Chapter 1 – The Light of the Sun! Cure Amaterasu Descends!

Many years ago, before you and I were born, the world was created by gods.

And the very first gods that created the world gave birth to two rather important gods. You may know them as Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Kami. They became the gods of all creation, and in the process made Japan, gave birth to other gods, and eventually formed us humans.

However, Izanami eventually gave birth to the deity known as Kagu-Tsuchi, the incarnation of fire. That child had burned her deeply upon birth, and she eventually succumbed to her wounds and died.

Distraught, Izanagi killed and killed Kagu-Tsuchi with a sword known as the Totsuka no Tsurugi, whose corpse and blood gave birth to many gods in the process.

But he could not live without his beloved Izanami by his side. And so he traveled to Yomi no Kuni, where all of the dead resided. He believed he would find his beloved Izanami there.

And he had. But the shadows of Yomi no Kuni had hidden her from him, for he could not see her form. He implored her to return with him to the land of the living, but Izanami replied, "My beloved, I cannot return with you. For I have eaten the food of the damned. I have become one with the land of the dead and am forever bound by its soil."

Izanagi could not accept this, but Izanami appeased his worries. "Wait for me, for I will ask permission from those of this realm to grant my leave."

And so Izanagi waited. And waited, and waited. He could wait no longer and followed after Izanami. Once more, he caught up with her, and lit a torch to see her again.

What he had seen instilled much fear within him. What was once the beautiful Izanami had become a horrid grotesque corpse, decaying and rotten. In fear, he fled. Ashamed, Izanami gave chase after him. She sent after him her minions, the Yomotsu-Shikome and Yomotsu-Ikusa, as well as her own offspring Fuujin and Raijin, to bring him back into Yomi no Kuni to be one with her forever.

Fighting off his pursuers, Izanagi escaped to the gates, Yomotsu Hirasaka, and sealed it with a barrier that was to be unbreakable. Izanami saw him and what he had done, now separated from him for all eternity. Betrayed by him, she cursed him. "You foul wretch! If you leave me now, you will regret this for all eternity! For I curse you, Izanagi! I curse you, that one thousand of your living will die every day!"

Knowing that this was the end, Izanagi countered, "And for every thousand you kill, I, Izanagi, will give life to fifteen hundred more."

The barrier separated them, and Izanami, no matter how much she pressed against it, could not reach Izanagi. She cried out to him as he left, but her cries fell on deaf ears.

That was the end of the legends of Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Kami.

"Amane!" called a woman downstairs. She was dressed in a blue police uniform and had long, braided black hair, a purple headband sitting on top. Tied in front of her uniform was a pink apron. "Amane, wake up! It's time for breakfast!"

In the darkness of this fourteen-year old girl's room, the light of the sun beamed through the cracks of her curtains. It rested over her closed eyes. Hearing her mother's voice, she shut her eyes tightly until she felt the strength to open them. She felt the light shine over her amber eyes as she groggily sat up from her bed. It was warm, however small that light was. Her midlength black hair was ruffled, messy with pillow head. As she reached out for the curtain over her bed, she forcefully swung it open. The rattle of the curtain's rings echoed in the room as the light of the morning sun illuminated it. Her room was filled with books of all sorts, but her bed was littered with stuffed animals.

"What a beautiful morning," she mumbled and smiled, looking up at the clear blue sky.

Hopping out of bed, she began to change out of her bunny-printed pajamas, switching to a white and blue sailor uniform. She then went to her dresser, opening a small box with a sun ornament on it. Inside was an orange hairclip with a golden sun at the end; she clipped it to the side of her hair, having fixed it from that horrendous pillow mess. Her "transformation" was complete.

"Morning, mom!" Amane called out as she ran down the stairs, going into the kitchen from the hall. "What's for breakfast?"

"The Tatsunagi Special!" her mother, Orihime, grinned as she put out a small feast on the table. Rolled tamagoyaki, grilled sardines, sliced tomatoes and lettuce, and two bowls of rice were set. But rather than going to the table, the two of them first went to the living room and knelt in front of a small dresser. On it was a picture of a particularly young man, wearing a police uniform similar to Orihime. Amane lit a match and hovered the flame over the incense as Orihime tapped on the bell, and the two knelt in silence with their palms together. After about five minutes, they clapped once and headed back to the table.

"Is everything going well at school?" Orihime asked as she sat down.

