4Half King – Chapter 1
A/N: This is my first Monochrome Factor story, so don't be too harsh. =P
Disclaimer: I do not own Monochrome Factor or any of the characters. I only own my OCs. :D
Warnings: there might be OOCness, slight changes in the canon, OCs, and mostly, this will be told on my OC's POV.
Flames will be used to flame the flamers.
My name is Reishin. A.K.A. Rei. I'm old...Really old… I've already forgotten the summers I've spent on the earth, 'alive' and as a 'king' of sorts in the Shadow world. I suppose that not many people even know I exist anymore, seeing as every time I appear in front of one of them, they will ask if I'm a shin or a rei.
Of course, I was the first to come into existence, after all…
I smirked. It was finally time to cut this irritating long hair of mine… since I already look like a eighteen year old (I finally reached my normal height, 183cm), it makes me look like a girl since it was long and reached my waist.
I gripped a fistful of my crimson red hair, and run through it with my fingers. Now, then… we'll cut it to my original length…
I laughed inwardly. Since I've cut my hair back to my original length, the girls were gawking at me and the boys were staring. Well, serves them right for calling my 'cute' and 'tom boy' when I had my long hair and wore the boys' uniform.
Heading my way up to the rooftop, where Akira probably was, I arrived just in time to see Aya and Akira argue.
"Why are you here, Aya?"
She twitched visibly. "That's my line!"
One of the band members started talking to Akira. Ah… that means Aya's going to try and drag him to class, but he'll probably refuse and go home… Well, it's not like the both of us come to school and study, anyways.
"Heyyyy~! Akiraaa~!" I called out.
Akira turned to look at me. "Eh… Rei? You cut your hair? Now you look like a guy…"
A tick mark appeared on my head. "What the hell? You thought I was a girl too? I thought you knew I was a guy! How many fights have we been in together?"
"…"
"Ah, forget it… just forget it… Oh, look! That looks nice to eat!" I rushed into the shop and took my time looking at all the food choices, but not before I saw Akira sweat drop.
When I was finally done, I saw someone who I thought I would never see again… at least, not at this time. Well, I suppose he's found out then…
I hid my spiritual pressure and erased all signs of my existence, leaning on the side of the building, laughing at Akira's facial expression. He thought that Shirogane was suspicious. That was true, I suppose, since he was wearing black and a pair of odd-looking glasses with his hat.
Akira said something funny. "My family's Buddhist."
"You are Nikkaido Akira… right?"
"What- how do you know my name?"
"How can I not know? I have been searching for you… for a long time… I am called Shirogane. Nice to meet you. I require your assistance, which is why I am here. But the story is quite long. I think it's best we find somewhere to talk. Shall we take a walk?"
Akira's answer was short and blunt. "No way. I'm not that stupid; to the point where I walk off with someone who I just met? Especially, with such an obviously suspicious person."
"… A person? I might as well say it up front. I am not human. In other words, I am a shadow, with the outward appearance of a person."
"…Shadow?"
"Yes. Don't you have one yourself?"
Ahh… now Akira thought he was crazy. Shirogane should not have said it as bluntly as that, and should have showed him proof instead, before telling him.
"I don't know if you believe me-"
"Nope."
"I see… that certainly is a headache. If you can't believe me, then we'll have plenty of problems. Then, how about this? Tonight, at 10'o'clock, come to your school and find me. Then, I'll be able to show you what shadows are."
That was better, but it was still not perfect. Many things could go wrong in the process… that means I'll have to go as well, then… Ugh… troublesome…
Ack… because I was lost in thought, I missed what they were talking about… I'm such an idiot sometimes.
I studied Akira's face after Shirogane left. He looked shocked… but like this, there was no way he was going to be going to the school later… knowing Shirogane, however, he'll probably make 'Aya' call and ask him to go to the school with her or something. Guess it's time to appear again…
"Heyy~! Akira! Can I stay at your house tonight?"
Akira was lost in thought. He'll just reply without thinking it… but there was no way I was going to let him break his word! "Huh…? Yeah, sure…"
I smirked, and then snapped my fingers in front of him a couple of times. "Oi, Akira… Akira! So are we going or what?"
He blinked. "What? Did I say that?"
"Oh…? You're going back on your word?"
He cursed, muttering something about being careless again.
Later that night…
'Aya' rang the doorbell and greeted Akira. I watched this happen from the window. Ah… my predictions are correct again…
Akira stared at her blankly. "Do you know what time it is now?"
"9:30! Sorry I left something behind at school today. Can you come along with me to get it?"
"Nah, I don't want to."
"Why not? You've got time to kill, anyway. Aren't you the old geezer who's got nothing better to do?"
"Old geezer? What do you mean by that? And why do you want me to come anyway? Why not someone else? We're not even close."
