to do with me. I died 6 months ago, but I never knew you. Something about change. What is it all about?” Emi shifted her position and sat facing Ken. She waited for an answer. The teen sighed. “Ah, that one. Well … things were worse back then, even further than just 6 months ago. Now that I think about it, I might be called a terrible delinquent back then. Some event 6 months ago changed the way I behaved and viewed many things.” Emi was shocked. “That’s hard to imagine for me! I mean … you’re you now, and I think you’re a sweet boy. A hardworking boy, not someone who is lazy and stupid and uncaring for his friends!” Ken hung his head down briefly. “I WAS exactly just that.” The fish in the river below him skipped out of its watery home and flipped beautifully in the air, before just diving back in the water. Ken stared at the dark waters. Ken started: “A long time ago … I first met Hoh 8 years ago, and we became friends. True, we were best friends. We played together in the school playgrounds, did work together, even wait and see Hoh’s servants come down via taxi to pick him up.” “We stood up for each other whenever some sort of strange fight involved the both of us. Friends help each other, no matter what. In the end, we were always happy. But one day, something bad managed to tear us apart, and everything bad started since then.” Let’s rewind the clock 6 years ago. One fine day in June, just when school was just over and the bell rang for mid-year vacations, 9-year-olds Ken and Hoh walked together out of the classroom amid a crowd of other children their age. “The holiday’s here! Yay!” Ken watched Hoh jump a little in the air. “Yeah … holidays should be great. But … I don’t know, my family rarely goes anywhere for holidays. I don’t know anywhere else to spend time. Mostly, I sleep a lot … and just play around.” Ken sulked. Hoh brightened. “I have an idea! Let’s go over to my place! We can play games together and have fun!” Ken still sulked. “I don’t know … let me ask my mum and dad first …” Out of nowhere, Ken was pushed abruptly onto the ground. “Omff! Hey!” He cried out as a burly boy pushed him hard. Some other boys joined in the scene – skinny ones and those of average size as well. “We found someone to give stuffing! Going for holidays, eh, puny? We won’t be seeing each other for so long! Here’s our momento!” Emi was shocked. “Aren’t those the five bullies who always picked on you!?” Ken nodded lightly. “Yeah, it’s them alright. They’ve been a group together since young.” “A puny boy! Just nice to test my fists!” The burly boy, later to be known as Bully One, rammed a fist into Ken’s stomach. The brown-haired boy was stunned. “Yeah! Beating time!” The other bullies, later to be known as Bullies Two to Five, joined in the fight with kicking and punching. Other kids were afraid and stayed away, all too afraid. Ken was beaten non-stop for nearly a minute. The young boy he was, then left swollen on the ground, barely able to response to anything. “Urgh …” Hoh was extremely afraid, until he dropped his bag on the soil ground. “Ken!” Hoh rushed forth to tend to him. “You want a piece of me too, puny!?” Hoh charged himself strongly onto Bully One, crashing on his chest and tumbling on the ground. “Ugh! You want to look for trouble? Puny boys should never mess with big boys! Get him!” The other bullies wanted to charge over to Hoh, but Ken charged out at them first. “LEAVE HOH ALONE!!” He hit them all with his fist in a single go. “Ow!” “Ah!” “Gakk!” Ken panted heavily and remarked: “Don’t you dare … bully my best friend. Take it on me instead…” The young boy said no more and collapsed on the ground so tired. “Hey, what’s going on here!?” What seemed to be Mr Ahashi, only 6 years younger, rushed to the scene classroom with another teacher. “No fighting in school grounds!! I’m going to give cane whips to all of you!!” Bully One pushed Hoh away and made a successful escape. “Let’s get out of here! I’ll remember you for this … puny boy!” Bully One made a spiteful face. The young five bullies ran out of the school gates while Mr Ahashi tended to a swollen and panting Ken. He wouldn’t open his eyes, no matter what. “Oh, great! We’ve got an injured boy here! Mister Hoh, what just happened!?” He darted at the young Hoh. “Those people just now ... came and beat Ken up! So suddenly! I don’t know why! I tried to help him, but they nearly wanted to beat me! Then … Ken came up and saved me.” Hoh hung his head down. The bespectacled boy had a pat on the shoulder. “Ho ho ho. I see. Well, come with me to my office and we’ll hear all the details. Mr Ahashi, can you send this boy to the nurse’s office and inform his parents of what just happened?” The other teacher was Mr Sanada. Mr Ahashi nodded wordlessly. Ken sighed and Emi looked on. “That was that. Word has it that Hoh informed Mr Sanada of the five bullies, and Mr Ahashi as the discipline board chief, had the five of them suspended from school for a week. They turned their attention on me ever since. If I can, I try to avoid them. Sometimes I tried to stand up for myself, but it wasn’t so good. Sometimes it was good. All for the past 6 years.” The teen looked at the sky. Emi wanted to cry. “I can’t believe it … 6 years of constant bullying … oh, Ken!” She jumped forth and gave him a big hug from his back. “That was so sad …” Ken allowed the ghost girl to hold onto him. Emi had every right in the world to care for him as well. “I’m so sorry, Ken …” She mumbled through tears. “Such trauma … affecting you … no one can blame you.” Ken sighed again. “Well … yeah, I guess so. Back then, after that, I was so obsessed by that trauma that I got my family, Hoh and my teachers worried.” “My mum had to bear with me being emotionally uptight all the time, my father tried so hard just to make me smile since then; my grandfather too. Even Hoh as a friend became closer to me. Mr Ahashi would always scold me for the bad exam results I keep coming home with, Mr Sanada had to be patient with me all the time … it was that bad.” Wei let out a brief and loud snore and then covered her head with her blanket. “Mgm … I’ll get your secrets, Ken … mark my words …” She mumbled and slept again, kicking under the blankets. Her orange table lamp was the only thing switched on in the bedroom. “But you know … the miracle came 6 months ago. Well, a little more than 6 months now.” Ken rubbed his chin. “It was one day when I was walking by the other side of the village after school. There was this small boy who was on the way to a shop …” Ken in his school uniform looked on as the boy was seeking in the mud-filled drains. “Urgh … darn, I dropped my money … I know it has to be here somewhere!” That kid remarked. He kept on wallowing his feet here and there. Ken looked on. “Hey.” The teen called out to the boy. “You need some help?” The boy shook his head and quickly looked away. “No thanks, mister. I just dropped mummy’s purse. It had the money she gave me to buy some groceries. I have to find it fast.” Ken raised an eyebrow. “In that case, I might as well help you.” Ken tucked up his school pants, removed his shoes and socks, then jumped into the muddy drain and assisted the little boy. “Let’s see … a purse, a purse.” He wallowed his hands in the mud. The both of them continued searching for another 5 minutes on. The weather was rather cold on that day itself, even though it was only March and it was spring. Ken observed the little boy shiver while searching for the purse. He unbuttoned his school uniform and covered the little boy’s back. “You’ll catch a cold if you go on without protection.” Both eyes met. “Thanks, mister … I should have worn thicker clothing.” They continued searching for the boy’s purse, and just then, Ken struck gold. “Aha! I think it’s this one!” He pulled his hand out of the mud, and he held something small and pink with a zipper on it. “Oh yes it is! That’s the purse! Thanks a lot, mister!!” The boy smiled. Ken accompanied the boy to the local shops, after they cleaned themselves the best they could, and saw him bought shrimp paste and spicy chili. He even walked the little boy home. During that time, the boy held on tightly to his mother’s purse. “You sure do treasure that purse a lot, don’t you, kid?” Ken asked, to which he was looked at briefly. “Yes … it’s the family’s only thing to keep our money. We’re rather poor and daddy says we must be careful in spending money.” He pointed to his small single-storey home not far away. It was rather shabby looking and had black dirt nearly everywhere. “Oh … I see.” Ken remarked before the little boy continued speaking. “Daddy says we’ll get out of being poor soon, and we can live in a nice big house too. So, he wants us to be strong and act for the better.” “Never allow anyone to belittle you … I think that’s what daddy said. As long as you are true to yourself, you can go to higher places. Even if my family is poor, that mustn’t stop me from doing well in school, playing sports and making friends everyday! Someday I’ll make it to the top and enjoy the rest of my life!” Ken was stunned at the boy’s sincerity. “Oh, we’re here!” The boy walked behind the house gates. “Thanks for finding my mummy’s purse for me, mister!” He disappeared behind the house front door. Ken tucked back his school uniform and stared at the grayish-blue sky. “Be stronger, eh?” Emi had stopped her crying and rested her chin on Ken’s shoulder. “That was amazing …” She remarked as Ken sighed. “Yeah, that boy helped me change everything.” “Since then, I had been thinking. I had a lot of bad luck all these years, but I cannot let it further affect me. I have to be better … if a kid can be strong, so why can’t I? I’ve been improving my character, my studies, future goals … everything. Though I tend to brag sometimes, just like when we first met in the hospital.” Emi nodded at him in agreement. “So that’s what it was.” A familiar voice surfaced in the air. Ken was shocked, as he never expecting anyone to be near him. “That voice … it couldn’t be …” He turned around and found Hoh standing outside the manor gates. Full in orange pyjamas, the bespectacled boy looked onto him some more. “So, that was why you were so glum over the years … and why you suddenly wanted to change 6 months ago.” Emi was shocked and left speechless. “It’s … Hoh. He … heard us talking, Ken.” She too looked on at Hoh, who had a serious face on his face. “I’ve never seen him … this serious before …” Hoh gazed down onto Ken, and their eyes met. “You never told me this.” “Yeah … apparently, I didn’t.” That was all Ken could say. “How long have you been there, Hoh?” “I got out of bed 10 minutes ago and saw you walking outside. I stayed at the corner to listen into your little talk … with the air.” Hoh unexpectedly smiled. “That is the Ken I know. I’m glad … that you are doing things for the best of everything … and everyone. I am very proud of my best friend.” The bespectacled teen smiled wider. Ken couldn’t help but return the smile as well. “Thanks … Hoh.” Hoh suddenly turned to his serious face. “Ken, I want the answers now. I’ve heard everything from the start, since you were talking about the fight with the bullies when we were kids. You can’t be talking to yourself now. More like you were with someone else. I heard a female voice too, crying and displaying remarks. The same voice that I heard from down in the valley back in Meifujang … when we were fighting … demons.” Emi gasped. “You … you can hear me!?” She let out that sentence from her mouth and Hoh turned to her direction. “Yes, you! I can hear you! I heard you since the day I got that weapon thing and flames engulfed me! You’re the same white-silvery blur that I have seen with Ken since we returned to school from the one-week National Holidays!” The bespectacled Hoh become a little jittery. “Who are you!? I know you’re a person! You’re a spirit of the dead, I know it! Why have you been following Ken everyday!?” Ken sighed and looked at Emi. “Come on, introduce yourself. It’s no use hiding it now. You can merge and use my body if you have to.” What he said shocked Hoh. “What was that!? Using your body!? Are you serious, Ken!? Do you know what you are doing!?” Emi nodded with a smile. “I’ll do what I’m told to do. Here I come!” Emi moved and entered into Ken’s body just like that. By Hoh’s vision, he saw the silvery-blur move and envelope the whole of Ken’s body. “Whoa! What is this!?” He exclaimed loudly. Wei tossed to her right side and let out another snore. Her legs kicked around under the blanket. “Huum …” She made some noises with her mouth and was silent again. “Ken … is that you?” Hoh timidly asked. The brown-haired teen raised his head but once you look into those eyes, one can easily tell something is different about him. “Hiya Hoh! It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m so sorry we never met earlier on, but I guess that since you already knew too many hints of me, Ken and I agreed we should talk together!” It was Ken’s voice alright, but very cheerful and more … feminine. A little freaky to listen to a girlish voice of Ken, indeed. “What the … you’re the white blurry entity thingie! What have you done to Ken!? Give him back now!” Hoh demanded with fear. “My name is Emi Takahiro, Hoh. Yes, you are right. Maybe on one occasion of us in that valley full of demons, you had heard my voice. The girl in the newspaper article you read earlier in the evening – that was me. I have been dead for 6 months and counting. I met up with Ken by accident, and the both of us have been together ever since.” Hoh was stunned. “That dead girl? No, it can’t be! How can we humans see or talk to the dead? … Show me some proof! Proof that clearly says you are Emi Takahiro!” “You want proof? I’d be glad to. You read the newspaper article about me, so I think you should be aware of what I’m best at. Let’s see … are there large slabs of rock around? A large boulder can do too …” Emi-controlled Ken looked around the place. “Aha!” She skipped in front to Hoh and suddenly pulled his arm. “Whoa! Hey!” Emi dragged Hoh along a certain path. “I saw this large boulder the other day in the store room while I was floating around the house at night! That boulder should be easy for me to break!” Hoh was shocked. “That rock!? Are you crazy, Ken!? You’ll injure yourself!” Emi didn’t care and barged straight into the store room. There really was a 9-foot-tall boulder at the center of the room. “Ken … take it easy. That’s a boulder. You couldn’t possibly break it to pieces –!” “HIYAAH!!” Emi threw her fist all her might at the center of the boulder. Instantly, the boulder broke into thousands of pieces of disproportionate size. All rubble was blown backwards due to the sheer force of Emi’s attack. “Yikes!” That was all Hoh could gasp out. “I don’t believe it … that boulder … broken to pieces …” Emi looked at her knuckles, slightly red. “Whew … all those training with uncle really worked.” She looked some more at her hand, and then turned to a frightened Hoh. “It’s okay, don’t worry. I won’t hurt you. I am the expert in martial arts Emi Takahiro, after all. If it wasn’t for me, Ken would be beaten to pulp by the five bullies after school.” “After school? I don’t get you – wait a minute, are you talking about the time when!?” Emi nodded to him. “Yes, Ken was angry when the head bully threatened to stab your arm with a knife that time. I couldn’t stand by and watch him get beaten. Someone had to do something.” Emi stared down to the floor. Her face was clearly sad. Hoh sighed. “Alright, I believe you … if you really are the Emi Takahiro.” Emi was happy; she smiled and gave to Hoh a bow. “Thank you, Chesong Hoh! Thank you!” For the coming 30 minutes or so, while Wei was soundly asleep, Emi had control over Ken’s body and told Hoh everything he needed to know since the start. How she first met Ken, the Ultrablast retrieval, a wild chase by Ria, the threat and fight with the bullies, the night Ken was slashed, how demons possessed the five bullies and attacked the trio and the fight with more ghouls and lastly, the trip to Yange – her hometown. Hoh nodded with clear acceptance of everything. “Wow … amazing … no wonder Ken lied to me on many occasions … to cover up for you. It makes perfect sense. This cloaked guy … he wanted us dead? It’s all too strange … both Ken and I have those weapons … sounds bad.” They’re back at the spot where Emi and Ken sat together. “Yes … and what’s worse now … I have a feeling that Wei – Ziwei Chou – may be onto me as well. I really wish we could keep this affair a secret, until she knows too many hints of my existence, that is – just like you. Is it okay with you, Hoh? Please?” She pleaded with a puppy face etched on Ken’s face. Hoh was slightly freaked out. “Sure … why not? Things are already pretty whacky as it is now … things might get worse if we let it loose. … Ken is there, isn’t he?” Hoh stared at Emi. “Oh. Ah, yes, Ken is still here with me. But he’s not talking for now … he wants you to believe in me.” Hoh looked at the green grass on the slope. He inhaled and exhaled calmly. “If that is what Ken wants, then so be it. I trust Ken knows what he’s doing in all this. Hello … Emi.” He was slightly afraid but still held his right hand for a goodwill handshake. Emi smiled. “Thank you, Hoh. It’s a great pleasure to be friends with you too, even if I am dead.” She in turn shook his hand, letting him feel the warmth of her aura and Ken’s, in front of a background of the large river’s water beamed with dim moonlight. “Oh no!” Hoh punched his hands together. Emi and Ken were a little shocked. “What’s wrong? Something the matter?” The ghost girl asked. “Oh … it’s nothing. Just that … I forgot to study this entire trip … I don’t remember … even if I did study, it’s not much.” She shrugged her shoulders with a smile. “Tutoring Ken, wasn’t it? Helping him with the exams?” He nodded. “Ah, don’t worry about it. I think when the time is right … Ken will naturally force himself to work like crazy. Till then … welcome to Yange.” Ken groaned inwardly as the duo shared a little more time together. Great … “Ah? What was that, Ken?” Emi bluntly said in front of Hoh. No … nothing, it’s about the exams … sigh ... maybe I should have studied. But … I don’t know …Continued in Chapter 20. Notes: Tender sweet. Emi even doesn’t know why her leg got stuck; me neither. Refer back to Chapter 4 for bullies wanting to stab Hoh’s arm and the battle and Chapter 7 when Ria chased all three of them. I’m sure you know the other events that you all don’t need reminders of. Wei is indeed suspicious of Ken regarding to Emi – previous Chapter 18. She even indirectly saw her in the hospital in Chapter 11. What will happen next? ------- Fortune and luck. Good ones. And lots of them today. Ehm ... and today I don't have any Youtube music links, but I do have a link of an image which kind of suits my intended description of Emi's northern hometown ... especially, the graveyard scene in the past chapter (though it needs more forests) ... here. Hope this doesn't break the page. The end for now! Stay tuned for the 31st update!
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Post by Professor Fann on Dec 28, 2009 10:04:48 GMT -5
Ladies and gentlemen of the audience, on this day of 28th December 2009, I present to you the chapter update of Chapter 20 today!
Why? Because I will be busy during these coming days and the first few days of the new year of 2010, and thus I do not want to leave a late update behind when the time comes.
Speaking of which, a small announcement, remember when I said you are now reading chapters 15 and onward as an arc "Emi Takahiro's Secret" of this whole story previously? I hereby declare that this particular arc is over, with the updated Chapter of 19!
Just for reminders:
Arc 1 was People Introduction from Chapters 1 to 6.
Arc 2 was Starting Annoyances from Chapters 7 to 14.
Arc 3 was Emi Takahiro's Secret from Chapters 15 to 19!
Yeah, it was a short but exhaustive arc, since a lot happened in these five chapters. And thus, with this update of Chapter 20, I declare the beginning of a new story arc: Arc 4 of Villain Watching By!
Arc 4 is Villain Watching By from Chapter 20 to ??
Tadaa.
Enjoy today's update! Thanks a lot, you folks!
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This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter
Chapter 20: The Soul is Serious This Time
It was 23th September a Sunday. Wei was the last person to wake up from bed, because she enjoyed the warmth under her blankets, and clean herself. “Urgh … wuah.” The girl yawned out after getting dressed in new clothes. “What a great sleep I had … hm? What’s that smell? Is someone … cooking?” She followed the guidance of her nose.
