The Devil Inside Ch. 4 [rated ...ah you know that already]

[Shinobi]

Notes: Well here's the next chapter. I got some good news. My pre-reader's back from vacation. Funny thing, the first words out his mouth was something like, "What are you stting around on your butt for? Stop being so lazy and get to wrtiting!"

I wonder about my choice in friends sometimes.

Anyway, thanks for the responses and it's nice to see things picking up around this forum. *hunches shoulders and mutters* Even if it is stealing MY glory!

*ahem*

Right so enjoy. I don't plan on posting the glossary. Don't really need one for this chapter.

Oh and I think Kyouko's a freak! (in a good way)


The Devil Inside
Chapter 4

Kyouko Tokiwa sighed as she entered the halls of Jindai High. Her digital camera was broken, her uniform was a mess, and she had missed homeroom. Her parents were sure to hear about this and when they found out what happened they would not be happy.

?What do I do now?? She thought on the verge of tears again. "At least Crispin-san got here in time." There had been a little excitement when he realized he?d forgotten his book bag. Fortunately they found it right where he dropped it. She smiled at the thought of the American.

?Can I call you Cris?? Kyouko asked excitedly as they walked to school.

?Not if you expect me to answer.? She laughed at his scowled response.

?Kyouko!?

The brown-haired girl?s thoughts were interrupted by someone calling her name. She looked up and saw her best friend, Kaname Chidori standing in front of her with hands on hips.

?There you are!? Kaname began. ?Where have you been? I-? The blue-haired girl trailed off as she took in Kyouko?s disheveled appearance. ?Oh my god! Kyouko, what happened? Are you okay?? She watched in distress as Kyouko sniffed and tears started to form in her eyes.

?Oh, Kaname!? Kyouko cried and threw herself into her best friend?s arms. Between sobs she told the taller girl everything that happened: about her camera, the bullies, and Crispin Daniels.

With much coaxing, Kaname guided the sobbing girl to a nearby restroom for privacy. There Kaname whispered soothing words and stroked her friend?s hair as she listened to Kyouko?s story. Always a passionate girl, Kaname felt a range of emotions: dismay, anger, alarm, sorrow, and finally relief.

After Kyouko?s tears had run their course, Kaname rubbed the girl?s back and handed her a paper towel from the nearby dispenser. ?Here you go,? Kaname watched her friend as she blew her nose and wiped her face and smiled. ?Feeling better??

Kyouko looked up and sniffed. She was still upset, but her world was no longer coming to an end. ?Yeah,? she whispered. ?Thank you Kaname.?

?You?re welcome,? Kaname hugged the petite girl. ?I?m glad you?re okay! I was really worried when you didn?t show up by the first bell.? After she was certain Kyouko really was feeling better, Kaname stepped back. ?Alright! Let?s see what the damage is.? She surveyed Kyouko head to toe and frowned. Her uniform skirt was filthy and the blouse had a button missing. Her shoes were badly scuffed and her braids were frayed with loose hair sticking in every direction. ?What a mess!?

?I?m sorry,? Kyouko looked down miserably.

?Hey now!? Kaname chided the petite girl playfully and placed a hand on her friend?s shoulder. ?That?s no way to talk! We?ll have you fixed up in no time!?

?Really!? Kyouko looked up hopefully.

?Yup!? Kaname beamed. She placed her finger on her chin. ?Now let?s see. Hmm, the skirt?s a loss, but I have spare in my locker. We?ll have to sew on another button, and there?s nothing we can do about the shoes. Hopefully no one will notice.? She looked her friend in the eyes and smiled, ?And a few minutes with a brush will fix your hair easy!?

?Kaname!? Kyouko exclaimed. She couldn?t believe her friend could figure out what to do so fast! ?You?re amazing!? She wished her camera wasn?t broken now.

?Hey, you got to learn these things when you live on your own!? Kaname smiled. ?Now you wash up, and I?ll go get that extra skirt and my sewing kit. We?ll have you fixed up and back to class in no time!?

?But what about you, Kaname?? Kyouko asked quietly. ?Won?t you get in trouble for being gone so long? And the school?s still going to tell my parents I missed the first two periods.?

