"Have you ever felt different? Like for some reason you just don't meld well with people or that you are odd or weird in some way? Like you're living a life that you don't think you should or that perhaps you were born in the wrong time? I know I do sometimes but hey its ok, soon you'll grow out of this phase and you'll be an adult and you'll forget all your teenage problems and have adult problems! Alright thats all for today session, now you have a good night and I hope to see each and everyone of you all next week!" The woman who ran the 'Trouble Teen' class stood up along with the rest of class.
I fucking hate this shit. I thought to myself as I gathered my bags. Even though I had been forced to attend this class each week, even the regulars still gave me odd looks. I was older than most of the kiddies that ended up here. They were sent here early to squash whatever problem they had. Lucky me, my parents didn't start caring till my brother died and now since I was the sole heir to the name they decide that they need to fix me and get me ready to be their puppet. Fuck me right? The image of my brother crossed my vision and I dug my nails into my palms. Sorry Takashi, I shouldn't think of you in that way.
"Sweet tatts, they mean something?" I looked up from my things and there was a boy not too much younger then me, admiring the visible tattoos on my arms. I glanced at them and wondered if it was worth explaining.
"They are said to help enhance spiritual energy, or to help the person harness your natural power to wield and to defeat thine enemies or defend yourself." I repeated almost word for word that I had been told when getting them. I had just gone in for something little and old man decided that I needed these to 'protect me' and to 'destroy yokai' with. I figured is was a much better idea then the tramp stamp I had been planning to get. The boy cocked a smirk at me as if he knew my life story. He looked average but his face was pierce up and had dyed orange hair. Another troubled teen I see.
"Wanna get out of here?" he posed as he let his gaze slide from my face. I let my mind go numb for a moment then nodded to him and slung my pack over my shoulder. We walked out in silence with weird looks from other people. Students weren't suppose to hook up with each other because it would it help feed our already bad energy. It was raining hard when we got outside when without warning he had snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me to a wall and pressed his body and lips against me. I kissed him back and wrapped my arms around neck and pulled him closer. I nipped at his lip and he seemed to enjoy it since I could feel him stiffen against me.
"Valor Kai Loin, what do you think you are doing?!" I heard a very annoying voice as I broke my kiss and looked around the boy's shoulder. He started in on my neck as I noticed a car pulled up with a very angry woman yelling. I rolled my eyes and pushed the boy to the side softly as I repositioned my bag on my shoulder.
"Guess today isn't your lucky day, kid." I walked up to the car and got in swiftly, completely unphased by what had just happened. It's not like I haven't had sex before and it's not like just because an old woman is a prude, doesn't mean I'll do whatever she wishes of me. I didn't look back at him as the car started to drive.
"Young lady you have a honor to uphold and I find you… With a man that isn't your fiance what will he say when I tell him you were… With another man! For shame of you." This woman who called herself my mother yelled as I ignored mostly what she spouted.
"I do not recognize your authority to assign me a fiance nor the ability to yell at me," This is what I told her most of the time when she yelled at me. I do not recognize your authority… I couldn't help but to let a smirk slip as her face went as red as an apple as she continued to yell.
"If your brother…. Father… Honor… Worthless… Waste of time and…" All of this I had heard before and more so than ever since the passing of Takashi. I learned to tune it out after the first good cries. Back when the words hurt me, but they were just words now. As pointless as the ones that I bore on my arms, shoulders, thighs, and back. At Least the ones that were tattooed to me were quiet. "ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME I WON'T PU-"
I shut the door as I got out and walked across the courtyard. I could still hear her screaming at me even through the metal vehicle that encased the wench. I dropped my bag at the main house door and walked over to the dojo. I threw off my shirt and undid my pants. I had my chest wrapped and I had tight shorts under my jeans. Sitting down quickly on a pillow that was laid out for me, I slowed my breathing and blocked out the world. It was nice, even if it was only for a moment. I was soon hit in the shoulder blade and caught myself with my other arm. I let out a small noise as I looked up knowing who had hit me.
"Don't block everything out, it will never help you," My uncle spoke with power as he sat across from me. "What did you do to her?"
"I made out with a random kid from the rehabilitation class. In front of the building where everyone could see," He gave a small frown at me and shook his head. This wasn't new to his ears. He had paid attention to me much more than my immediate family did, excluding Takashi. Ever since I was young he trained me in fighting and spiritual things. He always told me that our family had oodles of spiritual power but since now a day yokai didn't exist, people in my family had forgotten how to use it. Some even the losing the ability altogether like my father. Did I believe a word he said? Nah. Was it something to do that, that woman, couldn't yell at me about and was generally good for me? Ye. So here I sat, as I did everyday ready to train and hone my 'abilities'.
