It was just another morning, waking up in Tawashi city with the sunlight glaring through the blinds to wake up an 18 year old girl named Nozomi Seijin. A she gave an irritated moan to welcome the last of her average days, she forced herself to sit up then drag herself out of the devastatingly comfy bed. Trudging forward into the bathroom within the halls of her home, she looked over at her reflection. Bright green eyes she had inherited by the father that had left her at a young age stared back at her emotionlessly, a look she nearly always wore. Nozomi grumbled slightly at seeing her short, brown (So dark it seemed black) hair disheveled from last night's twists and turned in bed. She undressed herself and stepped into a steamy shower, as she did every day. Somehow though, something so common gave her a strange feeling today, she thought about the past, how having a shower like this was a luxury very few could afford. She would soon find out though, that in the near future this hot bath would yet again become an uncommon treat. For those who stay alive, that is. As the warm water dripped down Nozomi's body, she thought about what she'd do during the day. What her mother may have made for breakfast, as if she couldn't make it herself, what that suck up boss would make her do at work, what new ridiculous and silently hilarious drama the student's at school would come up with today. Ah, that reminded her, she still needed to write that essay… it was due in two days. Stepping out of the bath, the shrugged it off, she could make an essay worth 85p in two hours so she saw no reason to get anxious. Quickly getting dressed she got ready to go to work, seeing as her mother was a close friend of the quaint little pastry shop, Nozomi had customized hours so it wouldn't inconvenience school.
"Nozomi! Sweetie, come down for breakfast!" Caller her mother's cheery voice, and just as she thought, she had made breakfast even though Nozomi had asked her countless times to let her make it herself.
She sighed "Coming, mom." She said blandly, coming down the stairs to see her mother's smiling face greet her. "Good morning! I made pancakes~!" Mirai said, sounding proud of herself, which was ever so slightly annoying to her daughter seeing as she worked at a restaurant, and was capable of making a Baked Alaska blindfolded. "Mom, you didn't have to I can take care of myself perfectly…"
"What's so wrong about wanting to pamper my little girl?" Soon after Mirai's response Nozomi found herself in a vice-like snuggle that seemed more like strangulation to her. She didn't fight though, only sighed apathetically, she was use to her mother's far too jolly attitude, at least for her own taste. The only reason she said they were related was because she held half of Mirai's DNA in her own body plan. "Don't call me that, please… It's degrading." Nozomi protested, she never liked being treated like a child, she was more self sufficient than half the teenage population in this city. At least the very least. After a small discussion to which Nozomi and Mirai equally gave into, the youngest of the two began to eat the now syrup drenched pancakes quietly, only saying the occasional small "Mmhm" or "Okay" to assure her mother that she was listening to her attempts at beginning a conversation. Once her breakfast was gone from her plate, and fake socialization done with she got up and left for work, just as she did every week day. But she's felt uneasy the entire morning, trying to figure out why as she walked to work she became lost in her thoughts.
She felt like something was going to happen, soon. No idea what though, which was unusual for her, she had the tendency to predict things fairly easily. She soon became tired of trying to figure out the reason of her awkward feeling and just watched the world around her. The pathetic drunks already roaming the streets, the gossiping girls around the corner and the disgusting kid in the alleyway, surely looking for someone to rob, it all seemed like her own personal joke. A small smile creeped on her face, letting the serene and quiet demeanor lighten up a bit, even though it was for all the wrong reasons. Lost in her thoughts as she entered the small café filled with the smell of fresh bread, she bumped into another girl walking out. Nozomi looked down at her, seeing she had bright green eyes like her own. A braid fell from the side of her face; otherwise she had short brown hair, with flicks of it pointing every which way. She recognized her from school. It was Suzu Yasuhiro, Nozomi didn't talk to her much, so she just walked passed, not bothering to excuse the push so she could just move on with her normal day.