?Don?t worry!? Kaname reassured her friend. ?I was delivering some answer sheets for the placement exams so I have permission to be out of class. And I told the teacher you were coming late!? At her friend?s stunned look she explained, ?What good is it being Class Rep if I can?t help out my best friend??

?Oh, thank you Kaname!? Kyouko threw her arms around her blue-haired friend. ?Thank You!?

?Hey, what are friends for?? Kaname returned the hug and patted her on the head. ?Now lets get you fixed up!? She exclaimed and withdrew from the embrace. ?After all,? her brown eyes twinkled and she held up a finger, ?you want to look good for your knight-in-shining armor right??

?No.? Kyouko?s eyes widened and her face flushed red. ?It?s not like that?? She murmured.

?Yeah,? Kaname agreed. She tilted her head in thought a moment and elaborated, ?Actually it sounds like he could use a couple of coats of wax first before he could be a shiny anything!?

Kyouko giggled and Kaname smiled. ?Go ahead and wash up, and I?ll be right back okay.? At her friend?s nod she exited the bathroom and went to get the supplies she needed.

**

?Sheesh!? Crispin groused as he walked out of the main entrance of Jindai High later that afternoon. ?Can they find a way to do things any stupider around here?? He shook his head in disgust, ?Sagara?d fit right in here!?

Despite the altercation this morning, Crispin made it to Jindai High just in time. The students were filling their names in on their answer sheets when he arrived. Explaining that he?d fallen a sleep after studying three days straight, the exam administrator had handed him an answer sheet and exam, told him to take a seat and begin. Apparently the studying excuse also explained his pale complexion and bloodshot eyes to everyone?s satisfaction.

Taking the exam was a little tricky. He was right handed, but obviously couldn?t use it. Filling in the answer sheet with his off hand had been ?interesting. Despite that, he?d finished the entire exam in half of the allotted time. (three hours) Then he had to wait another two hours to learn his results!

"Fucking waste of time!" Crispin decided.

He cursed as he studied his exam results in his right hand. ?Ninety-third percentile? Is this some kinda joke!? He crumpled up the paper and tossed it aside. Of course, it didn?t go very far since he?d used his injured hand. ?The test was not THAT hard!? He shook his head in personal shame. ?That fight must of took more out of me than I expected!?

?Hey, pick that up!? A female voice called from behind.

Crispin continued walking.

?Don?t ignore me!? The voice was louder and the sound of pounding footsteps could be heard approaching. ?What kind of student are you??

Crispin stopped and slowly turned. Behind him was a panting girl glaring furiously at him. She was about his age with waist length blue hair. It?s her! He blinked twice to make sure. ?It?s actually ?Angel?!? He thought in wonder. ? It?s ?bout time I caught a lucky break!?

?Are you listening to me!? Kaname yelled. She was beyond mad. She?d been waiting for Kyouko after club practice when she saw this boy littering the campus. And now he had the gall to just stare at her when she called him on it. ?You did that on purpose! And don?t think you can get away with it! I?m a Class Representative, so you can?t just brush me off!? She pointed at the discarded piece of paper in question. ?Now what do you have to say about yourself?? She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

?Gee, sorry Class Rep,? Crispin drawled.

?What a drama queen!? he thought darkly. ?I?m supposed to learn all about this girl? Fuck! Oh well, orders are orders.?

Crispin smiled and held up his injured hand. ?Ya see it slipped!? At her startled gasp he delivered the coup de grace. ?And, well, my hand just hurt so much all I wanted was to get home and soak it in some ice.?

?Oh my god!? Kaname hand covered her mouth. ?I?m so sorry! But I called out to you, and when you didn?t answer I-? She bowed deeply and missed the boy?s triumphant smirk. ?I?m so horrible! Please forgive me!?

?Hehehe.? Crispin chortled to himself. ?Hook, line, and sinker!? However, the Mithril agent resisted the urge to rub the blue-haired girl?s face in it. Doing so could always back fire. And Kaname had already demonstrated a healthy capacity for anger.

