The threat is getting larger! We must find the others

"Why did you bring us here?!" Tenshi demanded. Kamlyn smirked.

"I think you should know that one, you are psychic, after all," she pointed out. "Oh, that's right, your Kami power don't work in The Realm of Darkness!" She held out her hand.

"However, ours don't either," Ken, the Dark Fire Kami pointed out. "But we can get out of here, so we'll just leave you to deal with them." Kamlyn snapped her fingers, and Dark Ones appeared and started advancing on the Kamis.

"Ta-ta," Akuma said before all the Dark Kamis disappeared. Tenshi turned to the group.

"Kamlyn's right; our powers don't work here," she told them. "We'll have to use brute force, and just hope one of us figures out how to get out of here." The last part of that sentence was said with a nervousness that was very out of character for Tenshi. The Kamis set off, but Mizu and Michiru were on the ground, breathing hard. Tenshi turned back around, a concerned look on her face.

"Oh, no, I forgot about this!" she exclaimed. "They're not strong enough to stand the Realm of Darkness!" The rest of the Kamis were fighting off the Dark Ones, and Chiyu turned from the one he was beating to a bloody (actually, Dark Ones don't really have blood, but still) pulp.

"Tenshi, why are you just sitting there?!" he demanded, unaware of Mizu and Michiru on the ground. Tenshi stood up and took a deep breath.

"Chiyu, do you have your Kami gem?" she asked. Chiyu nodded, and having successfully beaten an offending Dark One, took it out of his pocket. Tenshi nodded her approval.

"Tell Nariko, Keitaro and Toshi to wrap it up," she commanded. "I have my gem too; I'm pretty sure we'll have enough power to get out of here." Chiyu nodded, and soon they were all gathered together, Michiru hung over Nariko's shoulder and Mizu in Toshi's arms. Dark Ones started advancing on them once again, but Tenshi and Chiyu started concentrating. A light that mixed purple and pale yellow formed around each of them, and they soon disappeared.

***

The next morning, light flowed through Mizu's bedroom window. The Sunday morning traffic jam sound effects were in full bloom, and Mizu opened her eyes, puzzled. She looked to her grey alarm clock.

"What the?" she asked. "10:00 in the morning? Where was I this whole time?" Mizu flinched as there was a crash in the kitchen, and she then looked up to the ceiling.

"Mom's home," she concluded. She pulled the covers off and walked out of her bedroom and down the stairs to see her mother cleaning up the remains of a plate.

"Morning," Mizu told her mother as she sat down on a stool at the counter. Sakura looked up from her sweeping.

"Morning, sleepy head," she replied. "Those guys at school must be putting you through the ringer; you were asleep when I got home at 3:00 in the afternoon!" Mizu blinked, and her stomach growled. She grinned sheepishly.

"I guess I'm hungry," she stated, and she got up. Sakura put her hands on her hips.

"Well, can we talk about something first?" she asked. Mizu stopped dead in her tracks at this. She turned to see Sakura had a serious look on her face.

"And what's that?" she asked, ready for the worst.

"Where's your little brother?" Sakura asked, and Mizu fell over. This had certainly not been what she had expected.

"I'm sure he's safe; he probably just went over to Tenshi's house," she explained. Sakura raised her eyebrows.

"Come to think of it, I never have met this 'Tenshi'," she pointed out. She closed her eyes. "Mind telling me who she is?" Sakura opened her eyes again, but Mizu was sneaking out the door. She immediately slammed it and ran for dear life.

***

Michiru sat at the low coffee table in her living room, a cup of green tea in front of her. Yumiko sat behind her on the couch, flipping through the channels on the TV. She finally stopped on some kind of infomercial and looked down to her little sister.

"Michiru?" she asked. "Would you mind telling me why the lawn in front of our apartment building is completely turned over? You haven't been using those powers again, have you?" Michiru blinked and shook her head.

"No, I haven't," she replied. Yumiko knew about Michiru's powers, and knew there were others like her; the only thing she didn't know was the rest of the story. "I was out like a light since yesterday afternoon." Yumiko turned off the TV and stood up.

"I'm gonna go for a walk," she stated. Michiru just shrugged; she was used to this by now. Sometimes Yumiko just needed some alone time. It came with being a teenager, she guessed.

***

"You mean he's just been sitting there since yesterday?" Satu whispered to Megami, and the eldest sibling nodded.

"He just came in, and sat down," she explained. "I'm pretty sure he's slept, but I don't know what else he's been doing since yesterday." The two sisters walked over to the couch and sat down next to the seemingly lifeless form.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Satu asked. Megami poked her father in several places, until the man seemed to come out of his trance.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, and Satu and Megami shook their heads in shame.

"Daddy, you've been working too hard," Megami stated. "I think we should round up Chiyu and Mom and just have a family day." Their father held his head.

"No, I really should be getting back to work," he stated, getting up. "My lunch hour's probably up by now." Satu and Megami sweat dropped. Chiyu, who had been in the doorway walked in.