Hoh had the opportunity to cook food on his own, and presented the others, even Emi, a delicious breakfast. Emi was quite happy, having achieved Hoh as not only a new friend, but seeing him as Ken’s spiritual ally. She and Ken both watched Wei enter the kitchen.
“Wow! This is good, Hoh! I didn’t know you can cook!” Wei gorged in on the fried omelette and bacon Hoh made. Ken nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s amazing. Well-made, nothing is bad … it’s delicious.” Hoh gorged on the slice of bacon on his plate.
“Ha ha, thanks. I have been into this stuff lately, so why not give a try now?” Wei looked at him after drinking some water. “No wonder you stopped to buy groceries yesterday.” Likewise, Emi was enjoying herself with Hoh’s cooking from Ken’s plate. “This is so delicious! It’s … wonderful! I’m so grateful for tasting something like this!”
The bespectacled teen turned to Wei. “Say, um … Wei, do you believe in ghosts?” Ken and Emi were dumbstruck hearing that question. “What is Hoh doing …?” Emi merely remarked. Ken in turn asked: “Um ... Hoh, why are you asking Wei that … now?”
Wei scratched her head. “Ghosts, you say? Um …” She placed her fingertip at her chin. “I’m not sure … I guess you can say I believe in the existence of the departed. Though I kind of doubt it. You don’t know until you see one, I suppose.” She smirked. “Heh, what is it now? After that thing with Emi Takahiro, you’re afraid now?”
Ken and Hoh stared at each other. “No … I’m just wondering … with this town always celebrating the Dead Festival annually … it just makes you wonder.” Wei curled her lip. “Hm, good point. I’m done with breakfast! Yum!” She went to wash her own plate.
If only he could see Emi, Hoh was being glared at gravely by her. “That Hoh … is he trying to bring up more trouble concerning me?” She grumbled in her thoughts.
After breakfast, Hoh was preparing to lock up the manor. Well, the manor was cleaned up for his own use for the Dead Festival lodging. “I’ll miss this house … I appreciate dad for still keeping this place.” He locked the metal lock of the front door with the keys he had.
Ken, Emi and Wei looked on. “Aw … cheer up now. Don’t be sad. I’m sure your father still loves this home as well. It’s not like he’s going to blow it up anyway.” Ken kicked his luggage lightly. “We have to go now; can’t waste time here since we’ll be back late.”
With the whole manor locked tightly up and down, the four of them walked all the way to the aerotrain station on the hill. By foot, it took them about nearly an hour’s time. How ironic, compared to that morning when the police officer drove them downwards. Ken panted hard the moment they reached the station. “Man … I’m so tired … gah.”
They bought tickets back to Handao town. While waiting for the train to arrive, Ken taught Hoh how to talk to Emi without using his mouth. He did this practice silently, and he was surprisingly able to get the hang of talking to Emi by merely thinking in his head.
“What a memorable trip. Visiting northern temples, enjoying a greener air, getting to see Ken’s friend … Lucky I risked my weekend study period for all this.” Wei danced by spinning around on the spot. “I’m still onto you! Remember that!” She gazed at Ken.
He was shocked by the sudden proclamation. “Erhm … right. Ah ha ha…” He hung his head down while both Emi and Hoh laughed weakly. “How long are you able to keep this whole thing with her, Ken?” Ken made a tiring face at Hoh. “As long as possible …”
The aerotrain arrived and everyone hopped on it. Along the journey, Hoh took the chance to study the notes on various subjects he had somehow made previously. Wei joined in as she decided that her study ought to begin now. Ken didn’t join in.
“Hey, why aren’t you studying? Didn’t you say that you wanted to change and prove it to your parents that you’re doing things for the better?” Emi asked him. Ken messed with his hair a little and replied: “I’m not really in the mood for it.” Emi was infuriated.
“Ken, it’s not funny! I’ve taken a look at the exam timetable that you left on your table back home the other day, and I’m worried that you can’t keep up! Your exams start on the 7th of October; exactly two weeks from now! Everyday there’s an exam, even on weekends! How can you not be serious about this!?” She stared angrily at him.
Hoh looked up. “Say, Ken, you want to come join us study?” Wei looked on. “Yeah, you should. I heard from Mr Ahashi on the day we left your home that your grades are pretty weak. Don’t you want to do something about them?” Ken was quite stunned.
“Erhm … what else did Mr Ahashi tell you?” Wei gave it a thought. “He said that he was impressed with your academic development in the past … 6 months. He’d hate to have a direct parent-teacher talk with your folks if you mess up this time.”
Ken hated the idea of both his discipline teacher and his parents scolding him, so he had no choice but to join in. “Fine, fine … I’m coming. Lend me some space on that seat, will you?” Hoh adjusted himself so that he was in the middle, Wei on his right and that Ken had enough space to sit on his left. “Alright, let’s start all over for Literature.”
The three of them began to study ancient Literature left behind by the old timer scholars. Altogether they had 35 pieces to study, gathered over 3 years of high school, and the themes vary from friendship to war, beauty of life to betrayal. Ken mumbled.
“Say, isn’t that short tale talking about the Battle of Fawang?” Ken pointed out.
Hoh smiled. “Hey, you’re right. It’s about how a married couple experience difficulties when an old princely state ordered the man’s recruitment into war. He then died in the war and the woman was wailing over his body. She eventually killed herself out of love.” Ken gulped – he wondered if one of those ghouls they fought was him or not.
Emi smiled. “Don’t let it get to you. They’re all taken to the Yellow Springs already. Just study, Ken. You’ll be fine.” The brown-haired teen gave a nod to her and resumed back studying, asking things he didn’t know and forcing his brain to memorize them all.
It continued well into the evening, where the trio had studied different topics on four subjects. Ken was able to correct some faults in Accounting and Literature and Wei had learned something new in Geography and Science. The clock ticked 5.45 pm.
The yellow-orange sun was setting down on Handao town. “Ah, back home again.” Ken stretched his arms and swung his body several times. “Time to hit back on reality … Ria the weirdo is after me and so is that crazy priest Jia from the western altars …”
Wei was confused. “That girl? What do you mean?” Hoh decided that he should explain the situation and did just so. After 2 minutes of talking, Wei made a face of disgust and aghast. “Ria Osada thinks that Ken has a ghost sticking with him? Even a priest is chasing you? As far as Ria goes, I think she’s insane … but as for the priest …”
They walked out of the train station platform in Handao. “I don’t know … priests are revered for their purported insights into the spiritual realm. But to go so far for some time to chase Ken for that is just a little strange. But … what if Ken does have a ghost with him?” She then hit realization. “So, that’s why you asked me that question this morning!”
She stared at Hoh. “Um … yeah … I just wanted your opinion. It’s rare to find anyone to stand up to Ria the weirdo in school. So …” Wei sighed and retorted back. “I don’t know about all this, really! I don’t want to be involved in more mysterious stuff, especially since Ken still owes me an explanation to a series of events!” Ken shivered.
“Confident, are we?” A voice surfaced out of nowhere. Ken and Emi were shocked to hear something that sounded familiar to them. “What the? It can’t be!” He turned around and found a person in ancient grey peasant clothing and a large yellow straw hat driving a chariot, driven by a horse and holding large amounts of hay, on the road in front of him.
“Hey … I’ve heard of you. You must be Han.” Ken looked back as Wei and Hoh looked on between the both of them. Emi’s eyes glittered with worry in them. Han didn’t bother to look at Ken, but merely whipped his horse to get it moving on the road again, but safely from the traffic of trucks and cabs. “That guy … what does he want?”
Hoh was confused. “Ken, who was that?” Ken bit on his finger. “That … was the person who paid my hospital bills. Remember the time a drunkard slashed my body?” The incident struck the trio again. It was truly a horrible experience. Suddenly …
“Ow!” Ken was hit on the cheek by a folded paper plane. “Where did this come from!?” He grabbed the paper plane and opened it. “There’s a note in it. Hmm … ‘I look forward to the next time we get to meet and have a talk properly. – Best regards, Shinjuku Han.’”
Emi remembered. “Oh, right, he wanted to ask a favour from you.” A rough wind blew by all four of them. Wei looked grimly at the scene. “I feel that something is wrong somewhere … there’s too much secrecy in the air … something wrong is here.” She remarked to herself. Hoh felt uneasy with the atmosphere and shivered a little.
All four of them made it back to their respective homes safe and sound. Emi, as expected, stayed on with Ken and joined the rest of the Kazuguchi happy family during dinner, unknown to them of course. “Yesterday was so eventful … thank you once again, Ken.”
“Huh?” Ken was in the midst of looking over his textbooks. “Oh, it’s no problem. I guess curiosity can get you very far.” He continued with his current work while Emi laid on his bed. “I wonder how things will be soon for us all in the future. Sigh …”
The teen stopped his reading. He gazed at the dim moon. “Yeah … Everything is just so uncertain now. With that cloaked guy wanting us dead … he’s planning some sort of ideal … something I can’t understand too well of.” Somewhere far from the village at the same time, a lone wolf by a hill howled loudly at the moon.
The following day – 24th September a Monday. Although everyone had fun going to the north for the weekend, no one really felt like talking about those memories. With all the subjects having concluded in their syllabus, it was time to revise back 3 years of work for all of them. Mr Ahashi took this final examination the most seriously.
“Alright, you bunch of maggots! Listen up again! This year is the year you will sit for the national examinations! These are public exams set by the government that will eventually decide your future in either the Arts or Science class! I will not tolerate failure from any of you! I do not want any delinquents coming out of this classroom, you all got that!?”
He yelled again at the top of his voice to everyone. “Yes, sir …” Everyone merely mumbled back. Mr Ahashi snorted. “Good. Because I expect you lot to behave! Today we are doing this set of questions for practice!” He took out a thick pile of papers from behind his desk and slammed them on the said desk. “Take one copy each now!!”
Wei and Ken were shocked. “We’re supposed to do that much!? In one hour!?” Ken accidentally blurted out, and then covered his mouth. Mr Ahashi darted a sharp eye at him. “Are you crazy, Kazuguchi? I’m not asking you to do 3000 questions in one hour; I’m asking you all to do 100 questions in fifteen minutes!” The class groaned.
Hoh counted in his head. “Theoretically, that means doing a question nearly every 10 seconds. Even I have my limits …” Wei knocked her head on the table. “I wish I was back in my hometown Gaowu … things here are simply too much … why …”
During the one-hour course, the students weren’t able to complete even half of the given questions. The most Hoh could do was only 58 questions, to which all of them were answered correctly. Mr Ahashi decided not to yell at all the students this time, so the class was relieved that they could do the questions as homework.
“Really, that Mr Ahashi, giving us so much work to do …” “It might be a good thing … you are lacking behind recently. Boys and video games.” “What!? Just because I play games, it doesn’t mean I’ve become stupid!” Ken listened on to the random boy’s and girl’s conversation, as well as all the other students during their lunch breaks.
Wei sighed as she chewed on a crab-fishcake. “But I think they’re right. Isn’t Mr Ahashi giving us too much work to do?” The trio had gathered at Hoh’s table. “Well, Class 3-A is Mr Ahashi’s own class, and he’s determined to make the best of all his students.”
“Plus, I think he doesn’t want us to become like what he almost became ten years ago in the future.” That caught everyone’s interest, including Emi. “What do you mean, Hoh?”
Ken asked as he slurped his noodles. “Mr Ahashi used to be a delinquent in his young age in the early years when the Republic was established. He was so bent on alcohol that his family even disowned him and kicked him out due to this age-old habit.”
Wei, Emi and Ken were greatly shocked. Mr Ahashi a delinquent? With his current fierce image, it was impossible to imagine such a thing. “What was that!? That is impossible!” Their conversation wasn’t overheard by the other students. “Mr Ahashi … really?”
“Yeap.” Hoh drank from his water bottle. “Come on, everyone gets through teenhood in their lifes. The gravest mistakes happen here most of the time. Mr Ahashi was in fact nearly left alone to die. Then came along a fat man named Mr Fukuo Sanada.”
“Mr Sanada was able to talk sense into the alcohol-crazy Mr Ahashi back then and the both of them left for the vocational education for adults the government organized for the generations crippled by the Civil War. It was during those years that Mr Ahashi realized the importance of going to school and desired to become a teacher.” Hoh paused.
“I heard both of them enrolled in this school together. That’s why Mr Ahashi and Mr Sanada are always together. So … Mr Ahashi, you can say, is hell-bent on making sure no one ever steps into his path like he had to go through. That may be a reason why he’s so harsh to everyone.” Everyone awed at Hoh’s little tale. “Wow … so amazing.” Wei cleaned out her food container of the hot gravy and placed it in her desk drawer.
Ken raised his hand. “Wait, how did you know about Mr Ahashi’s past? Something like that surely can’t come out so easily!” Hoh mumbled a little before replying: “I overheard him reminiscing about it in the teachers’ office months ago. I kept it to myself since.”
Somehow, unconsciously, everyone else decided to bury that topic and finish up their lunch together. Just then, a familiar person entered the classroom. Bak was panting and had his hands pressed hard onto his head. “Pant … pant … I made it … phew …”
“Bak? What are you doing here?” Hoh greeted him first. The frail dark blue-haired boy tried to talk, but he was breathing heavily. “Ugh … I have a message … Mr Ahashi wants to see Wei … but Ree wanted to come out and beat him up for some reason.”
Wei stood up. “I don’t know what’s all this with multiple personality issues, but I think this merits one thing.” She walked over and gave Bak a tight slap on his head, causing the frail boy to wobble with imbalance. “Ow! Hey, what was that for!?”
He became silent and looked around. “Hey … the pain is gone. Ree is retreating … whoa. Thank you so much, Wei!” Bak gave her a deep bow on the spot, attracting some attention from the other students. Wei blushed a little. “Oh, now … come on.”
She grasped her hands on Bak’s shoulder and made him stand up straight. She had a shock when she saw the facial expressions of Ree greeting her instead. “You … slapped me on the head … I’ll never forget this … honestly, you people are so rude to Bak …”
Wei held back her anger, although the curl on her eyebrows and lips weren’t suppressed. Instantly, Bak was back to normal. “Phew … thank you again, Wei. Ree and Yon are just so hard to control at times …” He then sobbed. “I’ve been giving you so much trouble. I’m going to take my leave now.” Bak held back a tear and rushed out of the classroom.
“Wait … Bak …” Wei called to him and grabbed his hand. “Yeow! Your hands are literally freezing!” She had to let go of Bak and allow the frail boy to run away. “That was one cold hand! It felt like ice!” She exhaled lots of hot air onto it to dispel the cold.
Emi was struck curious. “Cold hands? Again? Just like the first time she met Bak? Oh … right, Wei has some level of spirituality as well. This is interesting … rude to Bak? Could this be something to do with Mr Ahashi, based on what Hoh said earlier?”
The green-haired girl sighed and merely walked out of the classroom. Ken and Hoh looked at each other; both of them unaware that Emi had left them and followed Wei. The ghost girl spotted the location of the teachers’ office and then, allowing her curiosity to get to her, she flew fast through the entrance door. “Wow … it’s so big.”
Mr Ahashi was sitting at a desk at the far corner of the wide and large teachers’ office. Many other teachers were gossiping and drinking coffee, whereas the stern discipline teacher continued his work. She flew past by the tables arranged in two by two.
“That mister Kim … I merely asked him to do me a favour and suddenly, he had this strange reaction. What was that all about? I didn’t do anything – I was only looking at him and he started shaking …” Emi was dumbstruck as he drank his coffee.
“Oh … I guess it’s just Mr Ahashi. With everyone hating him for his fierce looks, I don’t think that even a personality like Ree wouldn’t want to hit back at him. Sigh … although I feel sorry for his past, it doesn’t mean he has to be all fierce and stuff.” She remarked.
Just then, Wei entered the teachers’ office and walked down the layout of desks before finally reaching Mr Ahashi. She stood nervously. “Um … sir, you called me?” The man looked up. “Ah, yes I did.” He compiled a stack of papers before talking to her.
“Miss Chou, I trust everything is alright? Your first day at Aoyaga Private Academy at such an inconvenient time; with the exams coming up and that…” Mr Ahashi compiled some papers and further asked: “Has mister Kazuguchi been causing you any problems at all?” Wei was horribly reminded of the experiences of her first 7 days here.
I got sprayed on my own juice by Bak, witnessed a psycho slashing Ken with a beer bottle, got bound and gagged by five idiots! How are those not problems at all!? Wei screamed out in her head. Plus, Ken is keeping possible relevant secrets which can explain why I’m bound and gagged and why he wanted to go north with Hoh!
“Um … ah, everything is fine, sir.” Wei managed to suppress her anger and utter the lie. “I’ve been fine, thanks.” I suppose I am fine. Hoh allowed me to tag along and go to the north. I had a great time there actually … Mr Ahashi nodded.
“Very well, you may go back to your lunch break. If there is anything you need, you can approach mister Hoh, the class representative, or myself.” The teacher returned to his work and Wei exited the teachers’ office. Emi sighed as she looked on Wei walking.
“Wei … poor girl. I’m starting to feel sorry for her … so much tension in her … What should be done? Ken … we may have to talk to her … about me.” She remarked.
The bell rang and class soon started. The teachers of other subjects began their own revision plans. In class 3-C, the five bullies were wasting their time away idling, much to the teacher’s fury, who threatened to take them to Mr Ahashi again.
In class 3-F, Bak, a cold emotionless Maz and a grumbling Ria were working on their own revision sheets. Bak repeatedly scratched his head with the tip of his wooden pencil, trying to answer a multiple choice question. “Urgh … um … the answer is ‘A’? No …”
He then became happy when he realized the answer to the question was ‘D’, and he happily shaded the circle with the letter ‘D’. “I’m going to make it this year … I’m going to convince the school I can keep up with the seniors and not to demote back me to Grade 1. I’m going for first place in class … no, better. Going to beat Hoh in the whole grade!”
Maz looked away from Bak and returned back to his own paper. “Hm … the answer … is ‘C’ … here we go …” He shaded the correct circle on his answer sheet. The wind blew in from the class’ open window and made him turn to his fraternal twin sister.
“Ria … you’re not doing your work.” He was ignored by her, as she continued to gaze out to the sky. “Mind your own business, Maz. I’m busy.” The cold teen glared his cold yellow eyes at her. “Do you want me … to tell on you … to mum and dad?”
She shot a fierce look at him. “What do you mean?” Maz sighed and rested his right cheek on his right palm. “Dearest sister … you have longed piqued me … with your antics … chasing people because you think they have ghosts … sources of disturbances … with them. Do you honestly think … the teachers won’t notice this?”
“Mr Ahashi rang up the other day … after your little incident with Ken … disturbance in the class … I had to pretend I was dad … just to save your face. If mum and dad find out for real … you’ll be in a lot of trouble. We are a family of mediums … we do not go messing with people … people come to us. You’ve carried this on for years now.”
