Part Two

Notes: Once I got the first part done, I found I was into it so much, I started the second part right after it. Which is a good thing if you’re waiting after that last cliffhanger. ^_^ Thankehs to Gabby-koi for all her help and suggestions.

---

Teng, as Adelaide had called him, was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked disdainfully at Nikki. The first thing one would notice odd about Teng was that his skin was a sort of creamy light blue. The second would be his ears were longer than a human’s, giving him almost an elflike quality. Other than that, he looked quite normal. His hair was black, semi-short and spiked. The bangs, which fell over his right eye, were dark blue. He wore a brown sweater with purple ends and khaki pants. A red bandanna covered his forehead, hanging loose after its tie. It matched his eyes, which were also red, hidden partially behind small circular framed glasses.

“Why’d you wait so long to get him Addie? Emi said it was important and you’re wasting time spying on them.”

Adelaide looked ashamed. “I was surprised how much he looks like her.”

Teng adjusted his glasses, glaring at Nikki. “I don’t think so. A punk version maybe. Emi’s much prettier,” He turned to look at Chrissy, “this one, on the other hand…”

“Hey!” Nikki stood up. “I dunno who you are, but I don’t appreciate you coming in here and insulting us!”

He rolled his eyes. “I only insulted you…”

“Leave them alone Teng. Emi didn’t ask you to interfere,” she put her hands on her hips, leaning to one side, “In fact, weren’t you supposed to be at the Agency?”

Teng pushed himself off the wall, walking toward them. “Not that it’s any of your business, but they sent me here to oversee the Barrier transfer. Apparently they don’t fully trust you after your previous missions regarding Emi.”

Adelaide’s face turned as pink as her shirt.

He sighed, arms still crossed. “At any rate, the Barrier has been transferred, better late than never,” he turned to Nikki, regarding him like a young child. “You do have the Barrier, don’t you?”

Nikki pulled the chain up on his neck, showing Teng the pendant. “I’m not stupid thanks.”

Teng smirked. “Well, you’re right about one thing Addie. He has his mother’s attitude.”

“All that’s left to do is explain the situation to him—“

He dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “I don’t think that’s necessary. The Agency would have told me of any dangerous activity. We can explain things to him in due time.”

“But Emi told me she was picking up a lot of demon activity…”

Teng shrugged. “Then let her explain it. It’s not our fault he made her walk out.”

Nikki’s mouth dropped in shock. “W-what?”

“That’s a horrible thing to say!” Chrissy snapped, glaring at the new visitor.

“But it’s true,” Teng said, calm even though they all seemed to be mad at him. “If he and his brother hadn’t been born, Emi wouldn’t have had to leave.”

Adelaide, who had moved to Teng’s side by this time, rolled her eyes and smacked him on the back of the head. “You moron. What about her husband?”

“All this is well and good, but I know I’m still confused, so I’m pretty sure Nikki still is too,” Chrissy moved so he was sitting cross-legged, facing neither Nikki nor Teng and Adelaide, turning his head to see either at a time.

Nikki didn’t say anything.

Adelaide rolled her eyes, watching the blue-skinned man. “Well, as far as the Agency’s concerned, your job is over. So you can be on your way, since you obviously don’t want to be here. I’m following Emi’s wishes, so I’ve got some work to do.”

Teng was again unfazed. “I suppose you’re right. I’ve got better things to do than baby-sit.”

Chrissy stood up. “You’ve got some nerve…”

Adelaide stopped the boy. “Look Teng, you’re upsetting my company, so I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.”

“Whatever. Just don’t expect me to keep covering for you and your little missions.” He snapped his fingers, and disappeared.

“What was that all about?” Chrissy sat back down.

“Teng’s a member of the Agency. They take the Barrier missions a little too seriously, if you ask me. He’s okay, but he acts like he’s got a stick shoved somewhere unpleasant sometimes.”

Chrissy looked over at Nikki. “You okay?”

The redhead hadn’t looked up since Teng had mentioned his mother leaving. “I’m…fine.”

Adelaide sighed. “I’m sorry. Obviously Teng has taken a dislike to you, and he can be ruthless when that happens. If you wanna stop for tonight and get some sleep, I understand.”

Chrissy glared at the spot where Teng had been, putting a hand on Nikki’s shoulder. “What an ass…”

Nikki shook his head. “We need to get as much done as possible. Chrissy has to go home tomorrow.”