"Have you not realized we all have to live with your Mother? The more you do this, the more you hurt yourself and the entire family." He stood and walked over a stand that held wooden swords and picked two of them up. They were pretty worn because we never got new ones. Uncle always said something used is more useful than something unused and untouched. Sounds like Mother.
"She pissed me off this morning and this is my way of getting back at her," I took the sword that was handed to me and got to my feet. Though to be fair if I did things like that every time that woman angered me I would have had twenty kids by now. I got into a fighting stance and let my breathing fall into line. Soon practice started and my mind was put at ease. Practicing almost anything was my way of escaping this horrible experience some may call a life.
Soon a few hours had passed and it was time for dinner. I cursed as if going to dinner was a bad thing, because honestly most of the time, it was. I didn't bother to put my cloths back on as I walked into our dining area. A few people were already there eating. I took my place and started in on my food. Trying to eat as much as I could before someone pissed me off and made me leave. I had started doing this about a year ago. I didn't want to deal with being harassed for a good hour or more so whenever someone would start shit, I would leave. I thought it was very mature of me. I was the only one that thought that. Luckily I had managed to get through most of it before that woman started in on me.
"Valor I am tired of dealing wit-" I stood up and left the room without a single word. After a half decent day I was in just a foul mood. That woman always did get me this way. No matter what she said, it would grade on my last nerve but today for some odd reason, I had no tolerance for her. Walking outside I grabbed my shirt and pants and quickly put them on before leaving the compound. I didn't normally leave my home like this but today I just needed to get away. Even with it raining like the world was going to end, I didn't care.
"Takashi, what should I do?" I spoke mostly to myself as I pulled a pack of cigarettes out of my jeans and lit one. Knowing the rain would put it out almost instantly, I tried taking a nice long drag. Feeling some of it in my lungs, I let the nicotine seep into my body as I walked around tokyo ignoring everything. I bumped into a few people and didn't apologize. I could feel myself spiraling like I did when I found out Takashi had passed away. I needed to get away from the world. To curl up and not exist for a moment. Just a moment to escape.
As I passed an alley way I shinning light caught my attention. I stopped and looked behind me. There wasn't a light I could see coming from the alley. Walking back, the light was still there but dulled as I walked closer. A homeless woman was holding an old looking oil lantern with little… Kittens? Running around her feet. I couldn't see her face or what she really looked like. Just that she was a woman and was hunched over. One of the kittens attacked my pant leg and I ignored it.
"Need something to escape? I have something that will take you away from this world, at least for awhile." Her voice was slightly unnerving. She was offering me drugs, figured. I could totally go for a hit of something. Maybe this woman is a god send. She waited patiently as I thought it over.
"Sure, how much?" I didn't think I had much cash on me but a small amount of anything couldn't be too much.
"No charge my Dear. It looks like you could use the kindness. Just let me warn you, it'll be something you've never experienced before." Why did everything she said feel like it had a double meaning? Like she said it in such a way that it sounded normal but could also be taken in a different way in a different situation. She held out her hand that was turned down ready to drop whatever she had into my hand. I felt like I was getting set up but I could almost feel myself being toward her hand. After a moment I held out my slender palm beneath hers and waited for her to drop the drugs in my hand. But what fell from her hand was something else. It was heavier. Pulling it closer, I saw that it was a set of beads. It looked like the individual beads had carvings in them while the jade magatama beads were smooth and perfect. The beads with the carvings looked to be made out of bone or ivory.
"What the hell," I looked up to find the lady was gone. Along with the kittens. I looked around then walked out of the alley way. Looking around more, I couldn't see anyone that resembled the woman. I looked back down at the beads and started to walk home. Some of the carvings looked familiar, not like anything normal but familiar. Without realizing it, I was home in the doorway. I blinked unsure of honestly how I had gotten through the gate and to this point without realizing that I was home. I was too focused on the beads.
Making my way quickly to my room I collapsed onto the bed too tired to change. Or to even bring the covers over my body.
My body was numb as I walked. I had been walking in darkness like this for so long that it was normal. I could see nothing and expected nothing. This was a normal dream. All my dreams were black halls that never ended anywhere. I had grown used to them and welcomed the quietness. Though this time was different. I felt my hands burn a bit from something in my hand that had not been there before. I brought my hand up and looked at the source. The beads the woman had given me where there, glowing or rather radiating. I observed them as I stopped walking.