Ria stuck her tongue out at Maz. “Well, thanks for saving my sad behind, but I know what I’m doing and it’s that Ken Kazuguchi has a ghost lingering on with him! Ghosts and humans are not supposed to stay together! It disrupts worldly balance!” She hissed.
“You’re wasting your time ... dearest sister. No wonder you don’t have any friends … but I do concede that Ken is interesting … flinging Hoh past a road … successfully locking you … out of his class … the boy has brains and brawn.” Max countered.
“You shouldn’t further interfere with what I do then! I do what I feel is right, and the right thing is to cleanse away that ghost that Kazuguchi had with him. Why should you care anyway? We are mediums, and yet, you deliberately ridicule the powers that we have been blessed with! What makes you have the right to stop me!?” Ria hissed.
Maz’s facial expressions never changed a bit when Ria retorted back at him. “That’s because … you are my twin sister … shouldn’t siblings … care for each other as well? Regardless of the so-called powers … I may have … to me … none of these is all real … but what is real … you are putting yourself … and others … in danger.”
Ria held a curled lip. “Grr … right, thank you for caring for me, brother dear, but please! I can take care of myself just fine! Relax, I know what I’m doing and I intend to do it quickly and get it over with!” She returned back to her revision sheets. Maz sighed.
“You are lucky … I have covered for you … all these years … if mum and dad knew … they’ll go ballistic on you … and you’ll cry everyday … some sensible sister you are.” Maz returned to his revision sheet as well. The attempt to stop Ria has failed. Her childishness was probably the reason why Maz was never seen with Ria at all.
Ria scowled to herself while shading the circle with the letter ‘C’. “Ken Kazuguchi … he has a ghost with him, I know it! If mum and dad were here, they’d definitely agree with me! I can’t forget the day he embarrassed me in front of the teachers …”
“Especially that new greenhead girl! That attitude of hers last Friday … and very hot air around her … totally humiliated me! I’ll never forget that … ever.” She nearly cried as continued with her revision sheet. Maz virtually ignored every word she uttered.
The bell rang, signaling the end of another school day. Ken tiredly carried his schoolbag on his shoulder and left his seat. Hoh was waiting for every student to leave the class so that he could lock the doors himself. “Oh, wait. I forgot the textbooks in my desk.”
“Ken, hurry up. The three of us, I mean, the four of us – including Emi” – the ghost girl smiled when she was counted as well – “are going to eat some ice cream at the parlour just down the street.” Ken realized something and looked around. “Where’s Wei?”
“She left earlier than us. Let’s go look for her when you’re done.” With that, seconds later, Hoh nicely locked up the class and walked away to the teachers’ office to hand the keys back to Mr Ahashi. Emi followed behind Ken. “Tough day, isn’t it, Ken?”
Huh? Oh … yeah, today is tough. I have to start revising everything again. The exams are coming up, and they determine the course which I’m going to go for the rest of my life. He walked along the corridors of class 3-F and spotted both Wei and Bak.
“I … I’m really sorry …” Bak let out some tears. “I was rude to you earlier. I apologize on Ree’s behalf.” He hung his head down while crying. Wei sighed with discomfort, but she managed a smile as well. “Look, Bak … whoever you were just now …”
“I don’t really care about any of those … selves, or whatever you call it … but more importantly, it’s you. The current you as Bak. Not someone like Sim or Ree or whoever else you are. I’m just concerned about this plain Bak. So … it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll forget all that. You’re okay with that?” Wei reached her right open hand to him.
Bak wiped his face with the handkerchief he had in his pocket. “Are you sure … Wei? I might just make you angry or irritate you in some way.” She shook her head, disagreeing with him. “I’m confident I’ll be fine. Besides, if any one of you just spring up on me and does something silly at me, I’d just smack them on the head.”
Ken and Emi stared at each other upon hearing the frankness of Wei’s stance on Bak. He nodded happily. “Thank you so much.” He held her hand tight and shook it gently. Wei wanted to let go a yelp due to the purported coldness she felt of it, but she toned down, saying: “Bak … your hand is very cold … how did you make it like this cold?”
The frail boy shrugged. “I don’t know … I feel my own hands are rather warm, probably due to the cold weather.” Wei quickly released it from his grip and shook her hand in mid-air. “Brrrh … so, you want to come with us for some ice cream?”
“Sure!” Both of them met face-to-face with Ken, who in turn ushered them to meet up with Hoh at the teachers’ office. “Alright, ice cream, here we come!” All five, including Emi, climbed down staircases and corridors before walking on the school grounds.
Ken looked around the place and was relieved. Hoh asked: “Hey, what’s wrong, pal? Anything wrong around here?” Emi also looked around. “Uh … I don’t see anything suspicious, Ken. Something got your attention?” Hoh heard Emi’s words just fine.
“Thank goodness the priest Jia isn’t here. Having Ria around is already a pain …” Ken mumbled. “Say, whatever happened to the five bullies? I haven’t seen them anywhere.” He turned to Hoh who in turn replied: “No idea. Guess they’re keeping to themselves.”
Fortunately for Ken and Emi, Jia was reluctantly staying back in his quarters in the western altars, for it was a day to be researching on scriptures … or so it seemed.
Wei pounded her fist. “If I ever see them again … boy, are they in for big trouble.” Bak was nerved by that reaction and shivered a little. Emi wondered: “Cold hands … I hope this is what I think it is.” She remarked to herself as everyone walked.
Unknown to everyone, they were being watched upon by Ria on the school rooftop.
“Just you wait, Ken Kazuguchi. I’m making sure my plan is perfect and you’ll be neatly cleansed of the disturbing ghost who is with you. Ha ha hah …” Ria let out a menacing and short laugh. The sky brewed a thick grey atmosphere.
Continued in Chapter 21.
Notes: Minor tales of each side here and there, but I believe they’ll all converge at one point eventually. Refer back to Chapter 10 for Wei’s observation of Bak’s unusually cold hands and Chapter 7 for a variety of Ria’s and her family’s stats. Enjoy Mr Ahashi’s past. Ria is scheming – what will happen soon?
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And again .... dun dun DUUUN.
I've been evenly spreading out the rush intensity between the chapters after the first arc. The first arc was a good foundation for me, I think, and then allows for the all-out development of the plots to occur well without any confusion and mess.
My final announcement for now is that the updates from now on will be that of twice per month; the first update being in the middle of the month (14th or 15th), and the second being the end of the month (28th or 29th for February, 30rd or 31st for all other months). Thus the next update will be on January 15th.
And ... I think that'll be all for now! Thanks a lot for reading! See you next time!
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Post by Professor Fann on Jan 15, 2010 10:08:21 GMT -5
I am back with the update, folks! Hope you enjoy this one!
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This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter
Chapter 21: The Soul Has a Living Opponent
The cloaked villain walked in front of the same hideously-looking altar. “My lord … the preparations are complete. We have secured millions of allies in the areas of this province just as you have asked. They are now dedicated to the grand ideal.”
His minion ghoul entered the hall. It also continued: “We are currently preparing to mobilize any ghouls we can find in the western and northeastern regions of the lands.” The villain made no reaction for a while, until … “Excellent. We shall meet next time.”
“My lord … what about the human boy and his ghost?” The cloaked villain stopped dead on his footsteps. “Them? We lost thousands of ghouls in the Meifujang valley that night … and they gained an ally in the process.” The ghoul was stunned. “Gasp!”
“Do not worry. I want them dead when the time is right. Continue with the mobilization. We still need more ghouls for the millions more human bodies that await them.” The ghoul still stood where it was. “I have a perfect human candidate to test the humans. A convenient little lady in that school of his.” The ghoul shivered so suddenly.
The following day – 25th September a Tuesday. Ken woke up from his sleep and found himself sitting on his study chair instead of his bed. “Oh right, I’ve been studying all night … I think I dozed off at 3 o’clock.” He stared at his clock, ticking at 6.30 am.
“Good morning, Ken! Rise and shine!” Emi tried to surprise him with a cheerful greeting, but obviously she failed. Ken was feeling dizzy in his head and he walked rather unstably to his bathroom. “Oh dear … Ken, are you alright? Do you think you should take a day off from school?” She sat on his bed, looking concerned at the shaky teen.
“Urgh … yes, I’m fine … a little headache, but that doesn’t bother me … I know I’m taking lots of sleep when the exams are over. I’m eating a lot of seaweed as well. Seaweed keeps me healthy.” Emi made a sour face over the seaweed remark.
The brown-haired teen got dressed and had a rather distasteful meal for breakfast, since he couldn’t get over the headache just yet. Grandpa Ojiro was sleeping on his chair, father Ajima was reading the newspaper and mother Saya gave her son a kiss on the cheek. “Have a nice day in school.” Ken nodded. “Yeah, sure, I will, mum.”
He managed to catch some nice sleep in the aerotrain, but Emi had to yell her head off just to wake him up or else he would have missed the stop. Ken then was on the lookout for anything suspicious – especially the presence of the annoying priest Jia.
“My young boy, please come with me and we can have a talk for a while!” The bald priest suddenly called out to him on the station platform and that roused Ken’s anger. “Heck no! Leave me alone already!” He ran away, and Jia failed to catch him.
Silently, the priest clenched his fist. “That’s it … that boy has tested my patience time and time again. I know I’ll be violating the scriptures for this … but for the sake of the laws, I have no choice but to resort to drastic measures.” He thought angrily.
Ken and Emi made it safely to class soon. A few students were there, including Hoh.
He sat on his chair and placed his bag on the concrete floor. “Sigh … exams … I hope I do well … what’s this letter doing here?” He saw a white envelope in his drawer and took it out for a look. The words he read in Northlands language were: “I Challenge You.”
“Challenge me? Who could this be?” He took out the letter and read its threatening contents. “‘I know you have your little source of disturbance with you, Kazuguchi. Denying or running away from me no longer works. Your persistence is making me angry and if you are smart, I suggest you take it like a man and face me seriously.’”
“‘I challenge you to a fight in the gym at 12 o’clock today. We shall really decide how things will turn out for your little ghost friend. If you do not answer to my challenge, be warned that I am willing to take drastic measures to any of your pathetic little friends. – Ria Osada.’” Ken was stunned upon reading the name.
“This stinks.” He briefly said, and Emi turned very jittery and worried. “She’s really coming after me, Ken! This is bad, this is bad! Hoh said earlier that Ria comes from a family of mediums and they know how to deal with spirits, like me!”
Hoh heard Emi squealing and decided to come in. “Whoa, Emi. What’s wrong? You’re totally fidgeting there.” Ken bluntly showed Hoh the letter of challenge that Ria wrote. The bespectacled teen was aghast. “Oh no! Why didn’t I think of that sooner!?”
“Ken … since Emi is real here … and Ria is able to sense ghosts as she says … isn’t that a threat!? Right from the beginning! Based on my experience, she’ll go after what she wants until she gets it! She’ll never give up on taking Emi away from you, if that’s the case! It’s like a serious confrontation coming soon!” Hoh shivered in his spine.
The ghost girl was similarly worried for Ken. “Hoh’s right! Ria’s not one to give up so easily! Avoiding her like what we did in the past isn’t going to work anymore! What are we going to do!?” The teen sighed. “I’m not sure myself. Confronting her seems fine.”
Hoh nearly jumped in the air on that suggestion. “Are you insane!? She bothered me last time under the same reason, but I was only able to shake her off after I threatened to go to the school principal! But she’s immune to the same old threat now, I believe …”
He took in a deep breath and concluded: “I don’t think you have a chance.” Emi shook her head. “That’s not true. I think you have a chance confronting Ria, well, provided she fights with spiritual weapons somehow …” Emi curled her lip and hung her head down.
“Hmm … good point. But … just for safety issues … I don’t want anyone to butt in while I’m confronting Ria myself. That includes you, Emi and even Wei. I’m going to try and end this.” He put the envelope back in his drawer, just when Wei entered the class.
The bell rang and the lessons had started. Throughout the whole four hours of teaching, Ken had a serious, half-open-eyed face, and he made Emi worry even more. She was told to not interfere, or even be with him at the gym. “Ken … you’re doing this for me …”
Soon, the bell rang again and it was lunch break. Wei got Hoh into her conversation about directions in Shijun city she didn’t know. Ken refused to participate in their talk and ate up everything in his lunch box. “Sigh … alright, here we go …” He stood up.
“I’m going to the gym for a while. I’ll be back in twenty minutes or so.” Ken said as he put away his lunch box. Hoh had a grim look on his face and Wei looked on. Ken exited the classroom and began to walk down the corridors. Wei’s super-sleuth sense kicked in and she felt that yet another something-wrong-to-be incident was happening.
Wei slammed her hand on the table. “Alright, Hoh. You’d better tell me exactly what’s going on. I can tell by your looks that you’re keeping a secret, something to do with Ken.” She flashed her tight fist at Hoh and he gulped. He was already cornered.
Ken secretly entered the gym through a back door and proceeded to the main hall, which had some basketball courts. He was already spotted by the freak of a girl.
“Hah! Ken Kazuguchi! You’ve come I see! How apt for the man you should be!” Ria stood in the middle of the basketball court. On the floor beside her lay a long rectangular container, which could fit a big violin in it. The doors shut tight; the sounds thus echoing ominously in the empty place. “I’ve made sure that no one will interrupt us!”
The teen sighed. “Right … look, I have no idea what you are talking about with all this stuff about me having a ghost with me. I just can’t stand you because you’re acting weird for something weird and … non-existent.” He immediately ignited Ria’s anger.
“What was that!? I dare you to say that in front of me again!” She reached down to her large container and wielded a large 3-foot-long axe. Ken was stunned – a fight Ria said and a fight she meant, but he never expected live weaponry in his face.
“You’re really crazy!! How’d you manage that in school!? Those are forbidden by the rules! You could be expelled from school!” Ria smiled. “I can always smuggle it in day in and out, and the school never knows how I always hide them. No one can ever trace it. These weapons are part of my family collection. We are … mediums after all.”
Wei was shocked. “You’re saying Ken is going to face that girl alone? In a challenge? Why didn’t you stop him and ask him to ignore a ridiculous message!?” Hoh stared blankly at Wei. “Come on now … you saw her chase me and Ken twice already. Ria’s the type who doesn’t quit until she gets what she wants. He wants to stop this himself.”
“But a challenge!? If I’m not mistaken … I saw her in class 3-F last time and she was tending to something long – I think it’s a sword or something, I only saw a small part of shining metal through a hole on that black wrapping cloth …” Hoh was shocked.
“A sword!?” He covered his mouth before he lost control of the volume of his voice, and then whispered. “A sword? A fight? Was she planning this all along? I don’t think he can handle it on his own. We need to help him!” Similarly, Emi was shocked.
“No! Ken can’t handle something like that on his own! He needs my help for this! That boy!!” Emi dashed out of the class past some students, and Hoh spotted the ghost girl of a blur white light. “Hey, wait! I’m coming too!” He yelped, gaining others’ attention.
The bespectacled boy rushed toward the class door and Wei got anxious. “What? Hey, wait for me! What do you mean you’re going ‘too’!?” She got off her seat and exited the class as well. Other nearby students commented: “Wei the new girl … she’s been with Ken and Hoh …” “Where are they going?” “Who cares?” “Hmm…” “Strange…”
“RAAHH!!” Ria was definitely a speedy one, for she attacked relentlessly by swinging her axe in any direction possible so long it’s to do with harming Ken. “Spit it out, Kazuguchi! You know you have a ghost with you! Hand it over to me now!”
“Gah!” Ken exclaimed, dodging the axe that nearly hit his head. “Get off of me!” He rolled on the floor. “Running away, eh!?” Ria took out darts from her pocket and threw it at him. “Yikes!” Ken quickly got up and ran away from the darts that stabbed the floor.
“Are you nuts!?” Ken had past experience in fighting ghouls before, so he was able to dodge all of Ria’s attacks. “I have no idea what you are talking about! I just came here to say that!” He avoided her and made a move to stop the axe. “Aha! Gotcha!”
He held onto the axe’s body tightly, close to where Ria’s own grip was. Ken exerted some muscle and forcibly halted her from swinging her axe dangerously. “What you’re doing is wrong! I have no ghost with me or anything like that! Stop all this nonsense!”
Ria made a strange eye at him as they struggled. “Look at that … that hot aura emanating from your body … it has a smell of a ghost on it … ghosts are all meant to be bound for the Yellow Springs … for judgment!!” She exerted her own strength so suddenly.
“Huh!? Whoa!!” Ken was caught off-guard and had no choice but to release his grip on the axe. He threw himself backwards and crashed on the floor rolling. “Admit it! You have spirits with you!! RAAH!!” Ria lunged forth her axe. “What the!? Whoa!!” Ria slammed the axe’s blade onto the floor, creating a large dent.
“You really are insane!” Ken rolled on to his left and Ria began to behave wildly as she damaged the floor with more dents with her axe. “We can end this, Kazuguchi! Hand me over your little ghost now! I can do this all afternoon, for all I care! Gah hahahahah!!”
“Urk!!” Ken managed to get up before he was nearly hit by the axe’s blade. “Gah, I don’t think I can hold on to this for long!” The teen groaned as he ran far away from Ria. The fanatic girl realized what he was trying to do. “Don’t think you can escape!!”
As Ken ran to the opposite side of the court, Ria dashed towards her large container and pulled out a multitude of knives. “Take these!” With full strength, she threw all 7 small knives darted to the teen. “Oh no! GAAHH!!” Ken gave a shout at it as he barely dodged all those knives, which pierced tightly into the gym’s wall to his left.
“This ends now! Give me your ghost or else!!” Ria held harder onto her axe weapon and charged towards a rolling Ken. “Argh! Ommff! Ugh! Ow …” Ken was very, having no energy left to carry himself up. “Urgh … no good … convincing her to stop this is bad … Hoh was right … Ria won’t stop till she gets what she wants.”
“Gwah hahaHAH!!” Ria turned more insane by the second. “This is the price you pay for refusing to oblige, Ken Kazuguchi! You should have just admitted that you have a ghost with you and we would be through with this business!” She aimed her axe down on him.
One of the gym back doors slammed open, and came bursting forth an anxious Wei, a worried Hoh and an unseen Emi. “Hey, stop that fight this instant!” Wei yelled out at the duo. “Wei, we’re too late! Ria wants to stab Ken herself!” Emi couldn’t take it anymore. “AAAHHH!! THIS IS NOT HAPPENING!!” She gave a loud scream.
She darted instantly and entered Ken’s body. Ria sensed a presence darting at very fast speeds, but she couldn’t see Emi at all. A tired-looking right arm reached out to the axe Ria was holding and it repelled the fanatic medium briefly. “You … evil witch …”
Emi-controlled Ken slowly rose up from the floor. “Don’t you ever … dare try to harm this boy … ever again.” She made an angry glare at Ria, who in turn was shocked. “Who … who exactly are you? Wait! Could it be that you are –!?” Wei only looked on.
