SapphireDragon13
July 24th, 2009, 01:26 AM
Basically, im trying to write a manga comic book, and this is the plot...
Thanks!
~Jenelle
[Manga Title]
Chapter 1: The Start of an Invasion
We have all lived in fear since the day of the invasion; all that remains of our native home is a barren wasteland. The vivid, green foliage that once grew in the widespread area has been devoured by the death demons-- dark creatures that can take many shapes and forms. It is thought that the invasion was planned by the government in order to reduce over-population, but we will never know; the horrible creatures not only overthrew the government, but also ravaged the politicians that once oversaw the country. All that is left now is mass destruction as the growing level of anarchy rages. Our only hope is a small group of vigilantes known as the shadow guardian-- a select few who possess unique powers and abilities that are useful in defending against the constant demon attacks…
It all started on a beautiful, sunny day, in the small town of Gokawa, as a gentle breeze passed. Songbirds sang cheerfully, as the sun began to rise on the early morning, on the first day of the school year for the Gokawa High School students, who would be returning, and to the freshmen who would be beginning their high school career. A sweet mist was present on the far edges of the town, because of the five waterfalls that surrounded the small valley.
As the bright, orange sun ascended into the sky, the usual call of Ichimane echoed through the halls of the Hikaru residence. “Kitsune! Breakfast is getting cold! Wake up!” he called. At this time, Kitsune, who had been fast asleep, lethargically began to open her eyes and wake from her slumber. Her golden-brown hair glistened in the sunlight, which was shining, brilliantly, through her bedroom window, and her blue, striped pajamas felt soft against her warm, pale skin. Slowly, she got out of her small, twin-sized bed to find that she had overslept, and then she quickly grabbed her school uniform, a short, navy-blue skirt and white button-shirt, with a red ribbon that was to be worn around her neck as a bow.
Moments later, as she walked into the small kitchen of their home, she greeted her younger brother, “Good morning, Ichimane!”, and then questioned, “What’s for breakfast this morning?”
He quirkily replied, “Well, uhhm, there were some pancakes but I ate them…”
Irritated, Kitsune asked, “So you’re saying that you ate my breakfast?”
“Yea, pretty much.”
Soon afterwards, Kitsune quickly forced a slice of bread into the small, silver toaster, which was located on the small, wooden counter. Unfortunately, she overlooked the fact that this cooking utensil had been faulty for years before this moment, and waited for fifteen minutes before giving up on breakfast. At this point, she grumbled, “Grrr, this piece of crap is taking forever! I don’t have time for this…”
With great agility, Kitsune rushed out the front door and down the sidewalk in the direction of school, alongside the narrow canal, which was part of a system of canals that functioned as streets throughout the city. Sarcastically, she thought to herself, Thanks a lot, Ichimane! Now I’m going to be late for school! She glanced down at her watch, tick, tick, tick… I only have five minutes left! I have to hurry if I’m going to make it to school on time.
Seconds later, she arrived at the drawbridge across from the school, which she needed to cross in order to be in class on time. At that moment, she noticed a large boat heading in the direction. Shhkeeeeeeeeeeeee, the bridge squeaked as it began to separate in order for the boat to travel through. Two minutes!, Kitsune thought. I have to make it across the bridge NOW if I’m going to be on time! Quickly, Kitsune made her way up the increasingly steep bridge. As she made it to the top, this half of the bridge grew farther and farther from the other. However, Kitsune knew that she would need to jump to make it across. Swshhhh! She leapt over the vivid, cerulean canal with a large amount of velocity, landing safe and dry on the other side.
Running as quickly as she could, she made her way up the front steps of the school building. One minute. She frantically rushed through the hallways, trying to find her classroom. Thirty seconds. At once, she saw the classroom at the other end of the hallway. Fifteen seconds. Sprinting at full-speed, she grew closer and closer to the classroom. Ten seconds. Now only meters away from her classroom, Kitsune was confident that she would make it to class on time. Five seconds. Her hand touched the cold, silver doorknob as she opened the door and rushed in. Quietly, Kitsune made her way to the only open seat in the class room and sat down. Ding! The class bell had rung, and Kitsune now took a deep sigh of relief.
Curiously, Kitsune, as well as the other students in the class, looked around excitedly to see who all would be in their classroom this school year. That’s Hanakon, from Home-ec last year, Kitsune thought to herself as she saw a small girl in the front row, with shiny, dark hair and deep navy-blue eyes, which matched the large bow in her hair, and next to Hanakon sat Tsuki, Hanakon’s best friend, a pale girl with silvery, white hair and pale, nearly translucent, blue eyes and wore a light, periwinkle bracelet with a white crescent-moon charm on it. And that, she noticed a tall, slender boy with beautiful, icy-blue eyes and short, dark brown hair sitting next to her, is Ryukage.
Kitsune and Ryukage had always been friends, as long as either of them could remember. It all started years ago, when the two of them were still very young. One day, a very young Kitsune decided that she was going to teach herself how to swim in the canal in front of their houses, but soon realized it was a big mistake. Struggling to stay above water, she let out a cry of terror as she bobbed dangerously. Almost instantly, Ryukage came to her rescue. Calmly offering his hand, Kitsune grabbed it, and he pulled her out of the water to safety. Since that day, both of them had had a very close connection to each other, that happened to be much stronger than either of them could have ever realized.
