Salvation
"You two want a ride?" the dragon asked as he swooped down and picked the two girls up with his massive claws.
"Satu, you know you shouldn't be out in the open." The red headed girl scolded the dragon.
"Like I'm going to let you walk up the mountain." The dragon, Satu replied.
"Can you drop me off first?" the blue haired girl asked.
"No problem, Kirako." The dragon said to the blue haired girl.
The dragon flew quickly by sky scrappers and millions of tiny houses until suddenly a small white one stood out from the rest of the other houses. The dragon carefully landed into the huge park right beside the white house.
"Thanks, Satu, safe flying home." Kirako, the blue haired girl said.
"You're late, so I wish you the best of luck with Toshi." Satu said as he spread his huge wings and took off into the sky again. Kirako stood watching them until they disappeared into the darkness, then unlocked the door to the house and walked in. the first thing she saw when she walked in was the TV. The late night news was on and they were talking about how another person had been killed today.
"Toshi, I'm home!" Kirako called as she removed her coat and turned on a few lights.
"Where have you been?" The ferret jumped from the couch then ran up her leg, onto her shoulder.
"I'm sorry but Midori showed up and I lost track of time." Kirako referred to the red haired girl.
"I thought I heard Satu, is that correct? Why is he out in the open where everyone could see him? Are you even listening to me?" The ferret screamed in the girl's ear, Kirako seemed to be in a daze as she sat down on the couch, watching the TV.
"Today is the one-hundredth anniversary of the death of Yoshi Thomas." Kirako whispered.
"Yeah so." The ferret said, sounding bored.
"Don't you know who that was?" Kirako asked, still glued to the TV.
"No, he couldn't be very important; he was just a young kid." The ferret said, crawling off of Kirako's shoulder and into her lap.
"Toshi! That was one of Satu's riders!" Kirako screamed as she jumped to her feet and grabbed the phone.
"Hello, Midori?" Kirako asked over the phone. "Hey turn you TV on right now and flip to the news."
"Oh my God." Midori said over the phone. "Wow that was a long time ago. Do you remember Satu talking about him?"
"Yeah that's why I wanted to call you and see if you knew. Well I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight." Kirako said then hung up the phone.
"So what ever happened to that kid?" The ferret, Toshi asked.
"He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was walking home from work and a man with a gun who had just robbed a store was running his way. Then the man ran into Yoshi and pulled the trigger. He laid on the ground and bled to death." Kirako told him.
"Oh, did Satu have any riders after that, before Midori?" Toshi asked.
"No, he hid on the mountain until Midori was born. Then she became his rider." Kirako explained.
"Well it's all history now, let's go to bed please." Toshi said.
"Alright." Kirako said and she turned off the TV.
The next morning Kirako stepped outside and took in a big breath. Another great day, she thought to herself.
"A little early don't you think?" Toshi asked as he perched on her shoulder.
"I'm going to go see Runa and Mika today." She replied.
"Being around Mika always leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Toshi said as Kirako started down the sidewalk.
"Why?" Kirako asked.
"She likes the dark." Toshi said.
"So?" Kirako said.
"She's just strange to me." Toshi said as he stretched out his neck toward a stranger as they walked by.
"No more talking out loud okay?" Kirako spoke to Toshi through her mind.
"Why not?" Toshi asked out loud.
"Because normal ferrets don't talk!" Kirako ordered as another person walked by them.
"Paranoid?" Toshi asked and Kirako glared at him.
"Will you stop please?" Kirako asked.
"Sorry, miss boss." Toshi said through thought and he rolled his eyes.
"Thank you." Kirako said smiling.
Kirako walked up the front porch of a green house with black shudders. "We're here." She said as she walked into the house.
"Does no one knock anymore?" A violet haired girl asked as she walked around corner and into view. "Oh, it's just you, Kirako."
"Hey don't I count as anyone?" Toshi asked, insulted.
"Oh yeah the rodent, welcome." The girl said and patted him on the head.
