Lightening Strikes! Thunder child of light revealed

Nariko’s eyes lit up as she stared up at Tenshi’s mansion. She had always wanted to live in a mansion, but whenever she asked her parents why they didn’t, they would always burst out laughing. She slowly inched towards an open window and gasped at what she saw. There was Chiyu, casually talking to Tenshi. Nariko continued to stare until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Mizu, who was dressed in a short-sleeved white shirt, blue jeans, black shoes, and her hair tied up into a ponytail. After Nariko had gotten over the shock, she glared at Mizu.

“What are you doing here, Kaori?” she asked. Mizu folded her arms and glared back.

“For your information, I came here to see Tenshi,” she answered. Nariko burst out laughing.

“Like you would know anyone even mildly famous,” she exclaimed. “I bet Chiyu even knowing your name was just a fluke.” Nariko turned back to the window, then turned back around, only to see that Mizu wasn’t there. Nariko smirked, then turned back, when a lightening bolt pierced the sky, and it soon started raining. Nariko, obviously, was soon drenched.

“Hmph!” she exclaimed, running off. Tenshi got up from her seat, peaked outside, then closed the window so the rain wouldn’t get in. She walked back to her seat and picked up her cup of tea. Mizu walked in, a very smug look on her face.

“You cause the rain outside, didn’t you?” Tenshi asked. Mizu grinned and nodded. She was proud of herself for getting a handle of her powers so fast.

“So, just who is this ‘Thunder child of light’ that you mentioned earlier?” Mizu asked. Tenshi put down her steaming cup of tea.

“I believe her name is Nariko Hikarino,” she answered, looking towards the two. “Nariko: Thunder child, Hikarino: of light.” Chiyu let out a large groan, but Mizu just smiled.

“Well, that’s convenient,” she said, mimicking Tenshi’s way of sipping tea.

“Watch it,” Tenshi warned softly. “You may amuse me, but this is a serious matter.” Mizu shuddered.

“Is she always this scary?” Mizu asked Chiyu.

“You get used to it, after a couple of years,” he answered, simply drinking from his tea cup. “I’m still getting used to it, though.” Tenshi’s face turned from serious to angry.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she demanded. Mizu stuck her tongue out. “You did that in a lot in all of your past lives as well.”

“Old habits die hard,” Mizu answered, though she remembered nothing of her past lives. Tenshi only did because she was psychic.

“Yeah, but you never tell us about our past life unless we do something we did in one of them,” Chiyu stated. Tenshi raised an eyebrow.

“You’ll remember on your own,” she answered. “I’ve had years to remember everything, like that in a past life, the Kamis of Water and Wind were more than just friends.” She then put her hand over her mouth. “Oops, I wasn’t supposed to tell you that just yet. The Elders won’t be happy with me. Not that they ever are…” Mizu blinked, not saying anything. She then glanced over to Chiyu, who was blushing an interesting shade of red. She couldn’t help but poke fun at him.

“You know, my mom has lipstick that shade of red,” she taunted. “She only uses it on her ‘hot dates’ as she puts it.” Tenshi couldn’t help but laugh. Mizu just couldn’t help but not act her age, which she did a lot in other lives, too. Tenshi looked over to Chiyu. Even though he hadn’t admitted it yet, he really did like Mizu, though Tenshi would have to keep her big yap closed, at least until Chiyu told Mizu himself. Then she could say anything she wanted. Mizu leaned back onto the couch and smiled. She then remembered the origin of their conversation.

“So, just who is gonna get Nariko over here?” she asked. All eyes turned to Chiyu. Chiyu looked around, then shook his head furiously.

“No, nuh-uh!” he protested. “I have to put up with her hanging off me every time she tracks me down; I’m not going to make her think that I actually like her.” Mizu frowned.

“But, you’re the only one that she’ll talk to without either making a snide remark or passing out,” she protested. Chiyu shook his head again.

“Yeah, she won’t make fun of me like she does you, but who says she won’t pass out?” he asked. “She’s done it before.” Mizu grinned at the chance to make fun of him.

“That’s because you’re so kawaii,” she informed him. “Girls can’t help but fall for you. Now go before I decide to use you as target practice for my water jets.” Mizu forced Chiyu to stand up, leaving Chiyu the only option of leaving. Red faced from embarrassment, Chiyu trekked off to find Nariko. As soon as the front door closed, Tenshi turned to Mizu.

“How long do you think he’ll go before he remembers he can teleport?” she asked. Mizu looked at her watch.

“I’ll give him about half a minute,” the sea-green haired girl answered. “give or take a couple seconds.”

***

Chiyu groaned as he narrowly avoided being struck by lightning.