?Kaname!? A voice called out. ?Thanks for waiting!? Both teens turned and saw Kyouko running towards them waving frantically. She skidded to a halt in front of her friend. ?What were you-? She noticed the new student and exclaimed happily, ?Cris!?

Crispin scowled at the name and was about to correct her when he noticed her appearance. Aside from a few barely visible scrapes on her legs and the scuffed up shoes, he couldn?t recognize any signs of the trouble this morning. He did notice a few differences however: the top right button on her uniform blouse was shinier than the others and her skirt was longer and looser on the hips.

Kyouko blushed under the scrutiny but said nothing. She fidgeted a bit as he continued to stare, a thoughtful look on his face.

?Ahem,? Kaname coughed. She had a pretty good idea who the boy was now. When she had their attention she bowed once more. ?You must be Daniels Crispin. Thank you for helping my friend this morning, and I?m sorry for earlier. I?m Chidori Kaname. It?s very nice to meet you?

?Uh,? Crispin shifted uncomfortably. ?There?s, uh, I mean don?t thank me!? He waved his bandaged hand in front of them. ?It?s nice to meet you also, and I just did what I had to!? He glared at Kyouko, ?And I thought we agreed to call it even!?

?We did,? Kyouko giggled. ?But we never said anything about Kaname!? Crispin?s scowl deepened and she giggled again. ?HEY,? she asked in a dizzying change of subject, "How?d you do on your tests??

?I?m not sure,? Crispin eyes darted to the result paper laying on the ground ten feet away. ?I haven?t looked yet.? He shrugged.

?Oh,? Kaname saw his look toward the dropped paper, ?allow me.? Before he could protest, the blue-haired girl picked up the paper and handed it back to him. ?Ninety-third percentile? That?s very good!? She grinned sheepishly, ?I happened to see the score.?

?Wow, Cris!? Kyouko exclaimed, ?That?s so amazing!? She reached for her camera when she realized it was broken. She dropped her head with a sigh.

Crispin was about to correct her on his name when she sighed. ?You don?t sound very amazed,? he observed.

?It?ll be okay Kyouko,? Kaname patted her friend on the shoulder. ?We?ll figure out something.?

Kyouko shook off her depression and continued her earlier statement, ?It?s amazing you scored so high, Cris! So what class ranking did you get??

?Meh,? Crispin shrugged, ?It wasn?t that great a score. Actually it?s pretty pathetic!? He continued on despite the girl?s shocked expressions, ?I think I?ll demand a retest. I should?ve done a lot better.? Noticing their faces he asked, ?What??

?Y-you!? Kaname pointed and stared at the American. ?You think you did bad? I spent a month studying my butt off for those tests and I only got a ninety!?

?Yeah,? Kyouko added, ?and I got a ninety-four! There?s no reason to be upset. Jindai High has one of the toughest academic programs in the prefecture.?

Crispin stared incredulous at the petite girl. ?That?s supposed to be hard?? He thought. ?What a laugh!?

?Yeah,? he reluctantly agreed, ?I guess you?re right.? He decided not to mention he hadn?t studied for the test at all.

?So,? he changed the subject, ?what do you need to figure out?? At the girl?s blank looks he pointed at Kaname. ?I mean whatever she was talking about.?

?Oh,? Kyouko said and lowered her gaze to the ground. ?It?s um?.? She was unable to say what happened to her camera. She glanced at Kaname for help.

?Kyouko?s camera was broken this, uh, morning,? Kaname elaborated for her friend.

?Really,? Crispin frowned. He recalled something about a camera from this morning. Can I please have my camera back? ?That?s too bad. Here,? he held out his bandaged hand, ?let me see it.?

?Ummm,? Kyouko regarded Crispin?s bandaged hand skeptically. ?Are you sure that?s a good idea??

?Huh?? The Mithril operative blinked and then chuckled. ?Oh, don?t worry about it. My hand?s feeling a lot better now.?

"Didn?t he just say it was hurting really bad?" Kaname frowned at the thought but decided to not push the point, for now.

?Okay,? Kyouko looked skeptical but complied with the boy?s request.