"Yup!" Amane smiled. "Hinata-chan has been training for the track meet nonstop! She doesn't stop talking about it. I hope she does well."

"Ah, that's right. It's that time, isn't it?" After placing a whole tamagoyaki in her mouth, Orihime pointed her chopsticks at Amane. "And you? You're always talking about your classmates. Why not about yourself? Like, what did you do in class and all?"

"Eh?" Amane began to chew more slowly. "Well…what else is there? I usually go to the public library when I'm done with school, anyway. It's no biggie…"

"It is a biggie for your father," Orihime countered. "How would you think he would react if he finds that his daughter doesn't spend time with her friends? You used to go out a lot when you were younger, back when Shizuka was still here."

"Mm…but…" Amane slowly lowered her chopstick. "Shizuka…is gone. But it's okay. I'm what you call an old-fashioned girl! I'm sure dad would have loved his daughter be a knowledgeable bookworm! And then when I see Shizuka again, she'll be SOOOO surprised! She'd be like, 'Woah, Amane, when did you get so smart?!'"

"Amane…Shizuka isn't dead, you know." Orihime sighed a bit. "Stop talking about her like that. It's so depressing. She'll come back to Seitenka-machi sometime in the future."

"Mm, but she's probably busy with her new life in Etsukyo." Amane took more of her rice in, taking a sardine as well. "I miss her, but I don't want to get in her way. After all, she promised that she'd do her best for us, no matter where she is. So I have to trust in her."

Orihime listened to her daughter and smiled. She admired that Amane would try to be less of a burden to others, but at what cost? "Amane…your father is always watching out for you. Don't forget that. So you should do your best for him too. Otherwise, he'd be rolling in his grave thinking, 'I raised my daughter to be such a recluse?!'"

Immediately, Amane choked on her rice and quickly took sips of water until she calmed down. The two of them looked at each other and burst out laughing.

As Orihime locked the doors, Amane walked out the gates. Orihime followed shortly after. "Make sure you don't stay out too late, okay?" she told her daughter. "You've heard of the recent assaults? I've heard that it happens overnight, so get home as soon as you're done with whatever you do in the library."

"I promise." Amane made a turn down the street opposite of Orihime. "This is my path. I'll see you after work, mom! Be safe!"

"You too, sweetie!" The two waved goodbye as they went their separate ways; Amane to school and her mother to the Seitenka-machi police precinct.

Seitenka-machi is a small town in the mountains. They are very traditional and are well known for their crafts, such as pottery and paintings. The town is a very spiritual place, believed to be closest to the gods. As such, there are various shrines dedicated to specific gods, such as Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi-no-Kami, and Izanagi-no-Mikoto. It is a quiet, peaceful place.

As Amane walked the street, she passed an antique shop. There was sign that said "BOUNDLESS" in English lettering. There were statues of different kinds sitting in front of the store shop. Sweeping the entryway was a middle-aged man wearing a white bandana over his long silver hair. He wore small round glasses over his eyes, and had a scruffy chin.

"Good morning, shop keeper," Amane greeted, bowing slightly.

"Ah, little girl," he replied, bowing slightly as he held the broom he was using to clean his store's entryway. "You're a shining face to see this morning. Did something good happen?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure something will." Amane smiled brightly as she bowed once more. "You have a good day, too! May the gods protect you!" Then she continued on her way.

The shop keeper simply watched on, rubbing his scruffy chin. "May the gods protect me, huh…"

Amane slid the door to her classroom, listening to the ramblings of her classmates as she entered. "Good morning!" she said to them, and some of them bowed their heads to her slightly as she walked by before continuing with their individual conversation. Amane moved to the back corner of the room near the windows, where a girl with ebony pig-tails was staring out into the blue sky. "Good morning, Hinata-chan!"

"Oh…" Hinata snapped back to reality as she turned to see Amane's bright, smiling face. "Aren't you a ball of sunshine today, Amane-chan. Something good happened?"

"Everything good always happens if you just keep on smiling," Amane replied as she took her seat. "How goes training? Are you okay?"

Hinata didn't say anything at first, as if trying to find the words to reply with. Instead, she said, "…Mm. It's fine. I'm slowly but steadily getting there. Soon, I'll be good enough to take part in the extramural track meets in Etsukyo."

Amane smiled and clapped her hands. "Maybe you can even take on the Jyuunisujou track team! That would be amazing!"

