Kusari

He dreamed about her. She wore a pink dress.
Kei.

Who are you?

Kei.

You're so beautiful...

[i["Kei!"
Kei jerked awake. Sachi was standing over him, already dressed. "Wha- don't scare me like that!"

"I'm sorry, but you just wouldn't wake up! You're worse than me, and I'm definitely not a morning person. I made breakfast," she called over her shoulder as she walked out the door.
He quickly dressed into his school uniform and washed his face. He grabbed his bag and walked out in to the hall and into the kitchen. Then he stopped. He walked back into the bedroom and opened the drawer of the night stand. He took out the pendant and put it around his neck. He had a theory he wanted to test.
Sachi was sitting at the table in front of two plates of eggs and toast. He sat down opposite her.
Sachi couldn't believe that another person with a magical gift was sitting across from her. She felt so happy, so relieved that she wasn't the only one in the world with a power. "Tell me everything," she said breathlessly.

"What?" Kei said, stopping a piece of toast halfway to his mouth.

"Why do we have magical powers? Who were those people that came to kill me? How come you seem to know them and I don't? Why do I have superpower fits and everyone else doesn't?" She frowned. "And why can't I sense your emotions right now?"
Kei raised an eyebrow. "You can't?"

"Nope. But I could before..." She frowned again. Then she stopped. "Well, one less heart to feel, I guess. No complaints."

"Yeah."

"So..."
Kei took a deep breath. "The Aotani family didn't always have these powers. Hundreds of years ago, we were granted these gifts. i don't know how, or why, but we were. We were never accepted into human society because of it, so we chose to live separately, hiding our powers from the people around us. All of us have a power. Flight, foresight, super strength, shape shifting, controlling the elements like I do. We don't like it. And yet we wouldn't be complete without our powers. You of all people should know how that feels, to hate the very thing that sets you apart from the rest of the human race. I heard Akako."
Sachi blushed and looked at her shoes.
"No one has ever had these super-powerful fits that you have, as far as I know. Do you ever try to hold your powers in, try to not hear the feelings of people around you?"
"Yes," she whispered. "Every day."
"Then you have too much power stored up inside you," he said, knitting his brow. "There is too much magic in you and you won't let it all out. It seems that it only comes out when you are in absolute danger, though." He looked up at her. "It's possible that you have powers that you haven't even tapped, ones that you have to try to use." He held up his cupped hand and flames burst into life it it.. "This doesn't happen automatically. I had to find it, just like nearly everyone else I know. Stuff like precognition, that comes automatically. Like your power."

"So I might have more powers?"

"Yeah."
She bit her lip. Was this good or bad? "So why were you sent to... you know..."
It was Kei's turn to bite his lip. "The head of the family said that you didn't belong because you aren't a part of the Aotani family. He wanted you killed because of that."

"So you had to do what he said."

"Yeah. Of course, by disobeying him, we're both on his hit list now. Because I didn't kill you."Because I couldn't.
A tear rolled down Sachi's cheek.

"What? Look, don't cry. I'll get mad if you cry. Just don't... damn." He leaned his head against the wall. He hated it when she cried. It made him feel like crying himself. Had he already thought that?

"You should have just killed me. Now you can't go back to your family," she whispered.
"Look, I don't want to go back. And I didn't want to kill you. I hated it there. I want to stay - " He cut himself off. "I'm just fine here. There was nothing for me there anyway." He dropped his head. His face was flaming. Crud.
"I guess I'll help you develop your powers. It would seem we're gonna need it. They're going to send people after us. We'll be dead unless we can defend ourselves."

"Um... OK. Thank you," she said. "It's time to go to school."
So they left together.

"Hey, what is Kei Aotani doing with her?"

"But he's hot! And she's weird!"
The angry whispers of the fan girls were clearly audible. Sachi and Kei looked at each other, blushed and looked away. They were thinking the same thing.
"Think they're going out?"