“Why is it that whenever I don’t want to see her, I always do, but now that I actually do want to find Nariko, she’s nowhere to be found?” he asked from under his red umbrella. Just as he finished saying this, a high pitched screech greeted him.

“Chiyu!” Nariko shrieked, running up to him and throwing her arms around his neck. “I thought that you were lost or something! I heard your voice, but I didn’t see you anywhere.” Chiyu just stood there, not even considering putting his arms around Nariko to comfort her. Nariko looked up at Chiyu from her sobbing, and straight into the boys yellow eyes. Chiyu pushed her away.

“Why don’t we go over to my friends house?” he asked as Nariko got back under the umbrella. “We can dry off there.” Nariko nodded as she wiped tears from her eyes.

“Hey, Chiyu, just where are we going, anyway?” Nariko asked. Chiyu didn’t answer, but simply guided Nariko through the thunderstorm in the direction of Tenshi’s mansion. They walked in silence until Nariko squealed with joy.

“Hey, Chiyu, look what I found!” she exclaimed, holding up a golden lightning-bolt shaped jewel. “It just appeared out of nowhere; do you think it would look good on charm bracelet?” Chiyu animé fell at Nariko’s empty-head-ness. “Hey, Chiyu, are you okay?” Chiyu immediately got back to his feet and nodded.

“Of coarse I am!” he exclaimed. “It was just a little fall.” Nariko smiled at Chiyu.

“Hey, Chiyu?” she asked, slightly blushing. Chiyu looked down at the girl, puzzled.

“Yeah, Nariko?” he asked. Before Nariko could answer, Chiyu pulled the girl out of the way as a truck went by splashing a lot of water from puddles, and right onto Chiyu. Chiyu shook his head, causing water to fly all over the place. Nariko blinked a few times before she realized just how close she was to Chiyu, and the boy still had his arm around her, protectively.

“Thanks, Chiyu,” she thanked him. Chiyu looked down at Nariko, then immediately took his arm away from her shoulder and took his distance.

Shoot! Nariko thought. Just when we get really close, he pushes me away, literally! Nariko walked beside Chiyu in silence, her arms folded. Before she knew it, the umbrella fell to the ground, slightly bouncing. Nariko looked back to see that Chiyu was gone. Nariko’s eyes started to tear up.

“Chiyu’s gone!” she wailed as the rain poured down onto her, causing her platinum blond hair to look more dirty blond. A lightening bolt flashed behind her, followed with thunder. Just as another lightening bolt struck, dark figures could be seen. Nariko gasped.

“Just what are those things?” Nariko demanded as some Dark Ones started advancing on her, and Chiyu still was nowhere to be found. She started wailing, when a jet of water hit her, causing her to be even more wet than she already was.

“Why don’t you cool down for once?” a voice asked. A lightning bolt flashed to reveal Mizu, Chiyu, and Tenshi, and Mizu was in the center with her arms folded.

“Chiyu!” Nariko squealed happily. Tenshi and Mizu animé fell, but Chiyu stood his ground. He simply looked down.

“Uh, are you okay, Mizu?” he asked. Nariko’s eyes went from happy to angry in a flash.

“Why are you asking is she is okay? I’m the one being attacked by these… things!” Nariko complained. Before anyone was able to do anything, a Dark One caught Nariko from behind and covered her mouth so she couldn’t scream, then backed up, disappearing, along with all the other ones. Chiyu’s face turned into a worried expression.

“They took Nariko!” he exclaimed to Tenshi and Mizu who had still been unconscious on the ground. Both of them bolted up, only to watch the last of the Dark Ones disappear. Tenshi was unusually calm.

“It will take them a while before they even get close to corrupting her, Chiyu,” she explained. “She’s too thick-headed to listen to them. Why don’t we go back to my place and figure out just how to find her?” Chiyu and Mizu nodded, and they all disappeared in a flash of colors.

***

“But, can’t we just teleport into wherever they are like you and Chiyu did?” Mizu asked. Tenshi shook her head.

“It’s not that simple, Mizu,” she informed the girl. “Only three humans can be in the Realm of Darkness at a time. Anymore than that and one of them will start to disappear.” Mizu groaned and leaned back into the cushiony armchair. There was a moment of silence before Chiyu, who was sitting on the window seat watching the rain hit the window, piped up.

“I’ll go,” he offered. Mizu and Tenshi looked back at him, shocked.

“Chiyu, you can’t go alone; who knows what’ll happen to you?” Tenshi yelled, worry in her voice. Chiyu nodded.

“I know, but if I hadn’t left Nariko alone, this never would’ve happened,” he answered, still watching the rain hit the window. “I’m going alone.” With that, Chiyu disappeared with a pale yellow light.