"You're thinking too highly of me," Hinata laughed. "But forget that. Did you hear that we're getting a transfer student today?"

"Really?"

"Everyone's been talking about it since word got out." Hinata looked at her gossiping classmates. "We rarely get transfer students, so it's a bit unusual."

Amane leaned back on her desk and looked up, thinking. "Hmmm…I wonder what this person is like…I hope he, or she, is a very nice person." The thought of a transfer student was exciting. Tenchi Junior High rarely ever gets transfer students because it is one of the only few schools in Seitenka-machi, as it's not a particularly big town. So students enroll in one school or another, and often end up staying in that school until they graduate. A transfer student in the middle of April is unheard of.

"All rise!" said a voice as the class took their seats, and all stood straight when the teacher, a beautiful young woman, walked in. She had wine-colored hair, tied into a bun. "Good morning, Miyamoto-sensei!" they all greeted in unison.

"Good morning class," she bowed slightly. "Please be seated. As many of you have heard, by which I assume one of you has been peeping by the faculty room, we will be having a transfer student. As it may be unusual to have a transfer student around this time of the month, please make her feel welcome. You may come in now."

The door closest to the chalkboard and teacher's podium slid open, and a tall girl with long, navy blue hair gracefully walked in. Both girls and boys blushed at the sight of her majestic appearance. She had her layered hair parted to her left with a crescent moon hairclip parting her bangs beside her right eye. She had a slender figure and wore black pantyhose under her blue pleated skirt. The way she dressed in the school's sailor uniform, she looked rather wealthy.

The girl turned and wrote her name in Kanji on the chalkboard behind her. However, her given name seemed to have been written in Hiragana, a simpler and more basic form of Japanese writing. She then turned to the class and bowed politely. "Hello," she greeted. "My name is Tsukishima Yomi (月島よみ). I will be part of your class starting today, and I hope to get along with you all." She smiled, but her smile gave Amane a cold chill in her spine.

"You okay, Amane-chan?" Hinata asked.

Amane looked back and nodded. "Mm. Just…a little nervous is all. I think she's a good person." She listened as Yomi answered some of her classmates' questions with confidence. "Yeah…she's probably a good person."

The lunch bell rang, and people began to leave the classroom to take their respective usual lunch spots. Amane often stayed in the classroom to eat the bento her mother made for her. Even if it was a wonderful day out, being in the comfort of her homeroom made Amane feel at ease.

"Hey, Tsukishima-san," said one of the girls that huddled around her, "wanna have lunch with us? We can show you around the school after we finish." The other girls insisted as well.

"Eh? Well, that sounds like a wonderful opportunity," Yomi replied, "but I will have to pass. I have to take care of a few things before I do." She didn't seem to have lunch with her. She pushed her seat back and got up, heading to the back of the room. There was a faint sound of a bell when she waved at the girls.

"Man, Tsukishima-san is so cool," sighed one of the girls. "She's so smart…she must've come from an elite school."

"You mean like Jyuunisujou in Etsukyo?" asked another.

"I wouldn't be surprised! She has the refined grace of a first-class lady! And she's really nice, too…"

Amane munched on her rice as she listened in on the conversation. "Wow, Tsukishima-san sure is popular," Amane whispered to her classmate behind her. "But she's really smart, too. She seemed to know a lot about everything. History, Math, even I have trouble with some of those subjects."

"I don't know," Hinata mumbled. "It feels like she's hiding something. She looks all sweet and peachy on the outside, but it seems like she's distant from us. Like she's too good for us."

"Hinata-chan! Don't you say that!" Amane turned her body behind her with a disappointed look on her face. "Tsukishima-san must be a very well-off girl, but even rich people have trouble adjusting to their new surroundings! You have to be willing to give her a chance!"

"Yeah, yeah," Hinata didn't seem to mind. "I just can't keep up with your all-trustworthy pace, Amane-chan. I have to remain critical about many things and…h-hey, where are you going?"

"I'm getting a drink!" Amane sternly huffed as she got up from her seat and promptly left the room.

"Ohhh, you made Amane-chan mad," teased one of the girls. "It takes a lot to make her mad, Hinata."

"Ah, she'll calm down," Hinata grinned. "Amane-chan isn't the type to hold grudges. You'll see."