“Don’t change the topic! You are deliberately hurting this boy!” Emi-controlled Ken snatched the axe away from Ria and dashed towards the black container in the middle of the basketball court. Yes, that’s the one! It has all sorts of weapons in it!
“I hear you, Ken.” Emi whispered through his lips and grabbed onto the container. Ria was starting to be very anxious. “Wait … what do you think you’re doing to my stuff?” She trembled. Emi smiled. “I intend to teach you a lesson, that’s what I’m doing!”
Emi rapidly threw up all the items in the container, one by one, into the air above her. “Don’t you know such things are not allowed in school!?” Emi jumped into the air and started doing miraculous things – she used her fingers to bend, crush and destroy every single blade and break them further into thousands of metal pieces.
Wei rubbed her eyes. “What the!? What am I seeing!? Is this even possible!?” For the first time in her life, she witnessed a great feat of combat seemingly impossible.
Hoh beamed proudly and muttered to himself: “As expected of Emi Takahiro … like the time she destroyed a boulder in my dad’s home in Yange.” Emi continued on without hesitation. “Graah!!” She broke the last mini knife into two pieces and threw them onto the floor below her. “NO!! MY FAMILY’S TREASURES!” Ria screamed out loud.
Emi landed softly on the ground. “If you treasure it so much, why bother bringing it to school then?” She spoke in a cold and angry tone to Ria. “I’m warning you, Ria … any more of these stunts and you may be experiencing worse from me.” Ria fell on her knees to the floor and wept. “My family’s treasures … all gone in seconds …”
“Urgh … it’s over.” Emi panted through Ken, as using his body caused her to be a wee bit tired. Wei and Hoh rushed over to the panting entity. “Come on! Let’s get you out of here before someone else finds us here!” Hoh dragged Ken by the right hand and while they ran towards the door the duo burst through earlier, Wei looked back.
“Hey, what about Ria? Shouldn’t we do something about her!?” Hoh was aghast. “Are you crazy!? I don’t want to be with her when the trouble comes!” The trio ran along, not living a drop of care to Ria, who was weeping and gathered hatred in her heart.
“It was that being … the same being who followed Kazuguchi since I first saw him … I knew it … sob … that boy had the nerve to lie to me … I’ll make him pay for this … I’LL MAKE HIM PAY!!” Ria screamed out all her might in the empty gym.
The trio rushed out and stopped their running in the school cafeteria, where other students had gathered to eat their own lunch. The clock ticked 12.45 pm, so class hasn’t started yet. All of them panted and it was before not long that Wei burst out her heart.
“Ken, what was that all about!? Flinging knifes in the air, destroying them all with your bare hands; how did you do all that!? I hate to say this, but it was so cool just to see all that! You’ll rarely find anyone who can do all this!” Wei stared at him with wide eyes.
Emi wordlessly gave Ken his body back, thus allowing him to reply. “Um … let’s just say I had a little help. I think we should … just go back to class.” Wei was frustrated. “No, Ken, I want answers now! After what I’ve just seen, I don’t think I can so easily drop this whole issue from my mind! What exactly has been going on all this while!?”
Ken … I was beginning to think that you should tell her … she’s bearing a lot in her mind and … she’s really upset about the fact she’s not being informed when she’s part of this whole thing as well. It’s okay … go on. Emi made her plea to him. “Ah …”
The brown-haired teen sighed to his inhabitant. “Alright … you want to know everything, right Wei? Fine … I’ll tell you.” Wei gulped and tried her best to contain her excitement.
Hoh was very anxious by that announcement. “Pal, are you sure? How do we know that Wei will feel disgusted by what you’re going to say? I found it hard to believe myself until … you had to break that large boulder in my father’s Yange manor!”
“Come on! Bring it on! Just tell me everything! So long it explains a lot, I’ll just accept anything! Come on, just tell me already!” Wei’s frustration, anger and suspicion vanished in one go and were replaced with impatient excitement. Hoh was shaking in fear of the possible outcome of this conversation. “Yes, Hoh … Wei has the right to know.”
“Alright!” The green-haired girl nearly jumped in the air, and the trio were literally oblivious to the stares of some of the students in the cafeteria. “Finally! I get to put this entire thing behind me and get on with my proper new life in this city! Bring it on!”
Ken coughed lightly. “Alright … first of all, by chance are you able … to see or feel anything strange around you?” Emi remembered something at the right timing. Good one, Ken! I believe Wei might just have the same type of spirituality like Hoh!
“Huh? Oh … something strange … you know, I always felt Bak’s hand as cold as ice. Hoh here says that it’s warm instead. Isn’t that odd?” Wei pointed a fingertip on his chin and looked at the cafeteria ceiling. “Yes, something like that. Is that relevant?”
“A little of it, yes. So … when you’re looking at me now, do you see anything … odd? Feel anything that’s warm?” Before Wei even got the chance to say anything, Hoh interrupted: “I hate to break it to you, but class is starting in five minutes.”
Indeed, the clock had ticked 12.56 pm. Emi sighed. Ah … delayed again. I guess we should just go back to class now. Both Wei and Ken groaned. “Wei … if it’s okay with you, can we talk about this after class? You might really need time to think it over.”
The student masses had begun walking out of the cafeteria whereas the three of them remained standing where they were. “Fine, we can talk after school. I don’t intend to think this over. I’ve seen too much to just keep it all a secret. I want to know everything … as long as it explains everything in the end.” Having said that, she walked away.
Hoh made a blank face. “So much for that. What are you going to do now? Like I said, I think Wei will find it hard to believe that Emi is with you at all. I only believed when I saw her break that large boulder …” Ken smiled. “We’ll find a way somehow. That Wei has to believe that Emi is here. There’s no other explanation. We just need time.”
The duo were the last people to leave the cafeteria. Two straight hours of classes had begun. Ken heard nothing from Emi during the time, except for the one instance 10 minutes before the first class ended. Ken … you dummy … you had me worried …
Realizing that Emi was talking to him, he whispered under his lips. “Yes, Emi?” The ghost girl sobbed. You had me worried … I was so worried for you … Ria could have killed you! You saw her yourself! She really is crazy enough to even try to kill you just because you’re covering for me!! How could you let yourself get into this kind of mess!? I was the only one who could protect you that time! YOU GOT THAT!?
She screamed back at him inside his head. “Urgh …” He whispered some more. “Alright, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t want you there because Ria could have sensed you and would have done something … to you.” Emi sobbed some more before she calmed down a little.
But either way … you’ll still need me to protect you in the end. Please, Ken … I’m asking you a favour … as a friend. Please … let me be with you all the time. Just like back home … I can’t leave you just like this … let me be with you … please.
Ken initially said nothing, but nodded. “Alright, I understand. Do as you see fit.” Emi emitted a very welcoming aura that enveloped Ken into a sensation of warmth. Thank you, Ken … this means to me a lot … thank you. She never spoke since then.
Pretty soon, the school bell rang again. Everyone cheered as school ended and they got the chance to relax from a day’s hard work of revising for the coming national exams. Ken observed as the five bullies of class 3-C turned their eyes away in fear from the sight of him standing at the corridors. Still afraid of you, aren’t they?
The teen scratched his head. “Yeah, I guess you can say that. When you obliterated that piece of timber log to a million pieces, that was enough to scare them.” He met up with Bak and Maz from class 3-F. “Hello again Ken … all set to go home?”
“Um … not just yet … I’m waiting for Wei and Hoh … they’re straightening out some material for revision.” Bak rubbed his head hard upon hearing the word ‘revision’. “Urgh … I don’t think I can handle it.” Ken laughed. “Don’t worry, Bak. I’m sure you can.”
“Urgh … thanks, Ken.” Maz and Bak turned around to head for the staircases. “Oh … before I forget … Ken … watch out for Ria … she seems to be in a bad mood today … she kept on rambling about you … I’d be careful if I were you … I can’t control her all the time.” Ken’s face turned serious and he nodded. “Thanks for the tip, Maz.”
“Any time … any time at all.” The silver-haired teen merely walked away, keeping that cold emotionless face on. Emi was disturbed by that constant glare. Really … he never changes his facial expressions at all. It’s annoying me. Ken chuckled at the remark.
“Alright, Ken. I’m waiting.” Wei suddenly popped in front of him, while Hoh locked the classroom. “Urgp … alright, returning back to my earlier question … are you able to see or feel anything … warm about me?” Wei was confused, but tried to answer him.
“Well … you’re a little warm. I might sound completely stupid saying this, but … I think you’re a little … white.” Ken and Emi gulped simultaneously. There it is. She can see and feel our body auras. I was surprised, however; she never said anything about seeing me. This might be interesting after all. Ken sighed. “Wei, the thing is –”
Suddenly, something just came up to the trio so fast. Before she knew it, Wei was roughly taken away, bound by cuffs on her hands, cloth strapped to seal her mouth and brought away by a lifting trolley. The culprit was Ria. “WEI!!” Ken shouted.
“What was that?” Hoh wasn’t paying attention. He spotted the familiar-looking Ria and realized with shock. “Oh dear … Ria’s still onto you, Ken! Now, she’s taking drastic measures to get you to submit to what she wants! I know it is; it has to be!”
“Then, we have to follow Ria and make sure she doesn’t do anything to Wei! Come on!” Fortunately for them, the corridors were empty, so Ken and Hoh were free to run as they pleased. They passed by several classes and even the teachers’ office, but there were no signs of any teacher present. This is strange … all too quiet …
The great goose chase started. As observed earlier, the entire place was strangely void of people – students, teachers and even the janitors. “Heh heh … it’s working just fine.” Ria grinned to herself, pushing the nabbed Wei on the trolley many turns and twists. Finally, she reached a staircase of ominous atmosphere, leading up to a dark place.
For the green-haired girl, she decided it best not to say anything, or it could provoke Ria and make her do … bad things. She watched on as the fanatic Ria miraculously made it in such a way that she was able to push a trolley up the staircase. “Mmmpphhmm!”
She could only mumble as Ria pushed her upwards to the top staircase, and an open door was in sight. “Don’t try you can run away, Ria!!” Ken gave a shout as the both of them ran up the stairs. “There’s an open door!” They burst out into the outside world.
They were now on the rooftop. A large open space of white floor tiles and green fence nettings. Ria managed to reach the far end of the place and pushed Wei to a halt. “RIA!” Hoh shouted. He, Ken and Emi confronted Ria, each at the far ends of the rooftop. “I now have your attention, Ken Kazuguchi. My plan worked. The bait was very good.”
Ken was infuriated. “What!? You used Wei as bait to lure me here!? Are you asking for some more trouble!? Give back Wei now! She has nothing to do with us!” Ria made an evil smile. “Why don’t you come here and get her before I stab this thing into her little neck.” She took out a sharp stick and Wei fidgeted even more. “Mmhppggmmm!!”
“That’s it! You’ve gone too far, Ria! To the extent of threatening an innocent person! Raahh!!” Ken dashed straight ahead of Hoh and was going for Ria. Hoh noticed something odd on the rooftop floor. “Wait, what is that? Ken, watch out!”
Ken turned his head to Hoh while running. “What did you say!?” Before he knew it, it was too late. A large purple circle with a lot of symbols and Northlands words on them glowed an eerie bright purple in his eyes the moment he stepped on it.
Instantly, he felt he was paralyzed all over and was unable to move. “GAAAHH!!” AAAHHH!! Hoh watched the horror as nine tentacles erupted from the design and gripped hard onto Ken’s body. “What the!?” He could only shout that out as he watched two extra tentacles pierce in Ken’s body via his spine. “What is this I’m seeing now!?”
Ria laughed as a strong gust of wind blew on the rooftop. “Hah hahahahah!! You’ve fallen into my trap! This is a dark magic sketch described in ancient texts my family has learned and accumulated over the generations that is designed to extract any soul I want! In particular … that other soul you have in your body, Ken Kazuguchi!!”
AAAAH! I feel horrible!! Something is pulling me out of you! Ken, help!! The ghost girl felt that her hands and limbs, usually in a union with Ken’s flesh, were being torn apart by force. Unknown sharp feelings struck her everywhere. AAAH!!
“Don’t worry, Emi! I won’t let you out! URRRGH!” Ken tried to reach control over his muscles to force Emi to remain inside his body. Realizing the severity of the situation, Hoh got angry and decided to charge at the tentacles. “I’m going to take those things down!” His machete weapon appeared instantly in his firm grip. “GET LOST!!”
Ria made an angry eye. “Don’t try to interfere!” More tentacles erupted from the dark magic design and reached out towards Hoh, attempting to stop him for Ria. “No one must interfere with the soul extraction process!” Wei was too frightened to even mumble.
“I don’t care! I want my best friend back!!” Hoh shouted with dreadful eyes as he faced the incoming slimy tentacles on his own; his weapon whirling fiercely in his hand.
Continued in Chapter 22.
Notes: Showdowns with Ria Osada. Those tentacle things are something only Hoh and Ria can see – a spiritual thing, not physical objects. I hope you still remember the issue of Wei feeling Bak’s hands as cold, so you don’t have to refer to previous chapters. Breaking a boulder in Yange – refer to Chapter 19. Stay tuned for the incoming fight!
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I bet you folks love action, right?
That should be all for now. Unless any of you have any queries ... and you're welcome to ask. Thanks a lot for taking your time to read! Stay tuned for the next exciting update!
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Post by Professor Fann on Jan 30, 2010 12:50:17 GMT -5
Hello everyone. It's the end of the month of January 2010, and this time I'm bringing you all the update of Chapter 22. Hope you like action. I miss my dearest reader mgx0 ...
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This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter
Chapter 22: A Surprising Ally for the Souls
Hoh was furious, for Ria had trapped Ken in a dark magic soul extraction design that threatened both Ken and Emi. He attempted to free them from the paralysis and drew out his machete weapon, charging towards Ken. “Leave Ken alone, you weirdo!!”
He destroyed the tentacles with the sharp rotating machetes. “I’m going to free Ken now and there’s nothing you can do about it!” Ria was stunned. “How dare you! You dare to interfere with the fulfillment of the scriptures? You must be stopped! HAH!”
URGH! AAAAHH!! It hurts! It hurts so much! Ken, help! I think I’m being forcibly pulled out! GAAH! Emi screamed in his head. Ken struggled, but he was paralyzed by the dark magic arts, so he couldn’t do anything. “Ugh … I’m trying … can’t move …”
Ria took out a talisman with an ancient text written on it and pressed two fingers onto it. “Take this!” More of those tentacles erupted from the dark magic circle and charged towards Hoh. “Gaahh!!” Hoh shouted as he pierced many tentacles with the rotating machetes. “You can’t stop me, Ria! Ken’s my friend and he needs me!”
Wei was extremely afraid of what she saw. The air around her was strangely and eerily purple-black, Ria was laughing evilly and had a paper enveloped with black spots on her hand, Hoh was struggling with a lot of wriggly black objects and he had something golden in his hands. “What … what is all this about?” She mumbled under her lips.
“Thunder strike!” Hoh gripped tightly on his machete weapon and the rotating machetes began to gather light onto a certain spot. He slammed the machetes onto the floor, triggering a series of eruptions of lightning bolts that pulverized all the tentacles.
“What!?” Ria was shocked. All tentacles were destroyed, including the two piercing into Ken’s spine. “AAAH!!” Ken gave a loud shout and collapsed on his knees and hands. “Free … thanks, Hoh. I owe you one.” The purple-black atmosphere vanished.
“No problem, pal. You saved my life twice. It’s the least I can do.” Hoh panted from his use of much energy. “We have to get Wei out of here now!” Ken nodded. “I agree with you. Hah!” His sabre sword weapon appeared in his firm grasp.
Wei shivered even more. “The black air is gone … now Ken has a shiny thing in his hand … AAAH!! What’s going on!?” The green-haired girl screamed to herself in her mind. Ria was disgusted. “I failed to extract the meddlesome spirit … and it is entirely your fault! Ruined my family treasures … humiliated me in all my pride … GAAH!!”
She took out more of her yellow talismans, written with ancient scripts on them, and muttered incantations from them. Wisps of dark magic smoke surfaced from those paper bits and began to take the forms of small daggers, swords and javelins.
“Ria, you’re being ridiculous! Nabbing Wei, even when she has nothing to do with this!” Ken shouted back to her, as he destroyed a dark magic dart. Hoh whirled his rotating machetes, slicing apart javelins and long swords that charged towards him.
“We just want Wei back! We can forget that all this happened! Just leave us alone, like you did with the rest of us students!” Ken made a plea as he destroyed a dark magic pole. Ria laughed with a drop of insanity. “Do you think I’m stupid? Leave you alone when you clearly have a ghost that ought to be sent to the underworld!? Hah!!”
Ken swung his flaming sword in circular revolutions in the air, dissipating all incoming dark magic to nothingness. “Hah!” He fired several flame shots at the large swords just behind Hoh, which burned till they were destroyed. He then glared hard at Ria.
“I’m not going to hand anyone to you, Ria … even the ghost in my body.” Ria’s eyes widened. “Aha!! I knew it all along! You had a ghost with you all this time!” She flung a metal rod she earlier picked up from the ground towards Ken’s head. “URK!!”
Ken’s right hand reached out and strongly grabbed onto the rod. A different Ken surfaced this time. “You witch … didn’t I say earlier … you’ll get it worse when you try to harm Ken again?” His voice has a more dangerous tone in it – it was Emi speaking to her.
“IT’S YOU!! The ghost!! You can have your friend back, Kazuguchi, but I’m not going to stop until I get that ghost out of your body!” Ria rushed towards Ken’s left, to the fences. She muttered some more incantations and rallied a lot of dark magic smoke to surround Ken from far away. They took the form of black spiked wrecking balls.
“Let’s see you deal with this while I deal with your friend over there! Gyah!” She slammed her hand on the floor and instantaneously, all those wrecking balls came crashing down onto the teen. Oh no! Ken, watch out! The teen held his sword even harder.
“Enough of all this fighting! Have some of this!” Ken charged up his sabre sword and released waves of flames in all directions. “Urk!” Ria hissed as she jumped out of the way. The multitude of dark magic broke into millions of pieces. But something terrible occurred – some flames headed straight for Wei and they had hit her bull’s-eye.
“AAHH!!” Wei felt hot all over, as though she was being burnt alive. Her hands were wrecked, her eyes felt like fire and her head were roasting. “So hot! Burning … all over!” Ken was horrified and so was Emi. Ken … Wei’s burnt alive! No!! Ken!!
“Oh heck … WEI!!” Ken rushed over, destroying incoming bits of dark magic along the way. Hoh remained clashing with Ria’s darting dark magic. “Wei! Are you alright!?” Ken seemed to have forgotten that his sword was a spiritual object, not a physical object, so naturally he slapped himself on the head when she saw Wei’s fine physical condition.