As class began to start, the teacher, a tall, young woman with brilliant green eyes and wavy, blonde hair introduced herself as Miss Tamashii. She wore a light-tan blouse and a short, brown skirt. She wrote her name neatly on the board, and after that, announced to the class to turn to page seventeen in their books and to begin their lesson.
At this point, the quiet conversations throughout the classroom ceased, and the students quietly began working on their first assignment of the school year. In the next forty-five minutes, everyone in class was finished, and at that point, Miss Tamashii allowed the students to quietly continue talking amongst themselves. The soft hum of conversations resumed.
Kitsune turned to Ryukage and, they made eye contact with each other, which was abruptly broken as the classroom began to shake.
“EARTHQUAKE!” a terrified voice exclaimed, as nearly the whole class began to panic.
Ryukage quickly grabbed Kitsune and prevented the debris from the disaster from harming her in any way. As the earthquake stopped, everyone was relieved for a moment, until an eerie coldness filled the room. Kitsune screamed, and pointed to the corner of the room, exclaiming in terror, “WHAT IS THAT THING?!” Everyone panicked, as the black, skeletal creature scurried down the wall. It then darted in her direction. All she could see resemblance of in the unknown creature was a giant, black rat skeleton with bat wings. As it grew closer, she began to panic. She was the only thing in the room that it wanted. It ignored everything and everyone else, and darted straight for her. In a split second, Kitsune realized that she had to save herself, and quickly, she tore the horrid creature from the floor by its boney, black tail as she slammed it against the ground.
At that moment, the giant skeletal rodent shattered. Kitsune took a deep breath, and then noticed a radiant, red glow coming from the hollowed out bones. Kitsune, terrified, grabbed on to Ryukage, subconsciously hoping that it would allow some sort of protection, and at that moment, the smoky, red substance that was being emitted from the shattered skeleton shot towards Kitsune. Helplessly, Kitsune sat as the unusual, red smoke turned into a warm icy blue as it soared through her and Ryukage, and it was uncontrollably absorbed by both of them.
The rest of the class stared at the two of them on the floor, confused and terrified, noticing that Ryukage and Kitsune had passed out as when they were attacked. Quickly, Miss Tamashii chose the closest students in the classroom to help her carry the two unconscious students to the nurse’s office. Upon arriving, the nurse asked a dazed Miss Tamashii and her students what happened, none could give her a response other than that Kitsune and Ryukage passed out in the middle of class.
In about an hour or two, both Kitsune and Ryukage had recovered from the traumatic event, but were very confused about what had happened, as they glanced at each other blankly.
When school was over, Ryukage asked if Kitsune wanted to walk home together with him to talk about what had happened in the classroom. She quickly agreed that it would be a good idea. As they began to walk home, she told him about the skeletal creature that she saw… the one that attacked the two of them. “Oh, never mind.” she said, “You probably think I’m crazy, now?”
“No, how could I possibly think anything like that?” he questioned.
“Well, it’s not everyday that someone claims to see some creature that shouldn’t even exist…”
“It’s okay, I saw it, too; the whole class did. I know you aren’t crazy, Kitsune.”
“Sigh, that’s good. Uhhm, I mean, it’s good that you don’t think I’m crazy.”
“Kitsune, don’t worry about it, I’m sure we’ll both be fine.”
“Alright… What do you think that stuff was¾that glowing stuff that came out of the bones?”
“I don’t know. I just hope it’s not anything harmful…”
As they started to get close to their houses, they changed the subject. Kitsune began telling about her morning commute to school and how she almost didn’t make in to class on time, and Ryukage was surprised that she chose to jump across the canal, a risk that she wouldn’t normally take.
Slowly, the two of them walked to the front door of Kitsune’s house, and walked in. A distinct aroma of fresh-baked cookies atmosphere, as her mother, Hitsuji, welcomed them, cheerfully. As they slowly entered the kitchen, where fresh chocolate chip cookies sat on the counter, they found seats at a small, wooden table beside the large dining room window. At that moment, something didn’t feel right. The same eerie feeling from earlier that day, in the classroom, filled the air.
The temperature of the room seemed to drop rapidly, as the three of them began seeing their breath as the exhaled. This time, however, Ryukage and Kitsune simultaneously noticed a large creature, similar to the one from before. This creature, however, took the shape of a dark, skeletal pterodactyl with elk-like antlers. The air pressure seemed to increase to a dangerous level very quickly; Kitsune’s mother fell to the floor, unconscious. As they tried to rush to her aid, the horned pterodactyl swooped down in the same direction.
Defenseless, Kitsune and Ryukage did all they could to protect Kitsune’s unconscious mother. The creature charged, they each grabbed one of its antlers in a sad attempt to stop its movement, and at that moment, the antlers pierced their bodies, and something very unusual occurred. As the black, skeletal horns drove deeper and farther into the mangled bodies of Kitsune and Ryukage, who now lay lifeless on the dark antlers, an eerie blue glow escaped from their inner core. Their souls had become shattered when the pterodactyl-like creature punctured their chests. In their inability to protect themselves, their blood began flowing profusely from their wounds. As their clothes became drenched and stained in a deep crimson, the blood began to drip onto the floor below.
