The Ceremony
"Tsujimura Rikuo, I Welcome you to Midnight Tokyo."
Looking at his grinning friend, Rikuo felt so many things at the same time. He felt amazed, grateful and most of all, he felt happy. Tsujimura Rikuo felt happy that Shuuji was the first one to welcome him to his world.
Raising his head up high, the blonde answered his friend with a grin just as bright.
"Thank you. I am happy to be here."
Shuuji nodded, his grin softening into a small barely there smile. He pushed Rikuo through the street, past the crowd. All sorts of creatures passed by them, human and spirit alike. The blonde teen took in the sight with great delight.
"So where are we headed?" He asked.
"To the administrative building. There we will meet the Teacher and she will lead you through the ceremony. After the ceremony ends, we will get you officially registered as a champion and enroll you into the academy."
"You have school? That's so cool!"
"Yeah we do. They teach both normal subjects as well as subjects for exorcists and priests. Most champions have enough divine energy in them to use for things like performing rituals, basic healing and purifying. It's called Reiki. Though the champions of gods associated with magic cannot use reiki because only one type of energy can exist in the human body. But they are still considered ho-"
Rikuo burst out laughing and interrupted the blue eyed boy in the middle of his speech. Shuuji, who had been passionately explaining the subject, paused to stare at his laughing friend amusedly. He raised an eyebrow at the laughing blonde.
"And what's so funny?" He carefully concealed his own mirth with a frown.
"I-It's just- haha, You're pretty passionate about this subject Shuuji. Tell me more?"
The turquoise eyed teen asked after he finally got his laughter under control. He gave the other boy his best puppy eyes. Shuuji in turn just shook his head but the frown was replaced with a smirk.
"Later, we are here."
"We are? Oh…" The blond trailed off, at the sight that greeted him.
They were standing in front of a black towering building Rikuo couldn't see the top of. He silently observed their surroundings as Shuuji pushed him past the gray automate doors and into the Administrative building.
Inside laid a white marble floor with dark green walls decorated with golden vines flowing through them to create an image of a blooming lotus. The two rolled down the hall, passing by an occasional employee who went about their work.
"Shuuji!!!~'' a singsong voice came from behind them.
This cheerful greeting was their only warning before the black haired boy sled down to dodge the sudden attack. Instantly alert, Rikuo whipped around to see a flip flopped feet right where Shuuji's head would have been.
Shuuji looked up towards the culprit of the scare with the most deadpan look he could manage.
"Teacher."
Rikuo gaped. The said"Teacher" was a tall European woman with short brown hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in loose pajama pants, a gray tank top as well as black leather jacket. And predictably, there were two well worn flip flops on her feet.
The boys watched as the woman smirked at her student, not even acknowledging the disrespectful way Shuuji addressed her. Then again she didn't look like someone who cared about formality to Rikuo. Not with the way she dressed. He liked her already.
"You're late my cute disciple." She smiled at the irate boy who placed himself carefully between Rikuo and her.
"No, I am not. You said the ceremony starts at 13:30. It's only 13:00 right now." The woman tutted.
"Nuh-uh you don't get to do that sir. What did I tell you? The student should always-" she began and Rikuo watched Shuuji deflate with a constipated look on his face as he finished the quote.
"The student should always arrive before their teacher." He mumbled.
The blond boy gaped at Shuuji who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment. The ravenette's ears were red as a tomato. He was very obviously embarrassed about whatever method the 'Teacher' had used to make him memorize that.
Rikuo was about to interrupt the two, taking pity on his first ever friend but he was beaten to it by another person.
"Now,now, Irina, don't be like that. Shuuji did arrive before you after all."
"Kousuke! Don't give me away like that! I'm trying to teach the brat a lesson!"
The "Teacher" now dubbed Irina hissed at the new arrival. Her face scrunched up in annoyance at the man for exposing her to her student.
Kousuke was a tall, brown haired man with a kind smile. He wore a traditional shozoku(shinto priest's garb) and a pair of strict looking glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. A handsome, respectable looking man by Ms.Shizuka's standard.
The man turned to offer Rikuo a smile before addressing Shuuji who was rubbing the back of his head. He had gotten hit by Irina for calling her a hypocrite.
"Shuuji, please introduce us." The ravenette nodded. He motioned for the woman, Irina first.
"Rikuo, this is Irina Rostavich, one of the top ten hunter exorcists in Tokyo and my teacher."
"Yo! Pleased to meet you brat!" Irina winked at him. He returned the gesture. Shuuji then pointed at the man Kousuke.
"This is the jokai of Okuninushi Shrine and the champion of the Okuninushi Kami, Gatou Kousuke. He is also one of the highest ranked individuals in Midnight Tokyo so treat him with respect."
Just as he finished, Shuuji dodged yet another kick (this time a kick aimed at his gut) from a very irate Irina.
"WHAT WAS THAT BASED INTRODUCTION YOU BRAT!!!"
Shuuji very tactlessly ignored her with practice and rounded up the introduction by presenting them to Rikuo.
"Teacher, Mr.Gatou, this is the champion found, Tsujimura Rikuo."
