The Night of Terror! Keitaro Wants to Help

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. Keitaro nodded.

“Of course I could, Mizu,” the seven-year-old answered. “But I promised Mom that I wouldn’t embarrass you too much. Now, that one!” Keitaro once again pointed to the costume resembling a G.I. Joe uniform. Mizu sighed and sweat dropped as the store keeper took the costume out.

“That’ll be one thousand yen (ten dollars) please,” the person told Mizu. Mizu handed the bill to him, then grabbed Keitaro and the bag, and dragged them both out of the store. Keitaro’s face all-of-a-sudden turned very pale. Mizu turned back to him.

“Keitaro, what’s the matter?” she asked.

“I hafta go to the bathroom!” he exclaimed. Mizu’s face put on a look of disgust.

“Couldn’t you have done that before we came here?” she asked. Keitaro shook his head as he bit his lip.

***

Mizu’s arms were folded as she leaned against the wall, waiting for Keitaro to come out of the bathroom. The bathroom door opened, and Mizu turned, only to see…

“Oh, hi Chiyu,” Mizu greeted as she went back to leaning on the wall. Chiyu’s eyebrows raised.

“Well, don’t be so happy to see me,” he answered sarcastically. “Say, what are you doing waiting by the men’s bathroom, anyway.”

“My little brother Keitaro is in the bathroom,” she answered. “My mom said I can’t leave him by himself here in the mall, so here I am.” Chiyu blinked a few times.

“You have a little brother?” he asked, and Mizu nodded.

“Mizu!” called Keitaro’s voice from inside the bathroom. Mizu let out a frustrated sigh.

“What is it?” she asked. There was silence.

“I dropped my baseball cap in the toilet!” he yelled.

“So get it yourself; I’m not going in there!” Mizu yelled back. Chiyu sweat dropped. The door then opened, and Keitaro peaked out.

“Mizu, I got it, but… it’s kinda wet,” he told his older sister. Mizu made a disgusted face.

“Eww! Rinse it off in the sink then use the hand dryer!” she answered. “We’ll get mom to wash it more completely when we get home.” Keitaro shook his head.

“I can’t reach the sink well enough to wash my hat!” he answered. He smiled brightly. “You’re going to hafta help me!” Mizu shook her head rapidly.

“Uh, Chiyu, why don’t you help him?” she asked, pushing Chiyu into the bathroom. She sighed, very thankful that Chiyu had come along. The pale-blond haired boy stared down at Keitaro. Keitaro smiled.

“Hi, I’m Keitaro,” he greeted. “Are you my sister’s boyfriend or something?” Mizu just smiled slyly as she closed her eyes, while Chiyu’s face turned the shade of a tomato. Keitaro cocked his head at Chiyu’s reaction, then grinned.

“What’s your name?” he asked. It took Chiyu a couple of seconds to answer.

“Uh, Chiyu,” he answered. “Chiyu Kaze.”

***

Mizu leaned down and took the ice-cream cones. She sat down and gave one to Keitaro before she began to lick up her own.

“Mizu?” Keitaro asked as he disregarded his ice cream cone. Mizu wiped her mouth with the back of her jacket sleeve before she answered.

“Yeah?” she asked as she attempted to put her sea-green hair back up into a ponytail. Keitaro scrunched up his nose, as if what he was going to ask disgusted him some-what.

“Is Chiyu your boyfriend?” he asked. Mizu began to choke and it eventually turned into a laugh so hard that she threw her head back. When she finally gained self-control again, she answered.

“Chiyu already has a stalker, Keitaro,” she answered, wiping the tears from her eyes. “He doesn’t need someone else to like him that way. Besides, I just met him a few days ago.” Keitaro’s face didn’t show disgust anymore, but anger as he whirled around, his arms folded.

“Why can’t you like him?” he demanded. Mizu was suddenly glad there were too many other people talking for anyone but her to really hear. “There have been lots of instances of love at first sight!” Mizu sweat dropped at Keitaro’s sudden change of mind.

“Maybe giving him ice cream wasn’t the best idea,” she told herself as she popped what was left of her ice cream cone into her mouth and chewed on it. She finished and started listening to Keitaro’s rants again.

“I mean, I can tell that Chiyu likes you!” Keitaro went on. “Did you see how red his face got when I asked if he was your boyfriend? And besides, Mum says that you only get one chance in life to grab the person you love! If you don’t get to him now, someone else will take him!” Mizu shook her head.

“Keitaro, I’m only thirteen,” she answered. “Even if I really did ‘love’ Chiyu, I’m too young for things like that. Why am I even talking about something like this with you? You’re only seven years old; you wouldn’t understand the whole love thing. I’m not sure if even I do.” Keitaro hmphed, then went back to eating his ice cream cone in silence. That is, until Mizu heard a voice she hoped she wouldn’t hear.

“Chiyu! Wait up!” called Nariko’s voice. Chiyu was suddenly beside Mizu, then behind her.

“Save me!” he pleaded as Nariko came storming up to them. Keitaro then got an evil look on his face as he looked at Nariko’s white shirt, then at his chocolate ice cream cone. In one foul swoop, the ice cream became acquainted with the shirt. Nariko was positively terrified.

“Why you little brat!” she shrieked before she ran on her way to the women’s bathroom to try to get the stain out of her shirt. Chiyu sweat dropped as he sat in the chair next to Mizu. He sighed with relief.

“Thanks,” he told Keitaro. Keitaro folded his arms.

“You owe me a chocolate ice cream.”

***

“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. Keitaro grabbed his trick-or-treat bag before he left out the door. Keitaro looked up at Mizu.

“Mizu, how come you’re not dressed up for Halloween?” he asked, looking at her tight light-blue shirt, jean jacket, blue jeans, and white sneakers. Mizu folded her arms.