Adelaide put a hand behind her head, laughing nervously. “There’s a small problem with that. At any given time, you could be in dangerous situations. And if you bring him into this,” she motioned to Chrissy, “he could be in danger as well. You both have to decide whether you want to take that chance.”

Nikki looked at his friend. “You could leave if you want. I have no idea what’s going to happen.”

Chrissy smiled. “Partners or nothing, remember? It’s not as bad if there’s someone with you.”

He nodded, turning to Adelaide. “If you want me to do anything, you have to let Chrissy come along too, okay?”

She shrugged. “As long as you’re prepared to take chances.”

“So, what’s so dangerous about a necklace?” Chrissy asked,

“Well, it’s not so much the necklace itself. The problem is, while the demons have been relatively quiet for awhile, they’re beginning to get restless. They’ve been trapped for too long. The humans have denied their existence for so long that most of them can no longer see them at all. A lot of demons lose their powers that way.”

“So they’re coming after the necklace?” Nikki stood up, leaning on the edge of the roof.

“Yep. And as much as I hate to put this on you, you’re the only one who can help now. Emi can’t anymore, so it’s up to you.”

Nikki sighed. “This doesn’t seem real. It’s like something out of a movie or something.”

“Well, at least if there’s two of us, you know you’re not imagining this, right?” Chrissy stood next to him.

“I guess. It’s just so weird…”

Chrissy looked up. “Hey, I’ve got a question…”

Adelaide joined the two at the edge. “What’s that?”

“Does the Agency know that it employs ghosts?”

She smiled. “Who said I was a ghost? I’m technically a Spirit Agent.”

“What's that?”

“A Spirit Agent is someone who works for the Agency. They’re a supernatural protection project. They use ghosts as their agents, giving them physical forms in exchange for their cooperation.”

“So that’s why you have wings?” Nikki asked.

Adelaide nodded.

---

Nikki and Chrissy woke up at sunrise that morning, wrapped up in blankets. Adelaide was gone, and Nikki was tempted to chalk it all up as a dream, if not for Chrissy remembering the same thing.

They collected all their things and took them back downstairs. The kitchen was empty, so they grabbed some breakfast and sat down.

“So what are we gonna do?” Chrissy asked around a mouthful of cereal.

He shrugged. “Is there anything else we can do?”

Conversation ceased as Kit walked in the dining room. He yawned. “You seen dad?”

Nikki shook his head. “I thought he was still asleep.”

“I just checked and he’s not. Did he say anything about going into town or something?”

“Not that I remember.”

Chrissy looked at his watch with a wince. “I’ve gotta go. My mom’s heavy on punctuality. I’ll try to come back over tonight.”

Nikki nodded. “I wanna ask her about my mom.”

The shorter boy grinned. “Don't do anything important without me, okay?”

A small smile. “I promise.”

Chrissy left with a wave, and Nikki watched him reach his house. Then he returned to the dining room, where Kit was eating his own cereal.

“So you think he’s in town?” Nikki sat down across from him, laying his head on the table.

“Probably,” the blond replied nonchalantly. He looked at his younger sibling. “What’s with you?”

Nikki frowned in thought. “Hey Kit, do you ever think about why mom left?”

Kit looked down at his cereal. He and Nikki didn’t usually have serious conversations. “Sometimes. I dunno. I figure she had to have a good reason, since dad says she loved him and us. Unless he’s just delusional.”

“Or saying it to make us feel better,” he offered.

“That too,” finished with his food, he stood up, walking toward the kitchen. “Though I suppose we’ll never know for sure.”

Nikki sighed, burying his face in his arms. “I guess not.”

---

Dr. Blair didn’t come home all afternoon. This didn’t bother the boys as much as it would normal people, since their father tended to do this a lot. Dr. Blair was a stereotypical absent-minded professor type, forgetting sometimes to tell his sons where he was going. Kit and Nikki had learned to deal with it, seeing it normal when their father disappeared for hours at a time.

But when it began to get late, the two began to worry. Chrissy came back over that night, after getting his mother to allow him to stay here in the evenings, as long as he watched his siblings after school. While Nikki was excited to have his friend over every night, he couldn’t shake the gnawing suspicion that something wasn’t quite right.

Kit shared this feeling. While normally he was in his room by now, an introvert from the world, he was currently lounging on the living room couch, flipping absently through TV channels on the tiny television.

Immediately after setting his things down, Chrissy handed Nikki an envelope. The redhead looked questionably at it. “What’s this?”

Chrissy shrugged. “No clue. My mom asked me to give it to you.”