Toshi bared his teeth at her and she backed up.
"Toshi, behave!" Kirako scolded and Toshi relaxed a little.
"Do we have company, Mika?" a black haired girl asked as she came out of a room and headed down the hall toward the others.
"Good morning, Runa." Kirako said to the black haired girl.
"Good morning to you too." Runa said as she picked up Toshi and cradled him in her arms.
"Now this is how you should be treating me!" Toshi said to Kirako and Mika, the violet haired girl.
"If I babied you, then you would become fat and lazy. That would be no help to me." Kirako stated, smiling.
"And you really don't want me that close to you." Mika replied evilly.
"So where are we going today? Up to Midori's?" Mika asked.
"I thought so." Kirako said.
"Oh great what a wonderful hike." Toshi complained.
"Shut up your not even walking, Kirako is going to carry you as usual." Mika said.
"Maybe I shouldn't." Kirako said evilly.
"Then I'll just get Runa to carry me." Toshi said and he crawled up onto Runa's shoulder.
"Of course I will." Runa said as she reached up and petted him.
Kirako rolled her eyes, "Runa, you're going to spoil him!" as they stepped out onto the porch.
There was a long path that wound to the top of the mountain, when standing at the bottom it seemed like it never ended but the girls knew that once they started, the walk would be easy and quick.
"You girls aren't planning on going up there are you?" someone asked from behind them.
The three girls spun around and stared at the blue haired boy. His hair went down to the bottom of his rib cage. His yellow eyes were kind. He wore a white button up shirt and a black leather coat on over it.
"What business is it of yours?" Mika asked rudely.
The boy shrugged, "I just thought it would be quite a long walk and I was wondering why a few girls like you were planning on climbing it."
"Thanks for the concern but we will make it just fine." Kirako said and she turned back around and started walking up the side of the mountain.
Haru watched the girls as they traveled up the mountain. I should follow them, he thought to himself, just to make sure they'll be okay.
At the top of the mountain the three found a small house. It belonged to Midori and Satu. Beside it was a huge cave and all of Satu that could be seen was his neck and head. He was asleep and snoring slightly. Toshi leapt from Runa's shoulder and ran over to the dragon, while the girls went into the house.
"Midori, we're here." Kirako called.
"Coming." A voice called from the back of the house.
Suddenly the ground seemed to roll underneath them and they heard Satu take flight.
"What's wrong with him?" the red headed girl asked as she walked to the front door.
"Kirako there's an Intruder!" Toshi screamed from the other side of the door, and then the girls heard someone scream. They exchanged glances then ran out the door. Satu was still in the air, holding someone with his claws.
"Midori, this boy was sneaking around." Satu said as he held out the blue haired boy from before.
"Satu, release him immediately." Midori ordered.
"With pleasure." Satu said and he dropped the boy off the side of the mountain.
All of the girls gasped as Satu dove down and caught the boy on his back and landed back on the cliff along with the girls.
"That was too close, Satu!" Midori screamed as the badly shaken boy slid of the dragons back and ran towards the house and the girls. As he ran past Kirako she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back in front of her.
"Freeze mister." She said looking at the paleness of his face. "What do you think your doing up here? You weren't following us were you?"
The boy was still shaking but he was trying to calm down. Satu, standing behind him, snorted and the boy jumped.
"Calm down, he wont attack you unless Midori commands him to do so." Mika said.
"I would enjoy removing you now, but I am forbidden if it goes against what my rider wants." Satu said behind him.
"So were you following us?" Runa asked.
"I-I just wanted to make sure you would be alright up here." The boy said.
"Well hopefully now you will learn not to follow someone." Mika said.
"How can that ferret talk? And what's with the dragon?" the boy asked as he pointed at Toshi, who was back on Runa's shoulder.
"Can you keep a secret?" Runa asked and Mika punched her. Runa rubbed her shoulder and stopped talking.
"Yes." He said.
