A/N: Okay, so this is a fic I've been debating on which of my pairings I should assign it to. I wasn't sure if I should do it as an AkuRoku, and Joshua/Neku, or a Taito, but I decided to make it a Taito. I realized I hadn't done a fic like this before, so I was really excited to start this one! Anyhoo, when this starts, Taichi is 18. I won't say Yamato's age because it'll confuse you until you start reading more into the fic. Also, I'll be alternating POV's between Taichi & Yamato. Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Shape Shifter

Chapter 1

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I wandered through my forest home, staying out of sight of the others. I didn't care about being with my own kind, and hadn't since I was abandoned by my parents when I was 13. It had been 72 years since then, but I didn't care. I had all of my immortal life to live, even though I was already 85. I was still young compared to many of the shifters in this forest, though. I'd barely had any contact with the others in the forest, but I tended to keep myself close to a certain human lately. It was dangerous, according to the other shifters, but I was the stealthiest of them all. I knew when to shift and when not to, and always knew which form to take.

But anyway, this human I've been following is one I'd saved 10 years ago for some reason I can't even understand. Recently, I had taken to watching over him after spotting him in a scuffle with some other boys that were older than him. I couldn't do anything to stop them, lest I be caught, and I was forced to watch as they beat him up. From there on out, I decided to watch and protect him, Being extremely subtle in how I protected him. It was usually just a light push or gentle tug out of harm's way while in the form of a dog, or even scaring off a wild animal that was watching him from the shadows of the forest. I haven't had to chase off a fellow shifter yet, fortunately, but I did when I saved the human all those years ago. I was also glad he was still alive, for some reason. Well, hopefully I'd figure it out eventually.

My ears perked up at the mention of my name, so I shifted from a wolf into an owl and glided over to the source, remaining hidden in the branches.

"So, have you guys been able to follow Yamato?" one of the voices asked. "'Cause I've had no damn luck."

"No, nothing here, either," another voice sighed.

"Why are we trying to keep tabs on him again?" a third voice asked.

"Because he's had interest in that human he saved 10 years ago, stupid!" the first voice snapped, followed by a yelp from the third shifter.

"Ow! That hurt, dammit!" he whined.

"Then remember why we need to keep an eye on him!" the first growled. "We need to stop him from going after humans, because we know he won't eat one, he'd rather be friends with them!"

"Are you sure about that? He seems like he'd rather just be left alone than befriend a human," the second questioned doubtfully. I bristled silently from where I perched, furious that they would accuse me of such things. Sure, I'd been following that human for a few weeks now, but that was no reason to cause alarm.

"Yeah, I'm sure!" the first one spat. Finally, I decided to show myself and make them pay for saying such things. I shifted into a jaguar and crept out on the branch I was on, growling.

'So, you think I'll befriend humans, do you?' I hissed via telepathy. 'Then you're dead wrong.'

"Yamato!" they yelped, terrified. One shifted into an owl and tried to fly away, but I struck him down, and we landed with a thud on the forest floor. I swiftly killed him with a bite to the throat, and then glared back at the spot the other two were at, only to see that they had fled in the forms of monkeys as they climbed through the trees too quickly for me to follow. I growled again, still bitter that they got away, and then turned to head back to my den. I should start to keep a much closer eye on my surroundings and on that human now…

X*X(Taichi's POV)X*X

"Hey Taichi!" I heard my name being yelled, and turned to see my friends running over to me. It was Sora in the lead, followed by Joe and Izzy.

"Oh, hey guys!" I grinned as they slowed to a stop in front of me. "What's up?"

"We just wanted to see if you wanted to go to the creek and cool off," Sora smiled. I almost nodded, but I hesitated. I had really wanted to find him today. "What's wrong?" she asked when she noticed my hesitation.

"Well, you know…" I mumbled, hating the way they shook their heads in disapproval.

"Taichi, I highly doubt that it'll come out of hiding to see you again. I know for a fact that was just a fluke, and I'm certain that it was probably killed as payback for saving you," Izzy told me. I glared at him, furious.