Nikki tore open the envelope, pouring out the contents. A letter. He opened it up, skimming over the first few lines. “It’s from dad.”

Kit jumped off the couch, snatching it from him. He began to read, face changing from interest to disbelief. “You’re not gonna believe this.”

“What?” Nikki and Chrissy asked in unison.

Kit handed Nikki back the letter to read it aloud. “’Dear kids, there was an emergency at work and I had to go back. Ms. Merlow says you two will be fine until I get back. I’ve left some money in a bank in town. Try not to use it all, but call me if you do run out, okay? Don’t’ worry, I’ll be back soon. Try to have fun, it’s still your vacation! Love, Dad’…Then there’s a bank account number and information. What the heck was he thinking?”

Chrissy, who had been reading over his shoulder, raised an eyebrow. “Your dad leaves you alone in an old castle for summer break? That’s so cool!”

Kit frowned. “At least he left us some money this time. Remember Aunt Maya’s?”

Nikki winced good-naturedly. “He did the same thing when we were camping a few summers ago. We had to take the bus to our aunt’s to get home,” he explained to Chrissy.

He had to laugh. “Your dad’s a nut!”

Kit rolled his eyes. “You’re telling us…”

“Do you think that’s why your mom’s letting you stay here so much, so she can use you to keep tabs on us?” Nikki threw the letter on the coffeetable.

Chrissy shrugged. “It’s possible. I wouldn’t put it past her to have an ulterior motive.”

“I’d be more surprised if she didn’t…” Nikki smirked.

“Well, we have groceries for tonight at least,” Kit said, taking a mental inventory. “But after that, we’re going to have to go into town. You want to be in charge of shopping, or should I?”

“We’ll do it,” Chrissy volunteered. “I’m the oldest of six, I know how to budget.”

Kit nodded. “Okay. You’ll do the shopping, and I’ll cook, I suppose.”

“Well, that’s taken care of,” Nikki sighed, crossing his arms. “Is there anything else?”

Kit shrugged. “Not really. Dinner’s at seven.”

“Okay. Chrissy and I have something to work on. We’ll be upstairs.”

The blond waved them off, and Nikki grabbed Chrissy by the arm and dragged him away.

In Nikki’s room, Adelaide was waiting for them, though not in the form they were expecting. The boys ran into the room, locking the door behind them.

“So how do we get her to come back?” Chrissy asked, flopping on the bed.

“I don’t know. She’s not a ghost anymore, so she’s not tied to one place.” Nikki sprawled out next to his friend.

Adelaide laughed from her place, lying on Nikki’s messenger bag. The boys looked over at the sound of her, finding her there. She looked the same as before, only maybe a foot tall.

“Addie!” Nikki blinked. “You’re all small!”

She floated from the dresser to the bed, landing gently on one of the pillows. “It’s one of the powers of a Spirit Agent. Normal people can see us, so we have to be careful.”

“Well, at least you saved us the trouble of having to look for you,” Chrissy grinned, looking down at the tiny girl.

She smiled back. “Don’t worry. Nikki’s got the Barrier, so whenever he calls me, I can hear it.”

Nikki grasped the pendant around his neck. “Weird.”

“So, what’s next?” Chrissy laid back across the bed, arms behind his head.

“There’s really too much to explain at once,” Adelaide frowned in thought. “A lot of it will have to be learned through experience. All I can do is teach you the basics. Teng’s in charge of magic, but he won’t do anything until the Agency tells him to.”

“Are you gonna get in trouble for all this extra stuff you’re doing?” Nikki asked, drawing his knees up to his chest. “With the Agency, I mean.”

She shrugged. “I suppose it’s possible. Teng might seem callous, but he’s actually very kind to those that know him. He’s covered for me a lot on this mission, as well as my visits to…ex-communicated Agency members.”

“So what’s his problem with me then?”

“He just doesn’t know you yet. He might feel a bit threatened that someone younger than him is basically his superior.”

“Back up a bit,” Chrissy spoke up. “We can learn magic?”

“Well,” she hesitated, playing with a few strands of her hair, “it’s possible for humans to learn magic, but it’s harder. Not to mention it’s not supposed to be done unless it’s a special case.”

“What kind of magic?”

“That depends on the person really. There’s six kinds of magic. Barrier, Celestial, Psy, White, Dark and Elemental. Barrier is reserved for the planes and the necklace. Celestial belongs to Spirit Agents only, and Dark magic is forbidden to be taught in the Agency. So if you’re able, you can learn the other three. Usually a human can only handle one type of magic, and it’s based solely on the person.” She leaned back on her hands, looking up at them. “You don’t choose the magic, it chooses you.”

