It was a strange form. A karate horse stance was replaced by
something drawn from Shaolin Kung Fu Crane Style. Then a flip kick,
followed by a torso-axle twist. Violent kicks drawn from Tae Kwon Do,
stepping movements of Aikido, graceful positions inspired by Qigong. Then
Ninjutsu claw hands, vertical punches, thumb distracts, groin smashes. Some
people would have said it resembled fire and ice. A slow, smooth moment,
with burning motion right after.
The practitioner of this form was just as strange. He was still a boy, though manhood was creeping up on him. His brown hair flew down his shoulders, barely covering pointed ears. Fangs were hidden behind his lips. And his tail was in plain sight.
"Shippou." The boy jumped at the sound of his name. somehow, the woman had snuck up on him. Shippou viewed the intruder. White fuku, ribbon on the chest, black skirt, black, gloves, black boots. Shit. Shippou jammed his hands into his clothes coming out with five leaves in each. Tough as he was, he couldn't beat a Bishoujo Sailor Senshi. Maybe he could run.
"Don't worry Shippou," said the green-haired Senshi.
"You pop the hell in here, scare the shit out of me, and tell me not to worry?" Shippou didn't let go of his leaves, "Get the hell out." The Senshi smiled.
"I am Sailor Pluto. May I sit down? This will be much more comfortable if we both are."
"You sit. I'm fine." Shippou still hadn't relaxed out of his defensive stance.
"Very well then." Pluto sat. "I'm sure you've heard of the Sailor Senshi."
"Get to the point."
"Certainly. Sometime within your lifetime, all evil will be driven from the world. And most, not all but most, demons will go with it. The Senshi tend to be overzealous. They will contribute to the extinction of all demon-kind."
"What do you want me for?"
"If the Senshi knew that some demons were allied with them, then those demons would be welcomed."
"You didn't answer my question."
"I want you to gather all demons sympathetic to humans. Unite them, and align them with the Senshi."
"Who said I'd agree?" Pluto only smiled again, and vanished.
Hours later, shippou lay on his bed, notebook in hand. The page in the note book said human sympathizers. Under that were priestesses, monks, and hanyou. He thought for a moment, then crossed off priestesses. Shrine maidens were foaming-at-the-mouth anti-demonites. Monks weren't much better, but shippou knew of a few demonic monasteries. Some might even be human sympathizers. If not, they might lead him to a few who were. Hanyou were his best bet. Hanyou were often very sensitive to human causes. Most had parents who love humans.
Problem: he didn't know any hanyou. Maybe a few nature spirits could help him there. He could also follow his nose.
Hmm. Demons, demon power points. An idea struck.
The next morning, Shippou assumed the illusion of an older woman. He went to the school, claiming to be the mother of Ryuji Kunio. Kunio was withdrawn from Horitomi Academy, and enrolled in a new school the same day. The school fairly reeked of hanyou. Looked like Juuban Junior High was a good place to start his search.
Shippou of the Wood, aka Ryuji Kunio, woke up for his first day of Juuban Junior High with a smile. He couldn't wait to meet the hanyou.
Shippou arrived quite early, even before the doors opened. He could easily have jumped over the gat, but he had to lay low. So instead, he sat on his bag next to the wall, enjoying the peace. Right now, his brown hair was black, fangs withdrawn, ears rounded. Being a fox-spirit had definite benefits.
He easily smelled the two girls approaching but affected not to notice. The whiff of hanyou blood touched his nostrils. Shippou smiled to himself even as the gates were opened.
Lunchtime. Shippou followed his nose again. It wasn't easy. All the food, colognes, perfumes, fabrics, and the earthy smell of people raise such a cacophony of smells that it hurt his now. But the hanyou scent floated above the rest. That smell he followed.
So concentrated on his nose, Shippou had all but ignored his ears. But the silence rang in his ears. The entire cafeteria had still. So did he. Everyone was staring at him. And there, the girl he was walking towards, was the source of the hanyou scent Shippou fought down the embarrassed blush on his face and continued on. He set down his tray beside the dumbstruck girl.