"It's nice to meet you sir, miss." The blonde bowed his head slightly in greeting. He was instantly slapped on the back by Irina in the back. Rikuo almost toppled over at the force of the hit and barely caught himself. He glared up at the woman. 'Why you-'
"You got some fight in you huh brat?" She grinned all teeth. Irina moved to ruffle his hair but the blond slapped her hand away grumpily. Instead of taking offense at that it only made her grin even more.
"Come then. Old Ninenji is waiting for us inside." She told them.
The brown haired woman disappeared into the door at the end of the hall, not bothering to wait for the males. They gazed after her for a moment, one amazed at her speed and other two exasperated at the way she addressed an Elder.
Kousuke then huffed rather fondly and nodded towards the two kids.
"Irina is right. Let us go now."
"Right…"
Rikuo and Shuuji shared a quick glance before they followed after the man. He led them through the same door Irina had disappeared into.
The room, unlike the halls outside, was only white and gold with occasional colors in the shape of strange cube shaped lights hanging off of the crystal ceiling. And right in the middle of it, the floor was sunken in a giant circle filled with enough water to reach Rikuo's waist.
"Oh stop that, Irina Rostavich! I am here for the ceremony! Not to be made fun of!" Prim and proper looking old man dressed completely in white and gold scolded Irina who continued to grin at him in response.
"Come on now, Ninenji! Have some fun! You're already 92! How about settling down with some nice babushka?~" she teased the man who seemed to grow redder by the minute. Rikuo wasn't sure if it was in anger or embarrassment but he didn't want to know either way.
"Ahem!" Kousuke cleared his voice, drawing the attention of the arguing two. Rikuo watched the man in awe as he basically told the two off for acting like children in his next two sentences.
"If you are done acting your age, We should get into the main event don't you think?" The glassed man smiled.
Irina pouted but didn't say anything anymore while the old man Ninenji huffed then threw a long white shirt at Rikuo. He barely caught the thing before he was being pushed into the changing room.
"You boy! Go change into that and you Harukami help him!" He barked.
'Huh, so his last name is Harukami..' Rikuo thought, watching the boy scowl at the name.
Rikuo quickly took off his shirt in the changing room and pulled on the long shirt while Shuuji helped him out of his hospital pants then folded his clothes into the basket.
Soon enough, Rikuo was led back to the ceremony room right on the edge of the pool.
Ninenji told him to get to the middle of the pool alone. Shuuji and Kousuke helped place his wheelchair in the water safely first and after that the blonde wheeled himself carefully to stand where he was supposed to be.
He watched as the other champions took their positions. Shuuji stood behind him, Irina in his right and Kousuke in his left with old Ninenji standing in front of him. Yet, none of them ever touched the water in any way.
"Now boy close your eyes and focus. I shall start the ceremony. When I ask you a question, tell me the first word in your heart you get me?"
Ninenji instructed and Rikuo could only nod. He had so many questions but he dared not ask none of them in case the ritual went wrong.
"Alright, we shall begin." Ninenji began and the blonde teen closed his eyes.
"Ancient Scribe I call for you.
Guide us through this joyous occasion
Let this boy taste the droplets of your knowledge."
Rikuo's skin tingled with the heaviness of the air as the water under him warmed up comfortably. Ninenji continued.
"The Holy one who guard his heart
Share with us the name of one's star
Bestow your gift to your beloved child."
Deep inside the blond's heart pulsed a power long forgotten. With every word of Ninenji, the pulsing grew stronger. Rikuo felt the strings of gold tying him down loosen to let out the pulsating power starting to awaken in him.
"Come forth, the partner of his soul
Break free from thee chains
Fulfill the duty granted by your god."
Suddenly all Rikuo could feel was gnawing emptiness as the pulse disappeared from him. His mind chanted 'EMPTY EMPTY EMPTY!!'
"Answer Tsujimura Rikuo!
Call forth the name of thy soul!"
Turquoise eyes snapped open, unable to take the feeling of emptiness any longer. The disabled teen leapt for the golden cube floating above his head desperation etched in his whole being.
'Mine!! Give it back!!' His heart screamed.
Rikuo took back the soul they so cruelly took from him. 'HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU!?' He screeched soundlessy. He held the cube tightly as if letting go meant death.
"ANSWER ME TSUJIMURA RIKUO!"
Before he could stop himself the words left his mouth just as he crashed into the pitch black water below.
"RUHIA!!!"
Silence filled the room as they waited with a bated breath, waiting for the boy to emerge. Minutes passed as the occupants of the room grew increasingly worried. Yet, no one dared to move, hoping that the teen was alright. That he was okay and that the ritual was successful.
"Chirp!~"
Bright golden ball of light shot out of the water, chirping. The sound of wings flapping broke the silence as the bird circled the pool. From the still waters, a pale boy soaked to the bone emerged.
"Chirp!!~" the light floated down to land on the outstretched hand of its partner. Rikuo smiled, his blond lashes parting to reveal eyes of pure gold. Raising his head up high, the stranger (for this surely wasn't Tsujimura Rikuo) looked down upon the group crowding around the pool.
"Kneel."