Shadowed Thorns of the Past

Chapter One

"Risika…run…don't worry about me…save yourself," your mother says.

"No I can't leave you," you sob kneeling by your dying mother.

"Go find your father…find him…and he will tell you everything…" she says as she closes her eyes.

"No mom stay with me," you say shaking her, "Please I can't live without you." You shake her fiercely hoping she will wake up but she doesn't move. You lay her body down and stand up, wiping your tears away. As you turn you see a figure standing in the shadows. Next thing you know a dagger is at your throat.

You sit bolt upright in bed sweating hard and panting. It was just a nightmare that's it. You lie back down and try to go back to sleep. Realizing that it was futile you get up and get dressed. You have been having the same dream for the last few days and it was more vivid everytime you had it.

"Why do I have this dream," you whisper to yourself as the hot water runs over your pale skin. "It doesn't make any sense." You mutter trying to think. As you get out of the shower, you hear a slight noise from the other room. You put on your silver robe, tie it, then open the door. You look around and see a little orange fox on your bed. You smile in relief because it is only your pet fox Kyoko.

"Kyoko you scared me," you sigh as you pick him up from the bed. He just looks at you and licks your cheek, as you notice a small cut on his foreleg. "Oh what happened," you say as you take him into the bathroom and set him on the sink. He doesn't say anything but because you were both foxes, you understood eachother relatively well. You pull a small jar from a cabinet, open it, and then go back to the fox. The jar was full of an herbal remedy that healed small cuts within a day and left no scars. Your mom had always used it on you when you were little but then you got the recipe and made it yourself.

"Ok Kyoko," you say getting some on your finger, "you know the drill after I put this on you can't go outside for a while." There was a small mew in agreement as you rubbed the paste on the cut and covered it with a bandage. "There," you say after your finished, "all done now I've got to go and gather herbs before winter so I'll be gone all day." You pick up Kyoko and put him back on your bed. As you get dressed you hear a knock at the door.

"One minute please," you say as you pull on your shirt. There is another knock. "Hold on please" you yell as you walk to the door and look through the peephole in it. You see a man with dark hair and bright blue eyes. You sigh; it's ok its only Seigi.

"C'mon Ris we are going to be late if you don't hurry up!" he shouted through the door.

"Late for what?!" you yell back buttoning your shirt.

"Well let me in and I'll tell you what we are going to be late for." He yelled again. You open the door standing there in your shirt. Seigi was tall, thin with well-defined muscles. His blue eyes were vivid under his black and red hair.

"Very sexy Risika," he says eyeing you up and down.

"Thank you," you say, "now so I can finish getting dressed would you please tell me what I'm going to be late for?"

"For school remember? Since you look seventeen by law you need to go to school," he says with a smile, as he pulls a package from behind his back. You take it from his hands and open it. Inside is a school uniform comprised of a short blue skirt, blue sailor top and red neckerchief. Great you thought he wants to play dress up.

"Thank you Seigi," you say smiling, "I'll put this on right now so we can go to school." You turn and go into your bedroom, laying the clothes out on the bed. You take off your shirt and pull on the top that he gave you. Hmmm it's comfortable but what about the skirt. You slip the skirt over you legs and fasten it on your hips. Ok now I guess this won't be so bad after all. As you put on your shoes Seigi walks into the doorway. You hear a low whistle as you stand up.

"Damn that does look hot on you," he says smiling, his hands in his pockets, "Guys at school will really be after you."

"Thanks Seigi, I knew that I could always count on you to tell me when I look bad." You say rolling your eyes as you grabbed your bag. "Well I think that we should get going don't you?"

"Yeah lets go foxy girl before we are both late," he said turning. Whatever Seigi you thought as you rolled your eyes again and followed him out the door and into his car.