And so, Amane went down the hall to the vending machines. There were two vending machines, both with different selections. She put in two hundred yen, and selected a can of soda. When the can slammed onto the bottom of the machine, Amane picked it out, along with her change, feeling the cold metal run through her skin, and pulled the top. The fizz echoed in the hall, and Amane put the can to her lips. "Ahhh!" she sighed. "That hit the spot!"

"How long do I have to keep doing this?"

A familiar voice, hushed but distinct, followed after Amane's little ritual. She could hear it near the stairwell. As she peaked over the top, she saw a shadow on the wall; the shadows seemed to belong to a tall and thin girl.

"It's the same thing, every time. The same type of people flocking to me like groupies…"

'Is that…' Amane thought to herself as she tried to register the voice in her head. She crept down the stairs, trying to hide behind the side. The closer she got, the clearer the voice became.

"You don't have a choice." This time, it was a male. An older, more mature-sounding person. "You'll just have to take it as it is. It's his orders."

"It's always his orders. But he never seems to do anything. It's so frustrating. School has always been frustrating. I hate having to play nice with other people. They're so shallow, wanting nothing but only their own interests."

"Don't complain. Good girls don't complain, Yomi."

"Yomi?!"

Amane shot up and ran to the next set of stairs. At the bottom of it was Yomi, who seemed initially shocked by Amane's sudden appearance. "Huh? Wasn't…there someone with you? Weren't you talking to someone?"

Yomi stared at Amane, who seemed to have listened on the conversation. Then she shifted into a piercing glare, one that didn't seem to fit her beautiful looks. "Eavesdropping? How rude. Don't you know that it's wrong to listen in on another person's business?"

"It's even more wrong that you toy with other people's hearts!" Amane retorted. "Those girls want to be your friend! Don't you dare talk bad about them like that!"

Yomi stayed quiet, but a grin formed on her lips. "Oh, them? Well, what does it matter? I guess they can be useful in some shape or form if they really want to be my friend."

"U-Useful?! Don't you talk about them like they're your subjects!"

Yomi aggressively pointed at Amane. "And don't you dare talk to me as if you're better than me!" She stared at Amane and lowered her hands. "You're the type to see the good in all people, right? Well, not all people are good in their hearts. You are naïve if you think nicely of others."

"Ugh…" Amane stepped back, holding her hand to her chest. "Wh-what's wrong with that?"

"Well? You'll be sorely disappointed by the harshness of reality. Do you mind if I teach you a few things?" Yomi walked up the stairs until she was face to face with Amane, who stood at the top. Yomi took two extra steps, and soon she towered over Amane. "Humans are trash through and through. Not one human being alive has a heart pure enough to deserve even the slightest kindness. If you think that everyone deserves a little kindness in their lives, then you'll only be hurt in the end. Don't forget it."

She walked past Amane and headed back up the stairs. Amane held her hands close to her chest as the words Yomi delivered to her stabbed in her heart. "Well…" she said as Yomi took the last step, "even if I'm hurt in the end, at least I made someone's life happy. Don't you have any happiness in your life?"

Yomi stopped. She didn't look back at Amane. Instead, she just headed straight back to the classroom, leaving Amane alone at the stairwell.

As class ended, the students made their way out of the building and into the streets. Amane, downtrodden from her encounter with Yomi, hung her head low and sighed.

"Woah, now, this is the first time I've ever seen you so depressed," said a voice behind Amane. She turned to find Hinata in her track uniform. "What's on your mind, sport?"

"Hinata-chan…" Amane looked around, holding the strap of her bag tightly. Then she turned to Hinata and smiled a little, a forced smile. "Nn. It's nothing. Just a bit of a rough day at school, you know."

Hinata looked at Amane, concerned by her mannerisms. It was rare to ever see the short girl sigh so heavily before. She's usually so cheerful from the start until the end of school. Always with a bright smile on her face with an infectious happy disposition. "Hey, if you need someone to talk to, I'm always here," Hinata sighed, her hands on her hips. "Whatever it is, don't let it eat you up. You need to talk to people too, you know."

"Yeah…I'll keep that in mind." Amane nodded and turned to leave. "Thanks, Hinata-chan!" And as if her sadness was blown away, she skipped from school.

Hinata watched her and rubbed the back of her head. "Take your own advice, Hinata…" she muttered to herself.

Amane traversed down the road she took coming. The grocers were still as busy as ever, selling their meat and their vegetables to any able customers passing by. But no one ever seemed to pay mind to that old-looking antique shop.

