Chapter 1-
The walls seemed to close in around me, it didn't help that I had a phobia of enclosed spaces. Pacing the dull square room, I scanned this so-called 'room' for a way of escape. An air vent-anything. Anger suddenly reared its ugly head, and with a feral cry, I swiped furiously at the closest thing near me. Unfortunately for me, it happened to be my sleeping arrangements; I snorted, it's not like it was necessary for my survival. Sleep is perfectly adequate on the floor. I collapsed on my pile of sheets, which bared my mark of eternal frustration and boredom, and buried my face under my black-coloured paws. How low I've become, how powerless, to be resorted to this Kit-like form, it's enough to make me sick.
I was the most powerful demon in my time, my reflexes were unrivalled by any demon in the Feudal era. Of course being born as the future leader of the Lynx Demon Tribe, one has to receive the most optimum training there is. However, those dreams were destroyed before they had even begun. My whole Clan was slaughtered during the harsh winter months, when I was still nothing but a kit. By a rival Wolf Tribe, I was told. Memory escapes me, but I remember being discovered by a wandering Inu Lord; alerted to my pitiful cry in the arms of my dead mother. He was the one who trained me, the only survivor and last living lynx Demon of my kind in the whole of Japan. And now I won't even be able to carry out my line as successor, I'm a dying breed.
After reaching full maturity, he sent me on my way, leaving me to fend for myself to the best of my ability; and so I wandered the lands. My first objective was revenge on the Wolf Tribe that killed my family. I found them, holed up in the western mountains, and challenged their leader. Of course, I defeated him, so his pitiful pack scattered. Time passed rapidly, when the population of the humans increased, the remaining few Demons that had survived, had to go into hiding. I managed to blend in with Mortal life, concealing my ears, claws and tail; as well as any other Demon traits I had. Snapped out of my despondency, I glanced up, ears twitching, the familiar sound of footsteps clipping sharply against tiled floor echoed around my cell; before the jangle of keys and a lock turning, my door swung open.
Two males-no, two guyswere standing in the doorway, I had to stop using the language of my kind, it was no longer my world after all. Seems like I'm needed again, what's so important that needs doing, that Easter resorts to letting their Cat out of the bag. I rose slowly, slinking menacingly towards the two guards, letting them know that, as usual, I wouldn't go quietly. It worked, the two bakas tensed up. One, it was only slight, but it did not escape my eye, flinched slightly and clutched his left arm. I froze, then I slowly gave a cat-like grin, 'So, he brought you back did he? I would have thought you would have wanted a bit more recovery time in the hospital, neh?' That snapped him out of his daze. I could smell his fear increase, oh the idiots at Easter knew of my power, which was the only reason they bothered to keep me here, but that didn't stop them from fearing me. As they should. Apparently, I had the 'ability' to sense and extract X-eggs. At this point in time, I was in a desperate situation, after years of being locked away from the outside world, unable to scent, to run, to hunt; my inner Youkai had become feral. I only had the right amount of strength to restrain it at dire intervals, when I lose that control; I have fits where I attack anything and everything in sight. Thus, the result of my sleeping quarters. The Gozen knows of this of course, there was no way I could hide this from them, with security cameras in my cell.
Right now, I could feel my Youkai bubbling up to the surface, not enough for me to change form, but enough to lend me extra power. I took this as good timing, just when the door was wide for taking; the two humans were no obstacle, easily dispatched. My eyes burned sapphire blue, and letting out a loud caterwaul, I charged the remaining way towards freedom. Their slow human reflexes made me smirk; they were dead before they could reach for their guns. Sprinting down the dim-lit hallway, instinct took over, and I slowed to a fast trot as I neared the lift. Panting, I glared up at the lift button. I can't take the lift, that will just take me to the heart of Easter, I'm not escaping to just get caught again. Turning to the right corridor by the lift, I snarled as I was faced with a line of armed security, with Gozen at the front, giving me his I'm-an-asshole-and-I-know-it smirk. How could I have forgotten the camera!
'My dear Purizunā, are you leaving us after all the work we've been through?' He all but drawled, 'It' s a good thing you're here anyway, we have another mission for you-Puri'
I growled lowly, deep hatred in my eyes as we locked gazes. We both knew how much I despised that name. Prisoner. I snorted, it was beyond beneath me. The seconds seemed to tick by, the tension prickled thickly between us. Finally, Gozen took the first move.
'It appears to me, that a small problem has eluded you', he started, I still stood tensed, 'As you probably can recall, I have a contraption that enables me to reduce your powers and suppress your soul. It wasn't a very nice feeling was it?' Gozen held up what looked like a black leather collar, with purple jewels connected to it. A overbearing dark aura emitted from it, it wasn't a aura unfamiliar to me.