?Hmmm,? Crispin regarded the digital device carefully. ?A PowerShot S50. Not bad.? It was about 3?x5? with a matte black case and a slip-cover protected the auto-focusing lens. ?Must?ve been open when it fell.? He murmured. He tried the zoom feature and frowned when the lens didn?t move in or out. He flipped it over and popped out the memory card. ?Connectors aren?t bent or scratched.? He replaced the memory card and opened a few ports on the back. ?All clean and clear of debris.? He snapped it all shut and handed it back to an anxious Kyouko.

?So how is it?? Kyouko asked hesitantly.

?Aside from the scratches on the casing, all you need to do is replace the lens.? Crispin announced.

Kaname frowned, ?And just how hard is that going to be??

?Well,? he squirmed and hesitated. Seeing Kyouko?s hopeful look and Kaname?s dark glare he finished in a rush, ?The auto-focus feature doesn?t work so the entire component needs to be replaced. That?s tricky and expensive.?

?How much are we talking here?? Kaname asked. Kyouko just bit her lip and twisted her hands together.

?That?s a nice piece of equipment,? Crispin pointed out. He took a moment to total the amount in Yen. ?I?d say at least 23,000.?

?I understand,? Kyouko sighed in disappointment. ?Thanks anyway.?

?Kyouko!? Kaname scolded, ?Don?t be that way. We can figure something out!?

?Thanks Kaname,? Kyouko shook her head. ?But I don?t have that kinda money. And there?s no way my parents would give it to me.? She sniffed and turned away to wipe her eyes
.
?I don?t believe this!? With a sigh, Crispin reached around the sniffling girl and snatched the camera. At Kyouko?s startled gasp he explained, ?Let me hold on to it for a few days, okay? Maybe I can do something with it.?

?What can you do?? Kaname asked. Kyouko nodded in agreement.

?Oh, I?m an AS-? He froze. He was about to say AS engineer. He coughed to cover his slip. ?I used to work on these things.? At their amazed looks he elaborated lamely, ?It was a summer job.?

?That?s so cool!? Kyouko clasped her hands.

Kaname nodded and grinned, ?Yeah! So what can you NOT do??

?Urk!? Crispin stuttered. ?Damn, first day of contact and she?s already suspicious!? He thought quickly.

?Keep my mouth shut!? He protested with a laugh. ?No actually, I just like to build things.? Crispin shrugged sheepishly and prayed the girl wouldn?t ask anything else.

?I still think it?s incredible,? Kyouko exclaimed. ?Can you really fix it??

?I?m not promising anything,? Crispin quickly explained. ?But I?ll see what I can do.?

?Oh, thank you!? Kyouko launched herself at him and hugged his arm. ?Thank you! Thank you sooo much!?

?ARGH!? Crispin yelled in pain. Kyouko had grabbed his right arm. ?Get the hell off me!?

?I?m sorry!? Kyouko leapt back and bowed.

Crispin swore and cradled his right hand.

Kaname just laughed.

Some friendships have been born of stranger things.

End Chapter 4.

[AngelOfDeath]

Well, at least he's being nice to Kyouko.

Maybe some prospects there.... maybe? I always thought Kyouko deserved some nice things happening to her and it seems like she got the short end of the stick so far. Myeh.

Cute update. Wish I could get away without studying for tests. . . .

[Shinobi]

Wish I could get away without studying for tests. . . .

You and me both!

Yeah, Kyouko's a lot of fun. One of the most fun supporting characters I've seen in an anime in a long time. It'd be nice if there was a little more of her in the series but considering the nature of the show I'm not surprised. (or that disapointed)

And stuff.

[necowaffer]

"Crispin & Kyouko sittin' a tree..."

uh, sorry. ^_^''

Heh, good chapter. I like the thought of Kyouko having a possible Milthril love intrest.

[pilot03]

Good story so far. I like the conflicting personality traits of Crispin. I can't wait til the next update and to find out why Crispin and Sagara have a bad relationship. Later...........

[PeRiDoTs13]

well well. dat must be the most interesting first meeting dat i've ever read about. well, except 4 the one where she wuz...er...nevermind. but i liked dat.