“Okay. But what can I do until I can start learning magic?” Nikki twirled the pendant chain absently.

Adelaide smiled sheepishly. “Well, quite frankly, there isn’t much you can do.”

The boy made a face. “That’s comforting.”

“But that’s why I’m here. It’s my job to make sure you—and the Barrier—stay safe.”

Chrissy closed his eyes. “What about all the demons you keep talking about. I’ve never seen any before.”

“Well, obviously,” she smiled, “If every human could see the demons that float around here, don’t you think there’d be a little more worldly panic?”

“That does make sense…so why can’t we see them?”

“The Agency. When they closed the planes, they made the demons invisible to humans. After so long of not being in contact with them, demons became a myth. But there are still some humans that can see them.”

“Like, the mediums and demon hunters you see on TV?” Nikki supplied.

“Some of them. The majority are just quacks.”

The boys laughed. “But I’ve never seen them before,” the redhead continued, “so how will I know what I’m facing?”

“The Barrier will help you there. It will allow you to see the demons,” she looked at Chrissy, “but I don’t know if you’ll be able to.”

“I can see you,” Chrissy opened his eyes slowly, glancing at the tiny form on the pillow.

“That doesn't really mean you can see demons. Anyone can see me, because I'm part of the Agency.”

“So how do we find out?”

Adelaide’s gaze focused on them with a determined look on her face. “I think I might know a way.”

---

The boys decided to go shopping for groceries a day early. The town was about a mile away, seven to ten minutes by foot. It was little more than a village and looked unchanged from the time when the castle was in use. There was an ancient feel to the whole place, from the tiny general store to the history museum.

It was the museum Adelaide guided them to first, stowing away in Nikki’s messenger bag in her small form. Inside, the walls were stone, decorated with banners and paintings. She led them up the stairs and past the gallery wing, to a large iron door at the end of the hall.

“Before we go in,” Adelaide whispered, “you have to be prepared. The demon inside is very powerful, but she doesn’t attack the humans that pass through here. She might sense the Barrier, though, so I want you to stay close to the door, okay?”

Nikki nodded, biting nervously at his bottom lip. Chrissy stood behind him. Adelaide disappeared from Nikki’s bag, reappearing beside them in her normal form.

“Open the door.”

The redhead did as he was instructed, pushing the heavy door open enough for them to get through. Inside was a single room, pitch black, even with the evening light outside. Their eyes soon adjusted, making the room visible to them.

It looked like a storage room, filled with paintings and gallery equipment. There didn’t seem to be anything moving, person, demon or otherwise. They kept against the wall, Adelaide floating up front, followed by Nikki and Chrissy.

“Wish you’d have mentioned to bring a flashlight,” Chrissy muttered.

“It wouldn’t have worked as well, but it’s a nice thought,” the girl smiled.

“I don’t see anyone Addie,” Nikki whispered.

The three passed by a stack of paintings on the floor. None of them noticed the front painting was blank, nothing more than a canvas painted black. Neither did they notice the form emerging from the painting, behind them.

Chrissy, the last in the line, stopped suddenly. “Guys…is anyone else having trouble…breathing right…? Like…something’s crushing…me…”

He put a hand to his chest, and the others turned around. Nikki gasped when he saw the black form surrounding his friend. Adelaide stepped between her charge and the form. Chrissy stood rigidly still as the form moved away from him, floating toward the middle of the room. Free of this, the purple-haired boy moved closer to Adelaide and Nikki, breathing deeply.

The form settled in the middle of the room, before changing. Soon a woman stood there, with caramel skin and long blond hair. Her ears were more like a feline than a human, with rounded tips set right where normal ears would be. There were twin stripes of yellow on her face, matching yellow spirals entwining on her upper arms. She also had a tail, the same colour as her skin, with a small puff of yellow on the end. She was wearing some kind of Renascence dress, with a white blouse, a blue bodice and a black and blue skirt. Her honey-coloured eyes stared at the group disdainfully.

“What are you doing here?”

“I don’t think we have to worry about me not seeing them,” Chrissy quipped, staring intently at the woman.

“We didn’t mean to intrude or anything,” Nikki spoke up, attempting to mollify this could-be threat. “You are a demon, right?”

“You are correct, human,” she replied, almost monotone. “I am Victoria, a DreamFox Demon. Why have you come here?”