“Silly me … I forgot about it.” He quickly untied Wei’s cuffs and the cloth strapped onto her mouth. “Cough … cough … urk, what happened … what did you do to me?” Some tears were close to dropping out from her eyes, and Ken regretted having fired strong flames from his sword without seeing ahead. “Wei … I’m really sorry …”
The wind blew stronger. Bad weather was starting to brew as grey clouds gathered over Chaoge town. The school clock ticked 3.12 pm. “We’ll get you out of here once we deal with Ria and end this mess. Scream at me all you want later … I’m still going to tell you all the answers you want to know, though.” He dashed away from her.
Ria gave a wild laugh. “You boys just don’t know when to quit, don’t you? Very well! I’ll gladly do this even till night!” She muttered some more incantations and more dark magic smoke surfaced and began to assume forms. Hoh shook a little seeing that.
“Hoh! You okay?” Ken approached the bespectacled teen. “Um … yeah, except that a lot more dark magic is coming this way!” He stuttered back at Ken. The brown-haired teen sighed. “Listen, try and fight back the dark magic a little more. I’m letting Emi out!”
Huh? What do you mean, Ken? Ken turned his sight to the talismans Ria held in her hands. “Ria is controlling the dark magic with those pieces of yellow paper. While Hoh is busy dealing with dark magic, you can go get them and tear them up, Emi!”
Ah, of course! Leave it to me, Ken! Just relax and let me use your body! Hoh nodded as well and replied: “I’ll try and do my part! Work hard, you two!” Ken made a thumbs-up at him and rushed towards Ria. “Here we go!” His sword vanished.
Emi grasped control of his body and sped forward to Ria. “What!? How dare you assault me!?” Ria summoned forth more dark magic and fired them all at Emi. “I got you there!” Hoh said as he shredded the dark magic bits with his machete weapon.
“I’m coming for you, witch!” Emi shouted to Ria, stretched her left hand in an attempt to snatch away the talismans. Ria picked up the metal rod Emi had let go of earlier. “Don’t come near me, ghost!” She flung it to strike Emi but the ghost girl repelled it instantly.
The metal rod was thrown far away from them. “Hand those talismans over now, or we’ll do this the hard way!” Ria smirked back at her. “Gladly!!” Ria turned out to be a good combater as well, for every swipe of Emi’s attacks, she was able to avoid them. However, Emi was far more experienced in martial arts, so Ria could barely do so.
“Tsk!” Emi grunted as she increased her attacking speed. Her hands started to move really fast, until they seemed blurred. Ria gritted her teeth as she dodged Emi to her left. “You’re bothersome, you know that!? Go back to the netherworld where you should be!” She tried to kick Emi’s leg but missed, since Emi jumped high into the air.
“What!? How am I bothersome to anyone? You’re bothering everyone, as far as I have seen!” Emi stomped her feet on the floor and grabbed hold of Ria’s right leg. “Rah!” She yelled as she reached her other hand towards the talismans. Ria avoided Emi’s moves by swinging her hand, which was holding the talismans, in various directions.
“You’re just a ghost! Why bother possessing this poor boy’s body!?” Emi was infuriated with that comment and clenched harder on Ria’s leg. “AARGGHH!!” The fanatic girl screamed in pain, while Emi retorted back. “Just a ghost? JUST A GHOST!? I was once human like you too, you witch!!” Ria used her left leg to kick Emi. “Hmph!”
“OWW!!” She was hit in the stomach, but then managed to balance herself up. “The difference between us is that you are dead and I am alive! The dead and the living should never mingle! It’s all according to the holy scriptures!” It was Ria’s turn to attack her.
The bespectacled teen repeatedly swung his rotating machetes to counter all incoming dark magic. “The dark magic is getting bigger in size! Please hurry, Emi!” Giant dark magic sword forms pierced into the rooftop floor. “I’m trying my best, Hoh!”
Emi turned back to Ria as they engaged in hand combat again. “Forget the scriptures! I’m staying with Ken all the way, and nothing’s going to change that!” Again, Ria managed to pick up the same metal rod, but Emi, being much quicker, snatched it away.
“Hey! How rude!” Ria remarked. Emi retreated a few steps backwards and held the rod in both her hands. “I’ve trained with the toughest martial artist in the northern region since the days of the Civil War. I was taught how to manipulate my energy to be able to do unusual feats. Let’s just say … this metal rod here is one of your bones.”
In a second’s blink, Emi twisted the rod and even broke it into half, stunning both Ria and Wei. The green-haired girl shivered in fear and cowered at the nearest slab of wall she could reach. “That’s … that’s really scary … I didn’t know Ken can even do that … wait a minute, Emi … Emi … Emi Takahiro. Where have I heard that name before?”
“AAAHH!!” Hoh gave a scream as he pulverized through a giant dark magic blade form, which disintegrated in the air. Emi turned to briefly see Hoh’s sorry state. “Ria … I’m giving you another chance. Surrender your talismans to me now, or else.”
The fanatic girl’s body started to shake. Her eyes were full of fear and fright. “RAAHH!” Ria let out a loud scream. “Die you ghost, die!” She rushed forth with a real knife in her hand and attempted to slash Ken’s body. OH NO! EMI! Ken called out to her.
“Don’t worry, Ken! You’ve seen me destroy timber, a boulder and her family treasures; a knife should be no problem!” Emi engaged in combat with Ria again, determined to brush off the fanatic girl. “Don’t worry, Hoh! As soon as I tear those talismans apart, we’re getting out of here instantly! That way, Wei will still be safe with us!”
Wei started to move away from the wall she leaned on so closely and stared on as Hoh waved his shiny thing, tearing apart incoming black objects and Ken, body glowing of white light, using hand combat against Ria, who also retaliated with hand combat. “This is insane … it’s gotten out of hand … I … I can’t just ignore them!”
She hissed under her breath. “I’ve been dragged into this mess already and Ken and Hoh are risking their lifes saving me … this madness caused by Ria has to stop!” She took up another nearby metal rod, a little dented, into her hands. “I’m going to try and knock Ria out … even if I may get suspended for this, at least I’ll stop this madness now.” She panted. “I wouldn’t do that … if I were you, my dear girl.” A voice trembled in the air.
“You intend to do something for your friends … who risked themselves to save you?” The voice continued. Wei was shocked and looked around with suspicion. “Who are you!? Where are you!?” The voice smiled. “My girl … only you can hear me.” Wei breathed harder. She saw Ken and Hoh clashing weapons with Ria’s dark magic.
“I can certainly tell you … your friends are in a fight with dark magic. It is an ancient but dangerous spiritual art … and the girl” – the voice referred to Ria – “just used them to endanger the boy’s life.” Wei was shocked. “What was that!?”
It started to drizzle, even though it was during autumn. Droplets of rain splashed onto everyone. Water started to accumulate and soak up the dark magic design on the school rooftop floor. Hoh stepped hard onto a puddle of purple water and slashed something hard. He nearly collapsed on the ground. “Hah … hah … feeling rather tired …”
Emi managed a smooth curve of her right hand and snatched away the talismans. “Aha! Got it!” She immediately ripped the whole bunch apart and scattered them in the air. Hoh watched as the remaining dark magic vanished as well. “Alright … thanks a lot, Emi.”
Ria was given a punch on her chin, throwing her backwards, and she lost her knife to Emi. “Dangerous items like this should stay at home, Ria. You should know that.” She broke the knife instantly and threw it away. Ria moved her seemingly-mangled body towards Emi, which prompted her to assume a defensive pose. “This isn’t over yet!!”
“You annoy me, ghost! Might as well eliminate you completely and solve this problem for good!” Ria took out a thicker bunch of yellow talismans and uttered the same incantations over. Hoh’s eyes shook with fright. “Oh no … those things are back again!” A horde of dark magic surrounded the air above them and Ria laughed on.
“You think I’d give up this easily!? As long as the ghost is here, I’ll go to the end of this world to even chase it down!” Emi swallowed down some saliva in her mouth. “Ken, it think it’s time for you to come out. Please … let me rest for a while.” The teen then regained control of his body and flared his sabre sword. “Don’t worry … Emi.”
“I need to help them … I have to help them! Those black things are coming back, and they are really tired from all that fighting … I must help them!” Wei shouted to the sky.
“Are you sure you want to help them? There’s no turning back after this.” The voice uttered to Wei. She made a determined look. “Come on! My friends are fighting over me! I can’t just stay here and run! After all, it’s dark magic they’re dealing here! Ancient skills which causes harm to people! I have to help them!” She shouted back.
There was no reply initially. “Very well … receive this item of mine … embrace the gift of knowledge and spiritual senses to the fullest … use it to dispel the arts from this land … be brave!” An object came falling down from the sky and pierced the rooftop floor.
“Whoa!” Wei jumped out of its way and glanced at the object. It was a rather thick red pole, around 5 centimeters in diameter, with a golden stud at its bottom end, and it held a giant iron awl on its top. The awl had an ancient Northlands language chant written on it, supported by sharp blades onto a main cylindrical body, 23 centimeters of height and decreasing diameter from top to bottom, and had a red gem on its top surface.
“Such a weapon … for me?” She reached out to grab the awl weapon amid a background of Emi and Hoh fighting Ria and her dark magic skills. The instant she grabbed it, red light emanated from the 6-foot-long weapon. “Huh!? What the!!” She was soon engulfed in orange fierce fire. Instead of being burnt, she was blanketed in warmth.
“This … this power!? What the … why do I … It’s like it’s flowing into my head …” Wei found herself enveloped in pink fire, but she was more fascinated by the knowledge and abilities she absorbed. Seconds later, the flames dissipated and there she was: the proud owner of a gifted weapon from an unknown entity. “Huh …”
It was fortunate for her that somehow, no one has noticed her receiving a weapon from the heavens. She watched on as Hoh sliced apart giant dark magic blade forms and Ken destroying snaring tentacles emitted from Ria’s talismans. “Tsk.” She grumbled.
“Time to bring in … the big one. Let’s see you people deal with this!” Ria folded her talismans and clasped them between her hands. She muttered another incantation, but with more ferocity in her voice. All the dark magic attacking both Ken and Hoh retreated behind Ria and started to clump together. The rain poured slightly heavier.
“What’d you plan to do now!?” Ken demanded from her. “You’ll see, Ken Kazuguchi!! Bwah hahahah!!” All the dark magic formed a single giant mass and then took the form of a humongous pillar of 25 feet of height that slammed hard onto the floor. “WHOA!”
The trio students yelped as they nearly lost balance from the tremours. “This is something I have been working on secretly and you ought to be proud to be the first people to witness its might!” Ria pointed her finger to the skies and the humongous pillar emitting thick wisps of dark magic smoke, enveloping the entire rooftop. “Ugh … not again …”
Hoh collapsed to the ground coughing. “It’s dark magic smoke again … the same one that nearly killed me last time. Urgh!” Ken was shocked as Hoh choked further. “No! Hoh! Urgh … akk! Darn it, I’m getting sick too!” His hand shook violently and he struggled to move to Hoh’s aid. “Must shield … self and Hoh … urgh …”
Wei frowned. “Self-protection!” She thrust out her awl-like weapon and a protective aura shielded here from the flow of smoke. “Wait a minute!” She walked over to the fences and saw the grounds below. “The students there … they’re going to be affected by this stuff too!” Indeed, the dark magic smoke started to flood the entire school.
“Hmm? What – akk! Gargh! Feeling dizzy!” A male student cried as he collapsed to the ground. “Uggph! Getting choked … no air!” A female student fell on the soil. This same scenario was repeated to all the student and teacher populace. Ken made it to Hoh and used his sword to create a barrier for them. Ah! Oh, thank goodness!
“Gasp!” Hoh reacted with the fresh air he breathed in. “Air was never this wonderful … thanks again, Ken!” Ken sighed and panted rather heavily. “Huh … huh … it’s fine … not a problem … wait, why isn’t Ria choking herself!?” He glared at the sinister girl.
“Hah hahah! I’m perfectly fine because I made this dark magic out of my own heart and my powers, that’s why! Dark magic doesn’t hurt its originator when handled properly!” She laughed maniacally. Ken bent an eyebrow. “Wait, does that mean you’re the one who attacked us last week and in the Meifujang valley!?” Ria for the first time was confused.
“What are you talking about? I stayed home all the time because I was preparing for the big exams.” Ria tilted her head left and right. Ken felt disgusted. “Weren’t you the one ordering demons to come after us and kill us!?” This time, Ria reacted with fear.
“Are you crazy!? Controlling demons!? That’s impossible for any medium! Demons are free-willed evil beings which can never be controlled by any kind of force!”
Ken was confused. “That’s strange …” Emi had heard enough. Ken, come back to your senses! Even if Ria knows a lot about dark magic, she couldn’t be the one who got demons to attack us! The reason is our attacker was a male, not a female!
He slapped himself on the head. “Ah, I forgot about it again. Right, urgh!!” He let out a yelp as the dark magic pillar caused more tremours and released some more dark magic smoke. “How are we going to advance further if we don’t move? We’re so close to ending this fight! Argh!” The pillar caused another tremour and rumbled the place.
“It’s amazing, this entire thing!!” Ria started to look insane and laughed maniacally. “I never knew the dark magic would be this amazing! I always wanted to try it out but I never had the chance!!” “Urgh!” Ken pulled Hoh up in their shield. “Come on, Hoh –”
“THIS ENDS NOW!!” Everyone turned their attention to a brave, brand-new Wei, who was swinging her awl-like weapon in multiple circular revolutions in the air, still within her own protective layer of aura. Above her lay numerous giant needle-like icicles.
“Whoa! Is that Wei!?” Hoh asked in awe. Ken was shocked. “Hey, I didn’t know Wei had a weapon of her own!” Wei didn’t listen to either boys speaking. “HAIL OF ICE!” She yelled as she struck the tip of her awl on the floor. The giant icicles came crashing down onto the flood of dark magic smoke and the humongous pillar source itself.
“WAAAH!” Ria let out a scream as she shed for cover on the ground. The humongous dark magic pillar started to crack, and the dark magic emissions lessened significantly due to all those icicles piercing hard into the pillar’s body. “That’s not all, Ria!”
Wei held her weapon on her right hand and out of the red gem on the body’s top surface, a large icicle surfaced. “Here I come!” She dashed forward at an incredible speed and pointed the sharp icicle tip, seemingly towards Ria. The fanatic girl, overwhelmed by fear, curled herself up and screamed the loudest she could. The others watched on.
“EYAAAHH!!” But, Wei did not set Ria as her target: it was the crumbling dark magic pillar. “This ends now!!” She shouted as she pierced the icicle deep into the body of dark magic. The entire thing cracked even more, emanating light as well, and exploded into giant pieces, which then broke further into billions of tiny pieces and vanished away.
“Alright! Wei did it!” “You destroyed the dark magic body!” Ken and Hoh cheered onto the energetic girl respectively. The dark magic smoke began to dissipate and the entire school area was relieved of the terrible presence. “Urgh … what happened?” One of the many comments made by people recuperating from the effects of dark magic.
The green-haired girl ran to the rooftop fences and was relieved with that sight. “Phew … now, everything should be back to normal.” Emi and the two boys were delighted, and Ken was the first one to run out of that protective layer and cheered on her. “Wei, you were awesome! How … when did you get that weapon of yours!? Are you okay!?”
Out of nowhere, Wei suddenly gave the brown-haired teen a slap on the left cheek, shocking the incoming Hoh. “AH!!” Ouch!! Ken nearly fell onto the floor full of water. Wei glared angrily at him. “You had me scared and worried the whole time!!”
Ken rubbed the sore area softly. “Ow … yeah, I guess I deserve that. What was important was that you were fine.” Wei still had the angry face on, but she curled her lip, bubbled her cheeks and there was a tiny drop of tears on the tip of each of her eyes. “But … I guess … I should thank you for coming to save me from Ria … WAAAH!!”
She leaped forward and hugged Ken tightly, crying out loud. “I was so scared … all this purple things in the air … you fighting something with Ria … bending a metal rod in front of my eyes … some eerie voice approaching me … I was so scared!!” She cried some more, and while being hugged, Ken softly patted her shoulder to relieve her.
Hoh blinked his eyes. “A voice? Say, Ken, I think the same entity is responsible for giving us these weapons! But … why us?” He turned to the brown-haired teen. “I … don’t know. Something is up, and it’s probably to do with that cloaked person.”
Wei sobbed and looked up to Ken. “Cloaked … person? What do you mean?”
“I’ll explain later, Wei. First we need to get you somewhere safe. Oh, wait … Ria …” Everyone turned their eyes to the fanatic girl, who was frightened beyond measure. Her yellow torn talismans lay scattered everywhere, drowned in shallow puddles of water.
“Sharp … object … sharp object … I could have been killed …” She muttered to herself. Ken made Wei let go of him lightly and stood up. “Ria … can’t we just forget everything that happened today? This entire thing is our secret; we won’t tell anyone, okay?” Emi was sharp enough to notice something strange. Ken! Stop walking to her!
“Don’t come near me! You’re all going to kill me!! Stay away! Stay away!!” She struggled to stand still and clung tightly to the bordering fences. “STAY AWAY!!” Ken was shocked. “Ria? Is that you? Why are you so afraid?” Hoh walked forward and blocked him with his hand. “Ken, don’t walk any further! Ria is in great trauma!”
“The move just now … Wei was aiming to destroy the dark magic body, but Ria took it she was coming after her!” Wei clasped her hand on her mouth. “Oh no … this is bad.” Ria was getting increasingly deranged by the second. “GET AWAY FROM ME!”
Hoh made one step forward. “Ria, what are you doing!? No! Come back here! We’re not going to hurt you!” The fanatic girl climbed up the fences and even stood on the very tip of the metal bar. “Get away from me! Or else I’d jump! Get lost!!” It just got worse. The three of them tried to dissuade Ria from making any more dangerous moves.
“Ria! Come back here!” “Don’t do this!” “Please! We’re not going to hurt you!” But, it was too late. Ria lost balance of her shoes onto the wet metal bar and fell down about six storeys down, frilly screaming along the way. It came to a halt, followed by the brief screams and gasps of other students with umbrellas and raincoats.
NO!! Emi shouted in Ken’s head. “NO! RIA!” Ken rushed forth and looked at the view below. Ria had apparently crash-landed into a rather thick tree just below them, and now he was seen by other students below. It’s highly likely that more gossips will occur and students will be blaming Ken for driving Ria to insanity and the verge of suicide.
“Oh dear, this isn’t good. What do we do now?” Wei was getting anxious. “The school discipline board may find out about this and blame us, and at worse, we’d be suspended or expelled from school!” The green-haired girl started to get jittery and uptight.
“What a mess.” A voice beamed in the air. Ken looked with disgust into the sky whereas Hoh was a little frightful. Wei responded: “It’s you! The one who gave me this weapon!” She held her awl-like weapon in her hand in front of her eyes. “Ha ha. Don’t worry.”