Suzu huffed as she walked away from the bakery, going off about manners and such. She had been raised to be kind to those around them. It's not like she would have said anything to the girl anyways, she was from school, and to add to that she was older then her. If it were anyone she hadn't known she would have asked her just why she was being so rude and not even try to apologize to her. Even so, Suzu didn't have the energy to carry on such an argument; she had felt sick all day, like something was going to happen. Not to mention her little sister Emi gave her trouble this morning getting up, saying something about the birds acting strange the past few days and not wanting to go. That they had to save up foods, water and survival tools because something was going to happen. Emi never went on like that before, but today was not the day to start. So, Suzu nearly shoved a waffle down the little girl's mouth, then in her own to rush her out of the apartment in the early morning rush, to which they had grown so used to. Neither was aware of its impending end, of course.
Suzu soon reached the apartment she lived in; the familiar high stone building was a nice sight to see after such a hectic day. Climbing up the stairs she got to the floor that held the apartment. She had to say, it was pretty good for living in the city, she and her sister had their own rooms so they couldn't complain. Their relatives had taken them in after their parents couldn't care for them anymore; Suzu misses her parents very much so, although she doesn't tell Emi. It would hurt the poor girl to much to know her own parents could afford them; they just didn't the two of them. With a sigh, Suzu pushed those thoughts to the back of her head, putting the still warm bread in the oven so it would stay warm and went into her room to try and get some sleep before school. Although of course nothing goes as planned, Emi burst through the door running and threw open Suzu's door.
"Suzu! I told you something was going to happen today! But you didn't listen to me! Auntie and Uncle still aren't home! Something could have happened to them! What's going to happen to us? We don't have any where to go! I'm only a primary school student and you're only in high school we can't support ourselves!" Emi continued on with her rambling until, Suzu stopped her.
"Emi, shut up! I told you they were coming home later tonight. You need to stop reading all those books about birds and how they can predict the weather or what's going to happen! You also need to stop talking like that at school. You could use some friends besides those damn birds. God knows they're the ones plotting something..."
Emi huffed, "Fine. Whatever you say, and I do to have a friend! I'm actually looking forward to school next year because I want to go to the same one as her! So there! Now then, I'm going into the bath, so don't go through my things!" And with that Emi turned around and left, just as quickly as she had came.
Finally realizing that she wasn't going to get any sleep grabbed a piece of the still warm bread, grabbed her bag and wrote a note saying she was going for a walk, addressed to Emi. She walked down and out the stairs taking bites of the bread as she walked around the streets absentmindedly. She didn't want to own up to it but truthfully what Emi had said about the birds had begun to bother her. What if something were to happen tomorrow? She didn't know what would or could happen, and the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach hadn't gone away. Suddenly, Suzu stopped and sighed, she was lost. Stumbling through the thick woods, she made some noise within the brush, having no idea someone was nearby.
"What the hell...Hey whoever you are, show yourself this instant." A young man was sitting in a small fountain after he fell in it by mistake. He shook the water out of his hair and heard a bit of rustling in the bushes nearby. Getting up onto his feet, the brown and spiky haired man headed in that direction.
Suzu walked out from the trees with a huff holding her hands up, "Sorry, sorry. Just got lost taking a walk." The teen that demanded her name was Jin Hatake.
Jin had rolled his eyes. "That's fine, look the only way out of here is to go down the hill, and circle back around the gates down there and make a right."
Suzu smiled and nodded, "Thanks! Didn't mean to get on your property or anything..."
Jin looked at her closer, and his eyes widened a bit. "Say do I know you...?"
Thinking, Suzu was quiet for a moment while she looked at the teen, "I don't know. You seem kinda familiar. Maybe we've seen each other at school?" she shrugged at the idea.
"Could be, but honestly, I don't care. Just pay attention to your surroundings from now on." Jin sighed, crossing his arms, clearly annoyed with this girl.
Suzu head off with a huff for the city, "For fuck's sake. Everybody must have something up their ass today..."
Jin watched her storm away nonchalantly, and then looked back over his shoulder to his home, giving a smirk. It was very large, and spacious, very few people know where it is located, until now... Most people wouldn't think anything of him until they heard his last name. Both of his parents are dead, but did great things with their lives. His Mother was a top fashion designer, and his Father, noticed as one of Japan's greatest military heroes. Nevertheless, Jin hated attention so he never told anyone his last name, he usually just ignored them, but if he had to give them a last name, he would simply lie about it. He had turned back to face his front and looked down at himself. "Shit, this is just great, now I'm going to freeze to death. Oh well, Father suffered worse, no need to complain."