"But… you always seem to be free and you seem like the type to go out at night. You seem to win all the fights too. Out of everyone that I know very well, you seem to be the best one for the job."
"Just don't go deciding things like that about me. I don't even know what you forgot! Can't you wait until tomorrow?"
"Hey! 9:30 at night is a perfectly normal time for guys your age to be going out. You go out at random times like this anyway."
"…This doesn't seem like something the 'devil chairman' would say… plus Rei's at my house tonight…"
"…"
"Fine, fine… I'll go with you, alright? Just let me go tell Rei."
He probably thought that he would be alright as long as he got back before 10, but that wouldn't happen… Uwah… he's coming in! Act like I was doing nothing…
"Hey… Rei, I'm going out…"
"Ah… can I come with you? I'm really bored…"
"Whatever…"
When the both of us walked down to the gate where Aya was waiting, she looked surprised. "Eeh… Rei is coming with us? He doesn't look very strong…"
Akira and I sweat dropped, but I thought that Shirogane just wanted Akira? Then he'll probably get Aya to lure me off somewhere or something…
At the school…
"Strange…"
"Found it yet?"
"I'm sure I left it in the desk…"
"Are you sure you didn't put it in your backpack and just forgot about it?"
"It can't be!"
I saw Akira stare at his phone and check the time. I was right… Shirogane did try to get rid of me. 'Aya' asked me to help her buy something… but he didn't know I was able to hide my presence…
"Found it! My stuffed dragon!"
A vein appeared on Akira's forehead. "You know what? I don't care anymore… so you found it; hurry up and let's go."
He stopped and stared. "…? Why did you stop?"
Ah… there is a tear in the school? It just appeared… probably somewhere in the evening…
I made myself scarce. I would help when Akira was in trouble…
'Aya' fainted and Akira caught 'her'. "Hey! Aya! This isn't the time to lose it!" He looked terrified. That wasn't something you saw everyday on Akira's face either…
Shirogane appeared. "Hi—I didn't think you would make it on time…"
"So it was you? You are behind this! What are you up to?"
"Wrong. This is not my work. But…"
'Aya' rose into the air and turned back into a black blob, in Shirogane's hand.
"The one who insisted you come here is me."
"…What's going on?"
"Didn't I tell you? I want to show you what shadows truly are. These strange creatures are called Kokuchi. They are a type of shadow."
"What…?"
"Careful… try not to go back any further than that! If you do, I'm afraid it would make the boundary of the magnetic field there extremely unstable. For now, we are safe inside the barrier I have affixed here. But, if you were to find yourself outside it… the shadows would completely consume you."
I felt a shiver go down my spine. Seems like Shirogane didn't change that much after all… At least this is more natural. I'm way more used to seeing this side of him.
"Unless… you wish to be eaten by the Kokuchi instead?"
Akira gulped. "What are you saying?"
"Just to be careful… they're quite dangerous. Although they don't have a will of their own, as far as humans are concerned, they attack them indiscriminately."
"—You don't want me to try fighting these things…do you?"
"Well, that's about correct. But…"
Akira cut him off. "NO WAY! Why don't you ask someone else who enjoys getting in fights? I refuse to be involved in such…meaningless things!"
My eyes widened when I saw Akira dash out of the barrier. Crud…! I couldn't make it there on time…!
"You can't run now…!"
The 'floor' Akira started to run on started to sink. "What happened…? The ground…is like a sponge!"
Just as Akira was sinking further, a Kokuchi appeared in front of him, and I pulled him back, allowing Shirogane to slice the Kokuchi in half. All this time, Akira continued sinking deeper and deeper.
"Hurry and get back inside the barrier! Once you sink too deeply into the shadow, you will not be able to get out!"
Akira's eyes widened and I helped to pull him out. Akira raised his hand towards the barrier, probably only thinking about getting back into the barrier since he was so desperate.
In a moment of my carelessness, I let one of the Kokuchi hit him and he fell to the floor, completely sinking in.
I cursed and reached for him, pulling him out with a hand. "Tch… Akira... you really know how to worry others, huh?"
He finally noticed that I was there. "R-rei…? Why are you here?"
Shirogane started talking. "Now is not the best time to be lost in your thoughts. Now that it's gone this far…there's only one way! Form a contract with me, and become a shadow!
"You think I would do something like that…?"
My face darkened. "Akira, please listen to him… unless you want to die instead…!"
"I wished to tell you more before, but you do not have the power to fight this. Anything else you try to do will only make things worse. In a situation like this; unless you do as I say, you will lose your life!"
Scary Shirogane went back to Polite Shirogane. It was kind of creepy seeing him like this. "…Forget it. In times like this, just trust in me. I won't harm you."
Akira grumbled. "…Fine then…"
"Ah, you finally decided to listen!"
Akira blushed. "Shut up…!"
I interrupted their casual talking. "Neh… there's not much time left… you should begin now."