"I know he's not dead! I just know he's not!" I yelled at them. A sudden rustling from the brush behind me sounded, and my friends whipped out their weapons right as a very large and angry lion burst from the trees, snarling. I froze in terror and fell flat on my ass before I could move, whereas my friends all bolted without me. As soon as they were gone, the lion calmly turned and disappeared back into the forest without a trace. Shakily, I got back to my feet, and then watched as a peregrine falcon flew off not too far from where the lion would have been and into the distance. I smiled knowingly when he vanished; I knew he wasn't dead, I just knew it. Smirking to myself, I made my way to the creek, where Sora, Izzy, and Joe were trying to recover from their fright earlier.

"Taichi! You're alive?!" Joe yelped. "How'd you escape from that shifter?!"

"He didn't go for me," I shrugged with a grin. My friends looked at each other in disbelief, and then I laughed. "I told you guys he was still alive!"

"That's impossible that he could have survived all this time like that, though!" Izzy protested. "From studies, shifters kill any and all rule-breakers!"

"Well, this one's different," I replied smugly.

"Whatever. As long as you're okay," Sora smiled at me in a flirtatious manner. I internally cringed; I wasn't too keen on having a girlfriend or anything. "So, you wanna cool off in the creek now?"

"Eh, maybe. I actually need to go soon and help out with Hikari, seeing as she's sick right now," I told them. "I should probably go now." They sighed, but smiled and waved to me as I left anyway. When I got home, I greeted my parents, who were currently fixing some lunch for Hikari.

"Hi Taichi," Hikari's voice sounded from the couch. I made a beeline to her, kneeling by her side as she read a book.

"How are you feeling?" I asked. She set down her book and smiled at me.

"I'm feeling a lot better today, Taichi," she assured me. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Did you see him today?"

"Actually, yeah," I grinned at her.

"Really?! Tell me what happened!" she begged.

"While I was looking for him, Izzy was telling me that he was probably killed for saving me when a big lion charged out of the woods. Sora, Izzy, and Joe ran for cover, and once they were gone, the lion returned to the forest, and then a peregrine falcon flew away from where the lion was at," I told her.

"I knew he was alive!" she cheered happily.

"Easy, now, Hikari," our father and village leader, Susumu, smiled as he came over with her lunch.

"You need to be calm so you'll recover faster," our mother, Yuuko, reminded her gently.

"But Mom, Dad! Taichi saw the shifter today!" my sister whined. Our parents looked at each other, and then at me, making me shift nervously. I knew my parents didn't completely approve of me trying to find the shifter that saved me, but I wanted to know why he saved me, and maybe even befriend him someday.

"Well, I guess since you're 18, it doesn't really matter now if you do or not," Dad sighed. "Just try not to get hurt, all right?"

"Thanks, Dad!" I thanked him gratefully, and Mom smiled.

"Speaking of which, we've got a surprise for you," she said, making me stare at them, confused.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Might as well tell him, Yuuko. He'll keep on begging until you do," Dad chuckled.

"We had a small house built for you near the area you always check for that shifter," Mom told me, and I gaped at her, shocked.

"Seriously?!" I yelped, and grinned, hugging both of my parents. "Thank you so much!"

"We even had the place furnished for you, so you can move in without much difficulty," Dad added. "If you want to, you can start packing now, and we'll help you with your things."

"That eager to have me out, huh?" I teased, and we all laughed, except for Hikari, who was pouting.

"Can't I go live with you, Taichi?" she pleaded, giving me her puppy-dog eyes. I chuckled, ruffling her hair gently.

"Sorry, Hikari, but I promise I'll visit," I promised her as she swatted my hands away. She sighed, but smiled anyway.

"All right, I guess it'll do," she said.

"Well, I'd best start getting packed, then," I shrugged, and went to my room to grab my things.

"We'll set up some boxes for you to put your things in," Dad called to me as I went upstairs.