BOUNDLESS, as it is called in English, seems to be out of place in this town. It is a rather mid-sized two-story building with a store front made of lavish wood. However, it has definitely shown some age; they say this antique store has been around for decades, and hardly anyone comes in. But no one seems to do anything about it taking up space. People say that the things they sell are intricate, spiritual even. Some people say they've never seen what it looks like inside. There are many conflicting stories about BOUNDLESS, such as it is open to half the people, and closed the other half. People who go near it feel heavy in their chest, as if there is an intimidating aura emanating from inside. The shopkeeper doesn't seem to go around, either. He doesn't seem like a rich man, but his wares are believed to be high quality.

Not many people have been inside BOUNDLESS. For Amane, it had nothing to do with her. But as she stared at the sign, the lightless windows, and a door the neither says OPEN or CLOSED, deep down she wanted to try it. "Just for a little bit…" she said to herself as she walked towards the door. She reached for the door handle, a lever-type handle of worn gold. She placed her bare hand on it, feeling a sort of chill. When people try to open it, they say it won't budge, as if the store rejects them. Amane applied a little pressure, but felt worried about what might be on the other side. But she had gotten this far in her curiosity, so why not go farther? She pushed down the door lever as hard as she could, and she heard a click.

The door began to push itself open into the store, and Amane hesitantly stepped through the door's frame. She could hear the jingle of the wind chimes as she pressed on. Finally, she was inside. The store was…bigger than she thought. However, it was dark. There was barely any light inside illuminating the store. Next to her was what looked like an oil lantern. Not many seemed to use those in modern days, but it seemed to have fluorescent bulbs inside in place of a flame. A sign above it said, "Please help yourself." "How peculiar…" she muttered to herself as she took the lantern and turned the knob on the side, and the bulb emitted a cool light that illuminated her space around her. Upon further inspection of the store, she saw many strange objects. Clay pots, wooden carvings, masks of all types. It truly was an antique store.

As she perused the shelves near her, she stopped at a sword that hung on a wall, blade down. It was a sword with no wrap around the hilt, charred black. It looked to be double-edged, but the edges were worn and the tip was blunt. Amane stared at the sword, mesmerized by its shape and black color. It was the color of ash, as if burnt by the hottest of flames. She began to reach out to the sword, as a thought in her mind compelled her to touch it.

"I wouldn't touch that sword if I were you."

The sudden voice in the darkness made Amane jump and squeak like a mouse. She quickly turned to the direction of the voice behind her. The shop keeper, a silver-haired man garbed in a samue and round glasses over his squinty eyes, leaned on the counter, looking straight at her. He smiled, drumming his fingers against his cheekbone. "That sword is not exactly something you can touch. You might burn your hands."

"Eh?" Amane looked at the sword once more. It was as black as the darkness around it, and it seemed like a cold black. Why would it be black?

"Now that I'm looking at you properly, you seem to be awfully young to be at this store," the shop keeper stated. "It's rare I ever get young customers. But a customer is a customer. Welcome to BOUNDLESS, little lady."

"Ah…thank you," Amane bowed politely.

"Is there anything that interests you?"

"Well…" Amane looked around, fidgeting with her hands on the handle of the lantern. "I…did exactly come here to buy something. I don't have much money, and everything here seems so expensive."

"You'll be surprised, little lady, what money can't buy." The shop keeper hummed gently as he looked at Amane up and down. "But not many people come here. Often when they do, they come for spiritual guidance. Does something ail you, young one?"

"Eh?" Once more, this man asks her questions she wasn't prepared to answer. She fidgeted once more. "Well…eheh, not really. I think everything is okay. Why do you ask?"

The man looked at her. He reached out and pulled her closer to his face by the chin. His eyes opened slightly, revealing red irises. "Your eyes…amber in color, bright and strong like the sun. You live a happy life, I take it. But there is a death in your heart."

Amane quickly pulled herself away, shocked by his reply. A death in her heart…how could he have known that? She placed her hand to her chest. She then remembered what Hinata had told her, that she needs to talk to people once in a while. But this man is a stranger. Why should she trust him? 'He…seems trustworthy,' she thought to herself. He didn't seem like the type to hurt her. Sure he seemed kind of sketchy, but he has been pretty straightforward with her since they started talking. "…I…I guess…it's been kind of bothering me," she said. "My…my father died. When I was very young, actually, so I barely remember him. I grew up not knowing him, praying for him every day. We don't know how he died, we think it was an assault. Mom works hard to find his killer. She's a cop, actually. And…"

"You want to meet him," the shop keeper interrupted.