Once Jin finally reached the city limits, he slowed his pace, knowing better than to bring too much attention to himself. The wind started to stir up and as it blew his own wiry hair got in his face. He brushed it away, and realized he was being watched. He had turned to see a man with a knife in hand was grinning at him. Jin glared at him and dashed off, he wasn't one for hand to hand combat; he preferred distance fighting so much more. As Jin is being chased the strange man was shouting things at him, "What's wrong, kid? Don't tell me you are pissing yourself already? That's such a bitch move." Jin had disappeared around a corner, and while the thug looked for him Jin stepped out from his hiding place, swinging his bag at the man's head, connecting with it. The man had dropped the knife, out cold on the ground.
Jin rolls his eyes and continues on to his destination. Finally he arriving at the gates of the city's graveyard, he walked through them, and walked up a hill. Soon he saw a familiar face, Sakura Yuzuki. They were both in the same class, at Tawashi High, and had done a few projects together. Jin was always distant though, and still was when Sakura tried to greet him with a smile and wave, Jin just kept on walking.
Sakura had laughed a bit nervously as Jin continued walking. She was used to him being so astray from others. She had tried to change that about him, but it seemed like her tactics wouldn't work so she just accepted it. She started to think to herself. "I wonder why, Jin is here. Maybe he has a dead relative around…poor guy. Maybe I should go and help him." Sakura then attempted to go and follow Jin, but the wind was blowing pretty strongly. It blew her skirt up, showing her panties. With a blush, Sakura pushed her skirt back down. "U-uhh...maybe he will be okay on his own."
She had turned back to the graves, both of her parents lying beside each other. "Bye Mom, bye Dad, I'll bring flowers tomorrow!" Then she headed back the way she came. As she was walking back home, the sun was setting in the distance, and watched it for a bit. She had smiled, loving the scene, a few birds passing by. Thoughts of her parents started to run through her mind. "I always tend to think about them around this time...but something is different. It is as though Mommy and Daddy are turning in their graves. Like something sinister is coming in the near future. I don't like this at all..."
Shaking her head, Sakura ran back to her home. Rushing inside, she looked around to see that everything was okay, knowing her Brother was at work. Trying to calm down her nerves, she went to go start the shower, getting out of her clothes and stepping in. While she was showering, her phone was going off like crazy; calls, texts, just about everything. After a while, Sakura had finally gotten done showering and got herself in her pajamas, then went downstairs to go watch television before bed. She had some milk with her, she took a sip as the news were on. It was awful. Sakura had turned it up to hear the voices a bit clearer.
"Live from Channel 4, I am Kira Kurosakgi and I'm here at the Tawashi Plaza. It is 8:48 P.M., and I have an amazing scoop!" A young man in his 20's was standing next to her, he looked terrified. "Here with me, is 23 year old, Shu Isamu, and he has quite the story to tell. Shu?" She holds the microphone up to his mouth.
"W-w-well...I uh... Heh... I-I know no one will believe me but..." He was sweating so much that he had to wipe it away from his face, to keep it out of his eyes. "We are all going to die!" Standbys look at him, and stare in amazement. He grabs a hold on Kurosakgi's microphone with her still holding onto it. "M-My cousin who is currently visiting France...I-I talked to him late last night, and he showed me a video, it was of something human-like eating another person! I felt so sick!" Kurosakgi tries to pull the device away from him but he fights to keep it in his grasp. "We are not safe! Please believe me! That thing caught wind of my cousin and it chased him, and ate him too! I heard his screams! There have also been reports of these demons in America, and England! WE ARE NOT SAFE, please listen! We are going to die!" The reactions from people are all mixed, some laugh, while others back away in terror. Kurosakgi finally gets her mic back.
"Well like I said, an amazing scoop! Now it is your choice to decide if he is a crazy, or if we are crazy for not believing him. Kira Kurosakgi, reporting out!"