"All right, thanks Dad!" I answered back, and began to grab my clothes, personal belongings, my katana, and other miscellaneous things. As I packed, I heard Mom getting our two horses ready with the cart to carry my things in. I managed to only fill two boxes, but was still satisfied that I had everything. Once we loaded them on the cart, Dad took the reins for the horses while Mom mounted my horse, Kazé, and Hikari and I climbed into the back with the boxes. I looked in surprise at my younger sister.

"You're coming with?" I asked, confused.

"Of course, Taichi! I wanna see your house, too!" she smiled brightly at me. I grinned back at her and ruffled her hair again, making her squeak and swat my hand away. "Taichi! Don't do that!" she whined, and I laughed, but then jumped a bit, slightly startled when a peregrine falcon raced by overhead with a loud screech, snatching a smaller falcon in midair before flying off to eat. I smiled to myself, thinking of the shifter that had saved me ten years ago, and what had happened that time…

X*X(10 Years Ago)X*X

I was playing with my friends near the edge of the forest, even though we weren't supposed to, when it had happened. A shifter had attacked in the form of a mountain lion, and while my friends ran for their lives, I had been attacked and dragged into the forest by its teeth. While it had been dragging me along, its bite had actually fractured my ankle, and so I couldn't escape, even if I wasn't being dragged along. Out of nowhere, however, another shifter, in the form of a gold and black striped tiger, slammed into the first, making it release me and smash into a tree. I watched, terrified, as the first shifter was brutally attacked by the tiger, but eventually, the tiger won. The loser shifted into an eagle and flew away, and then the tiger shifted into a horse before coming over to me and lowering himself to the ground. He helped nudge me onto his back, and then walked back to the village, where he took me home. I guess he was just following my scent trail, but the whole way there, the other villagers watched with fear and confusion. Shifters normally just eat humans, and there's never been an incident where a shifter actually saved a human.

The shifter who saved me helped me down when we got to my house, and then shifted into a peregrine falcon and flew away, back to the forest. My parents weren't sure what to make of it, which was why they didn't quite approve of me searching for him after that. But the point was that he had saved me, and had a reason for doing so. I don't know what that reason was, but I had a feeling he had good intentions for saving me.

X*X(Present)X*X

I was snapped out of my thoughts when the horses and cart jolted to a stop.

"All right, we're here!" Mom declared, and I looked in amazement to see a beautiful house at the edge of the forest.

"What do you think of it, Taichi?" Dad asked.

"It's amazing!" I cried out happily. Mom and Dad smiled at each other before Mom dismounted Kazé and carefully tied his reins to a tree branch while Dad climbed down from the driver's seat of the cart. I slid off the back of the cart and then helped Hikari down before we made our way over to the front door. Dad pulled a silver key out of his pocket and handed it to me before gesturing for me to unlock the door. I did so, and the door swung open, revealing a fully furnished and decorated living room as the entryway area. My jaw dropped as I walked in, looking at everything.

There was a small living room with a love seat, recliner with a throw blanket over the back of it, a fireplace in the corner, a coffee table in front of the love seat and two end tables, and some decorations placed here and there around the room, including some framed family pictures. I wandered into the kitchen, where it was fully equipped with all kinds of cooking supplies, an icebox, stove, and the like, and it was fully stocked with food and dishes, too.

"Go check out your room," Dad urged, and I nodded slowly before going up the stairs to the bedroom and gasping in shock when I saw it.

The walls were painted with amazing animal designs, all with a background of a starry night sky. There was an elegantly carved dresser and bedside table, and then there was a king-size bed against the back wall, placed so it was in the middle and not in a corner. It had a wooden bed frame that had wolves carved into the headboard, and thick quilts with various animals on the patches. Even the pillows had a moon on each one. Various family photos and even some drawings of Hikari's and mine were framed and hung on the walls. I turned to my family, grinning widely.

"This is amazing! How did you guys manage this without me knowing?" I asked.

