Forgiving Light

Chapter 17

Part 3

~Yuma Tsukumo~

When I get back form school, I see Akari getting out of her car. I guess she's back from work.

"Hey, Akari," I greet, opening the door.

"Hey, Yuma. How was school?" She enters the house, and I follow.

"It was okay. Good news: I finally beat Tetsuo in a duel!"

Akari scoffs. "Are you sure Astral didn't help you?"

"Hey!" I shout indignantly, putting my stuff away. "He wasn't even there! He's been way too busy in the Key, and I forgot it here!"

The smell of food wafts into my nose. Akari and I go to the kitchen to find Asterite learning how to cook while helping Grandma, Astral sitting in mid air and doing various chores with levitation while reading a Sherlock Holmes novel (which he is levitating as well), and Nebula and Justice coming in with Lillybot with the groceries. It's such a strange sight...

"Astral, what are you all doing?" I wonder, gazing at the levitating broom, mop, and other cleaning supplies.

Astral looks up from the book briefly before reading it again. "Haru needed help around the house, and the group and I needed some time to relax, so we helped her." His eyes move quickly over the pages, his levitation flipping the pages. It's kind of hard to believe he's even reading it. He's turning the pages too fast. "This is a very interesting book," he mumbles, biting his thumb nail just like when he's solving something. "This reminds me of where we used to live. Now I understand why they called me their 'Sherlock Holmes'."

I can just tell he's trying to figure out the culprit in the novel before Sherlock. I can practically see the wheels of his complicated thought process spinning quickly.

"Where's the other one?" I ask while Akari helps Asterite and Grandma.

Astral's face turns into deep concentration, and his teeth are practically grinding his nail, nearly breaking it. "Dark? Most likely on the roof."

"Hi!" I hear Asterite say cheerfully. "My name is Asterite!" No doubt she bowed in the same way Astral did.

"I'm Akari. Nice to meet you, Asterite."

"Haru, where do we put these?" Nebula asks, holding many bags of groceries.

"just set them on the counter, dear," Grandma says, smiling like always.

"Is this good?" Asterite asks uncertainly, gesturing to the rice that's done.

"Yes, that's very good, dear," Grandma compliments. "You're a very fast learner."

Asterite beams. Astral looks up at her and smiles genuinely. He then goes back to reading and biting his nail.

"Astral, did Asterite have any siblings?" I wonder.

Astral looks over to me, and he has a look of pure regret. "A sister. Agent 9. I killed her." He takes a deep breath, eager to change the subject. "By the way, I have received word of your parents. They have arrived at the Astral World a few days ago. They now have the choice whether to remain human or not."

"Wait, back up!" I interject. "What do you mean by that? Why did they go there?"

"When a human visits the Astral World at least once and their soul is pure, they will go there when they die. If their soul is naturally tainted and they've visited before, they will go to the Barian World."

"Then why is there still some evil?"

Astral sighs. "There are those naturally born evil. That is why some humans wish to become Astral Beings: so that they can become Light Agents. Knowing your parents, though, I know that they will remain human. You have no idea how many humans there are." He then goes back to reading.

Asterite, Akari, and Grandma all set the table. Astral, Justice, and I help. Soon, we sit down to eat. Well, except the four spirits. While we eat, Asterite reads Akari's future.

She touches Akari's forehead. She smiles. "Your future is bright, Akari. Your journal career will improve. You will find an unexpected husband and leave the house when you're ready."

"Trust her abilities," Nebula says. "Unlike the human phonies, Asterite can actually see the future. It's helped us in the past before this mission."

"How does she do it?" Akari asks with wonder.

"She looks into one's mind and their background," Astral mutters, deep into his novel. "Then, her own mind plays out the possible events, and they are normally accurate. As she matures, so will her Psychic Eye." He slams the book closed and pumps his fists. "I knew it!" He tosses the book across the room with his psychic powers. "IN YOUR FACE, HOLMES!"

I guess he solved the mystery before Sherlock.

Asterite giggles and beams proudly. "The Light Forces say that my Psychic Eye is much better than the other ones in my stage of life."

Suddenly, we hear singing something upstairs. I can't make out the words, but the tune is in "Ring Around the Rosie." Astral and I listen for a while, and Astral sighs when that while is over.

"Wait here," he instructs. "I must check something upstairs."

"I'll go with you," I volunteer.

Astral nods grimly, and we go to find the source of the singing. I have a hunch that it might be Dark.

When we make it to my room, the singing is louder, meaning that we're closer, but he's not in the room. Maybe he's on the roof.

Astral's eyes widen. "I know this song..."

"Really? What's it about?"

"It is not the same as the human version of this, I can say that much. It is about an execution grounds that was built along with the death of a major criminal. It was taught to children so that they would behave. If you were evil, you were killed.

"They taught that song to children?" I ask in disbelief. "What kind of sick people are they?"

"What can I say? The evil there was, and still is, greater than the evil here, which is why I must prevent Black Mist from spreading the darkness to the humans. Anyways, Dark must be singing it." Astral then mutters, "He would be the one to sing it while it is still day."

We move up to the roof. In my case, I clamber up. In Astral's case, he just flies up, which means that he's first to make it.

Well, I'm glad I'm not the first to make it because the moment Astral reaches the top, he's pulled over by something unseen. I make it to the top to see Dark dancing around with a very confused and infuriated Astral. I chuckle as Astral tries to pull away from Dark.

"Dark, let go of me!" he demands.

Dark just continues singing and dancing cheerily. Not a care in the world.

"Dark!" Astral barks a command in his language, but Dark pays him no heed.

Finally, Astral has to resort to violence. He jams his knee into Dark's abdomen, and Dark finally stops.

"Dark, calm your crazy hormones! What do you want!?" Astral demands in a panicky way. "Why are you hyper? Are you bored? Is that it? What do you want!?"

"It's coming~!" Dark sings, swaying from side to side, almost like he's drunk. "The darkness is spreading~! I feel it! I feel it!" He then laughs and disappears into the Key, singing once again.

"As if I already didn't know that, Dark," Astral growls. "Thank you very much for reminding me of our imminent doom."

"This is really putting a lot of stress on you, isn't it?" I sigh. I make my way back down, and Astral follows.

"Yes," Astral says bluntly.

We make it back down to the kitchen, and I sit while Astral talks with the others in soft tones. They all look exasperated.

"What was up there, Yuma?" Grandma asks.

"Just someone," I mumble.