Ken was agitated. “What do you mean, don’t worry!? We just made a student fall to her death from 6 floors above land!” Thunder rang loudly in the rain and the grey clouds.
“She’s not dead … besides, I’ll sort out everything for you kids … you’ll be just fine … I’m sending my trusted assistant over to clear some things up for you … be sure to greet him. He’s your guide to all the answers you’ll need … I’ll be watching this closely.”
Thunder struck again and the voice stopped talking further. Before Ken could ask any more questions, school prefects came bursting out of the entrance door to secure the area. The three of them found themselves surrounded with no way out. Oh dear … we’re trapped, Ken. This is bad … Two familiar figures came out of the dark door.
It was the usually stern and fierce Mr Ahashi and round, serious Mr Sanada. “What do we have here?” Mr Ahashi frightened the wits out of the four of them. “I heard someone yelp from my office, and it was only when I got to the prefects’ meeting room that I found out that someone fell from the 6th floor.” The trio shivered again at his angry face.
“Sir, we’re going to see that other perfects call for aid and save whoever it was that fell down.” Other prefects told Mr Ahashi from behind him. “Excellent work. Get moving before the rain affects us all.” The trio looked down on the wet floor of purple ink.
“Come with us to the disciplinary office, you three. You have some explaining to do.” Mr Sanada called them forward, in which they gulped down their throats. The rain poured a little heavier and the school perfects led the students down. Hoh shivered the most.
He uttered: “This is bad … detention, suspension, expulsion …” Wei and Ken exchanged faces, for who knows what will happen to them. Wei’s spiritual weapon had vanished.
Continued in Chapter 23.
Notes: A fight, an end and more trouble. Hoped you all enjoyed it. Emi trained martial arts with her uncle as mentioned in previous Chapter 19. Wei learnt her skills the exact same way Ken and Hoh learnt theirs too. So, the discipline board comes by. What will happen next?
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Dun dun duun. That says it all.
Thank you all for coming to read these stories, folks. Read assured, much more awesomeness is coming. And pardon if everyone important has only three-lettered names or nicknames, eh, it's my way of saying who you should focus on.
And for the time being, enjoy this awesome music video of Michael Buble's Haven't Met You Yet. Thanks all, stay tuned to the updates next month!
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Post by Professor Fann on Feb 12, 2010 23:24:38 GMT -5
Good day folks. Today is almost the half of February 2010. I have come to you with the next exciting chapter update. Hope you enjoyed your time so far here. Our story is still moving on.
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This original fiction is mine, and all characters belong to me unless they are those of whom you know do not. I hope this fiction will be entertaining as you proceed along. - M’siaFanWriter
Chapter 23: Frustrated with Some Souls
The clock in the discipline office ticked 3.52 pm. After seeing that Ria was rescued unconscious from crash-landing onto the tree and that the trio students were medically treated so that none caught a fever, Mr Ahashi set them up for disciplinary interrogations.
“Just exactly what is going on around here!?” Mr Ahashi bellowed at the trio, whom all freaked out a little. “The entire school is in a mess!! Students are reporting to the nurse’s office with headaches and migraines and now, I have to deal with the fact that a student could have killed herself and the three of you were at the scene as well!!”
The stern teacher sat behind a table at the back of the room, flanked by Mr Sanada at his side. Both of them were facing Ken, Hoh and Wei standing side by side some 6 feet away from him. “Miss Chou, I am quite disappointed that you are involved in this as a new student here! Mister Hoh, I am also furious that you are of a part to play as well!”
“Mister Kazuguchi, I am especially most angry at you! Your behaviour was improving this past six months and I was impressed! But to expect something like this associated with you!!” He slammed his fist down on the table, making the trio nearly jump.
Hoh tried to interject. “Sir, it wasn’t Ken’s fault … it was Ria who started it first. She was in one of her fits … and she wanted to take out her anger at Ken … she nabbed Wei here and took her to the rooftop. We just wanted to make sure she was fine.”
“And in the end, you did well! But, at the cost of turning miss Osada on the verge of suicide!? What did you all do to her!?” The teacher bellowed at them again. Wei in turn made her reply. “Sir … we didn’t do anything. She was threatening Ken at knife-point, sir. I think you’ll find a broken knife at the rooftop. Ken was defending himself.”
“I can see that. We’ve recovered a broken sword and a trolley among all other things. Explain just exactly why there are so many yellow talisman papers! Why is the rooftop filled with purple ink as well!? Tell me now, or it’s suspension for all of you!”
Ken gulped first. “Ria was doing crazy things, sir. She also threatened Wei with a knife. She believed that … Wei was possessed by a ghost or something like that.”
Wei initially glared at him for spitting out that lie. “Um … yeah, what he said! That’s what Ria claimed as well! I thought it was crazy too!” Mr Ahashi’s face didn’t change one bit. “Do you expect me to believe that, mister Kazuguchi!? Bringing folk beliefs into our grounds as a reason to threaten other people!? What about the suicide!?”
“I believe … I can answer that.” Everyone turned around to observe the cold emotionless, silver-haired Maz enter the room. The perfects guarding the door outside were very reluctant to let him enter, but somehow Maz did it. “Please let me … take responsibility for what … just happened today.” Mr Ahashi wasn’t convinced. “I beg your pardon!?”
“Ho ho ho.” It was the laugh of Mr Sanada. “Calm down now, Sato. This is Ria’s brother. I’m under the impression he may know more than any of us what’s going on.” Mr Ahashi snorted. “Fine. Tell us what is exactly wrong with miss Osada then!”
“My sister is recently under some stress … back at our temple home. She started to see things and … began to have hallucinations. She claims to see ghosts everywhere … and wants to get rid of them … even my parents tried to control her … to no avail.”
“Even I tried my best … to stop this from happening … but I was really unaware that … she would go this far and … take her rage out on my friends here.” Maz bluntly replied.
Mr Sanada rubbed his chin. “Ho ho. Delusions cause a lot of trouble, Sato. We might consider sending miss Osada for counseling when she’s healed. As mister Osada said, these three are involved in one of her fits.” Hoh managed to whisper something to Ken.
“Maz is one of those people who vehemently deny the existence of ghosts. He stands out from the rest of the Osada family who are all mediums. Personally, I’m kind of grateful he’s standing up for us.” Wei overheard the whisper and nodded together with Ken.
Mr Ahashi sighed. “Very well then. I guess the three of you are let off the hook this time.” All three of them sighed with relief. “Mister Osada, I’ll need to call your parents and tell them about this incident.” Maz initially said nothing, staring at Mr Ahashi.
“It’s okay, sir … I can tell them myself … they are particularly busy this week … they can’t handle calls now. I’ll be glad to accompany Ria … during all counseling sessions.”
“Ho ho ho. What a responsible lad you are.” Maz didn’t reply to Mr Sanada’s remark. Pretty soon, Mr Ahashi agreed to Maz’s suggestions and released everyone. Only Maz was aware of the fact that he lied when he said his parents were busy – in fact, he didn’t want them to know anything of what Ria had done in school at all.
“Whoa … thanks for helping us back there, Maz. Ria was really crazy just now … we don’t know how to thank you.” Ken said as the four of them gathered at a secluded spot far from the line of students seeking treatment at the nurse’s office. “No problem … I’m rather fine with that. I don’t want trouble … for my family.” Wei had doubts etched.
“I guess … I’ll see you later …” Maz took out his cell phone. “The nurse will call me … when Ria regains consciousness … I’m going back home … Bak is waiting for me down the street.” The trio watched as Maz exited towards the school grounds.
All three of them sat at the nearby staircase. “So … that voice … he gave us these.” Wei held forth her awl-like weapon in her left hand with her school bag on the other. Hoh made an awkward look. “You know, you can put that away now. We’re not fighting anyone or anything now.” Wei blushed a little. “Oh, right. Sorry. I forgot.”
Instantly, her spiritual weapon vanished. “I got it just now when you two were fighting Ria. I was so surprised … I saw horrible things … purple air … it was dark magic in the end. Seems you two have known about things like this way before I do. So … Ken, you said you were going to explain everything. Firstly … who is this Emi?”
The ghost girl was shocked. “I heard you say her name several times during the fight. You also said her name during the first time we’ve met. And … what’s this about a cloaked person?” Ken sighed. “Alright … You have to understand this first. Are you really to accept what I’m going to say?” Wei became slightly angry.
“Don’t delay this anymore! After that fight just now, I feel that even the weirdest explanation will make sense! This isn’t something a person sees and do every day, you know! This entire spiritual fighting … I have to believe anything! Out with it!”
Ken explained everything from the start. He met Emi during a brawl with the five bullies, she’s been staying with him for more than 2 weeks now; Emi had attracted the attention of Ria and thus the earlier fights today happened; he got his weapon on the day demon-possessed bullies bound and gagged Hoh and Wei, Hoh nearly died due to dark magic in the past and the fight in Meifujang valley and how they got their clothes dirty.
The attacks by demons was led by a mysterious cloaked villain who was bent on killing Ken and Hoh and imprisoning Emi; some grand ideal for the demons, something about salvation and they were obstacles; Emi unwilling to share Ken her past, which made him join Hoh to the north as a convenient lie to visit the Takahiros; he had mostly been covering up for Emi’s sake – and that Emi frequented the use of Ken’s body.
“So that means! The metal rod twisting and snapping was Emi!? And she’s in your body right now!?” Wei was utterly shocked and shaking her pointing fingers at him. Ken nodded and then … “Hiya Wei! It’s so nice to be finally able to have a talk with you!”
He allowed Emi to surface out and greet Wei. “Ghosts are real …” Wei could only stutter that out. “Ghosts are real …” Emi put on a sad concerned face. “Yes, I’m real … but, you don’t know how happy I am that you’ve finally known all this!” “Ghosts are real …”
“I knew you are one of those rare people with some active spiritual senses! I knew it!” Hoh was surprised. “You knew it all along, Emi?” She nodded at Hoh. “Uh-huh! The moment I saw Wei, that is. Even the part of touching Bak’s freezing hands! I knew it!”
Ken felt confused. Bak’s cold hands? How’s that relevant to anything? Emi stopped talking. “Um … we’ll talk about that later, Ken. Please?” Uh … okay, sure …
Wei’s shock level reduced a little. “So that explains everything … urgh … my head hurts. But like I said, I have no choice but to believe your story … Emi. That’s how I came to have this spiritual weapon of mine.” The awl-like weapon resurfaced in her hand.
Hoh stared awkwardly again. “Wei, must you bring up your weapon every time you talk about it? We’re not in any sort of battles, you know.” This time, Wei chose to ignore the bespectacled teen. “I guess … we should start being friends, since Ken and Hoh are already friends with you, Emi.” She reached out her left hand to Emi.
The ghost girl nearly jumped. “It’s an honour to befriend you, Wei.” She also reached out her hand and the both of them shook hands. “Ah …” Emi sighed. “Oh, I’m going to retreat now. I can’t be using Ken’s body all the time.” With that, the teen came out.
“Phew … that’s done and over with …” Ken leaned on the staircase steps. “I find it … somehow freaky … that I look very girlish every time Emi gets excited.” The other two could not hold their laughter back and poured it all out; Emi retorted with a “Hey!”
“You know, I couldn’t agree more. You look very girlish whenever she does that.” An odd familiar voice greeted them. The laughter stopped and everyone turned their heads to the figure standing at the school porch: Han donning his usual grey-whitish peasant clothes. He closed tight his wet umbrella. “Hello, boy … we finally meet again.”
Wei was the first to react. “You? You’re the assistant some guy sent to tell us some new information? Hey, we met before!” She referred to the day when everyone just arrived back in Handao suburbs. Hoh was confused, but Ken had a slightly disturbed expression.
“Han, eh? Emi told me a lot about you … so, are we going to get some information or are there going to be some delays?” Both Hoh and Wei looked at Ken. Han merely laughed lightly. “Ha ha ha … I just received orders from my master and I do as I am told to. He told me everything relevant and … I’m here to clear up some things as well.”
“Quite true, I’d have to delay giving you some answers, because … I don’t think somewhere as public as this deserves the confidentiality of what I have to say. Perhaps we should arrange for a time and place to talk privately?” Han adjusted his straw hat as he walked closer to them. Hoh felt slightly uncomfortable at his mere presence.
“Anything will be fine.” Ken bluntly replied. Han placed his finger just below his nose and did some thinking. “Hm … any day within this coming 3 days, meet me at my home in Handao village at 3.30 pm.” Ken was surprised. “You live near my home!?”
“Oh, yes of course. How else did you think we were able to meet the first time you and the girl had to fight off a demon?” Wei and Hoh were shocked. “You fought a demon even before my first incident?” Hoh stuttered and the teen merely nodded. Han clapped his hands once. “It’s settled then. You’ll find a small double-storey home in the far end of the village. Remember the wide pasture lands – I’m the only one who has it.”
Han padded his wooden slippers and walked away to the nurse’s office. “Wait, why are you going to the nurse’s office?” Hoh quickly asked. Without looking back, Han stopped his walking and replied: “I’m taking care of something, just as I am told to.”
Ignoring the long line of students and their stares, Han merely entered the nurse’s office without any opposition to his line-cutting. Ken watched on as he heard a commotion going on and then, silence. “Hm … I sense something strange.” Ken remarked.
Wei asked “What do you mean?” as she watched Ken stand up. “Do you think … he might do something to Ria? Possibly silence her or anything? For all we know, Ria is one to blurt out anything.” Hoh realized something. “Yeah! Maybe even finish her off!”
“Finish her off!? Are you nuts!? Why would Han want to do that?” Wei retorted back at Hoh. Ken remembered something. “If Han met with Emi … that means he’s a medium as well, isn’t he?” The three of them looked at each other, eventually reaching a silent agreement that something was strange and they should check it out. “Let’s go!”
They raced past students lining up, amid calls such as “Hey!” and “No cutting queues!” Ken was the first to burst rudely into the nurse’s office. “Han! Just what!?” He was silenced by the sight of other students staring at him, the nurses rubbing ointment on other students’ forehead and a few students lying down on the available beds.
“Shhh.” Han placed his finger on his lips. “The girl is sleeping. I thought I’ll … pay her a visit as well. After all, I’m rather … acquainted with the Osada family.” His eyes were still hidden from public view. Some students and staff whispered among themselves while the trio looked on. “Wait … you’re acquainted with the Osadas?”
“Why not? I know them … and I even approve of them. I thought I’ll just visit their precious little daughter.” Han caressed Ria’s forehead with his left palm; him sitting just on her right. That made Ken even wonder – how are Han, the entity whose voice is only heard and the Osadas are related? At the same time, the nurse approached him.
“Please … you must leave the patients alone.” Ken and the rest had no choice but to leave the place. The other occupants continued their whispers – some at Ken and his friends, some of the possible events on the rooftop and some at Han, who was smiling to himself.
They left the place of the first floor and arrived at the school porch. The current time was 4.34 pm and it was still raining. Taxis drove fast on the roads, running over water puddles and giving way to large trucks. The trees have lost a lot of leaves, just as autumn should be. “Well, I don’t have an umbrella …” Ken looked around him. “… and it’s raining.”
Hoh shrugged. “I don’t have an umbrella either.” Wei shook her head as well. No one dared to go out in the rain. Suddenly, Ken was pushed and he nearly tripped on the staircase, landing hardly on the soil below. Ah!! Emi let out a gasp. Ken stared at a giggling Wei. “Hey, what was that for, Wei!? I didn’t want to get wet!”
“Ha … ha ha ha!” She laughed amid confused looks. “Look at what we just experienced together … all four of us.” She also included Emi. “I don’t mind a little more insanity right now. After all, no one is ever going to believe what we’ve just been through. Ha ha hah! I take it back … even if this new life for me is completely strange, I don’t mind living with this everyday … because I’m enjoying myself right now.”
Somehow, they got the meaning of her words. Hoh nodded. “Last one to play in the rain is a rotten frog! Come on, let’s make Ken wet all over!” The bespectacled teen jumped into a nearby puddle of water, but Ken swiftly avoided the splashes. “Hey! Ha hah! Stop it! This is crazy!” Wei joined in as well, and the trio played together in the rain.
Anyone watching this will call them crazy, but they didn’t care. Everyone understood the philosophy of Wei’s declaration – and life was best with your friends and your loved ones around to be there with you. The rain poured lighter this time on them.
In the end, everyone made it back to their homes safe and sound. Hoh was the subject of rough attention by his servants, Wei shocked her father with her being wet whereas Ken endured a brief scolding from Grandpa Ojiro and mother Saya and the stares of sister Ayumi and father Ajima. Emi was never happier to be by Ken’s side.
Later in the evening, Maz got a call from the school nurse, saying that Ria had just regained consciousness. Bak was with him in his room in the Osada family home, so he was more than willing to follow the silver-haired boy 10 miles back southwest to Chaoge town. It was still raining, so the duo had raincoats and umbrellas with them.
“Mister Osada … Ria has just woken up. She appears stable, so I thought you might want to pick her up.” Maz silently nodded and tended to the nurse’s register. The frail, cheerful Bak skipped on his legs towards a recuperating Ria. “Um … are you okay, Ria?”
She stared at him blankly. “Yes … ow … what happened? Why does my head hurt?” She rubbed on it. “Why am I here? I was supposed to be going back home and preparing for the exams.” She instantly attracted Maz’s attention. “You fought with Ken Kazuguchi.”
“Fight? Oh no, why would I fight anyone for no good reason?” Bak was clueless as ever, but the silver-haired teen looked at her even longer. “What do you mean? Are you saying … you never fought anyone today? Not even … one person?” Ria stared on and nodded.
“Yeah … I don’t remember fighting anyone … not a single thing of it.” Bak’s hand was starting to shake and his voice trembling. “Maz … Ria’s a whole lot kinder than she used to be … she’s like a totally different person.” He retreated farther from Ria.
Maz only raised his eyebrows, but the rest of his face remained the same. “Ria … do you see any ghosts around in this room?” Bak shivered from hearing that question. “Brrh.”
“What are you talking about, brother dear? There are only us, Bak and the nurses here.” His eyes widened some more. “I hope this is not what I think it is … Ria just lost her memory … and her personality has changed as well.” Bak jumped from the mere suggestion. “What!? How is that possible!? Is the old Ria we know … gone!?”
The trio remained where they were, while the nurse’s office was about to be closed.
Later that night, Ken did a little meditation on his bed. He was feeling so tired, despite a bath and a refreshing dinner, that he simply relaxed with ease in that sitting posture and the ghost girl was free to move out of his body. “Wow, this is an improvement!”
The teen laid down on the soft mattress. “Yeah, but … that’s only because I am really tired … all that fighting in school … thank goodness we didn’t get expelled or suspended. My folks might even die hearing that news …” He sighed and shut his eyes.