***

“Where am I?” Nariko asked as she looked around at the darkness. She heard murmurs and turned her head to see a group of Dark Ones conversing amongst themselves. She could hear rain somewhere, but she wasn’t sure where. “What is this place?” A Dark One looked up from the group.

“Ah, the Thunder Child is finally awake,” it said in it’s snake-like voice. It slowly walked towards Nariko, it’s arms outstretched. Nariko, who had been fully colored, slowly started to turn black-and-white, until she didn’t have an ounce of color left. And then, she fell to the ground. Just as the Dark One was about to pick her up, a pale yellow light appeared, and soon materialized into Chiyu. A Dark One hissed. They slowly started to disappear. Nariko groaned as she started to wake up.

“Chiyu!” Nariko exclaimed. “Just where are we?”

“Tenshi will explain it all,” Chiyu told her. “Let’s just get outta here.”

***

Mizu sat in class the next day, watching the rain hit the window. She started to fiddle with the scarf around her neck that was part of her uniform, when the bell rang. She gathered up her books and was about to leave the classroom, when she heard some voices. Mizu hid behind the corner of the door and listened to them.

“Who does that Mizu Kaori think she is, anyway?” a girl asked. “She gets Chiyu to walk her home once and it’s like they’ve known each other forever!” Nariko nodded.

“And it’s not only that,” the blond haired girl answered. She then put her hand to her mouth so nobody could hear what she was saying but her friend. “Chiyu actually seems to like Mizu, if you know what I mean.” She then took her hand from her mouth. “Well, as long as I’m here, Chiyu’s mine!” Mizu blinked back a couple tears. Not because Nariko wanted Chiyu for herself; she could have him. But those two were talking like Mizu was a jerk. She couldn’t help it if Chiyu really did like her, although she seriously doubted that he did. She wiped eyes dry and walked out into the hall.

“Well, Nariko, for liking Chiyu so much you sure act more like he’s a prize than a human being,” Mizu commented. She flung her backpack over her shoulder and began to walk down the hall.

“What’s her problem?” Nariko’s friend asked. Nariko, for the first time in her life, actually looked somewhat sorry for something, although she wasn’t exactly sure what. Mizu then turned back around to face Nariko.

“Oh, and Tenshi wanted you at the mansion about five minutes ago, so you’d better start walking, Sparky,” she told her, then turned back around and began walking again.

“What about you?” Nariko asked. Mizu didn’t turn around to answer.

“Chiyu and I are going to do something before we go,” Mizu answered. Nariko looked absolutely offended. Mizu finally turned around and noticed the expression.

“You don’t wanna go, Sparky,” she answered. “It has something to do with some friends of ours. Ones that really, really like the dark.” Nariko paled as she caught the hint.

“I guess I’ll meet you at Tenshi’s later,” she confirmed. Nariko’s friend looked appalled.

“You’re letting that reject be alone with Chiyu?” she demanded. At that moment, Nariko had a life-shattering epiphany.

“You are so shallow,” she muttered to her friend as she began on her way to Tenshi’s mansion. She had come to the same conclusion about herself, but she would never admit that out loud.

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Announcer: Next time on Shinki no Kami…

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Mizu’s little brother, Keitaro, pressed his nose against the display case. He pointed to a Halloween costume resembling a G.I. Joe uniform.

“I want that one!” he exclaimed, then jumped back and began to shoot with a pretend machine gun, making the noise the bullets make when they’re shooting out of the gun. Mizu sweat dropped.

“Keitaro, could you be any weirder?” she asked.

***

“Mom, I’m going over to Tenshi’s place,” Mizu called. Sakura Kaori looked from the kitchen to her eldest child.

“Do you really have to go, Mizu?” she asked. “Keitaro needs someone to take him out trick-or-treating, and you know I’m too busy!” Mizu folded her arms.

“But Mom!” she started to complain. Sakura shook her head.

“Don’t ‘but Mom’ me,” she answered. “At least take him around the block! I’m sure Tenshi can wait.” Keitaro smiled up at his older sister innocently. Mizu growled, then took Keitaro’s hand.

***

Mizu gasped as the Dark Ones started advancing on the crowd of people. She pushed Keitaro out of the way as one was about to take him.

“Keitaro, get out of here! Nariko and I will take care of them!” Mizu yelled. Keitaro shook his head, then took out his play gun.

“I’m going to fight!” he exclaimed as he began to ‘shoot’ the Dark Ones with his toy gun.

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Announcer: That’s next time on Shinki no Kami; The Night of Terror! Keitaro Wants to Help.