"Satu, now!" Midori commanded and the dragon, with one swipe of his arm, knocked the boy into the side of the mountain. He lay unconscious and the girls ran over to him.
"I didn't mean for you to try and kill him." Midori scolded.
"Sorry, I just don't like him." Satu said as he crawled back into his cave.
When Haru opened his eyes he wasn't sure where he was at first but then the memory of the dragon and talking ferret came rushing back to him. The blue haired girl walked over and noticed he was awake finally.
"I thought you were dead." She said.
"t-the dragon, where is he?" Haru asked quickly.
"A dragon?" the girl began laughing. "You must have been hit pretty hard."
"What do you mean? I saw a dragon! And that ferret could talk!" Haru insisted as he sat up in the bed.
"Yeah, yeah, what ever you say." The girl said rolling her eyes.
"The dragon hit me and I was knocked unconscious." Haru said.
"No, you were hit in the head by this." The girl held out a rock about the size of her fist. "My friend, Mika, threw it at you."
Just then Mika walked in the room. "Speak of the devil and she appears." Kirako said, smiling.
"You…hit me…with a rock?" the blue haired boy asked slowly.
"And what if I did? What are you going to do about it?" Mika asked.
The boy climbed out of the bed and rubbed his head, "nothing right now, first reason: you're a girl, second reason: my head hurts too much." Mika laughed as he walked out of the room and down the hall toward the living room.
"Wow the sleepy head is alive." Midori said.
The blue haired boy stepped out the front door and looked around, could it have all been a dream? He asked himself looking around he still thought it was too real to have been a dream.
"Would you like us to escort you to the bottom again?" Kirako asked from behind him.
"I don't believe that it all was just a dream, I mean I can even remember what it felt like to ride the dragon." The boy said.
"So what's your name?" Kirako asked.
"Haru, what's yours?" the boy replied.
"Kirako." Kirako said, "And this is Toshi. If you can keep a secret then I'll tell you the name of the dragon."
Haru's eyes widened and he stared at her. "Satu you can come out." Kirako said and Satu slowly walked out of the cave.
"H-how?" Haru stuttered.
"I thought you said that you didn't want to be the one who told him." Satu stated.
Kirako shrugged, "someone had to."
"So it wasn't a dream?" Haru asked.
"Nope, but you have to promise not to tell anyone or we will throw you off the cliff right now." Kirako said as Satu reached over and attempted to pick Haru up.
Haru ran behind Kirako and said, "I promise."
"Good now will you please leave so we can get back to our lives?" Mika asked as she walked out of the house.
"Mika!" Kirako scolded, "Must you be so mean?"
"Yes." Mika replied smiling.
Haru started walking back down the mountain and as soon as he was out of sight Kirako sent Toshi to follow him and make sure he got back safely.
"Check this out." Runa said as she walked out of the house with a flame in her hand. She closed her hand around it and when she opened her hand back up the flame was out and her hand was unmarked.
"Did you create that?" Kirako asked.
"Of course, a normal flame would have burned even me!" Runa exclaimed.
"Lets see what you can do, Kirako" Runa said.
"Okay but wait until Toshi gets back." Kirako said.
"How about Mika then?" Runa said.
Mika snapped her fingers and suddenly shadows began to form around her. They took the shapes of humans and at her command vanished.
"Strange." Was all Midori had to say.
"Thanks." Mika said smiling.
Just then Toshi came running back up to Kirako. "He has returned home." He informed them.
"Thank you, Toshi." Kirako said as she petted her friend. "You ready to see what I can do?" she asked everyone. "Toshi are you ready?" Toshi nodded and climbed to the top of her head.
Kirako held her hands strait out in front of her; she placed her palms together then slowly pulled them apart. As she did a ball of pure energy formed and Kirako held it out so everyone could see. When she was done she pressed her hands around it and the ball dispersed into the air.
"Do you like?" Kirako asked, "That was just Toshi's energy. Imagine what I can do with more animals."