From their injuries, the bright, silvery-blue glow became increasingly brighter and more radiant as Ryukage and Kitsune became conscious. The two of them were no longer skewered, as the black antlers shattered. The horned pterodactyl released them from its possession, and then, their wounds began to heal. The ominous, silver glow became even brighter and then they recovered somehow, almost instantly.
“Oh my gosh, Ryukage, look at this! … Our cuts and bruises, they’re all gone!” Kitsune exclaimed.
“Kitsune? …You’re right! They’re completely healed!” he replied in astonishment.
“That thing…The pterodactyl-thing, we have to stop it!”
“Right!”
Quickly, Kitsune and Ryukage searched for anything that they could use to stop the unusual creature. Ryukage found an old katana that had been passed down in Kitsune’s family for generations, and Kitsune found an unique twin scythe that had been used by her great great grandfather, a martial arts prodigy from many years ago.
Something unique happened when they both found suitable weapons. As they both prepared to fight, the same eerie, silver-blue glow from before appeared, and an unusual blue fog appeared, as well. When it cleared, something amazing had occurred; from the glow, Ryukage had gained a pair of black and red dragon wings and a scaly, black dragon’s tail, and Kitsune had acquired a fluffy, red fox tail and ears.
Kitsune asked in confusion, “Ryukage, what just happened?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Well, whatever happened, we need to stop that thing before it hurts anyone else.”
“How are we going to do it, Kitsune? We aren’t qualified for this.”
“Ryukage, that’s my mother,” she pointed, “we have to save her.”
“I guess you’re right…”
“We need a plan. I’ll attack it from behind, and you distract it.”
“Okay, let’s go!”
Kitsune quickly hid in a small shadow as Ryukage caught the pterodactyl’s attention. As it started to dive in his direction, Slshhhhhh! Kshhhhhhht!, Kitsune swished the scythe, and the unusual creature’s head fell to the floor and shattered. A red, smoky mist dispersed as did the rest of the black, skeletal structure.
“Mmmghhhhh…” Kitsune’s mother grumbled as she began to stir. “What happened?”
Kitsune quickly turned to Ryukage and whispered, “We can’t let Mom see you like this!” she pointed frantically at his wings and tail.
“Well, what about you?! You have a fox tail and ears, how are you gonna explain that one?!”
“I don’t know! We need to hurry, before she notices.”
“Here, quick! Put this hat on!” He shoved the hat on her head.
“What about that tail?!” she pointed, “What about the wings?!”
“Uhhm…”
“Ryukage! Put this blanket on!”
“A blanket? It’s seventy degrees outside!”
“Just do it! If you don’t, my mom will notice everything!”
“Sigh, okay. Now, what are we going to do about that?” He pointed to Kitsune’s fluffy fox tail.
“I don’t know…” she muttered.
“Here, we can share the blanket.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Quickly, Kitsune and Ryukage sat on the small cerulean-blue couch in the living room, and turned on the television. Everything seemed normal, as the eerie atmosphere warmed. All was as if nothing had happened.
“Kitsune,” her mother asked, “what happened?”
“Uhhm, I’m not sure, Mom.”
“I could have sworn you had a tail?”
“Mom, that’s crazy!” she chuckled.
“And what about Ryukage?”
“What about him?”
“I don’t know. It must have just been a dream.”
“YES! THAT’S IT!! IT WAS ALL A DREAM!” Kitsune shouted excitedly.
“Uhhm, Kitsune? There’s no need to yell.”
“Oh! Yea, okay… Mom, I told Ryukage that we could go get some ice cream later, so umm, we’re gonna go now, okay?”
“Okay! See you both later!” Kitsune’s mother then returned to the kitchen as the two of them got ready to leave. Silently, Kitsune and Ryukage went upstairs to her room to look for clothes to hide their new “appendages”. They searched for the best clothing items to do so, and eventually found the perfect ensemble. Ryukage put a long, black coat that hid not only his dragon wings, but also his tail, as well, and Kitsune wore a long sapphire blue dress that hid her tail, and a black hat that covered her ears.
Once they finished finding the proper attire, they quietly crept out of Kitsune’s bedroom and down the stairway, to find that there was nobody between them and the front door; they could safely make it out of the house without being detected. They silently slid out of the door without being noticed.
At this point, it the sun was beginning to set, and the sky was starting to darken. As they continued walking farther into town, they both began to converse with each other quietly.
“Ryukage, what do you think that thing was? Maybe we should go to the library and see if we can find anything…”
“Agreed. We need to find out more about what it was… and how we can get rid of them if there are any more in the future.”
They continued walking as they passed countless people, all of which were completely oblivious to what the two of them were hiding. The gentle evening breeze rustled the trees and the sweet scent of grass filled the air, as they walked across a narrow bridge over a canal. The blue water below them glistened as the street lamps flicked on, all throughout town. Within minutes they reached the Gokawa Public Library.
Slowly, they entered the old, splintered doorway, and a bell hanging above the door rang as they walked through. The librarian, a creepy old man with messy, graying hair and a foggy, scratched glass eye, walked to the front of the library as they entered. Shyly, Kitsune asked if he could help her and Ryukage find a book. The old librarian answered politely, “What are you lookin’ for, Miss?”
“Well, you see, Sir, earlier today… we saw… uhhm, I’m not really sure what they were, but they were like dead, black, skeletal animals… and they sorta… attacked us? Do you have any books that would help with anything like that?”
“Ahhh, Miss, I think I may have what yer looking for. Here, take a look at this.”