“You may have gotten me to bring you trick-or-treating, but I am not going to dress up,” she answered.

“Oh, Keitaro!” called a voice. A girl about Keitaro’s age with long black hair wearing a pink princess dress, white gloves, and a golden tiara came running up, and clung onto Keitaro. Mizu sweat dropped.

“Uh, you can let go of him now,” she told the girl. The girl looked up at Mizu, then let go of Chiyu.

“Hi, Mizu!” she exclaimed, then cocked her head. “How come you’re not dressed up?” Mizu folded her arms.

“Gin, as I have already said to Keitaro, I’m not dressing up!” she answered. Gin frowned.

“Even Tenshi Shinzuino dressed up!” Gin exclaimed. Mizu unfolded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, really?” she asked, and Gin nodded.

“She and some other kids are helping with the Halloween party at the recreational center,” Gin explained. “That boy that gives out the candy to the little kids, he’s really funny. He claims that he’s supposed to be James Bond, but I think he looks more like a waiter.” Mizu laughed slightly.

“This I gotta see,” she stated, taking Keitaro by the hand and walking in the direction of the rec. center.

Mizu and Keitaro came into the room they were having the Halloween party in. Mizu let go of Keitaro’s hand and began searching for Tenshi. Keitaro watched as the people went by him, until he saw someone very familiar.

“Chiyu!” Keitaro exclaimed. Chiyu was over by a big cauldron of candy, evidently dressed as James Bond, and he was passing out candy to the little kids.

“Oh, no, Gin,” Keitaro heard Chiyu say. “I’ve seen you here once before. No free refills.” Gin frowned.

“Please? I just want a candy bar!” Gin pleaded. Keitaro grinned. Gin liked candy way too much. Gin’s mother came and took Gin’s hand.

“Gin Hana!” she exclaimed. “You know you’re not supposed to get too much candy! It rots your teeth and I don’t want to have to pay for another filling!” Gin frowned as she followed her mother away from the candy. Keitaro walked up to Chiyu and stared straight into the boys’ eyes.

“Oh, hi Keitaro,” he said. “You want some candy?” Keitaro shook his head.

“Mommy said that I’m not allowed to have more than one bags worth of candy `cause if I have too much candy I start bouncing around the house,” he told the older boy. “One time, I got into the laundry and I ended up running around the house with one of Mizu’s sports bras wrapped around my head saying that I was a sushi chef.” Chiyu blinked a few times. Mizu appeared behind the little boy and picked him up by his shirt collar.

“You really didn’t need to tell that story, Keitaro,” she said, turning around and walking off, still holding onto Keitaro’s shirt collar. “People think I’m weird enough as it is; they don’t need to know what a day in Mizu’s life is like.” Keitaro frowned.

“Let go of me!” Keitaro exclaimed, struggling to get out of his older sister’s grasp. Tenshi appeared behind Chiyu.

“You know, Chiyu,” she began. “I’m sure Mizu would love it if you told her the truth.” Chiyu blinked.

“Wadaya mean, Tenshi?” he asked, and Tenshi raised her eyebrows.

“You know what I mean,” she answered. Tenshi adjusted the scarf that she was using to keep her hair back, which was also part of her fortune-teller costume, and smiled. “The party will be ending soon. Happy Halloween, Chiyu.” With that, Tenshi made her way over to a huge cauldron filled with water with apples bobbing around in it. Chiyu suddenly looked up as the lights went out.

“What the?” Mizu, who was by this time about to pull Keitaro out the door, asked, looking around. Before Mizu knew what was happening, everyone around her began to collapse to the ground. All, that is, except the Kamis and Keitaro.

“What happened?” Nariko, who was standing by the cauldron of candy dressed as some kind of rock star asked. Tenshi was pretty sure what had happened, and her suspicions were soon proved as some Dark Ones began to materialize right in the middle of the room. In the blink of an eye, they sent both Tenshi and Chiyu out for the count. 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. Another swipe of a Dark Ones’ hand, and the gun was sent flying across the floor and right into the bottom of the apple-bobbing cauldron, causing it to shatter and the water to splash all over the floor. Keitaro was positively terrified by now, and was grabbing onto Mizu’s leg. Mizu looked over to Nariko, and they both nodded. Nariko put her hands together at the palms (think in DBZ when someone shoots off the Kamehameha wave), and her fingers each sent off bolts of lightening. Mizu was about to do the same with her water jet, when suddenly a water jet flew at the sizzled Dark Ones, and they disappeared. Mizu put her hands down in confusion, then looked down at Keitaro who was still shooting a jet of water from his hands. The lights suddenly switched on and Tenshi and Chiyu finally began to come to. Keitaro put down his hands as the water stopped flowing, then looked around.

“Did I just do that?” he asked.

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Announcer: Next time on Shinki no Kami…

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“You mean I’m like a super hero?” Keitaro asked. Tenshi, Mizu, Nariko and Chiyu sweat dropped.

“Fine, Keitaro, you’re a super hero,” Mizu answered. “It’s better just to go along anyway.”

***

“But I don’t wanna fight!” Keitaro whined as more Dark Ones began to appear before them. Mizu folded her arms.

“Well if you’re not going to, I will!” she answered, pushing Keitaro out of the way as she shot a jet of water at them.

***

Keitaro sighed as Tenshi finally started singing. His eyelids slowly began to droop and he began to fall over until he had his head laid comfortably in Chiyu’s lap. Chiyu looked ready to wake him up, but Mizu shook her head.

“No, it’s best to leave him,” she answered. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll attract a lot of girls like that.” Chiyu raised his eyebrows.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

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Announcer: That’s next time on Shinki no Kami: I don’t want to fight! Keitaro’s second thoughts