Sakura turns off the television, slowly, she hugged her knees. "I know that is foolish to believe...but what if that is the reason I feel as though something is wrong...? This can't be though. It's all in his head." She laughs it off, and heads outside to get some fresh air. As she stares out to the city, she rested her cheek on her hand and sighs. Blinking a bit as she saw a young man with outstanding brown hair, part of it in a braid that lies on his back. Something had fallen out of the boy's pocket and she went to go and fetch it for him. "Excuse me!"
The boy's name is Kenshin Ichigo. He was so distracted, not to mention bothered by the fact that his Father was so much more powerful than him, he couldn't shake the fact that he still had so much more to learn when it came to swordsmanship. Lost in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed but a bracelet he ALWAYS kept with him had fallen out of his pocket. Kenshin spun around hearing a voice shouting at him. He had spotted a girl around his age heading full speed at him. She was very beautiful, getting Kenshin to stare. She bent over and picked something up off of the ground, then continued towards him, she gave him a friendly smile and handed him the bracelet once she reached him.
"You had dropped this a way's back there. So I thought I'd be the nice person I am and give it to you!" She giggled softly as he took the bracelet.
Kenshin took it, blinking when he noticed it was one of his most prized possessions and looked up at the girl. "Thank you so much, this is my most treasured item. I don't know what I would have done without it."
Sakura rubs the back of her head sheepishly, with a small blush crossing her face. "It was no problem. Glad I could help out in some way!" She looked around and saw that the sun had completely disappeared and she gasped. "Oh no! I need to get back home, or I'm in big trouble. G-gomen!" She had bowed slightly to the boy in front of her and, turned on her heel running back home.
Kenshin was left watching her leave with puzzled look on his face. "Well that's was sweet...kinda weird as well, though." Meanwhile, at his home his younger sibling was having a very hectic evening.
"DADDDDDDY! Patriot doesn't feel so good!" The small girl had burst into a large room, which was decorated to resemble that of an old-fashion Japanese dojo. In fact that was how the entire building looked like. She had tears in her eyes, as if she were about to break down crying right then and there, looking around to not see anyone in the room. She then turned and ran into another room within the home to find no one there either, wiping her eyes, Rin ran out of the room trying not to cry. She had run back into her room where a puppy was laying on the bed. The dog didn't seem all too happy to see her; it was just lying on her bed as though it were depressed. She climbed onto her bed, and looked down at her dog, burying her face into him, crying her eyes out.
As she cried, there was a knock on her open door. Rin stopped to look up to see her older brother there. His deep brown eyes took one look at her and her felt her pain.
"K-Kenshin!" Rin had gotten off her bed, running over to her older brother and wrapped her arms around his waist looking up at him. "Kenshin, something is wrong with Patriot! I think he is sad!" Kenshin had turned his gaze over to the puppy, who was still in the same position as before. He picked his sister up in his arms, and carried her over to her bed, laying her down on it.
"Rin, there is nothing wrong with him. He just feels that something is wrong. Isn't that right buddy?" Kenshin had rubbed Patriot's head, and the puppy just whimpered a little bit. "Don't worry Rin; he will be back to normal in no time. Now it is getting late you get some rest, we have to go to school tomorrow." Kenshin had leaned over, and kissed Rin on her forehead, to then turn around to let her get ready for bed. Rin grabbed his hand, so Kenshin looked down at her, a raised eyebrow on his face.
"I love you, Kenshin..." He had given her a big grin and chuckled softly.
"I love you more, Rin. Always remember that." He patted his sister's head as she let go of his hand. He walked over to the door, and put one hand on the doorknob, and the other on the light switch. "Sleep tight, Rin." He then cut off the lights and closed the door softly behind him.
Once the door was closed he let out a long sigh. Kenshin closed his eyes as he leaned against the door, thinking to himself. "So, Patriot can feel it too huh? Something definitely isn't right around here. I don't like this feeling." He had gotten up off the door, and walked into his room to get ready for the night as well. He stripped down to his underwear and had sat on his bed turning on the television. The program that was on was of monster terrorizing the people in the area. Kenshin chuckled quietly to himself shaking his head, turning the television back off. "At least I know nothing like that will ever happen. This isn't the movies, it is real life." He tossed the remote into a nearby chair and laid down, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Little did he know the beginning of the end was already happening.