He handed her an old, black, leather-bound book with a tattered cover and pages and a title, which read The Ancient Secrets of Hidden Demons. Kitsune looked at it in confusion.
“Sir, what is this? Demons? How could that be? … They don’t really exist, do they?”
“Miss, there are things in life that people are too scared to believe in, this just happens to be a great example of that. Read that and see if it helps any.”
“I am NOT scared.”
“Suit yourself, Miss. You and your boyfriend best be off.”
“He’s not my… We’re just friends.”
“Okay, well, it’s still gettin’ dark out. Night is when they like to be out… The sooner the two of you get home, the better.”
“Alright, we’ll bring it back tomorrow!”
“Nah, keep it, as a token of my, err… gratitude.”
“Okay, thank you!”
As they started to walk out the door, Ryukage asked, “Do you think we should have told him about the tails and everything?”
“Oh crap! We should have asked… Ryukage, we have to go back!”
“Awww… But that guy freaks me out!”
“Ryukage, we have to.” she answered bluntly.
“Sigh. Okay…”
They walked into the library, much like before, and as before, the old man returned to the front of the building.
“I though I told you two to go home?”
“Well, Sir,” Ryukage started, “you did, but we had something else we wanted to ask you about…”
“Is it about another book, young sir?”
“No. It’s about something more important…”
“And what would that be?”
Ryukage slowly took of the long, black trench coat, and Kitsune removed her hat.
“So that’s it…” the old man said, “You two got caught up in a dispute with death demons.”
“Death demons, Sir?” Kitsune asked.
“Yes, Miss, death demons…”
“Sir, what are death demons?” Ryukage questioned.
“Death demons… are those skeletal animals that you saw earlier. It all adds up now… that’s the only explanation.”
“But, Sir, how did this happen?” Kitsune pointed at her tail, as well as Ryukage’s.
“It’s simple,” the old man smirked, “when the two of you were attacked, you defeated one, maybe more, and then, somehow the two of you managed to gain the demonic power…”
“So, you’re saying we’re demons?!” Kitsune exclaimed.
“No, no, nothing like that, Miss. I’m only saying that there is a good possibility that you may now possess their powers. It’s nothing to worry about.” he assured.
“Hmm… but, how do you know about all this?” Ryukage interrogated.
The old man chuckled, “I know because… the same thing happened to me, many years ago.” As he said that, he slowly transformed into a lion. His mane flowed majestically as the fan on the other side of the room blew, and his tail twitched as it stretched to its full length. Kitsune and Ryukage stood in amazement.
“Whoa! How did you do that?” Ryukage asked.
“What do yer mean?”
“You just transformed… How do you change from having the weird animal tail and stuff back into being human?”
“Ohh, it’s simple!”
“Well, how do you do it?” asked Kitsune.
“Focus on something that can transform, even if it takes a long time for it to do so. For example, maybe a moth or butterfly… perhaps a frog?”
“Hmmm, a frog?” thought Ryukage, “They change from tadpoles to frogs, over time… maybe I can change back to normal if I just picture me transforming back into myself.” As he imagined himself changing back, he did so.
“Ryukage, how did you do that?” Kitsune asked in astonishment.
“It’s simple,” he answered, “I just pictured myself changing back to normal, and that’s what happened.”
“Okay.” she replied, and as she, herself, pictured her form returning to normal, she did so, as well. “Thank you, Sir!”
“Nah, it’s nothin’, and, by the way, you can just call me Kuroshishi.”
“Uhhm, okay. Thank you…Kuroshishi.”
“Thanks.” said Ryukage.
“Bye! See you soon!” said Kitsune, as she waved goodbye.
“Goodbye, Miss.” Kuroshishi replied solemnly.
Ryukage nodded, and then walked out the door quietly, his trench coat blowing softly in the breeze, and Kitsune following closely behind.
“Ryukage, what do you think we should do, now that we’re stuck with these weird powers or whatever?”
“I’m not sure, but I think we should start by reading this book.” he pointed to The Ancient Secrets of Hidden Demons.
“Sigh, I guess you’re right…” she muttered.
“It’s getting late, we probly oughtta start heading home.”
“Yeah… do you want to take the book home, or should I?”
“I will, I’m more likely to actually read it.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Ryukage.”
“Goodnight, Kitsune.”
As they approached their houses, they separated and headed to their own house. Kitsune quietly opened her front door and crept inside, putting her best efforts into making sure not to wake anyone. Silently, she slid into her bedroom unnoticed, as she softly shut her door and flipped her light switch on. She tossed her hat aside and it landed on the hook above her bed, and changed into her favorite blue pajamas.
Then, after she finished getting dressed, she logged in onto dengon, the instant messenger on her computer, in hopes that Ryukage was online, and to her surprise, he was. Quickly she sent him a message, “ryukage, i need 2 talk 2 u about that book… is there nething n it that can help us?”
Soon, he replied, “it says that their weakest point is their head, and that the easiest way to attack them is from behind, cuz they can rarely sense nething behind them”
“is there anything else that we should know?”
“it also sez that under rare cases, they can take human form, flesh and all… but the only ones capable of that r the most powerful and experienced”
“okay, well its getting late, i think im gonna go to bed now… night”
“goodnight, kitsune sweet dreams”
“u too, ryukage … night”
After that, the two of them logged off their computers and went to bed, exhausted from their long day, and anxious of their next day to come.