"Please!"

"Hey, you know, Sachi is very pretty. Maybe he just hasn't picked up on her weirdness yet."

"True, but still. Who would want to go out with that freak?"
The vibrations of jealousy were almost overwhelming for Sachi. She couldn't help but think that if the people at her school ever found out that they were living in the same house, she would be burned in effigy. It was no surprise that Kei already had girls after him. After all... she shook the thought out of her head.

Across the room, a girl with long, curly blond hair sat. She stared at Kei dreamily. He's the one! I just know it! she giggled to herself. Score! Well, you know what they say! Forty-sixth time's the charm! This girl was Momoko Yamanaka. Her parents called her a cute-minded girl. Everyone at school called her a ditsy airhead. She was a fan girl. But the problem was she always had a new boy to obsess over. The longest ones lasted five days. The shortest ones were five minutes. But really, I think he's the one!
However, to give you a clearer image of her personality, here is a flashback.

Momoko ran over to a boy, who was sitting at his desk peacefully. "Tatsuya!" she squealed. "I love you! I just know that you're the one!" She flung her arms around his neck.
"Get off me!" Tatsuya yelled. "I happen to have a girlfriend!"
Momoko let go of Tatsuya and he fell to the floor. "Never mind! I no longer love you, after you've cheated on me so heinously!"

"What?" He rubbed his head. She was confusing him.

"Humph!" She stalked away.

And now her target was Kei. A plan began to form in her mind. it was nearly complete when-
Ooh! A butterfly! She watched it intently out the window with wide eyes.
Well, maybe he still has a little time to head for the hills.

Kei took off his jersey. He was in the boy's locker room.
"Hey, Aotani."
He turned around. A grinning boy was leaned against the locker next to his. The rest of the boys in the locker room turned to listen to their conversation.
"Heard you were going out with that Nakajima girl. You know, Sachi."

"Well, you heard wrong." He closed his locker. "We're just acquaintances."

"Well, I don't blame you, she's pretty cute, but man! You know she's a total freak, right? Always running away from people trying to talk to her. Honestly, she's such a weirdo! She shouldn't be allowed to live! Am I right-"

BAM! Kei's fist connected with the boy's jaw. He sent him reeling backward. The boy fell to the floor.
"Don't ever talk about her like that again," Kei growled. The boy scurried away.

"Did you see what he just did?"

"Duh, dude, of course I did!"

"I can't believe the guy was defending her!"

Kei ignored the whispers and pulled on his school shirt.

Momoko peered over the bush she was hiding behind. Sachi Nakajima was with Kei. Well, now this was a cause for investigation! They were walking home together!
She moved out of her hiding place and crept silently behind them. They didn't seem to notice her. Oh, Kei! I'll stalk you all over Tokyo if I have to!

"I sense fan girl emotions behind us," Sachi muttered to Kei. He groaned.

"So what do we do?"

"I think she's stalking you by following you home."

"Why me?" he asked the sky.

"Well, many girls, well, find you, um, attractive."

"They do?" He seemed more freaked out than pleased.

They turned the corner and reached the house. What would they do now? Sachi opened the door. Kei went in. He realized his mistake, but it was too late.

"AHA!" Momoko shouted as she sprung out of a nearby trash can. "So you guys live in the same house!"

Sachi and Kei began making excuses rapidly.

"No, it's not like that-"
"We're not-"
"It's just for-"
"-just friends-"

"You two aren't related, are you?" Momoko asked sternly.

"Well, no, but-"

"Aren't you a little young to be living together?" Momoko scolded.

"We're not going out or anything like that! Kei has nowhere to stay so he's staying with me, that's all!"

"Phew! I thought you were after my lover for a bit!"

"Uh, lover?" Kei asked suspiciously.

"Oh, Kei, we were meant to be together! I know you're the one!" She squealed and tackled Kei to the ground.

