Prologue: When Demons Awaken
The ground shook with laughter, the deep sound echoing off the stone walls of the cavern deep inside the earth. The walls, normally a dull slate grey color, were streaked black by water trickling down them in veins.
"Abdi-Ili, come here," the laughing voice commanded.
"yes, Lord Nergal?" a boy who looked no older than fifteen appeared in a puff of dark green smoke, his orange streaked black hair shining in the light emitted by the crystals growing out of the cavern's walls and floors. His ice-blue eyes flicked up to gaze upon the figure before him, shrouded in the dark purple of royalty.
"Both the aliens and the Saint Rose Crusaders have been defeated. Do you know what that means?" Nergal stated, his deep voice booming and resounding off the walls, amplifying the sound.
"Our time now?" Abdi-Ili grinned, showing sharp fangs.
"Our time has come!" Nergal boomed, raising his hand in the air. Hordes of misshapen demons raised their voices in agreement and joy. After four millennia of darkness they would be able to roam their planet once again. And they were going to rid the planet of the humans that used to be their slaves and had taken over their planet like the greedy, vain things they are.
"Wow, what a cute café!" a boy with dark black hair and green eyes said. "Nova, come look at this!" he cried, pointing in front of him. A girl with orange hair and steely grey eyes joined him, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her red and black striped hoodie.
"Honestly, Dustin, you're gayer then Peter Pan on a pair of ice skates sometimes," she sniffed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Dustin looked to Nova with puppy-dog eyes, clasping his hands together.
"Oh, can we go in, please!" he begged.
"No," she replied firmly.
"Nova, please!" he groveled, throwing himself on the ground and clinging tightly to her leg. "Please! I've gone everywhere in Tokyo you want to go; can't we go somewhere I want?"
"Would you look at yourself? You're making a scene! We're gonna be living here in Tokyo, why can't you go after school or something? You know I hate frilly, wimpy crap like that!" she protested hotly, trying to step out of his iron grip and sort of dragging him across the ground. "I don't understand why my parents let you come along with me while I study in Japan, let alone your parent's reasons."
"Oh please, Nova! It's our last day before school starts! I might be able to make some friends there, leaving you alone to brood about leaving America," he said in a sing-song tone.
"Alright," she sighed. "Now would you let go of me?"
Dustin hopped up and grabbed Nova's hand, dragging her towards the café.
"Those are the new genes?" Keiichiro asked as he entered the room, carrying two cups of tea. He handed one to Ryou, who accepted it and nodded.
"Philippine eagle and Darwin's fox. I think they'll be helpful, just in case," the blond replied, taking a sip of apple tea sweetened with cinnamon.
"In case of what?" Lettuce asked, bringing in a mop and a bucket of soapy water. The entire building shook as an earthquake erupted suddenly. Out in the dining room, Berry and Tasuku clung to one another in fear. Mint fretted about Zakuro, who as usual was saying it was nothing major, just another earthquake. Ichigo grabbed Pudding from her perch on a table and waited for the quake to pass. The pink mew feared that the ground would split open and consume the city, the quake lasted so long.
Ryou gasped suddenly and spun around. That was odd, there was no one in the room but himself, Keiichiro, and Lettuce. But he could've sworn he heard someone laughing, a deep and maniacal laugh that frightened him to his very core.
"Whoa," Dustin commented as the earthquake fizzled away into nothing. Nova released her iron grip on his sweater and regained her composure. "Nothing like that back in Ohio."
"No shit, Sherlock. Ohio is completely inland; Japan is a little rinky-dink island along the Ring of Fire. Of course there are earthquakes here," she said in a 'know-it-all' tone.
"The Ring of Fire is for volcanoes, not earthquakes," Dustin smirked. Nova rolled her eyes and glared at him, practically kicking open the door to the girly café and storming inside. Ah, but her mood swings were one of the reasons he liked her. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his green cargo pants and sauntered in after her.