I looked up to see a woman in white standing a mere five feet away from me. She was gorgeous. Beyond any beauty that I had seen in my lifetime. I felt my body fall to it knees as I looked up at what could only be a goddess. "You want to escape your world? I can bring you to mine, but it will bind you to me and you will follow my will." Her voice was like a melody that I could listen on repeat for the rest of my days. "Valor, you hold great power. Even your name is something of pride." She walked closer to me and knelt down to be closer to my level. Now that I could see passed the glowing white, I could see her even better. Her face had no imperfection, her hair was the purest white I had ever seen. But now I could see these tall white fox like ears. Her hair ended at her mid back which meant the hair, or rather fur that was below that were her tials moving ever so slightly with her moments.
"You will never be able to return to your life right now. Everything you know will be gone but you will be in a new world. Away from your mother. Away from the standards that you are held to. You'll be free." She smiled at me so sweetly that my eyes could barely handle it. My eyes teared up, trying to absorbed every part of her face. "So will you stay and join me?" She opened her arms for me to hug her. Her eyes watched me with love in them. A love that I had never seen before. My body started to be pulled toward this white woman. Her smile grew as I got closer and closer.
"No"
Everything stopped moving, well rather everything froze as that one word broke the universe. "No?" Her eyes changed from the perfect orbs to show a slight anger that helped my resolve.
"I will not part with my soul to some damn Kitsune that thinks they can eat it for dinner," I felt my arms burn as some of my tattoos began to glow. The woman now, not so perfect grabbed my arms and was enraged.
"You don't get a choice," Her perfect lips were now broken by teeth that looked ready to eat me up. "You will bow to my power and give me your soul human," She gripped my arms tighter as I could feel my heart slowing. My arms started to lose feeling as my vision blurred. Is this really how I die? To a hungry Kitsune that is about to consume my soul?"
I made one last effort to get away. I pushed all my power through my body and held up my arms as if to push her away. The beads were still in my hand when I brought them up and the Kitsune scream. "WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE" She recoiled from me and held her chest. I stood on my weak legs and saw a light in the distance. I ran as fast and hard as I could before I crashed through the light.
I tried opened my eyes slowly trying to figure out why where was sunlight in my room. Giving up on opening them up, I let my mind wander to the vividly real dream I just had. I had just prevented my soul from being eaten by a Kitsune. I snickered at the thought, "A kitsune, ha." Taking a deep breath I noticed the smell of lilies. How odd, who likes lilies in this house? My question was soon answered as a felt a breeze run across my body. I bolted up opening my eyes completely to find myself in a meadow of lilies. Feeling my eyes bug out I got to my feet and looked around. I saw a small shrine.
"Where the hell am I?" I walked over to the small building to see that it was well cared for. The offerings were fresh and the place was almost spotless. That wouldn't be too hard seeing as it was tiny. At Least compared the shines that I was used to. There was a lovely tapestry behind the offerings that told a story. Or that's what I assumed seeing as I couldn't completely read it. Its japanese wasn't the kind that I had learned. It was similar but different.
"What do you think you're doing?" I looked to the side of my to see a boy carrying a bucket and sponge. "If you think for one second I'd let you to the food offering for this Inari Shrine, you are mistaken lady." He looked at me weird, as I looked at him weird. His clothing looked as if it was home made and well it was a kimono. A male version of one that is. What were they called again? Where they called something different?
"I'm not here to steal an offering, but I was just trying to figure out where the hell I am." I looked back at the shine, "Do you know what this says?" I pointed to the tapestry. The boy walked over to confirm what I was pointing at.
"WELL, I don't know what is says directly but I know the story. Its about a very powerful Inari that was killed while trying to help a village. Well long story short she covered her power into a set beads which are called Inari Beads, so that someone with spiritual power could wield them and be able to summon Inari's foxes to fight yokai." He said with a smile and was happy to tell me the story. He got so energetic about it that he almost fell over from over animated arm movement. I let out a snicker as he rebalanced himself. I felt my jean pocket twitch as he put down his bucket. I snuck my hand in there and felt the beads the woman had given me. No fuckin way. I thought as I left the beads in my pocket as I looked around. I've gone crazy that's the only logical explanation.
"Well thanks for the information kid," I ruffled his hair and walked toward where the boy had came from. He had to have came from a city or at least from an outskirts of a city. Before I noticed the boy was right next to with his bucket and sponge. Happily following me as if I made his day just by showing up.
"Why do you wear such weird clothing? Is that how they dress wherever you're from?" He pulled at my jeans. I looked down at him, Quite the observant twerp aren't you?