Thanks!
~Jenelle
[Manga Title]
Chapter 1: The Start of an Invasion
We have all lived in fear since the day of the invasion; all that remains of our native home is a barren wasteland. The vivid, green foliage that once grew in the widespread area has been devoured by the death demons-- dark creatures that can take many shapes and forms. It is thought that the invasion was planned by the government in order to reduce over-population, but we will never know; the horrible creatures not only overthrew the government, but also ravaged the politicians that once oversaw the country. All that is left now is mass destruction as the growing level of anarchy rages. Our only hope is a small group of vigilantes known as the shadow guardian-- a select few who possess unique powers and abilities that are useful in defending against the constant demon attacks…
It all started on a beautiful, sunny day, in the small town of Gokawa, as a gentle breeze passed. Songbirds sang cheerfully, as the sun began to rise on the early morning, on the first day of the school year for the Gokawa High School students, who would be returning, and to the freshmen who would be beginning their high school career. A sweet mist was present on the far edges of the town, because of the five waterfalls that surrounded the small valley.
As the bright, orange sun ascended into the sky, the usual call of Ichimane echoed through the halls of the Hikaru residence. “Kitsune! Breakfast is getting cold! Wake up!” he called. At this time, Kitsune, who had been fast asleep, lethargically began to open her eyes and wake from her slumber. Her golden-brown hair glistened in the sunlight, which was shining, brilliantly, through her bedroom window, and her blue, striped pajamas felt soft against her warm, pale skin. Slowly, she got out of her small, twin-sized bed to find that she had overslept, and then she quickly grabbed her school uniform, a short, navy-blue skirt and white button-shirt, with a red ribbon that was to be worn around her neck as a bow.
Moments later, as she walked into the small kitchen of their home, she greeted her younger brother, “Good morning, Ichimane!”, and then questioned, “What’s for breakfast this morning?”
He quirkily replied, “Well, uhhm, there were some pancakes but I ate them…”
Irritated, Kitsune asked, “So you’re saying that you ate my breakfast?”
“Yea, pretty much.”
Soon afterwards, Kitsune quickly forced a slice of bread into the small, silver toaster, which was located on the small, wooden counter. Unfortunately, she overlooked the fact that this cooking utensil had been faulty for years before this moment, and waited for fifteen minutes before giving up on breakfast. At this point, she grumbled, “Grrr, this piece of crap is taking forever! I don’t have time for this…”
With great agility, Kitsune rushed out the front door and down the sidewalk in the direction of school, alongside the narrow canal, which was part of a system of canals that functioned as streets throughout the city. Sarcastically, she thought to herself, Thanks a lot, Ichimane! Now I’m going to be late for school! She glanced down at her watch, tick, tick, tick… I only have five minutes left! I have to hurry if I’m going to make it to school on time.
Seconds later, she arrived at the drawbridge across from the school, which she needed to cross in order to be in class on time. At that moment, she noticed a large boat heading in the direction. Shhkeeeeeeeeeeeee, the bridge squeaked as it began to separate in order for the boat to travel through. Two minutes!, Kitsune thought. I have to make it across the bridge NOW if I’m going to be on time! Quickly, Kitsune made her way up the increasingly steep bridge. As she made it to the top, this half of the bridge grew farther and farther from the other. However, Kitsune knew that she would need to jump to make it across. Swshhhh! She leapt over the vivid, cerulean canal with a large amount of velocity, landing safe and dry on the other side.
Running as quickly as she could, she made her way up the front steps of the school building. One minute. She frantically rushed through the hallways, trying to find her classroom. Thirty seconds. At once, she saw the classroom at the other end of the hallway. Fifteen seconds. Sprinting at full-speed, she grew closer and closer to the classroom. Ten seconds. Now only meters away from her classroom, Kitsune was confident that she would make it to class on time. Five seconds. Her hand touched the cold, silver doorknob as she opened the door and rushed in. Quietly, Kitsune made her way to the only open seat in the class room and sat down. Ding! The class bell had rung, and Kitsune now took a deep sigh of relief.
Curiously, Kitsune, as well as the other students in the class, looked around excitedly to see who all would be in their classroom this school year. That’s Hanakon, from Home-ec last year, Kitsune thought to herself as she saw a small girl in the front row, with shiny, dark hair and deep navy-blue eyes, which matched the large bow in her hair, and next to Hanakon sat Tsuki, Hanakon’s best friend, a pale girl with silvery, white hair and pale, nearly translucent, blue eyes and wore a light, periwinkle bracelet with a white crescent-moon charm on it. And that, she noticed a tall, slender boy with beautiful, icy-blue eyes and short, dark brown hair sitting next to her, is Ryukage.
Kitsune and Ryukage had always been friends, as long as either of them could remember. It all started years ago, when the two of them were still very young. One day, a very young Kitsune decided that she was going to teach herself how to swim in the canal in front of their houses, but soon realized it was a big mistake. Struggling to stay above water, she let out a cry of terror as she bobbed dangerously. Almost instantly, Ryukage came to her rescue. Calmly offering his hand, Kitsune grabbed it, and he pulled her out of the water to safety. Since that day, both of them had had a very close connection to each other, that happened to be much stronger than either of them could have ever realized.