"Right…"
Shirogane slammed his cane onto the floor, making the floor crack. "Hear me! Seed which sleeps concealed! I am the shadow of all things, the door between two worlds. From the raging black flames of that place, may the new mark be called upon here...and be engraved! "
The kokuchis around all got killed by Akira.
"…Not bad…" I said.
After his transformation, Akira now had black hair and red eyes together with a white long sleeved shirt with a cross on the collar, with a black jacket, black pants and combat boots with bandages on his right leg. He also had a black choker on and two twin glass daggers.
Suddenly, more Kokuchi started appearing all at once.
"…Is it just me or are there more of them appearing?"
Shirogane chuckled. "I have a great deal to speak with you… but it doesn't seem possible right now. Of course… you'll be helping me, right…?"
About 5 minutes into the fighting, I couldn't stand it anymore.
I knew I had a tick mark on my head. "Oi, oi…! Did you forget about me already? Ugh. Whatever. Just go ahead and talk… I'll take care of it."
I crushed the Kokuchi that had been filling in for me as my shadow, allowing myself to appear in my natural form.
I had my normal crimson red hair, which always stayed in my short style, which was up to my neck, and my bangs and fringe was the usual. My eyes were an emerald green.
The outfit I wore was a sleeveless black shirt (meaning with the collar) unbuttoned and I had on a fingerless glove on my left hand with black shorts on. My shoes were black combat boots with 3 buckles on them. I had three piercings on my right ear and one on my left. The tattoo which I had made disappear in my human form appeared in my natural form. It was a black dragon on my back that ended off looking like it bit down on my collarbone.
Both Shirogane and Akira's expression were akin to disbelief (Akira's really was).
Shirogane immediately kneeled. "…! My king… I'm sorry…! I did not realize…!"
I ruffled my hair, sighing. "Now isn't really the time for that… I still have to fight…"
I made my weapon appear. It was a mike with the cord. The cord ended after 2 meters. I held it to my mouth and sang a single note, activating my weapon. The note I sang caused sharp music notes to appear and dance in the air and pierce all of the Kokuchi. Those that were missed by the music notes were slashed in half because of the vibrations in the air.
I grinned at the both of them. "Aren't I just the best?"
Akira and Shirogane both sweat dropped. "I always wondered why you always had this unhealthy obsession with music… Is this the reason why?"
I laughed, letting some of the stress I built up out. "Maybe…~ Well, Shiro… I haven't seen you in awhile… You never thought to search for me? I might have been in the human world for all you had known…"
"Uhh… No… Didn't occur to me…"
Oh, boy… he was that focused on finding Akira, huh?
Akira spoke up. "Just the thought that these things come out in the school, whenever night falls…gives me the shivers…"
"Ah? You mean the Kokuchi? Actually, it's kind of strange that they passed over so easily. Normally, they cannot leave their realm. By maintaining the balance, which stops one world from being invaded by the other, we succeed in maintaining the strength of the boundary line between those worlds. The balance is collapsing slowly. I imagine that is why Shirogane is looking for Akira, right? To restore the balance…"
"Yes…"
"To ask me to do this…is there any meaning behind it?"
I helped Shirogane reply. "Of course…but that will be told to you later. It is not so important right now."
"Tch…I guess, there's meaning enough in something, which will use up my spare time." Akira held out his hand to Shirogane. "Let's work together, then."
"…Thank you very much." Both shook hands to seal the deal.
"…Now that that's over with…Rei…! Why the hell didn't you tell me you knew about this?"
Opps. He remembered. "Eheheheh… Well, knowing you, Akira, I knew you would just tell me I was crazy or just tell me to get lost… either that or you would tell me something and then completely forget about everything I told you about."
He stopped to think for a moment. "…You're right…" Shirogane sweat dropped. "Haha…"
"…So what now? I won't stay like this forever, right? To have my hair turn black all of a sudden is very weird. How do I turn back into a human?"
"Hey… Akira… you do notice your eyes are red, right?"
"Eh? No way…!"
"You can't turn back into a human."
"…WHAT?"
"You can't turn back into a human again. By the way, once you become a shadow, normal humans can't see you."
"Then… what am I supposed to do now?"
"Indeed…I didn't expect things to turn out like this."
"You…! What's that supposed to mean?"
"Eh? Meaning… if you had chosen to believe me in the beginning, I would have been able to make the contract work properly. In that case, you would have been able to change back into a human just fine."
"Liar…! You never told me any of this!"
"That's because you didn't give me the chance to. I doubt you would have believed me anyway."
"That's because you were acting too suspicious!"
"Oh well… Ah! Why don't you leave a note to your family? Saying, 'Please don't bother looking for me'."
Akira started getting anger marks on his head. He held up one of his glass knives threateningly. "Why don't I just kill you now?"
XXX
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