"You're so easy to keep a secret from, Taichi, that's how," Mom giggled. "I'm glad you like it sweetie."

"Of course I do! I love it! How could I not?" I laughed. Dad ruffled my hair with a smile, and then patted my shoulder.

"Well, let's get your boxes into the living room, and then you can unpack on your own. I'm sure you want to be alone to admire your new home, huh?" he guessed, and I nodded eagerly before hugging my parents and sister tightly.

"Thank you guys so much," I whispered gratefully. We had a good hug session, and then Dad and I carried my boxes into the living room before they started to get ready to go. Before they left, Dad pointed out the small stable I could keep Kazé in during the times he needs to stay in. I thanked my family again before waving as they left, and then went inside to unpack. As I unpacked, I felt content with everything now, except for the fact that I still needed to find that shifter. I really wanted to find him, and see if I could try and talk to him.

Later that night, I had gotten Kazé in his stable and locked it, and had already eaten my dinner. I curled up in my new bed, feeling sort of lonely. Why, I didn't understand. Hopefully I would understand sometime soon.

X*X(Yamato's POV)X*X

I watched the human, named Taichi, from the windowsill while in the form of a barn owl. I could sense he was lonely, but it was understandable in his position. He had basically just left his family to live on his own. And NO, I'm not empathizing with him. I had been kicked out from my family, whereas he had chosen to leave early. I gave a soft hoot before flying to the tree hollow I had made my temporary home for while I watched over Taichi.

As for why I defended him earlier today and proved I was still alive to him and his little so-called "friends", I wanted to show that all shifters are different. I'm the most different one of all, considering I actually saved him ten years ago. All of the others would rather just kill and maybe eat them. I've lived on a strict diet of small animals and fruit all my life, occasionally stealing some of the crops from the human plots. I've never hunted their livestock before, only because I don't need to be harassed by the trouble it would bring me.

"Still watching over him, huh?" a familiar voice asked from the ground, and I sighed, shifting into a squirrel to climb down my tree a bit and speak to the shifter from a branch.

'If you're going to speak to me, shift and we'll speak privately, lest you get caught,' I pointed out to the violet-haired shifter. Ken nodded before shifting into a squirrel as well and quickly climbing up to join me.

'Thanks for the tip,' he told me as I nodded. 'I must say, I'm surprised you already killed someone, though.'

'Assholes were jabbering about stupid shit,' I muttered, twitching my tail. Ken gave me a confused look, so I was forced to elaborate. 'They accused me of wanting to befriend humans.'

'Well, don't you want to become friends with him?' he asked.

'No, I don't. If he does see me and we get to talk, we'll merely be acquaintances,' I snapped. Ken sighed, and I knew where he was about to go with our conversation. See, Ken had saved me shortly after I had been kicked out from my home with my parents when I was 13. I had been struggling to find food for myself, not completely familiar with hunting, so I was starving during the winter season, which was horrible. Ken had taken me in and fed me until I was fully recovered, and even taught me how to hunt. He saved my life, and I'm grateful for it, but we hadn't seen each other in a few years. He knew I was watching over Taichi, though, and knew about me saving him all those years ago.

'Look, Yamato. I know you won't like this, but you should at least try to form a bond with him. I've never seen it, but my parents told me when I was young about a very small number of shifters over time bonding with humans,' Ken explained. 'It's not the humans' history because it wasn't here, but in other lands, so they don't know about it. But at least try. That's all I ask.'

'No promises,' I snorted.

'Well, I'm sure something will make you go for it,' he smirked. He then shifted into a great horned owl before bidding me farewell and flying off into the night. I shook my head in disbelief, and then climbed back into the hollow before curling up to sleep. We'll see who's right and who turns out to be wrong.

A/N: Okay, there's that chapter, completed! I'll try and work on Angels & Demons after this, but only once I rest some more. No promises, since I'm really pumped about this fic! Pretty tired still, after all. R&R, peeps!