"Your the one with the weird clothing kid," I kept walking till I came to a… Village? You couldn't even call this place a town with how it looked. People were farming in a field nearby while other worked in a market place. Everything was made from wood and straw.
"Where the fuck am I?" I repeated to myself. I had feeling I would be saying it a lot in the new few day. I walked up the village and people gave me funny looks. The boy walked alongside me smiling and waving to the people he knew. I ignored him for the most part as I was a very small village that only had maybe ten houses all together. Though they seemed to be happy from what I could see, but looks could be deceiving.
"So whats your name? My name Takashi." I froze mid stride. The boy kept walking a few steps until he noticed I wasn't walking anymore. He looked at me curiously as he tried to figure out why I was acting the way I was. I lowered my gaze and kept walking trying to regain my composure.
"I'm Valor," He seemed to brighten up and started to ramble on about the village as we explored. He spoke of how he lost his parents when he was little and just kinda did odd jobs around the village. There was talk about the Yokai that attacked the village and that their miko had died a few months ago. So the village trade routes had suffered since the men wouldn't live long in the forests to trade anything with the neighbouring villages.
"Your lucky I found you instead of yokai, they are really scary and powerful!" He seemed almost excited by that fact. "Did I tell you that I have yokai in me? But don't tell anyone, I'm a quoter yokai! That means I'm super strong and can do weird things!" I made a face when he said he was part yokai. He's making shit up right? "See look!" Takashi removed his scarf that had been wrapped around his head to reveal his cute little fox ears. He quickly tied it back up, "The miko told me that my mother had fallen in love with Kitsune and had his children. And A few generations later I was born!" He was so happy about everything. It was almost disgusting how happy and joyful he was. I stared at where his ear had been before he covered them up. No doubt his life had to be rough with yokai in him, but this kid didn't let that get him down. He was happier than a pig in mud. "So what brings you here?" He looked over at me after some time with curiosity.
"I'm not sure, I don't know how I got here but it totally different than where I was from. I-" Before I could finish my sentence there was a blood curdling scream from the nearby forest. I didn't have time to register what was happening Takashi ran toward the scream. "HEY WAIT," I ran after him. This kid had no fears did he? He heard a scream, time to be sherlock and run straight at it to investigate. I could already feel like this kid was going to be the death of me.
I got to a clearing where a woman was being held by an ogre type thing. He held her by her leg and was laughing evilly. "You are going to taste so sweet," He licked his chops as he raised her. Before the kid or I could so anything the woman was dropped inside this gross mouth and we could hear him crunch at bones. I stood there frozen in fear. I didn't know how to handle this. HOW THE FUCK AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW HOW TO HANDLE A FUCKING OGRE. I stared at the thing. Even though I could clearly see it, hear it, and even smell it, I was having a hard time believing it was truly there. I mean, yokai didn't really exist right? But I mean the kid had fox ears, but this was a giant ogre eating someone alive. I could feel my heart pounded in my chest. After the thing swallowed the girl he turned to the kid that was throwing rocks at him.
"Hey you ugly shit, leave this village and never come back," he hurled another rock hitting the beast in the eye. It howled in anger and start to run at Takashi. Now he was running as the ogre ran right toward him. What is this kid thinking? He was just throwing rocks at ogre. What am I suppose to do? I felt a pulse from my jean pocket as the beads inside almost spoke to me. I pulled them out and just stared at the things.
"What do you want me to do?!" I asked the beads the ogre had gotten to Takashi and had pulled him up above his mouth. I looked up in fear as I heard Takashi scream mostly the last thing he did in his short life. I couldn't handle looking Takashi again. I don't think I could live through that.
"Inari please help me," I spoke as I watched as Takashi was dropped he was about to be in the things mouth but something grabbed him away. I blinked as a small sprite fox had Takashi on its back on the ground. I stared in disbelief as it set him down. Before I could try and completely understand everything the ogre came running at me. I held up my arms along with beads. Another fox showed up but this one was black compared to the white one that has saved Takashi. They both attacked the ogre viciously. I slouched to my knees as I watched the demon die in agony as the foxes tore him apart. Once they were happy with the job they did, they walked over to me and sat in front of me. I just stared at them while sitting on my legs.
"What the fuck did I just get myself into."
[[Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed, please review, favorite and follow! I want to hear back from you guys. I'm enjoying writing the story so far and I can't wit for Sess to come in and be a grouchy pants we all know he is. But the more you review the more I feel the need to update regularly to make y'all happy :D So get on those reviews and I'll get started on the next chapter!]]