The clock ticked 8.35 pm. “Um, Ken? What about your studying? The exams are in less than 2 weeks’ time, and you need to prepare!” Emi raised the worry in her tone. The teen shook his head. “I’ll be fine … I’m just tired from what happened today. Once I get some rest, I’ll be back up in no time. Then, it shall be back to work.”
Emi sighed and sat on his study chair, watching over as the teen fall asleep. Ken did wake up later and studied, but after just some reading, got bored and fell asleep at midnight.
At the same time, somewhere far away, the cloaked villain stared on at the hideous-looking statue in his hall. “What are the status reports?” He coldly said and the minion ghoul appeared out of nowhere. “My lord, we are still working on all remainder areas of the province. We’re trying hard to convince some packs of ghouls to work with us.”
“Get it done quickly. I want the entire province in my hands in 4 days’ time. The final phase is necessary. Some of the ghouls need to possess some human flesh … to carry out the final stage of the grand plan.” The minion bowed as the villain flapped his sleeves.
“The girl … Ria Osada … she failed to destroy the targets. They have gained a new ally in the process … obstacles had increased in number.” He hissed under his hood, scaring the ghoul. “But no matter … another human candidate is in the waiting … it’s only a matter of time before he finally surfaces and does my bidding. How … perfect.”
The villain flapped his sleeves and exited the altar hall. The lights were put out.
The next day – 26th September a Wednesday. That teen woke up earlier than usual. “It’s only 6.45? Geez … but I want to sleep some more …” Emi came out of nowhere and stood him up. “Hey! Don’t be so lazy! Come on, get up now!” She yelled at him.
“You have another great day looking ahead of you!” After the yelling, she put up a big wide smile at him, freaking him out. “Whoa … Emi, what’s with the tone?” She then giggled and shrugged. “Why … I just like you very much, that’s all.” Ken was so freaked out by her smile, he instantly jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom.
“Gah … another boring day at school … I just wish it’ll end quickly. These last few days have been boring, except for the trip to Homyunggan Province.” Ken mumbled to himself on the aerotrain to Aoyaga Private Academy. Emi’s cheeks turned red with anger. “WHAT!? You’re the kind of person to really slack off, aren’t you?”
“Um … let me think … yes.” The teen fidgeted on his legs a little and stared at the outside scenery. He virtually ignored Emi, who folded her arms in protest and decided not to speak to him for the remainder of the trip. That was, until they disembarked the aerotrain and walked across the road into the school grounds.
“I’m concerned, Ken, that’s all. When I was alive, I was the top scorer in my class, year after year. I always studied … fearing that I’ll fall behind in anyway. Besides, I came from a poor family, which seems to have prospered now. I was bent on not wanting to waste the future I was going to have in poverty.” Emi commented behind his back.
“Oh?” He turned to her. “What was your ambition?” Emi wondered for a while, looking at the grim grey sky at the same time. “I … wanted to be a doctor, so I can help many sick people.” He nodded at her and resumed attention on the route to his classroom. “That’s quite a lofty goal.” “Oh … thank you.” She blushed a little.
They arrived on the 3rd floor and made it to class 3-A. On the way, Ken and Emi met up with the five bullies, whom all quickly scurried back into class 3-C upon mere sight of his presence. “Wow … they still remember the part where you broke up timber, Emi.”
“I think anyone would have been shocked to see something like that occur, Ken.” She bluntly commented as the teen entered the classroom. He found Maz talking to Hoh at the latter’s seat. “Hey, what are you doing here, Maz? Good morning to you, Hoh.”
The bespectacled teen made a worried face at Ken. “Maz here just said … Ria has lost her memories and has become a completely new person.” Ken and Emi were shocked to hear that. “What was that!? How was that possible!?” Maz initially said nothing.
“I suppose … the psychological injury … after her fall yesterday … might have sparked those damages to her head. The nurse called just yesterday … she didn’t remember anything related … to the fight … I suppose you all had … on the rooftop.”
“Something like falling down a tree … couldn’t have possibly done that! Ria had no head injuries, right!? Darn …” Ken retreated over to his seat, leaving Maz and Hoh to talk about their own affairs. Emi’s feet formed as she came in contact with the concrete floor. “You’re right, Ken. The most such an injury can do is cause excessive trauma.”
“It’s all suspicious … maybe you were also right about yesterday, Ken. Maybe … Han did do something to her, even if we have no grounds to suspect him just because he is a medium like Ria.” Ken then remembered something. Meanwhile, Maz was reflecting to Hoh how Ria would now not need any counseling due to her memory loss.
“Yeah … possible.” Suddenly, a female voice popped up behind them. “What are you and Emi talking about now, Ken?” The green-haired girl Wei bluntly asked, at which the duo were shocked and nearly jumped into the air. The ghost girl became quite flustered. “WEI! You shouldn’t just surprise people like that! Hey, wait … you can hear me?”
Wei nodded. “I heard the voice of a girl and Ken was conversing to it, so it has to be you. Probably it was to do with yesterday, when I received my spiritual weapon and a lot of my senses just opened up … so, what is it about anyway?” Ken sighed and told her what Maz said earlier. Naturally, she was also shocked by Ria’s sudden change.
“Like that!? Gee, that is rather suspicious … oh, yes, I think we need to discuss when we can head for that farmer guy’s home later. I’m not sure I can be free in the coming days, so we just need to get this done quickly.” Wei remarked to the both of them.
“Oh, right … I guess we’ll talk about it during lunch break.” The school bell rang and all students moved to their respective seats. Maz bade Hoh farewell and walked by the teacher, whose subject was on now. Since then, the lessons progressed smoothly.
Pretty soon, the signal for lunch break came and Ken decided that the four of them were going to eat somewhere different. They agreed to sit by the staircase-like seats made by the football field to have some privacy during their discussion. “And we get to watch the school football players play as well!” Ken cheered to himself, earning awkward faces.
“I don’t think we came here for that …” Emi said, just before Wei clapped her hands twice. “Alright, I’m sure we all know what we are here for. Simply put, when do we want to group together and meet up with Han to get the information we need to be told of?”
“How about today?” Hoh was the first to speak. “I’m free today and tomorrow, but not Friday. I’m expecting an overseas call from my dad. He managed some free time and wants to spend some time with me over the phone. What about you, Wei?”
“Um … I’m not free today; my dad wants me to go along with him to a temple in the west and do some prayers there.” Ken didn’t know that she was referring to the exact same western altars of which he visited to get Emi cleansed. “I’m free on Friday, so … that means that we can make it tomorrow, unless … Ken has something up?”
The duo turned to Emi and the teen. “Um … I’m fine with whatever Ken says; I’m always with him after all. Ha ha.” She made a meek laugh at the topic and in turn exchanged looks with him. “Um … we’re going tomorrow, I guess. But I will see how things work out. You see, my mum’s birthday is tomorrow, so …”
“Oh! Congratulations!” Wei was the first to say so. “Um … well, in that case …” The teen sensed pessimism in the air, so he made a quick move. “Oh no! I’m saying that we can go tomorrow, but I’m trying to keep it as a surprise for her as well. I’m going to buy the cake itself and the card after school, so … see how it goes. Maybe a little late.”
Emi sighed at him. “Why do you always make things so complicated, Ken?” The three of them turned to her. “So, how do you propose we solve Ken’s little time issue?” Hoh asked at the purple-haired ghost girl. Emi snorted. “Just get the shop to hold the cake until tomorrow; make sure no one else buys it. Then, surprise her after school.”
“Personally I don’t mind all of us be late. Ken’s mother needs her special moment of her own.” She was still being stared at by all three of them until Hoh broke the silence. “Say, that works! Great idea!” Wei smiled at Emi. “Yeah, that was brilliant!”
Emi sighed and rested her head on Wei’s shoulder behind her, which freaked Wei out.
“Anything to make things easier … personally, back then when Ken asked me for permission to go back to my hometown north, all he had to do was stubbornly pester me until I agreed.” It was Ken’s turn to blush. “Really? That was all I have to do?”
Wei didn’t know what they were talking about, and so did Hoh. The girl waved her hair lightly and nibbled on her finger. She thought: Hmm, now that is settled … I wonder how all will go. So many things need answering … can we get them all? There’s a lot of things we all don’t know … we might be going somewhere dangerous.
Just then, Emi attracted her attention by tapping on her shoulders. “You know, Wei, I can hear all your thoughts. Don’t worry too much. Just relax.” Wei fumed lightly. “Hey! Those were private!” Ken had a hearty laugh of Emi spooking Wei out.
Continued in Chapter 24.
Notes: A convenient lie to say Wei was possessed rather than tell Mr Ahashi the truth. Wei finally learns of Emi and they all had a happy time … in the rain. Wei and gang met Han when they returned to Handao in Chapter 20. A surprising revelation of Han. Ken talking to Emi of going north – refer to Chapter 15. Who is the cloaked villain’s new human candidate? What did Han do to Ria and what will he reveal? Stay tuned!
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And so, out story for now ends with a hearty note, somewhat of it.
Nope, no music upload for this time. Can't think of any. Very sorry about that.
Stay tuned for the next update at the end of this month!
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Post by FDSuprema on Feb 15, 2010 2:46:51 GMT -5
Looking good, Fanny. Keep it up.
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Post by Professor Fann on Feb 15, 2010 8:40:43 GMT -5
Oh hey Ed. Didn't know you read this thread. Read up all of them chapters already?
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mgx0
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The Truth Is A Horror!
Posts: 3
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Post by mgx0 on Feb 19, 2010 22:06:17 GMT -5
HOLY CRAP!!! Its really been a long time since I read your story Fanwriter! There are a lot of reasons why Id never got the chance, 1)A lot of work in school 2) A lot of work in my house 3) A lot of work of my own 4) I was very lazy to do so, sorry . Well, at least I got the time to read all of them and I have to say the story development is just as awesome as ever especially about Emi, Ken and Wei's past and these chapters answered most of my questions and raised entirely new ones! Hope you don't mind, I might criticize on some part of the chapters that I just read, hope you don't take it personally ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 16: A Soul’s Sad Past and a Meeting - At first, I thought the title refers to Emi’s past which was clearly obvious after the previous chapter but man was I wrong. And I can’t really see why Wei saw Ken as her brother due to the fact that they have been through a lot of misfortunes lately, like the possessed bullies, the nut Ria and the drunkard incident. But that’s just my opinion anyway. I thought the war in the story was already over? I'm surprised that there's even a war in even in Wei's young age Wei’s history is such a traumatic past for her, especially that her brother was almost executed in front of a whole crowd, I thought the consequences was pretty obvious seeing how she reminisces her brother through Ken from the previous chapters, and I was surprised that he was freed by the President in Wei’s town despite the fact that she describes him having a cold expression on his face much like Maz, I guess looks can be deceiving I’m glad his brother alive and all but since Wei moved in Ken’s town what happened to her brother when he was comatose after the accident? Is he in the local hospital or the hospital in Wei’s Town? At least Emi doesn’t have any trouble about Wei touching Ken’s hand anymore because she became very jealous of her. This raises an interesting story though if Emi admits (in my own opinion) that she never had any romantic feelings with Ken then why being jealous in the first place? lol And I really can't find the satisfaction by eating seaweeds. Hoh is one weird kid, how could a person be so excited in a creepy graveyard filled with bloodshed from a war from long ago? (then again, that's just me of course) I knew a fight was about to happen sooner later, but in a creepy and abandoned valley of all places…. ain't that unfortunate coincident? Chapter 17: Souls Rest after the Battle End - Seriously, what is this person problem in the first place? And how many spirit does this guy has to recruit just to finish off a teenager and a spirit? If Ken didn't know how to use the sword then this makes that guys plan just plain overkill if you asked me. And obviously that guy is a liar to convince those ghouls that he can offer this so called 'salvation' but I can blame the spirit if he goes this far just to get salvation from his suffering. Also Ken's theory about killing of the boss is technically correct in most cases, but somehow this doesn't apply in this chapter for some reason. Here's a critic though, why do you give Hoh a machete for a weapon, a nerdy guy like him should wield or use cards as a weapon. You know like tarot cards, or playing cards in a fighting style like Gambit from X-men? Because I knew sooner or later that he wields a card as a spiritual weapon, but I never expected a machete, besides, Ken already wielded a blade that is suited for close range combat, and Hoh should be in a long range fighting style. But whatever works for you, then its okay for me dude. By the way, who is even the boss in the Yellow Spring Guards? It's that voice that gave Ken and Hoh their spiritual weapon ain't it? But I doubt you tell me this soon, so I'm not gonna ask even further than that. And men when Wei gets angry they wouldn't even dare defy her orders, plus she's still friggin persistent to get Ken deepest secret with a angry tone but who wouldn't want to know when a person experience that? Now that’s what I call girl power. I can imagine Emi sitting somewhere peacefully and sing that song, it really suits her character and that song is somehow a theme song for the entire story Fanwriter. But is it me or do most towns you mention is filled with farms in the surrounding area? And no surprise that Hoh has a manor that was already built for his family because of his status as a friggin billionaire hahaha. But what really surprises me that his dad is not as selfish as I think he is because well I see some rich people who are always like that. However Hoh should hide the spare key really carefully, because even a clever disguise can't stop intruders from entering a rich house, he should at least kept it for safe keeping. Like I said before, Ken and Wei are lucky to have a rich guy for a best friend. Chapter 18: He Gets to Know the Soul’s Tragedy - Dang, Emi should have thought that through before she even possessed his body, now she saw him naked again I can see the embarrassment in her blushing face, and I can't stop laughing about it hahaha! And man he should really start to train on relaxing on the spot, otherwise Emi would just be in an awkward predicament whenever Ken does some personal business. It's really depressing when you have to see your own name in the tablet filled with dead people, man it feels so uneasy, but hey, at least Ken is trying to get the bottom of Emi's past. Isn't it coincidental that the first town the gang arrived had a festival then so does the next town they've settled in? When Emi made that poem for Ken and the fake story how he and Emi met, is like a simple love story that I like as a kid. Fortunately they bought it and Wei's suspicion is lowered a bit and man Ken would be so teased if his school found out about this. Now, about Emi's family, Hoh sure does know how to make a proper greeting and the poem Emi wrote is such a convenience, if I were the parent's I would really be suspicious of strangers who even met my kid unless they have solid proof. But Emi's family is like Ken's family in a way, and instead of having a grandpa, Emi has a grandma, plus they also have a farm same as Ken does. Plus do they own a horse? I can see the happiness and sadness in Emi's heart when she saw her family. And if you don't mind by refreshing my memory, but did Emi ever mentions to Ken in the previous chapters that she died exactly 6 months ago? If she hadn't then how did he knew about it? Those spirits who are spying on Ken and Emi seems to be very friendly and even recognizes Emi and her tragic death, but once they mention something about a request from that person, I wonder if that person is the voice, Han or the cloaked guy. At first I thought it was a person who killed Emi but man, it was just a tragic accident and ironic being killed by the very thing that you really like to see. I really felt sorry for Emi, especially her mother who is with her during her death. And Hoh is right, it is really unfair, finding out about a friend's death especially who is dead to begin with and it seems that Hoh is a little bit jealous about Emi when he thought he was Ken's only best friend. I'm still surprised that Wei remembered the incident when Ken called Emi's name. Then again, she really wants to find out. The part where Emi is scared, when Ken is trying to eat seaweeds really lighten the mood in this chapter. Chapter 19: The Soul’s Moment of Change - I've had the same experience with Hoh, last time my dad promised me he'll buy me a PSP when I got high grades in my studies and guessed what, I did, and it REALLY pays to be intelligent. And why do you make the Reploids so cruel in the story, I rather that they are the sensible type of machines like I knew in the games. It's kinda ironic that Ken is playing the Ultrablast in his dreams knowing he never even played it once with Hoh and like I said, Ken really needs training to relax some more. But how can Ken touch Emi's head if she's an intangible ghost? A technical error in the story perhaps or I forgot something from the rest of the chapters? Was Ken's statement about 6 months ago from the previous chapter coincidental with Emi's death and the time he started to change? And how did Emi forget about THAT?! The first time she met Ken, that he was a friggin nut! He tries to hit himself, swallow a lot of pills, ignore his studies and a lot of crazy stuff he had done! Urgh! Those bullies even at a young age, they still want to beat Ken up! I hate bullies! HATE HATE HATE THEM!!!! I have something to confess, to tell you the truth I was a victim of being bullied all the time ever since kindergarten to high school from different people I never knew and just because they think I'm weird. Pretty unbelievable right? I guess Ken and I have something in common I was a bit of a delinquent myself, I prefer to play video games and study, get easily angry by anything that ticks me off, and I even quarrel with my parents, I still have traumas about those experience, in fact, whenever I read comics, watch television, or reading a book, and whenever there's a part where bullies showed up it gets my blood boiling and I always wanted to scream to the top of my lungs! Sorry for the rant but I just had to let it out. However unlike Ken, who has his best friend since he was a kid I never had a close childhood friend but when I was in the second year high school, I met someone who eventually became my best friend, he was one of the nicest people I ever met, he helped me when I was in a bit of a jam (It's personal so I won't tell the details), ever since then we became best buddies and I always gone to his house and play videogames or hangout whenever we like. One day when he was about to leave the country because his dad got a promotion in some job, that's why he left so he can continue his studies in another country, I was really bummed out that he had to leave but he gave me a parting gift, his favorite glasses, and he told me something very important the same as the kid that told Ken only different, it was a bit cheesy but Vance said "We always have our stories together man, but I think the time is right to make our own stories and once its finished, we'll have enough time to talk about it sooner or later alright? Oh and you can keep that, I know it’s a bit old and rusty but I didn't need a reason to throw it out or the reason to like it. Sometimes you just have to like things so you can ignore the bad stuff. You understand what I'm telling you?" at first I don't understand his philosophy at all but after that he left I eventually finally got the message and that changed my life. Man that was a really long story, sorry about that anyway, back to the story, it's really exciting that Hoh finally discovers about Emi and Kens past it's like that there are no more boundaries between them and the part where Emi is acting all girlish in Kens body while Hoh is watching makes me giggle. This story is like a mirror in my own life and I consider this as one of the best chapters I ever read and I thank you for that, because this chapter helped me eased my mind in some things that I've had experienced in the past despite the fact the past can hurt. Chapter 20: The Soul is Serious This Time - If his mother is in town how come she never slept inside the manor and even met Hoh's friends? Is she really that busy? Hehehe if Hoh can see Emi when he asked that question he would be so freaked out that he can't even say a word but luckily he didn't. And not bad for his first time cooking breakfast on his own without any help from his servants and they should have called a cab to get to the aero station and this is one of this times that Emi is lucky to be a ghost. And despite the fact that Ken has changed for the better, the only thing I never seen changing are his grades, and he didn't even play the Ultrablast yet! Maybe their long study in the Aerotrain should make him learn something by now. And it looks like that peace for the