"What - OUCH! GET OFF ME! I DON'T LIKE YOU LIKE THAT!" Kei yelled as he wrestled Momoko for his freedom. "HEY! YOU'RE CHOKING ME!"

Momoko sniffed and dropped him. "Well, if you put it like that! I don't think I love you anymore!"

"Thank God," Kei muttered as he picked himself up. A drop of sweat ran down Sachi's face as she watched the whole ordeal.

"Well, I'll be going now!" Momoko already had a bright smile on her face. She turned to Sachi. "You know, Sachi, everyone thinks you're weird, but I don't! You're perfectly nice!"

Sachi's eyes widened. "You don't?"

"Nope! See you tomorrow!" Momoko turned to walk away. Suddenly - WHAM! A huge monstrous figure landed in front of her. She screamed and fell on her butt.
In front of her was a huge ox of a man, fifteen feet tall and half as wide. His shoulders and arms were muscled and enormous.

"Well," he said slowly in a deep voice, "I guess that you are the boy and girl I'm supposed to kill. Funny, never met you before." He shuddered and grew even more gigantic. "And you, you're supposed to be in the same family as me." He stepped forward, threatening to land on Momoko and squish her.Sachi ran forward and grabbed Momoko. She pulled her back to the steps of the house. "Stay behind me and keep quiet," she hissed.
Then, she felt a flow from the giant into her mind. What was this? The man had no sense of blood thirst, just pity. This was strange. Was he really all that bad? Sachi shook it out of her head. They needed to defend themselves. She couldn't be reading emotions at this point.
The giant turned towards Kei. He raised a fist to strike him. Kei stiffened and twitched his hand.
WHOOSH! An icicle grazed the giant's outstretched hand, leaving a line of red. The giant didn't seem to notice. Kei flung out a fist. A fireball erupted from it, burning the giant's right arm severely. He howled and flung out an arm. It was lightning fast and Kei hadn't been expecting it. It hit Kei squarely in the chest, flinging him backward against a wall. He collapsed.
Sachi screamed. It couldn't have happened. Seeing Kei on the ground sent a white hot surge of hate through her heart.
The giant was starting towards Sachi and Momoko. He raised a fist.
No.
She couldn't do anything. If the giant struck without anything to stop him, she would fall into one of the fits. She wouldn't be able to control herself. What would happen to Momoko? She could kill her with just the radiating energy. She was too close.
What had Kei said? The energy was inside of her, she just had never tried or known how to tap it. She had to try. She had to protect Momoko from the giant - and herself.
Her heart raced. What could she possibly do?
She saw the punch come to land. She jumped out of the way, dragging Momoko with her. The punch landed right where she had been standing. The ground shook. The huge man recoiled. He may have been blessed with super size, but his strength was all in his bulk.
Sachi and Momoko huddled in the corner that they had jumped to. Sachi looked at the other girl. Her eyes were wide with fear and confusion. A tear leaked out of her right eye. Sachi received horror through her gift. Sachi's heart dropped like an anvil. Momoko had said that she liked her. Now she would hate her. She was so close to being accepted, and now it was dashed. Hatred welled up inside her.
A shadow fell across the girls. It was the giant. His hand was raised to strike. She felt a dizziness overcome her.
No! She couldn't! She pushed the sleepy, icy-hot feeling away. As she fought to push it down, she felt the presence of a great power at her very core. This must have been it. she had to try now.
Sachi looked over at Kei. He was knocked out, a trickle of blood running down his forehead. The giant would kill him after he killed her. He wouldn't have been able to defend himself. She had to protect him now.
A tear tricked out her eye. She screamed and thrust out a hand as the giant felled his blow.
She heard screaming. Her arm tingled icy-hot. Then a choking sound. then it was done. The feeling in her arm faded.
Sachi opened her eyes. The giant was shot through with something that wasn't there. A bloody hole in his chest still smoked. Then his body disintegrated as if it was made of ash.

"Whoa!"