"Dad, it's Sunday," he stated. "Megami's right, you've been working so hard you've lost your sense of time!" Megami nodded.

"That's why we should have a family day out!" she exclaimed. "The last time we've really done something together is when Satu was one and threw up and we all had to clean it up!" Chiyu stood up from leaning against the couch.

"Um, actually, could we do that later?" he asked. "I gotta see a friend; she... wasn't doing so good yesterday." Chiyu's father raised his eyebrows.

"'She'?" he asked. "Since when do you have a girlfriend?" Chiyu's face turned beat red and Satu shook her head.

"Where have you been the last century?" she asked. "You're allowed to have a friend that's a girl without her being your girlfriend." Chiyu nodded, and he headed towards the door.

"Um, anyway, why don't we meet at the park in a couple hours?" he asked, and Satu and Megami nodded.

"It's a date," Satu replied, and Chiyu flinched.

"Please don't say that word."

***

"Keitaro, are you sure about this?" Gin asked of her friend. They were hiding behind a trashcan in the food court of the newly repaired mall, watching Mizu eating some Okonomiyaki. "I mean, if we try to get them together, they'll figure out it's us!" Keitaro nodded.

"Of course they will; Mizu's my sister, after all," Keitaro pointed out. "But that doesn't matter!" Gin sighed as she looked back to Mizu.

"But Keitaro, exactly who is Chiyu?" she asked, and Keitaro fell over.

"You mean you agreed to help me and you don't even know who we're talking about?!" he demanded. Gin seemed to shrink and she had a terrified look on her face. Keitaro sighed. "Chiyu is the guy at the Halloween party that dressed up like James Bond and passed out the candy." A smile came over Gin's face.

"I remember him now!" she exclaimed, then got a scowl on her face. "He wouldn't let me have another treat bag!" Keitaro sighed and sweat dropped.

"Gin, if you don't mention that night again I'll buy you all the candy you want later," he promised. Gin's face lit up.

"Deal!" she exclaimed. Keitaro nodded.

"There he is; let's go!" he exclaimed. Chiyu was walking through the mall, looking for Mizu, whom Sakura had said probably went to the mall after making an escape from the house. He was about to say hi to her when Mizu's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Mizu asked after she took it out and turned it on. "Oh, hi Tenshi. Yeah, I'm fine. Um, no I'm not sure where the half pint is; I thought he was with you." Chiyu sighed and turned the other way and started walking. He knew how long those two could talk.

"Your sister's looking for you, ya know," Chiyu stated as he went past the trash can Keitaro and Gin were hiding behind.

"How does he do that?" Gin asked of Keitaro.

"He has a little sister; I think is comes with being an older brother or sister," Keitaro replied, and he got up and walked out from behind the trash can. Chiyu folded his arms.

"Just how long have you been behind there, anyway?" he asked, and Keitaro shrugged.

"Long enough to see Mizu has the appetite of a starving bear," Gin replied. "I do not know where she stores it all." Chiyu sweat dropped.

***

Nariko sighed as she sat on the couch of her apartment. While most of the other Kamis were probably at the mall or something, she was stuck inside because her parents didn't trust her out while they were gone, and she had to baby-sit her five-year-old twin sisters.

"Nariko!" one of the twins, Aiko, called.

"We over-flowed the tub again!" the other, Akiko, called.

"The neighbors below us are yelling words we can't understand!" they exclaimed at the same time. Nariko sighed and rolled her eyes. She got up from the couch and walked over to the entrance of the bathroom.

"How many times do I have to tell you to only fill it half-way?" she asked, exasperated. Aiko and Akiko looked at their fingers.

"Is that a trick question?" they asked and Nariko sweat dropped. She then sneezed, and a lightning ball formed in her hand. Aiko and Akiko's eyes went wide.

"Cool!" they exclaimed together. Nariko looked down at her hand, then immediately hid it behind her back. Aiko and Akiko's eyes were still wide, and Nariko put a firm look on her face.

"Just clean up that water, or do I have to call in Hiroshi or Jiro?" she asked, and Aiko and Akiko shuddered. Hiroshi and Jiro were their older brothers, but neither were hardly home. When they were, chaos even too much for Aiko and Akiko ensued. Nariko sighed with relief as the twins got mops and began cleaning up the soapy water.

***

"Toshi, honey, are you going to stay in your room all day?" Toshi's mother asked from the other side of the door of Toshi's bedroom.

"It's a choice," Toshi replied from inside his room, where he lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Toshi's mother got a worried look on her face.

"Toshi, is something wrong?" she asked. "The last time you stayed in your room this long was when Mizu moved away!" Toshi yawned and rolled over so he lay on his stomach and he turned on his TV. Toshi's mother sighed in aggravation.

"Fine!" she exclaimed. "Don't tell me! But don't come crying to me the next time you need money!" Toshi's mother stormed down the hall towards the kitchen and Toshi smiled. His mother was still so much like a teenager it was sometimes scary.