As class began to start, the teacher, a tall, young woman with brilliant green eyes and wavy, blonde hair introduced herself as Miss Tamashii. She wore a light-tan blouse and a short, brown skirt. She wrote her name neatly on the board, and after that, announced to the class to turn to page seventeen in their books and to begin their lesson.
At this point, the quiet conversations throughout the classroom ceased, and the students quietly began working on their first assignment of the school year. In the next forty-five minutes, everyone in class was finished, and at that point, Miss Tamashii allowed the students to quietly continue talking amongst themselves. The soft hum of conversations resumed.
Kitsune turned to Ryukage and, they made eye contact with each other, which was abruptly broken as the classroom began to shake.
“EARTHQUAKE!” a terrified voice exclaimed, as nearly the whole class began to panic.
Ryukage quickly grabbed Kitsune and prevented the debris from the disaster from harming her in any way. As the earthquake stopped, everyone was relieved for a moment, until an eerie coldness filled the room. Kitsune screamed, and pointed to the corner of the room, exclaiming in terror, “WHAT IS THAT THING?!” Everyone panicked, as the black, skeletal creature scurried down the wall. It then darted in her direction. All she could see resemblance of in the unknown creature was a giant, black rat skeleton with bat wings. As it grew closer, she began to panic. She was the only thing in the room that it wanted. It ignored everything and everyone else, and darted straight for her. In a split second, Kitsune realized that she had to save herself, and quickly, she tore the horrid creature from the floor by its boney, black tail as she slammed it against the ground.
At that moment, the giant skeletal rodent shattered. Kitsune took a deep breath, and then noticed a radiant, red glow coming from the hollowed out bones. Kitsune, terrified, grabbed on to Ryukage, subconsciously hoping that it would allow some sort of protection, and at that moment, the smoky, red substance that was being emitted from the shattered skeleton shot towards Kitsune. Helplessly, Kitsune sat as the unusual, red smoke turned into a warm icy blue as it soared through her and Ryukage, and it was uncontrollably absorbed by both of them.
The rest of the class stared at the two of them on the floor, confused and terrified, noticing that Ryukage and Kitsune had passed out as when they were attacked. Quickly, Miss Tamashii chose the closest students in the classroom to help her carry the two unconscious students to the nurse’s office. Upon arriving, the nurse asked a dazed Miss Tamashii and her students what happened, none could give her a response other than that Kitsune and Ryukage passed out in the middle of class.
In about an hour or two, both Kitsune and Ryukage had recovered from the traumatic event, but were very confused about what had happened, as they glanced at each other blankly.
When school was over, Ryukage asked if Kitsune wanted to walk home together with him to talk about what had happened in the classroom. She quickly agreed that it would be a good idea. As they began to walk home, she told him about the skeletal creature that she saw… the one that attacked the two of them. “Oh, never mind.” she said, “You probably think I’m crazy, now?”
“No, how could I possibly think anything like that?” he questioned.
“Well, it’s not everyday that someone claims to see some creature that shouldn’t even exist…”
“It’s okay, I saw it, too; the whole class did. I know you aren’t crazy, Kitsune.”
“Sigh, that’s good. Uhhm, I mean, it’s good that you don’t think I’m crazy.”
“Kitsune, don’t worry about it, I’m sure we’ll both be fine.”
“Alright… What do you think that stuff was¾that glowing stuff that came out of the bones?”
“I don’t know. I just hope it’s not anything harmful…”
As they started to get close to their houses, they changed the subject. Kitsune began telling about her morning commute to school and how she almost didn’t make in to class on time, and Ryukage was surprised that she chose to jump across the canal, a risk that she wouldn’t normally take.
Slowly, the two of them walked to the front door of Kitsune’s house, and walked in. A distinct aroma of fresh-baked cookies atmosphere, as her mother, Hitsuji, welcomed them, cheerfully. As they slowly entered the kitchen, where fresh chocolate chip cookies sat on the counter, they found seats at a small, wooden table beside the large dining room window. At that moment, something didn’t feel right. The same eerie feeling from earlier that day, in the classroom, filled the air.
The temperature of the room seemed to drop rapidly, as the three of them began seeing their breath as the exhaled. This time, however, Ryukage and Kitsune simultaneously noticed a large creature, similar to the one from before. This creature, however, took the shape of a dark, skeletal pterodactyl with elk-like antlers. The air pressure seemed to increase to a dangerous level very quickly; Kitsune’s mother fell to the floor, unconscious. As they tried to rush to her aid, the horned pterodactyl swooped down in the same direction.
Defenseless, Kitsune and Ryukage did all they could to protect Kitsune’s unconscious mother. The creature charged, they each grabbed one of its antlers in a sad attempt to stop its movement, and at that moment, the antlers pierced their bodies, and something very unusual occurred. As the black, skeletal horns drove deeper and farther into the mangled bodies of Kitsune and Ryukage, who now lay lifeless on the dark antlers, an eerie blue glow escaped from their inner core. Their souls had become shattered when the pterodactyl-like creature punctured their chests. In their inability to protect themselves, their blood began flowing profusely from their wounds. As their clothes became drenched and stained in a deep crimson, the blood began to drip onto the floor below.
From their injuries, the bright, silvery-blue glow became increasingly brighter and more radiant as Ryukage and Kitsune became conscious. The two of them were no longer skewered, as the black antlers shattered. The horned pterodactyl released them from its possession, and then, their wounds began to heal. The ominous, silver glow became even brighter and then they recovered somehow, almost instantly.