Sachi turned around. her arm still shook from the strain.
Momoko stood there, open-mouthed. Amazement flowed from her. And it turned to something a bit like gratitude.

"You stopped him! Well, you killed him, but he could have killed us all! That was amazing! How did you do that!?" Momoko's mouth was moving as fast as it always was. Sachi raised an eyebrow. That should have left her scarred and horrified, screaming at Sachi that she was a monster.
But she didn't.

"Hey, maybe we should get him in the house," Momoko said, poking Kei's side with her toe. He groaned. "Hmm, seems to be okay."

"Hey! Don't do that to him!" Sachi hurried over to Kei, dropped to her knees, and took his head in her arms. She wiped some blood off his face. He seemed serene, so different from when he was awake. Then she heard giggling. She looked up. Momoko was looking at Sachi with a knowing, mischievous grin on her face. It was almost useless to know her emotions - she always showed exactly what she felt.

"What?"

"You like him!"

"What - no I don't!" Sachi stood up so quickly that she dropped Kei. He groaned again.

"You're flustered," sang Momoko.

Sachi blushed scarlet. "Let's just get in the house," she said quickly, propping up Kei again. She shookhim gently. His eyes fluttered.
"An angel?" he mumbled.
At this Momoko burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh! This is just too sweet!"
Now kei's eyes were really open. He struggled to his feet. "What?" Then he realized what he had said. "I was just dreaming!" He said angrily.

"Oh, wow!" Momoko laughed. "First Sachi and - MMPH!" Sachi's hand clapped onto her mouth.

"Let's get inside!" she said angrily.

Momoko sat in an armchair in the living room. Across from her Kei lay on a sofa. Sachi sat on its arm.
"So let me get this straight - you're from a magical family." She pointed to Kei.

"Yeah."

"And you're not, but you still have powers. You can read emotions as well as shoot energy from your palms." She pointed to Sachi.

"Oh, is that what I did?"
Kei rolled his eyes.

"And he was sent to kill you, but he didn't. I think I know why-y!"

"Yes, and SHUT UP!" Kei growled.

"Now Kei's family is trying to kill you both, and Kei is staying here because he has nowhere else to go."

"Basically."

"And I can't tell anyone, or else I and whoever I tell will get killed."

"EXACTLY," Sachi and Kei said at the same time, glaring at her.

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Momoko held up her arms. "You don't have to stare at me like that! Hey, now that I know you guys are, like, radioactive or something, are we friends?"

Sachi and Kei looked at each other and nodded.

"Yay!" she cheered. She picked up her bag. "I'm late for my piano lesson, but I think I have a pretty good excuse!"

"DON'T TELL ANYONE!" Sachi and Kei yelled.

"Fine, fine!" Momoko raced out the door. "Bye!"

Sachi exhaled. Kei groaned.

"She is a piece of work," he muttered. He stood up."You know, I don't feel that bad."
Sachi stood up as well. But as soon as she did, she swayed like a tree and began to fall. Kei jumped. He reached out and caught her before she fell. She sagged against his arms, and he squeezed tighter so she wouldn't completely collapse. She blinked.

"I'm sorry, I just felt dizzy-" she stopped and looked up at him. He realized how very close she was, in his arms like this. His heart pounded. He felt hers pound too.
She blushed and looked away. "I still can't feel your emotions," she murmured.
That brought him back to life. He stood her up quickly. "Sorry. I'm not surprised you collapsed. It was the first time using your power consciously. It happened to me, too, the first time."

"Why can't I feel them..." she murmured again.
He thought of the pendant under his shirt, laying against his chest. "I still don't know."
She nodded and rubbed her eyes. "I'm going to bed." She walked away.
he stood there for a moment, thinking about the pendant. He decided not to do anything, to leave it where it was. He blushed when he thought of how close she had been, of her heartbeat in unison with his. He couldn't let her know.
He walked slowly to his room and shut the door.