trio is almost over, since they'll be back for school where Ria and Jia are waiting for Ken. Mishap is about to unleash itself once those two laid their eyes on Ken once again. But Ken is already in mishap with Wei already since she's already furiously curious on Ken's secret and I can see the tempers boiling inside her head. Bad time for Han to show up right in front of Ken's friends but it's no longer surprising since Hoh already found out his secret and there's no doubt that Wei will find out as well plus the part where the atmosphere has changed, well there's no secret that something has to go down. It's been a long time since the trio had faced Mr. Ahashi again, and something tells me that they wished that it was a little longer. And is it me or is Ahashi is even fiercer than usual and if he is then what the heck just happened when the guys left? A HUNDRED QUESTIONS IN FIFTEEN MINUTES?!? IS THIS GUY OUT OF THE BOTTLE OR SOMETHING?!?! Mr. Ahashi's back-story is really intriguing and who would've thought that the fierce guy I knew could be such a delinquent and his alcohol drinking habits was so bad that it made his own family disowned him? Now that's what I call rough, he is extremely lucky that Mr. Sanada came to him in a right time to help him to clean his act. If Hoh heard all of that then how did he even get close to the teachers office to hear all of that? Seriously, Bak is one weird kid and I hate his Ree alter ego, that guy is just plain mad at everything and does Wei have some kind of spiritual powers or something, and if she has then what does it have to do with Bak's multiple personalities, isn't this a mental issue or something? If Wei could let those things in her mind out then there's no doubt that Mr. Ahashi would be very shocked by that revelation and what's worse, he'll blame Ken for all of that. Maz and Ria's family are mediums? If that’s the case then how come Maz is not as crazy as his sister? And Ria is lucky to have a brother who would even care for her crazy ass behavior. But that doesn’t stop the nut for being so persistent, now that girl has a grudge on Wei and she doesn't even have ghost! Chapter 21: The Soul Has a Living Opponent - How long does that cloaked guy have to prepare himself for this thing he has to do? I mean didn't his servant said that from the previous chapters? Man, they are really slow when it comes to preparations and I think Jia seems to be calmer than the previous chapters, in fact he seems to be more normal than Ria although he's still might be a little crazy due to the fact that he's still chasing Ken endlessly and he's about to do something insane to get his job done. I knew Ria is a nut but who would've figured that the girl is a FREAKIN PSYCHOPATH!!!!!! SHE'S EVEN WORSE THAN THE FIVE BULLIES!!! I mean really, how come the school didn't even bother to check what was inside the case and the fact that blades are carrying is ten times bigger than the Bully's pocket knife! That academy really needs to strengthen their security, or else it would turn into a habit for teens like her….. well not exactly as her but you get the idea. A family treasure?! Man her family is just as crazy as her, I mean what kind of mediums would even bother to use sharp metallic objects to do their jobs with spirits? I thought the only thing that the mediums needs were talismans, tarots, or other medium stuff! And Emi’s right if she really does treasure those weapons, then why bother bringing them to school in the first place? Is it me or Wei has been delayed too much for the explanation she's been waiting for? Not to mention that she got kidnapped by Ria! She's going from nut to deranged lunatic, I never thought he would go this far to cleanse Ken with his ghost problem. And if that wasn't bad enough, her powers is becoming equally dangerous as the demons Ken and Hoh fought from the previous chapter. And is she using a spell binding circle? I thought that only affects ghost with harming humans, unless a ghost inside a human body counts as an effect. Out of all things that she summons but TENTACLES?! It is really creepy hearing that those things are piercing through Ken's spine, not to mention they grab hold onto Emi and its beginning to get a little weird and a little bit dirty if you know what I mean. She should’ve summoned something else, like…. a friendly teddy bear or something hehehe. Chapter 22: A Surprising Ally for the Souls - Like I said, Hoh's weapon should have been a card it's much more suitable for him. And Ria deserved to be humiliated, how can a person go this far and doesn't even think the consequences of her actions to both herself and other people. Her persistence will get the best of her eventually and she manage to get those weapons inside the school but how in the HELL did she get those wrecking balls up on the roof in the first place?!?! Luckily the flames didn't harm Wei severely and I'm beginning to think that she's gonna be very angry at Ken for doing that but luckily she's very forgiving. Oh great, not only Ria's a lunatic she's also a challenging combatant, who would've thought? Has Ria looked in the mirror lately?! The only bothersome people I ever seen in this story were her, the five bullies and the Jia, but she's doing this like it’s a daily habit or something, man I really hate people denying their own personality. Ria is so discriminating here, sure the dead supposed to be in the afterlife but spirits like Emi mingle with the living isn't a big deal at all…… as long they're not dangerous or vengeful of course. And like I said, has Ria looked into the mirror lately, telling Emi that she's rude for stealing her rod? She's been doing rude this to Ken all of the time, plus I don't even consider it rude, the word I'm looking for is awful, despicable, horrible and more! By the way, I know now that Emi is a martial arts expert but her status of a ghost and all affected her strength through Ken's body or is it plain natural to her as a martial arts expert? It's only natural for a friend can do in a situation like this at least Wei is not gonna sit this one out. I began to wonder, who is this voice guy anyway? Could you give me a little bit of hint here dude? Is he a complete opposite of the cloaked guy or the leader of the Yellow Springs? No surprise that the voice dude gonna give Wei a weapon to finished of Ria's insane magic once and for all. But I'm surprised that, as crazy as Ria might sound, she's actually talked about normal stuff for once, like their EXAMS?! This is the only non-ghost conversation she's been too for a while and she's not actually that stupid to make pacts with demons. At least she got one thing right, and I wished it was more than that. Wei's Hail of Ice really reminds me of a certain magic in RPG games. Probable inspiration perhaps? And it looks like that Wei is a mage in the party by the looks of it, able to summon magic and all. This is the first time that I actually felt sorry for Ria and she should've have seen it coming, as my friend always says "There are no actions without consequences". Chapter 23: Frustrated with Some Souls - Oh sure blame Ken most of all will ya Ahashi? Just because a student fell even from 6 floors of the school roofs doesn't mean you have to judge Ken too soon without listening to a clear explanation. But apparently that wasn't enough for Mr. Ahashi which makes him very furious than ever. But I'll see how the story goes out. And despite the craziest things that Ria has ever done he still even cares for her! That's what I call brotherly love. Maz is a really good friend and a brother, he even take the blame for the three of them, despite his cold, emotionless expression he should be one heck of an ally for Ken but sadly he doesn’t believed in spirits at all. Thankfully the trio is off the hooked this time, but for how long with all the crazy stuff that has been happened of course. After all the things that has happened I can understand how Wei is felt, even the craziest explanations would even make sense. But I was giggling a bit after she finally got the answers she's been waiting for, and her expression was utterly priceless hehehe. Is Wei is beginning to get attached on her weapon or what? At least now Wei knows that she's not the only girl in the party since she knows about Emi now. Yes, it's still freaky seeing Ken in a girly behavior like that hehehe. Han is back and the master is obviously the voice isn't it? If it is then he's part of the Yellow Springs huh? But in what position? Ken is so paranoid, a good guy like Han doesn't need to kill somebody, not even as crazy and dangerous like Ria, although he was technically correct, with amnesia and changed of personality and such but does it really have to do with Han or the fall, cause I'm not technically sure. But if he's approved with the Osada family then why does Han allow Ria to do all those dark arts herself? He calls that approval? He needs a second opinion about her, but at least Ria is not as crazy as she was before, now she's even kinder and even freakier than I once knew. Wei's speech was really philosophical, and I find it very good after all, it may be a strange life for her but at least she can enjoy it, but in the end they all got all wet from the rain and got scolded by their parents. In my life, every time I got wet from the rain, my parents wouldn't get angry at me so easily because usually the weather here is quite unpredictable which makes it difficult for me to bring an umbrella or not. Emi is beginning to sound like she's Ken's girlfriend or something nagging him about studying and all, just like any couple would do. I'm just happy that things are getting back to normal, especially with Ria's change of personality and now they will get the answers they've been looking for thanks to Han and that weird voice. However I found a minor technical error in this chapter. One of the lines says “they turn their attention to Emi and Ken” does it mean they can see her cause if I remember correctly, that they can only hear Emi but they don't see her. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Well that’s all I have to say for now but I hope there's no cliffhangers in the story Fanwriter. Here's a trivia based on your story and once you read it then it's obvious that I blame you for this. And I swear to Eras that I never made this up. About few days ago after I read the part where Ken told the fake story in how he and Emi met, the poem, and in chapter 19 I've had a dream that night and I was surprised that Ken and Emi was in there. In my dream it was a completely different story, I think it was about weeks or months later after story from the last chapter I read (and the fact that it was days before Valentine's Day), and after Ken was sleeping on his bed, Emi wished that she want to be alive somehow for no reason and as I recall, she said that 'it's unfair' the most nicest boy she ever met is right next to and wants to spend most of her life with him but can't due to obvious reasons. I don't know why she says that but I think something has happened before this story began. Anyways, few minutes later when she's sleeping, there was a voice, unheard by Ken and Emi, I can't recall the details I think the voice says, "A kindred spirit like you deserve a second chance" and the next day Ken awake next to Emi on his bedside but he wasn't surprise as she was a ghost after all, but suddenly when Ken tries to put his arm on the other side of the bed where Emi was, Ken was surprised that he can actually TOUCHED her!! He made a big yell that woke up the entire household and Emi as well. When Emi discovered that she was alive again and jumped on to Ken and gave him a big hug! An awkward moment has arrived when his entire family went into his room and saw Emi hugging him and then they gave Ken that awkward look and Grandpa Ojiro even yelled "WHAT IN THE DEVIL HAS MY GRANDSON BEEN DOING ALL THIS NIGHT!?" and Ken react in an awkward position while Emi still hugging him and yells "THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK!!". Few minutes later Ken tells his family a fake story on how did Emi got into his room without any raising suspicion that Emi was a ghost in the first place. However he was wondering how Emi became alive again. After the explanation Ken was going to school and he didn't tell Hoh and Wei about the situation, because he felt they wouldn't believe him in the first place, while Emi stayed home and having fun with Ken's family and doing the chores while she's at it. Once again I don't remember exactly the details but Ken's family decided to let Emi stay in the Kazuguchi household and she can sleep on Ken's room while Ken sleeps on the floor with an extra mattress and Emi was happy toward the idea and she hug Ken some more and gave him that awkward feeling again while his grandpa and his siblings gave him the look and when they got in the bedroom they have a little chat to how did Emi became alive again, with no apparent explanation. In the next day, Ken was late for school and he hurriedly goes to the aerostation leaving his lunch behind and mother Saya asked Emi a favor that she has to go after him and gave him his lunch. She reached him and Ken was thankful for Emi for that and sat right next to each other and had a little conversation if Emi had a reason wanted to be alive again in with no answers at all and talked about what they're life would be like now since everything has changed now. When they finally reached school every student in school were shocked that Ken is with a cute girl, then they started to gossip and wonders who is the cute girl he is with, and some of the boys were jealous of Ken especially the five bullies who were at the distance to avoid Ken. Wei and Hoh were extremely shocked seeing Emi was alive (which I assume that they saw her in her spirit form eventually in the story). They begin to hang out together having such a delightful time and Emi's feelings to Ken started to grow more than ever. After which I woke up and I was like, was that for real? In any case I was very moved by that dream and there's no doubt I blame you for this! YOU OWE ME A BRAIN FOR SUCH UTTER CUTENESS BEING INJECTED WITH MY HEAD!!!
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Post by Professor Fann on Feb 21, 2010 14:32:08 GMT -5
Oh yes! The great mgx0 commenting here for the first time! Congrats, congrats! Well, you sure do have a tonne lot to say here, too much perhaps … so here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to break your whole comment into three pieces in three separate posts for better ease of reading. So … here’s the first part for Chapters 16 to 18.
Yes it has. Yes it has. The work in school, house and your own is understandable, and though I am slightly ticked by the laziness part, but when I see in a view of the impact the works from school, house and your own have on you … that’s also understandable.
Evidently, you have managed to satisfy me. A lot. Thanks for the compliment on the story development! Well, criticisms are good, so fire away all you have. I can definitely be able to answer your curiosities, to some permitted extent.
One is … Chapter 16: A Soul’s Sad Past and a Meeting.
After reading the whole chapter, evidently you are. Hahah. But we all learn things every day, so it’s okay.
Ehh … I’ll just say here that Wei is not quite your average girl, and I want to treat the issues of the bullies, Ria, the drunkard and the issue of Ken’s resembling her brother as two independent things, not to be connected or influence each other.
Yes, the civil war was over 12 years ago. But Wei was about 3 years old when that happened, and her brother Xucao had to experience hell, so she’s reciting what her parents told her – in relation to her and her brother.
Now you know why she likes to stare at Ken occasionally. It’s proof she really likes her older brother.
I think you misunderstood. I re-read the chapter through and I found nothing of how Wei described Xucao as being like Maz. Well, during jail time, Xucao did cry because despite his innocence, he was going to hang to death, and that’s proof he has normal human emotions like you and I.
But in case you are referring to this line – “Ever since then, brother Xucao has been like that … I miss his cheerful self …”, well, it’s not. Wei’s saying ever since the accident, Xucao has been in comatose, and that she missed seeing his cheerful face when he was NOT in a coma. Hope that clears things up.
Eh … he’s in the hospital in Wei’s hometown Gaowu. Simple as that.
Hmm … then maybe she does have some form of feelings for Ken. Maybe it’s not that pronounced yet. But so far, let us have Emi speak for herself in this matter.
Me neither, but Ken does. We all have weird tastes, as I’ve said before.
The valley wasn’t a graveyard really … it’s just a creepy place for them ghouls. In times of war and whatnot, usually in the aftermath, both sides would want to collect the dead bodies and bury them elsewhere. I guess the ghouls were just stuck there since their death, being unable to leave the place.
And Hoh is excited because … (1) he is Hoh, and (2) well, it is a historic place after all, in real literature and in the local Northland history. Yeah, it is a very unfortunate – clichéd, but unfortunate – coincidence.
Two is … Chapter 17: Souls Rest after the Battle End.
Our cloaked villain guy? Around Chapter 6 and Chapter 8, he felt that Emi and Ken’s mutual cooperation could harm his plan. That’s why he sent for that demon in Chapter 8 to attempt to destroy the two of them. Since that one failed … now it’s this one in the valley. On Ken not knowing how to use the sword – well said, that’s why our voice decided to help him.
Yes, he is a conniving cheat. … eh, if you are saying “I can’t blame the spirit (for going this far to get salvation from its suffering)”, then yes, you’re correct.
Haha. You answered yourself. In most cases it is. But let us also consider that besides the boss, the minions might also share the same motivation for the ‘salvation ideal’, so it would be fair to assume that they are also as independent and ‘strong’ as their leader.
I wanted something unique, and not normal like tarots cards and guns. Yeah, I know Hoh is a nerd since he’s super-smart, but … I don’t really think cards fit him. Simple as that though. But his machete weapon is considered a long-range weapon, if his lightning bolts are sent afar to further targets. … in that case, I think it’s best to agree that Hoh’s weapon, just like Ken’s, is both short and long-range.
Frankly … yes. The voice who gave the spiritual weapons is also the boss of the Yellow Springs guards, simply put. As this answer does not affect future plots, I can give it away.
True, true. Hahah. If you say so.
Hahah. Good for you. Emi is a nice, little, sweet girl anyway … and is only fierce and tough when she needs to be.
Yeap, that’s true. Handao, Gaowu, Meifujang and Yange … except Chaoge and Shijun, which are clearly urban areas.
Thou shalt not be too judgmental and stereotypical. Hahah. Not all rich people are bad and not all poor people are good either.
Bwahahaha. True that. But although I will say here that it wasn’t Hoh himself who put that key under that stone slab, let’s just assume that Hoh has never been in that house before, his aunt’s family were entrusted the key and communication allowed the rest.
Eh … nothing to say on that one, but just that everyone should be grateful for what they have.
Three is … Chapter 18: He Gets to Know the Soul’s Tragedy
Good for you … and poor poor Emi. But she has a reason, as you have read, and its benefits were expressed in the right timing. But anyhows, you’re still right. She should have thought more.
True, just like what Emi said back in Chapter 7’s beginning – he should train more.
It’s a good hint, thanks to the Dead Festival. In all sincerity, the Meifujang festival and the Yange Dead Festival are completely separate, and I don’t want to bother too much into irrelevant details. Also, Meifujang is several hundred kilometers south of Yange and in two different provinces. I prefer to keep my thinking to this.
I didn’t really think of it as a love story, more like a convenient lie, made up based on the given circumstances. But it’s nice to hear someone else’s thoughts.
You just stepped into their shoes, didn’t you? Hahah.
Oh, I see. I’ve never thought of that before. Ken’s family structure and Emi’s family structure – their members are almost the same indeed. Eh, the Takahiros do own a horse (to drive their horse cart, as you have seen), but no, Kazuguchis do not own a horse. They however have a tractor that breaks down frequently. Nothing to comment on that last line, sorry.
Yes, she did. She bluntly said she died 6 months ago in Chapter 2. Ken remembered that ever since. But not ‘exactly 6 months’. As the story moves on, the count goes higher day by day. I just use ‘6’ as a more nearer number, unless I soon start using ‘7 months’.
Those spirits weren’t spying on them; they were just looking on. Spying is looking on with a secretly bad motive. Coming to our request part here:
“Isn’t it strange why she’s still lingering around until now? Should we call her?” The young woman asked the other two. The young man made a thought and then shook his head. “I don’t know … we had orders to not interfere with her current position. That’s what the King of Yellow Springs said anyway. A request from that person …”
As said previously, Yellow Springs is the EraS version of Hell. The Guards are responsible for pulling in all the dead for afterlife judgment by the King. This should also apply to Emi, but it was halted on request to the King.
Han has nothing to do with this, and neither is our evil cloaked guy. Cloaked guy – definitely absolutely a NO. This should be clear to you, since an evil being cannot harmoniously co-exist with a good being, he wants Emi gone and as such, is totally contradictory to that person’s request.
Since this answer has no future implications on the plot, I can say to you that that person is the same as the Voice.
I thought that a murder was clichéd, so I wanted something new and unique.
You shall understand the heart of a parent to his or her children.
Ken did only mix with Hoh since their primary school days after all, and since his relationship with Emi got just as close in within weeks is enough to warrant jealousy usually. So … it’s a normal by-effect.
You just answered yourself. Hahah.
Really? I thought it was just another way to end the chapter. This might just mean you’ve pulled out some deeper aspects of things than I did.
… and that is all for this first part of the reply to the commentary. The second part will be posted tomorrow. Thanks a lot!
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