Adelaide looked from Victoria to the door, calculating. “I brought them here to…pay their respects to you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I doubt that, but I really don’t care to hear your true reasons. I would appreciate to be left in peace.”

Nikki stepped from behind Adelaide. “Are you okay?”

Victoria’s eyes widened a bit, staring at him, before returning to her normal bored expression. “I am not.”

The redhead looked crestfallen, taking a step closer. “Why not?”

“If you must know, it is because of you humans that I dispair. Humans have stolen everything from me. My life, my future…even my children.”

“Your children?”

Her gaze was now focused on Nikki. “Yes. I was a mother to an entire litter once. But humans came and recreated this place. They destroyed it, and destroyed my children in the process.”

“They were killed in the renovations?” Chrissy asked.

Victoria heard the question, but seemed to ignore the inquirer. “They were too young to fend for themselves. All twenty-six of them.”

Nikki was taken aback. “You had twenty-six kids?”

“DreamFox’s have a large litter every generation. Usually they only get one chance.” Adelaide said quietly, watching the demon carefully.

“And I thought my family was big…” Chrissy shook his head.

“She speaks the truth,” Victoria continued, “I might be able to correct this, but I would need your help.”

“How?” Nikki matched her gaze.

Adelaide realized a second too late what the demon was planning. A yellow blur blinded them all momentarily as Victoria’s hair stretched, as if it had life of its own. It snapped forward, wrapping around Nikki’s waist and yanking him away from the group with a yelp from the boy.

“Nikki!” Adelaide grabbed for his hand, missing it by inches. Chrissy reached for him as well, but the girl held him back.

More tendrils of hair wrapped around him, binding his wrists and legs, rendering him incapable of movement. It pulled him forward, holding him in the air in front of the DreamFox.

“Yes, there is a way you can help, human.”

A piece of her hair held his head up by the chin, making it difficult for him to look at her. “W-what…?”

She reached out, holding the Barrier pendant in her palm. “When I use you to open the Barrier, I can seek out more of my species.”

“But…I can’t…”

“I do apologize, young one, but you don’t have much of a choice.”

Her hair constricted, squeezing him tightly. He let out a pained scream and Victoria pulled the pendant, snapping the chain.

“Stop it!” Chrissy lunged at her, taking the blond by surprise. He knocked her over, causing her to let go of Nikki. He fell to the floor with a gasp, watching Chrissy struggle with Victoria.

Victoria was much stronger than the boy, and after recovering from the initial shock, she threw him. Nikki grabbed for him, but wound up being taken along by the force. Both boys hit the wall before landing on the floor.

Adelaide took advantage of the chaos, sending a blast of white energy at Victoria, forcing her back. Then she flew at the woman, grabbing the pendant from her hand.

Nikki sat up, grabbing Chrissy’s shoulder. He pulled the shorter boy to his feet, moving toward the door while Victoria was busy with Adelaide. Once they were safely in the doorway, he yelled to her. “Addie, let’s go!”

“Close the door!” she snapped back, chancing a look at them. Victoria took this opportunity to knock the girl back with a wave of her tail.

“But—“

“DO IT!!”

Nikki slammed the door shut, pushing his weight against it. Chrissy locked it once more, before leaning tiredly on the redhead.

Adelaide appeared beside them, looking a bit sore but not seriously injured. She handed him the pendant. “Are you two okay?”

They nodded, not moving. Nikki managed to slip the pendant into his pocket before sliding to the floor, taking Chrissy with him.

“What’s to stop her from coming after us?” Chrissy asked, a bit out of breath. “If she’s not a ghost, right?”

“She’s tied to that room now,” Adelaide explained. “That’s where her children were killed. A demon can become tied to a certain place for many reasons. It happens a lot.”

“So most ghosts people see…?” Nikki’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Are actually tied demons,” she finished with a nod. “But they’re still very powerful. There’s no way to help her. We can’t give up the Barrier, for any reason,” she looked at them seriously. “I don’t want you two in this room again, okay?”

The boys nodded again, before getting to their feet. Nikki winced.

Chrissy looked at him carefully. “Are you okay?”

He smiled good-naturedly. “I just remembered…we still have to go shopping.”

They all looked at each other.

And laughed.

---

And that’s it for part two. Victoria’s actually one of my neglected villains. Gotta love the whole hair weapon thing tho, ne? It was Gab’s idea to have her come through the painting, when I was stuck for a good entrance. Comments?