"Hey! The name's Kunio. Ryuji Kunio. What's yours?"
"Tomoe Hotaru."
The practitioner of this form was just as strange. He was still a boy, though manhood was creeping up on him. His brown hair flew down his shoulders, barely covering pointed ears. Fangs were hidden behind his lips. And his tail was in plain sight.
"Shippou." The boy jumped at the sound of his name. somehow, the woman had snuck up on him. Shippou viewed the intruder. White fuku, ribbon on the chest, black skirt, black, gloves, black boots. Shit. Shippou jammed his hands into his clothes coming out with five leaves in each. Tough as he was, he couldn't beat a Bishoujo Sailor Senshi. Maybe he could run.
"Don't worry Shippou," said the green-haired Senshi.
"You pop the hell in here, scare the shit out of me, and tell me not to worry?" Shippou didn't let go of his leaves, "Get the hell out." The Senshi smiled.
"I am Sailor Pluto. May I sit down? This will be much more comfortable if we both are."
"You sit. I'm fine." Shippou still hadn't relaxed out of his defensive stance.
"Very well then." Pluto sat. "I'm sure you've heard of the Sailor Senshi."
"Get to the point."
"Certainly. Sometime within your lifetime, all evil will be driven from the world. And most, not all but most, demons will go with it. The Senshi tend to be overzealous. They will contribute to the extinction of all demon-kind."
"What do you want me for?"
"If the Senshi knew that some demons were allied with them, then those demons would be welcomed."
"You didn't answer my question."
"I want you to gather all demons sympathetic to humans. Unite them, and align them with the Senshi."
"Who said I'd agree?" Pluto only smiled again, and vanished.
Hours later, shippou lay on his bed, notebook in hand. The page in the note book said human sympathizers. Under that were priestesses, monks, and hanyou. He thought for a moment, then crossed off priestesses. Shrine maidens were foaming-at-the-mouth anti-demonites. Monks weren't much better, but shippou knew of a few demonic monasteries. Some might even be human sympathizers. If not, they might lead him to a few who were. Hanyou were his best bet. Hanyou were often very sensitive to human causes. Most had parents who love humans.
Problem: he didn't know any hanyou. Maybe a few nature spirits could help him there. He could also follow his nose.
Hmm. Demons, demon power points. An idea struck.
The next morning, Shippou assumed the illusion of an older woman. He went to the school, claiming to be the mother of Ryuji Kunio. Kunio was withdrawn from Horitomi Academy, and enrolled in a new school the same day. The school fairly reeked of hanyou. Looked like Juuban Junior High was a good place to start his search.
Shippou of the Wood, aka Ryuji Kunio, woke up for his first day of Juuban Junior High with a smile. He couldn't wait to meet the hanyou.
Shippou arrived quite early, even before the doors opened. He could easily have jumped over the gat, but he had to lay low. So instead, he sat on his bag next to the wall, enjoying the peace. Right now, his brown hair was black, fangs withdrawn, ears rounded. Being a fox-spirit had definite benefits.
He easily smelled the two girls approaching but affected not to notice. The whiff of hanyou blood touched his nostrils. Shippou smiled to himself even as the gates were opened.
Lunchtime. Shippou followed his nose again. It wasn't easy. All the food, colognes, perfumes, fabrics, and the earthy smell of people raise such a cacophony of smells that it hurt his now. But the hanyou scent floated above the rest. That smell he followed.
So concentrated on his nose, Shippou had all but ignored his ears. But the silence rang in his ears. The entire cafeteria had still. So did he. Everyone was staring at him. And there, the girl he was walking towards, was the source of the hanyou scent Shippou fought down the embarrassed blush on his face and continued on. He set down his tray beside the dumbstruck girl.
"Hey! The name's Kunio. Ryuji Kunio. What's yours?"
"Tomoe Hotaru."