"And in other news, Shinjuku Community Center is in ruins after a concert performed by french singer, Angeletta Blanche," a reporter on the TV stated. "The cause of the devastation is still a mystery. And now for weather!" Toshi rolled his eyes and turned off his TV and rolled back onto his back. He remembered back in the Realm of Darkness, when he first saw Mizu fainted beside Michiru. His heart had started beating three times as fast, afraid that she was dead. He blushed and pushed this memory to the back of his brain.

"Toshi! Come out here!" Toshi's mother called from the kitchen. Toshi didn't budge.

"And if I don't?" he asked.

"Then you'll miss lunch today!" was his mother's reply. Toshi sighed and got up from his bed. He walked into the kitchen to see his mother had on the old TV that had a fuzzy picture.

"You know it's weird," Toshi's mother stated as she put a bowl of Soba noodles in front of Toshi. "I could've sworn I saw you in the footage of just before the community center was destroyed, but you disappeared!" Toshi practically choked on his Soba noodles and he put down his chopsticks as he coughed.

"What would make you think that, Mom?" he asked. His mother shrugged.

"Because I saw light blue hair," she replied. "How many people have light blue hair?" Toshi laughed nervously.

"Um, good question," he replied. "One that would take careful consideration that my brain is incapable of on Sunday." Toshi's mother, who's name was Natsuko (because I'm tired of saying Toshi's mother) looked skeptical at her son's answer. The phone suddenly started ringing and Toshi immediately grabbed for it, literally jumping at the chance to end that conversation.

"Hello?" he asked. His eyes went wide as he heard the voice on the other end. "Mizu! You're okay! Oh, yeah. Okay, see you there." He put the phone back onto it's cradle.

"I'm meeting some friends somewhere!" Toshi exclaimed, grabbing his jacket. Natsuko sighed and folded her arms.

"The story of his life," she said to herself.

***

Toshi spotted Tenshi, Mizu, Keitaro and Michiru standing before the ruins of the community center. He walked up and blinked.

"Where's Chiyu and Nariko?" he asked. Keitaro grinned.

"Nariko has to baby-sit and for Chiyu, it's either he spends time with his family today or he spends quality time with his room for the next two weeks," he answered. Toshi kept from grinning. By now you could tell he wasn't Chiyu's biggest fan, and family time may as well be torture given the right circumstances. Mizu folded her arms.

"Anyway," she said, bringing them back to why they were all there in the first place. "Tenshi says she thinks the Dark Kamis left behind something here before they left. It's our job to find it." Toshi raised his eyebrows.

"And what might we be looking for?" he asked. Tenshi answered this.

"I think Kamlyn left behind her gem," she replied. "It looks like your only... darker." Toshi put his hand into his pocket and took out his Kami gem.

"This small thing?" he asked. "You really think we'll find something that small in all this rubble?" Mizu grinned.

"Just think of it as a scavenger hunt," she replied. "There's a prize at the end. Find the gem and Tenshi treats us to ice cream afterwards." Keitaro grinned.

"Well what are we waiting for, then?!" he demanded, jumping into the huge pile of rubble. He started moving aside the rubble frantically, each time hoping to find the small gem.

"Think we should help him?" Mizu asked. Toshi shook his head.

"Nah, he's doing fine himself," he replied. "At this rate he'll have the whole building turned over within the hour." Toshi then blinked as he spotted Landlady of the Universe on a long leash. The cat was sniffing around, occasionally sneezing.

"Did Keitaro bring your cat?" he asked. Mizu nodded.

"Landlady of the Universe is like a blood hound; nothing gets past her nose," Mizu explained. "At least that's what Keitaro says." Mizu and Toshi watched with folded arms as Landlady ran all over the rubble sniffing like crazy until suddenly she stopped and pointed with her nose to something.

"I think she found something," Michiru stated. The group of teenagers walked over to where Landlady sat and there, slightly covered by rubble, was a gem shaped like an ice crystal, only instead of being white like Toshi’s, it was pure black. Mizu shuddered.

"That thing gives me the creeps," she stated as Tenshi picked it up and quickly placed it in a small box she had taken out of her pocket.

"Well now that we have it, the Dark Kamis will definitely show up," Tenshi stated. "And we'll be ready."

"How are we going to be ready?" Michiru asked quietly. Tenshi sighed as she got up from her knees.

"We're going to have to take a more direct approach," she started, dusting off her long jacket. "Even though I'm psychic, each Kami has a little bit of that same power, too. We need to pool that ability and find the rest of the Hikari Kamis, and maybe even some of the Dark ones, too." Keitaro brightened.

"Some of the Dark Kamis might have been reincarnated good, like me," he stated. Tenshi nodded.

"That's what we're hoping for," she agreed.

"I'll make the arrangements; be ready bright and early tomorrow," she stated.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Next time on Shinki no Kami....

The Kamis pool together their powers to find the rest of the Hikaris. The first one to look for is the Kami of Light, who's presence flares up after they hardly started looking. That afternoon Mizu and Chiyu meet her as they're walking home from school, and save her from being mugged, but how will they convince her to help them, when she isn't even aware of her powers yet?