“Oh my gosh, Ryukage, look at this! … Our cuts and bruises, they’re all gone!” Kitsune exclaimed.
“Kitsune? …You’re right! They’re completely healed!” he replied in astonishment.
“That thing…The pterodactyl-thing, we have to stop it!”
“Right!”
Quickly, Kitsune and Ryukage searched for anything that they could use to stop the unusual creature. Ryukage found an old katana that had been passed down in Kitsune’s family for generations, and Kitsune found an unique twin scythe that had been used by her great great grandfather, a martial arts prodigy from many years ago.
Something unique happened when they both found suitable weapons. As they both prepared to fight, the same eerie, silver-blue glow from before appeared, and an unusual blue fog appeared, as well. When it cleared, something amazing had occurred; from the glow, Ryukage had gained a pair of black and red dragon wings and a scaly, black dragon’s tail, and Kitsune had acquired a fluffy, red fox tail and ears.
Kitsune asked in confusion, “Ryukage, what just happened?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Well, whatever happened, we need to stop that thing before it hurts anyone else.”
“How are we going to do it, Kitsune? We aren’t qualified for this.”
“Ryukage, that’s my mother,” she pointed, “we have to save her.”
“I guess you’re right…”
“We need a plan. I’ll attack it from behind, and you distract it.”
“Okay, let’s go!”
Kitsune quickly hid in a small shadow as Ryukage caught the pterodactyl’s attention. As it started to dive in his direction, Slshhhhhh! Kshhhhhhht!, Kitsune swished the scythe, and the unusual creature’s head fell to the floor and shattered. A red, smoky mist dispersed as did the rest of the black, skeletal structure.
“Mmmghhhhh…” Kitsune’s mother grumbled as she began to stir. “What happened?”
Kitsune quickly turned to Ryukage and whispered, “We can’t let Mom see you like this!” she pointed frantically at his wings and tail.
“Well, what about you?! You have a fox tail and ears, how are you gonna explain that one?!”
“I don’t know! We need to hurry, before she notices.”
“Here, quick! Put this hat on!” He shoved the hat on her head.
“What about that tail?!” she pointed, “What about the wings?!”
“Uhhm…”
“Ryukage! Put this blanket on!”
“A blanket? It’s seventy degrees outside!”
“Just do it! If you don’t, my mom will notice everything!”
“Sigh, okay. Now, what are we going to do about that?” He pointed to Kitsune’s fluffy fox tail.
“I don’t know…” she muttered.
“Here, we can share the blanket.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
Quickly, Kitsune and Ryukage sat on the small cerulean-blue couch in the living room, and turned on the television. Everything seemed normal, as the eerie atmosphere warmed. All was as if nothing had happened.
“Kitsune,” her mother asked, “what happened?”
“Uhhm, I’m not sure, Mom.”
“I could have sworn you had a tail?”
“Mom, that’s crazy!” she chuckled.
“And what about Ryukage?”
“What about him?”
“I don’t know. It must have just been a dream.”
“YES! THAT’S IT!! IT WAS ALL A DREAM!” Kitsune shouted excitedly.
“Uhhm, Kitsune? There’s no need to yell.”
“Oh! Yea, okay… Mom, I told Ryukage that we could go get some ice cream later, so umm, we’re gonna go now, okay?”
“Okay! See you both later!” Kitsune’s mother then returned to the kitchen as the two of them got ready to leave. Silently, Kitsune and Ryukage went upstairs to her room to look for clothes to hide their new “appendages”. They searched for the best clothing items to do so, and eventually found the perfect ensemble. Ryukage put a long, black coat that hid not only his dragon wings, but also his tail, as well, and Kitsune wore a long sapphire blue dress that hid her tail, and a black hat that covered her ears.
Once they finished finding the proper attire, they quietly crept out of Kitsune’s bedroom and down the stairway, to find that there was nobody between them and the front door; they could safely make it out of the house without being detected. They silently slid out of the door without being noticed.
At this point, it the sun was beginning to set, and the sky was starting to darken. As they continued walking farther into town, they both began to converse with each other quietly.
“Ryukage, what do you think that thing was? Maybe we should go to the library and see if we can find anything…”
“Agreed. We need to find out more about what it was… and how we can get rid of them if there are any more in the future.”
They continued walking as they passed countless people, all of which were completely oblivious to what the two of them were hiding. The gentle evening breeze rustled the trees and the sweet scent of grass filled the air, as they walked across a narrow bridge over a canal. The blue water below them glistened as the street lamps flicked on, all throughout town. Within minutes they reached the Gokawa Public Library.
Slowly, they entered the old, splintered doorway, and a bell hanging above the door rang as they walked through. The librarian, a creepy old man with messy, graying hair and a foggy, scratched glass eye, walked to the front of the library as they entered. Shyly, Kitsune asked if he could help her and Ryukage find a book. The old librarian answered politely, “What are you lookin’ for, Miss?”
“Well, you see, Sir, earlier today… we saw… uhhm, I’m not really sure what they were, but they were like dead, black, skeletal animals… and they sorta… attacked us? Do you have any books that would help with anything like that?”
“Ahhh, Miss, I think I may have what yer looking for. Here, take a look at this.”
