Hikari sorede Yami no Ookisa

Chaputa-san 

     For Kouichi, it was a different matter.  His eyes fluttered open as he awoke.  The elder twin moaned and looked around, feeling pain slashing through his body violently.  He shuddered, the pain unbearable for a ningen.

     “Shh…  Rest…” came a soft voice.

     “Where… am I?” Kouichi asked to the black form he spotted at his side.

     “You are in Yomi no Chikyuu.” Answered the voice.

     Kouichi could make out the form of a cat.  As his vision cleared, it was in fact, a cat.  It was black, with bat wings, and a tail.  Its blue eyes stared back at him through the darkness of the room.  The room was pretty plain, with just him in the center on top of a stone table.  Besides that, there were just some statues lining the walls.

     Underworld… of… Earth?  Kouichi blinked through the darkness, thinking.  “Where’s… Kouji-ototo?” Kouichi croaked out.  He realized then that his voice was becoming more hoarse with each word he spoke.

     “I do not know of such a person.” The cat spoke.

     The older twin heard the wooden door of the room squeak as it opened.  Heavy footsteps resounded within the room.  Kouichi shuddered in its wake, feeling the power that he sensed.

     “Neko-oni.  Is he the one we are looking for?” a deep voice said.

     “Hai, Kage-sama.” Neko, the cat, replied.  “He must rest though.  He… what… you have planned for him…  I cannot say is going very well.”

     “Take all the time you need.” Kage said.  “As long as he is the one who will deliver us from this wretched place.”

     “Ii desu yo.  Of course.” Neko said and Kage left.

     “What is it?  What’s… happening… to me?” Kouichi whispered.

     “You must rest.  Or you will not survive.” Neko whispered to Kouichi.

     Kouichi nodded and closed his eyes.  For ototo’s sake…  I have to live.  Despite all the pain he felt, he drifted asleep.

     “Kouichi?  Kouichi-musuko?  Wake up.  You have to go to school.”

     Kouichi opened his eyes, to see… a woman he did not recognize.  She had long dark violet hair.  Yet, he followed her orders.  He got up out of bed and got ready… for what she called ‘school’.

     I don’t get it, Kouichi thought.  I feel like I’ve met her before.  And yet… I can’t remember her.

     He moved about, as though he could not control his body.  Going to the bathroom, dressing himself, all of not his own free will.  It was as though he was locked in his own mind to watch.  Soon enough, he came to ‘school’.  There were many other students, and Kouichi could feel nervousness fluttering up in his stomach as he walked the hall to his class.  He sat down at a desk in a corner and tried to hide himself.

     “Get up.  You’re in my seat.” Said a voice.  It sounded like his, but it came from another person.

     Kouichi looked up and his eyes met ones… that exactly matched his own.  They were the same shade of blue, same with the other boy’s hair.  Although, the boy looked like a spitting male image of the woman had woken him up.

     Kouichi obediently got up.  Why am I so… submissive?  Kouichi wondered.

     “Gomen nasai.” Kouichi said politely and sat in the seat beside the boy.

     The other boy looked at Kouichi, as though trying to figure out who he was.  “Onamae wa?” he said roughly.

     “Kimura Kouichi desu.  O-onamae wa?” Kouichi said out of nervousness.  He knew he was stuttering a bit as well.

     “Minamoto Kouji desu.”

     “Mina…moto?  Kou…ji?”  Kouichi stammered.  “Ototo?”

     Kouji glared at Kouichi as though he was now a pile of sludge.  “Nani?”

     “I remember…  Soba…  Grandma… telling me… I had a younger twin brother…His name was… Kouji…”

     Kouichi opened his eyes.  He could not tell if it really was dark, if he had gone blind, or if his eyes were really open.  The boy’s eyes soon adjusted to his surroundings and found that he was in the same room from before.  He moved his limbs a bit, and felt no pain.

     “Onamae wa?”

     Kouichi blinked at the form above him.  He was yanked up and onto his feet.  Kouichi felt unsteady and nearly fell, but a rough hand grabbed his shoulder and kept him up on his feet.

     “Answer when I ask you something!!  Onamae wa??!” the shadow roared in Kouichi’s face.

     “Kimura Kouichi desu.”

     “Good.  Do you remember anything else besides your name?”

     Kouichi blinked and looked at the red eyes that were staring down at him, awaiting his answer.  He remembered Kouji… but then kept quiet about it.  Kouichi could tell from the shadow’s voice that it was not to be trusted.

     “Iie… no…  I don’t.”  Kimura said confidently.

     “Good.  Now, you will be known as Kura from now on.”  A hand waved in front of Kura’s face, and he instantly forgot his real name.  “Onamae wa?”

     “Kura desu.”

     “Good.  Now, follow me.”

     Kura followed the shadow without thinking out the room and into the hall.  They walked for minutes before coming to another room.  The shadow showed Kura into the room that was a sort of shrine.  And hanging on the pedestal in the center, was what seemed to be a piece of a mask.