"Well now that that's finished why don't we do some real training." Someone said from behind them. The girls spun around and there stood a woman with long silver hair that went all the way down to her knees. She smiled sweetly and lifted off of the ground using her white wings. Kirako slowly dropped to her knees and the others just stared in awe.
"W-who are you?" Midori asked.
"Why, I'm your angel." The woman said.
The girls looked confused so she placed her feet back to the ground and walked toward Kirako. She touched Kirako's arm and lifted her. Then angel lifted Toshi from her shoulder and held him up so she could look at him. Toshi ignored her as best as he could.
"It's been a long time Toshi." The angel said.
Toshi looked at her, "you said you would be here sooner then this." He said.
"I'm sorry, it took me longer to get here then I thought." She replied as she held Toshi close.
"I'm really confused." Kirako blurted out.
Toshi leapt from the angel's hands and climbed back onto Kirako's shoulder. "This is Toki, she is your angel. She will teach you what you are really here for." Toshi told them. When none of the girls seemed to understand what he said he continued, "She will teach you how to use your powers. Did you really think that the reason you're here is to beat up guys and stand by helplessly while people are being killed daily in this city?"
"So we are to learn how to use our powers to stop the killing?" Runa asked, trying to make sense of what he was saying.
"Yes." The angel replied.
Satu stuck his head out of the cave and the first thing he saw was Toki.
"Toki?" he asked then he came running out. The ground shook under his weight and everyone tried to keep their balance. Toki took flight and hugged the dragons head.
"How long has it been since I saw you last?" Toki asked him.
"At least thirty years." Satu replied.
"Satu!" a male's voice called.
Suddenly another angel flew out of the sky, landing on Satu's back, and hugged his neck.
"Yoshi?" Satu asked, surprised.
"Didn't expect me did you?" The male angel asked.
Kirako and Midori's jaws dropped as they stared at Satu's past rider.
"Why are you here?" Satu asked as Yoshi sat down on his back.
"When I heard Toki was coming here to teach these girls, I volunteered to teach the guys. She couldn't do it all on her own." Yoshi replied and the girls exchanged glances.
"Yes, there are actually eight of you in the city." Toki told the girls. "Yoshi, why don't you go down, find the boys, and bring them up here?"
Turning back to the girls as Yoshi flew off of the mountain, Toki asked, "so how much do you understand?"
"I think most of it now." Runa said as she stroked Toshi. The other girls nodded in agreement.
"You and the other guy are angels, sent here to help us learn how to use our 'powers' so that we can stop the mass murdering in the city, right?" Runa asked.
"Exactly." Toki replied, "Will you allow me to teach you?"
The girls spoke amongst themselves for a few moments then Kirako replied, "Yes."
Just then Yoshi came flying back. "Toki I can't find him." He said and Toki looked worried.
"Him? You mean the one that is very important to keep an eye on, right?" Toki asked.
"Yes he has…vanished, so to speak." Yoshi said nervously
"Where are the others?" Toki asked looking around.
"They are heading up the mountain now." Yoshi said as he landed on the ground in front of Toki.
"I'll go search for him, you stay here." Toki said and she flew off the mountain and back into the city.
"Is there a problem?" Satu asked Yoshi when the angel's worried expression didn't go away.
Yoshi smiled up at his old friend, "I'm alright, its just a little set back."
Suddenly the girls could hear voices and they saw the first guy make their way up the path.
Yoshi's smiled widened as all three of the guys appeared. "And here they are."
"M-Midori, isn't that Haru?" Kirako exclaimed as the blue haired boy walked up to them.
"So you weren't just a pretty face?" Haru asked Midori, Satu stood directly over Midori and Haru jumped backward.
Kirako examined the two others. One was very tall; he had red hair and red eyes. He wore a long sleeve white shirt with a dark purple vest over it. He had the same shade of purple pants on. The other boy had silver hair and yellow eyes. He wore a long sleeve white button up shirt and a blue button up coat over it, his pants were black.