He handed her an old, black, leather-bound book with a tattered cover and pages and a title, which read The Ancient Secrets of Hidden Demons. Kitsune looked at it in confusion.
“Sir, what is this? Demons? How could that be? … They don’t really exist, do they?”
“Miss, there are things in life that people are too scared to believe in, this just happens to be a great example of that. Read that and see if it helps any.”
“I am NOT scared.”
“Suit yourself, Miss. You and your boyfriend best be off.”
“He’s not my… We’re just friends.”
“Okay, well, it’s still gettin’ dark out. Night is when they like to be out… The sooner the two of you get home, the better.”
“Alright, we’ll bring it back tomorrow!”
“Nah, keep it, as a token of my, err… gratitude.”
“Okay, thank you!”
As they started to walk out the door, Ryukage asked, “Do you think we should have told him about the tails and everything?”
“Oh crap! We should have asked… Ryukage, we have to go back!”
“Awww… But that guy freaks me out!”
“Ryukage, we have to.” she answered bluntly.
“Sigh. Okay…”
They walked into the library, much like before, and as before, the old man returned to the front of the building.
“I though I told you two to go home?”
“Well, Sir,” Ryukage started, “you did, but we had something else we wanted to ask you about…”
“Is it about another book, young sir?”
“No. It’s about something more important…”
“And what would that be?”
Ryukage slowly took of the long, black trench coat, and Kitsune removed her hat.
“So that’s it…” the old man said, “You two got caught up in a dispute with death demons.”
“Death demons, Sir?” Kitsune asked.
“Yes, Miss, death demons…”
“Sir, what are death demons?” Ryukage questioned.
“Death demons… are those skeletal animals that you saw earlier. It all adds up now… that’s the only explanation.”
“But, Sir, how did this happen?” Kitsune pointed at her tail, as well as Ryukage’s.
“It’s simple,” the old man smirked, “when the two of you were attacked, you defeated one, maybe more, and then, somehow the two of you managed to gain the demonic power…”
“So, you’re saying we’re demons?!” Kitsune exclaimed.
“No, no, nothing like that, Miss. I’m only saying that there is a good possibility that you may now possess their powers. It’s nothing to worry about.” he assured.
“Hmm… but, how do you know about all this?” Ryukage interrogated.
The old man chuckled, “I know because… the same thing happened to me, many years ago.” As he said that, he slowly transformed into a lion. His mane flowed majestically as the fan on the other side of the room blew, and his tail twitched as it stretched to its full length. Kitsune and Ryukage stood in amazement.
“Whoa! How did you do that?” Ryukage asked.
“What do yer mean?”
“You just transformed… How do you change from having the weird animal tail and stuff back into being human?”
“Ohh, it’s simple!”
“Well, how do you do it?” asked Kitsune.
“Focus on something that can transform, even if it takes a long time for it to do so. For example, maybe a moth or butterfly… perhaps a frog?”
“Hmmm, a frog?” thought Ryukage, “They change from tadpoles to frogs, over time… maybe I can change back to normal if I just picture me transforming back into myself.” As he imagined himself changing back, he did so.
“Ryukage, how did you do that?” Kitsune asked in astonishment.
“It’s simple,” he answered, “I just pictured myself changing back to normal, and that’s what happened.”
“Okay.” she replied, and as she, herself, pictured her form returning to normal, she did so, as well. “Thank you, Sir!”
“Nah, it’s nothin’, and, by the way, you can just call me Kuroshishi.”
“Uhhm, okay. Thank you…Kuroshishi.”
“Thanks.” said Ryukage.
“Bye! See you soon!” said Kitsune, as she waved goodbye.
“Goodbye, Miss.” Kuroshishi replied solemnly.
Ryukage nodded, and then walked out the door quietly, his trench coat blowing softly in the breeze, and Kitsune following closely behind.
“Ryukage, what do you think we should do, now that we’re stuck with these weird powers or whatever?”
“I’m not sure, but I think we should start by reading this book.” he pointed to The Ancient Secrets of Hidden Demons.
“Sigh, I guess you’re right…” she muttered.
“It’s getting late, we probly oughtta start heading home.”
“Yeah… do you want to take the book home, or should I?”
“I will, I’m more likely to actually read it.”
“Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow, Ryukage.”
“Goodnight, Kitsune.”
As they approached their houses, they separated and headed to their own house. Kitsune quietly opened her front door and crept inside, putting her best efforts into making sure not to wake anyone. Silently, she slid into her bedroom unnoticed, as she softly shut her door and flipped her light switch on. She tossed her hat aside and it landed on the hook above her bed, and changed into her favorite blue pajamas.
Then, after she finished getting dressed, she logged in onto dengon, the instant messenger on her computer, in hopes that Ryukage was online, and to her surprise, he was. Quickly she sent him a message, “ryukage, i need 2 talk 2 u about that book… is there nething n it that can help us?”
Soon, he replied, “it says that their weakest point is their head, and that the easiest way to attack them is from behind, cuz they can rarely sense nething behind them”
“is there anything else that we should know?”
“it also sez that under rare cases, they can take human form, flesh and all… but the only ones capable of that r the most powerful and experienced”
“okay, well its getting late, i think im gonna go to bed now… night”
“goodnight, kitsune sweet dreams”
“u too, ryukage … night”
After that, the two of them logged off their computers and went to bed, exhausted from their long day, and anxious of their next day to come.