ヒカリ の シイド
Hikari no Shiido
T H E S E E D O F L I G H T
The trio appeared in midair in Mizu’s house, then plummeted to the ground.
“Ow!” griped Mizu and Aisu.
“Sumimasen!” moaned Yuki.
Aisu got up, dusting herself off. “Well, we’re here. Explain to us what all of that was back there,” she demanded, businesslike.
Yuki nodded. “Um…okay. But… you might want to sit down.”
Aisu and Mizu sat down, resigning themselves to the fact that they weren’t going to get anything out of him unless they did as they were told.
“Okay, then. I’ll explain…,” began Yuki, “I am what is called the Hikari no Shiido.”
“Right… and that means…?” asked Mizu. Real helpful, she thought sarcastically.
“Well, you know how books and television shows, and things like that, aren’t real?” asked Yuki.
“Yeah…,” answered Aisu and Mizu simultaneously.
“Well, forget about it. All of those things… they’re… they’re real. You see… how do I explain this…? There are different worlds. Each of these worlds is a television show, book, or some such thing. There’s a world for mermaids, for creepy purple dinosaurs, for pretty soldiers, and more.
“You see, there’s people who are… are...’tuned in’, I guess you could say. Those are the people who write books, create television shows, draw manga, and so on. Those people think that they’re the ones who create the books, television shows, and so on. They aren’t. Each person who is ‘tuned in’ is, well, sort of like a radio frequency, ‘tuned in’ to a world. They subconsciously know what’s going on in the world, and they write down what happens.”
“And what does this have to do with us?” asked Aisu blatantly.
“Well, you are two of the Elementals,” answered Yuki. Mizu opened her mouth to speak, but Yuki cut her off. Sorry, Kakera-san, but I have to finish. “The Elementals have power over the four elements: Water, Wind, Fire, and Ice.”
“And what do you have to do with all of this?” questioned Mizu.
“Well, the Hikari no Shiido is charged with protecting the worlds from Evil. I have to battle any evil that threatens to destroy the worlds. If I die, I will be reborn, but during the time that it takes for me to be reborn, Evil has a greater chance of destroying the worlds. Kakera-san, you are the Wind Elemental. Kotoba-san, you are the Ice Elemental. The Elementals are supposed to help the Hikari no Shiido protect the worlds, as well as to try and keep him from being killed.”
“So we’re your bodyguards?” guessed Mizu.
“I guess you could say that… but it isn’t very accurate. Oh well. I don’t mean to be bossy, but you guys must help me. If you don’t help protect the worlds, and I fail… then… well…. Evil will consume the worlds, and… well, poof! Bye-bye worlds!”
“And this is all predicted in some legend?” asked Aisu skeptically, “I may teach mostly math, but I know that most legends and prophecies are crap. Legends are either one hundred percent false, or are based off of truth with much of it falsified. Prophesies are made by fakes who think they can see the future. I’m a math teacher, not dumb.”
Yuki sighed, then recited: “‘A great Evil approaches. Five people are destined to stop it. Fire, Water, Wind, Ice. The Elements shall band together to fight the great Evil. The Evil and the Elements are destined to fight. The Hikari no Shiido, destined to fight, shall shed Light upon the great Evil. Evil shall shrink away from the Light. The Great Battle shall be fought. Humanity shall have to face the truths that they shun. The worlds’ destinies hang in the balance…’ That is the prophecy that foretells our battle. We can’t fight it… it’s destiny.”
“Regardless, I’m not going. You have to be kidding me. Kakera-chan, you really don’t believe him, do you? He’s just a kindergartener with an overactive imagination!” exclaimed Aisu.
“Kotoba-san, I’m not a kindergartener with an overactive imagination! It’s true, all of it is! How else would you explain your powers, the men that were at the school, how do you explain me?” protested Yuki. Then, dejectedly, “I can’t fight without you guys…”
Yuki looked so sad, that Aisu reconsidered. “If I go, can you take us back to this exact minute? Will it be as if nothing has happened?”
Yuki nodded. “Yes, I think so.”
“Fine, I’ll go. Where do we find the other Elementals?” asked Aisu.
Mizu smiled. “Kotoba-sensei is a softie! Kotoba-sensei is a softie!” she sing-songed.
“If I concentrate hard, I can figure out what world they’re in, but I won’t be able to take us to the exact area, only the general area,” informed Yuki.
“That’s fine,” answered Aisu. “We should get some sleep. Kakera-chan, where are your guest rooms?”
Mizu scowled. “It’s impolite to invite yourself over!”
“Um… Kakera-san-,“ murmured Yuki.
“Call me Mizu-chan!” interrupted Mizu, “It’s as if we aren’t friends!”
Yuki went slightly red. Friends? Really? My… my… my first friend… “Um… Kak- I mean, Mizu-chan, um… I don’t mean to be rude, but Kotoba-san is right… we need somewhere to rest before we leave, and we are already in your house…”
“Oh… you’re right,” blushed Mizu, Fine… hey, are you guys hungry?”
Yuki nodded. Aisu shrugged.
“Okay, I’ll be right back, you can sit at the table right there!” exclaimed Mizu, going into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, she emerged from the kitchen, carrying several bowls of a steaming brown liquid and set one each on the table in front of Aisu and Yuki, along with two pairs of chopsticks, sat down, and put her bowl and chopsticks in front of herself.
“Beef-flavored instant ramen?” questioned Aisu skeptically.
Before Mizu could reply, Yuki exclaimed, “Itadakimasu!”, took his chopsticks and began eating eagerly. Mizu and Aisu watched, speechless, as Yuki downed the entire bowl of the beef-flavored soup, broth and all, in less than three minutes. Yuki yawned. “I’m tired now…”
Mizu stared for a few more seconds, then informed in awe, “Y-your room is the second door on your right.”
“Okay… oyasuminasai…”
* * *
Yuki tossed and turned uncomfortably in his sleep, dreaming of his older brother and sister. His memories of his sister before she’d disappeared weren’t exactly pleasant.
“Hey, Fujin, go get me a glass of water, would you?” asked a ninteen-year-old man, Yuki’s brother, Kanji. He wore a forest green shirt with long baggy sleeves, and blue-jeans. He had long brown hair with a boyish ponytail in the back, and brown eyes.
“Yes, oniisama!” exclaimed Yuki eagerly.
* * *
“Hey, Fujin, can you throw the trash for me?” asked Kanji.
“Hai!” exclaimed Yuki.
* * *
“Hey, Fujin, bring me some ramen,” commanded Kanji.
“Hai!”
* * *
“Hey, Fujin, get me an onigiri,” requested Kanji.
“Hai!”
A fifteen-year-old girl with shoulder-length brown hair, blue eyes, and who wore a Japanese schoolgirl uniform, rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Kanji, do you ask him to do everything for you while I’m at school?” the girl, Yuki’s sister, Yuni, inquired, “Fujin, you do just about everything for him, you might as well call him shukun!”
“Hai!” exclaimed Yuki happily, “Shukun, do you need anything else?”
Kanji looked pleased. “Shukun, eh? I could get used to that!”
“Kanji!” cried Yuni. “He’s your little brother, not your slave!”
“It’s okay, Yuni-oneechan, I don’t mind helping him!”
Yuni sighed disgustedly. “I love you guys, but really…” She trailed off.
“I love you too!” answered Yuki happily.
Yuni smiled and went into the kitchen. That was the last that they saw of Yuni...