Holding his gaze, I willed myself to stay strong, but flashes of the past invaded my mind. No! I whimpered, the pain, the feeling of being ripped apart from the inside. Unable to defend myself from the beatings, the sense of wanting to curl up and mewl like a newborn Kit. Lowering my gaze, I sighed and hung my head in submission. What is the mission...Gozen?
He smiled, though it was sinister, 'Good girl, come quietly and I will introduce you to your Partner'.
It was official, I had lost, I was stuck in servitude to these humans for eternity, or for as long as they needed me. We were in the lift now, the whirring of the pulley seemed unbearably loud, I flattened my tufted ears. As we were ascending upwards, Gozen briefed me on my role to play in my Mission.
'The girl you are partnered with is called Utau Hoshina, you remember her don't you? Now she is already able to extract X-eggs, but-' He gave me a stern glare, as if he knew I was going to interrupt, I looked down, I was too dejected to do anything else, though it was good to hear Utau's name again. '-But it is not a large enough quantity to lure out the Embryo, so that's where you come in.'
Opening the folder he had in his hands, he removed several papers and showed them to me. As I looked, I saw that they were, in fact, pictures of a bunch of kids, with information on each of them; one was of a young girl with unnaturally bright pink hair. At my questioning glance, he elaborated. 'These brats are a recent interference, I'm sure you are familiar with the Guardians?' At my nod, he continued, 'whenever our team Members try to collect any number of X-eggs, these brats here,' He shook the papers, 'turn up and purify them'. He glared, when I let out a huff of amusement,
It seems you are incapable to hold your own against mere Kits, neh?
'That is why you're here, he replied. You also have a personal Mission, which you can carry out during the times you are not with Utau.' He glanced briefly at me, 'since you have the ability to change form, you and you're Guardian Chara can infiltrate the Guardians and report back on their plans, as well as interfering with their purifying the X-eggs. Putting the papers away, he placed the folder back in his briefcase. 'Can I rely on you to do this?' I perked up at this, my Shugo Chara-and me, were mischievous by nature. That was the way of the cat, or in my case Lynx. This job would be perfect to relieve some of my tension from being cooped up for too long. I smirked, Of course, it doesn't make up for all these years of neglect, I glanced up at him, and then looked forward to the door, but it's a start.
By this time, we had reached the top, and the elevator opened up to Gozen's private study, my ears pricked and I scented the air. This was a great change to the scentless cell that I had resided in, and from what I could tell, others were waiting for us in the next room. I looked up, as Gozen passed me. Father, I called. I watched him stop, but he did not turn around, so I padded up next to him and nudged his hand with my muzzle. 'It's been so long since you called me that' he commented softly. I closed my eyes as he slowly ran his finger down the bridge between my sapphire blue eyes, down my black-furred muzzle to the tip of my nose. He still remembers! I purred, He remembers the way I like it. Moving past him, I stopped at the door leading to my future, looking back to the man I call Father, I blinked at him. Arigato, Father-for letting me be free, even if it's at the end of a chain. I'll do my best, but-,my eyes became saddened, as I caught a familiar scent -and they don't know what happened, do they? He doesn't know?
' No', Father replied, 'But it is better that way'. Walking past me, he moved to open the door.
Wait! He turned to look back at me.
Where is he? Where is Kipa?
Placing his hand within his inner jacket pocket, he removed an egg that was sapphire blue with emerald green markings making up the Demon symbol of the Lynx Tribe. A lynx with a paw outstretched towards the moon. As I watched, my egg cracked and out popped Kipa, he was wearing wolf pelt, which covered his calves, like leg warmers. He had a brown wolf fur head band, with long, silver hair and scruffy bangs that partially covered his left eye, and he wore silver and black armour, as well as having brown wolf fur as shoulder plates. He had black tufted lynx ears on top of his head, along with paws for hands and feet and a lynx tail. 'Yo, long time no see, nya?'
Kipa! Oh I've missed you!I ran to him and started nuzzling him frantically.
'You're still not strong enough to change back, huh, nya?' Kipa asked, as he returned my greeting.
'Greetings can wait for another time, right now there's a meeting to begin.' And with that, the Gozen left the room.
'Jeez, I hate that guy', complained Kipa, 'Look at what he's done to ya, nya!' I sighed.
I know, but I saw it. There is still good in him, it's just buried deep down.I glanced at my Chara, if we can just get our hands on that Embryo, then we can save him.
'But where do we start? Kipa exclaimed, 'Don't forget, we're not the only ones after it, this is a dangerous road we're going down'.
I know,I replied, our journey has begun, begun on the road to Redemption.