I wonder what they can do. Kirako curiously looked them over one last time. Then she turned back to Haru who was still trying to talk to Midori. Runa, Mika, and Toshi were talking to Yoshi.
"Hi." The red haired boy said to Kirako. "The ferret is yours right?"
"Yeah." Kirako replied, not really knowing what he was getting at. Just then Toshi leapt up into her arms.
"Making new friends I see." Toshi said.
"Why would you care? You've been with Runa all day." Kirako said as she glared at the ferret.
"I don't understand why you're mad." Toshi said innocently.
"Maybe because you ditched me all day." Kirako said.
"And your point is?" Toshi asked and Kirako dropped him.
Toshi jumped at the red haired boy and he caught him. "Hello, what's your name?" Toshi asked the boy.
"A ferret that talks, I thought I had seen everything." The red haired boy said as the silver haired boy examined Toshi over the other boy's shoulder.
"Just answer the question." Toshi commanded impatiently.
"I'm Keitaro and this is Nori." The red haired boy said as he indicated the silver haired boy.
Just then Toki came flying back. "Any luck?" Yoshi asked.
Toki shook her head. "I suggest we wait until tomorrow. This has been a lot for them to take in, I think they need some time to rest." She said to Yoshi then she turned to the others. "We will meet here at 7am tomorrow morning. Be prepared." Toki and Yoshi took flight together and disappeared.
Kirako turned to Keitaro and removed Toshi from his arms. "I'll see you tomorrow then?" she asked.
Keitaro smiled, "yep, see you then." The guys regrouped and left.
"That was interesting." Mika said as she walked up behind Kirako.
"Strange is what I would call it." Midori said.
"Midori, do you mind if we stay here for the night?" Runa asked.
Midori turned and smiled at her friends, "I don't mind one bit. Come on in."
"Rise and shine girls." Satu called from outside.
"This is way too early for normal people to be waking up." Mika complained as she walked into the kitchen.
"Rough night?" Runa asked, looking at the bags under her eyes.
"The floor was not the least bit comfortable." Mika said as she was handed a cup of coffee.
"I'm sorry." Midori apologized.
"Welcome to the world of the living." Midori said to Kirako as she stumbled sleepily into the kitchen.
"It's too early." Kirako groaned.
"Suck it up." Midori said as she happily danced to the front door.
"It may be easy for you to get up this early but I'm not used to it." Kirako said as Midori opened the door and took in a deep breath.
"What can I say; I've always been a morning person." Midori said cheerfully.
"I hate morning people." Mika said and Midori stuck her tongue out at her.
"Well I see everyone is up." Toki said as she flew past Midori and into the kitchen to join the others.
"Why did you make us get up this early?" Mika whined.
"Because this way we can spend the whole day together." Toki said cheerfully.
"Oh no." Midori said and she slammed the door shut.
"What's wrong?" Kirako asked.
"He's here." Midori whined.
"Haru?" Kirako asked.
There was a knock on the door and they heard Haru say from the other side, "Good morning ladies! It's a wonderful day and you should really come out and enjoy the fresh air!"
"Would you mind if I burn him to a crisp, Midori?" Satu asked from the other side of the door.
Midori reluctantly opened the door. "That won't be necessary, Satu. But thanks for the offer."
"So, what should we be doing right now, Toki?" Haru asked as he walked into the house, keeping a close eye on the large dragon.
"You should wait for Yoshi. I will be with the girls this morning." Toki said to Haru then she turned to the girls. "Why don't we get started then?"
The girls groaned in union then reluctantly walked outside. Haru mischievously sneaked around the house and snooped in Midori's stuff. "Haru, what do you think your doing?" Yoshi asked as he appeared behind Haru just as he had opened a dresser drawer.
Haru lowered his head and looked like a kid who had just been caught sneaking a cookie from the jar. "I'm sorry." Was his reply.
"I'm sure you are." Yoshi said rolling his eyes, then he grabbed Haru's arm and dragged him out of the house.