Amane stopped, and then she nodded. "I want to know what he was like. Why does he inspire me so much to do my best…to live happily without worry or care. And I've done pretty well these past fourteen years. I think it's because I know he's watching over me…and because of that, I feel I can do my best for his sake."

The man stared at her, drumming his cheekbones with his slender fingers. "I like that," he finally said. "You feel as though you owe your deceased father, even though you've never met him. You respect him, and you love him as any child would love their parent. You have…a very bright heart." He pulled out a drawer from the counter and pulled out a small wooden box. On it was the kanji for Heaven, 天 (ten), in gold. "Take this." He placed the box onto Amane's palm. "This is a special treasure that brings those who hold it closer to heaven. If you pray with this, you may one day get to see your father."

"Really?" Amane's face lit up, beaming with joy. She opened the cover and found a jewel, a round amber crystalline sphere that seemed to contain a light that dispelled the darkness. It was a beautiful jewel, and Amane was mesmerized by it. But she realized what was going on and quickly pushed the shop keeper's hands away. "I-I can't take this! I don't have any money!"

"It's free," the shop keeper laughed. "Think of it as a welcoming gift, for coming here for the first time. I wish you nothing but the best, young one." He shifted his glasses and smiled. "May the gods protect you. Was it?"

Amane was silent. Those are the words she says to everyone she meets and talks to every day. To be told those same words was…uplifting. She smiled brightly and bowed, turning to the exit. After turning off and hanging up the lantern, she left the store.

The shop keeper sighed to himself, now alone again in his store. He shifted his glasses and opened his eyes once more.

"Now then…"

The sun was beginning to set. Because it's the spring season, the days are still relatively short. "Oh wow, I didn't think I'd be in there for so long!" Amane gasped to herself. How long had she been in the antique store? How long had she talked with the man? What felt like half an hour or so seemed like ages. "I don't have time to go to the library now. I'd better head home and get dinner ready!"

She began to pick up the pace. There was still a ways to get to her house, since the distance from her house to the school is about half an hour. And with the assaults that have been happening lately, it was dangerous to be out so late. That was what she thought, anyway.

"GUAAAAAGH!"

A blood-curdling scream filled the air of the empty street. Amane froze, looking around cautiously. "An assault?" she asked herself. It'd be best to go home as soon as possible, as sticking around would be dangerous.

The sound of a toppled trash can echoed in an alley next to her. She turned to find a half-eaten apple roll her way. She was scared and frightened. Maybe it was a cat. Maybe the cat attacked a man? But that scream sounded more painful than a scratch from a cat. She walked towards the darkened alleyway, making out a writhing figure in the shadows. "E-Excuse me," she called out hesitantly. "Is everything…okay? Do you need assistance?"

The figure groaned, inhuman sounds slowly escaping from his mouth. Contorted into different direction, almost like a twig snapped in multiple places, it looked as if in pain. Slowly, it stalked towards Amane with a staggard, knock-kneed pace. Its head was cocked back in the most demonic way, and its arms swung forward. Its speed increased until it ran towards Amane, still knock-kneed, and knocked over trash cans in its way.

Amane shrieked and jumped out of the way as the figure dove at her, rolling about in the shaded streets. It was a man in a disheveled business suit, ragged and dirty. But his skin was beyond pale. It was graying, like a corpse. "S-taaaAAAy…AwaaaAAaaYYYYY," he howled as he hunched on the floor. "Awaaa…AAAAWWWY froMMM MEEEeeeEEEeEEEEE!" His howl pierced the sky as his body changed form, and his shadow consumed him. Amane pushed herself against the building's wall as she watched this man's demonic transformation. Emerging from the shadows was a tall man, lanky and gray-skinned. His head was covered by a cone straw basket and a cloth over his mouth. He bore a pair of sode, rectangular ribbed iron shoulder armor for samurais, and a fundoshi. His toe and fingernails were long and rotten, and he wielded a long spear with a rectangular fan-like blade, pierced with a set of rings.

The girl shuddered by its appearance. She didn't know what it was, but it haunted her. Its very existence wanted to make her scream. She knew she wasn't looking at something normal, but something demonic, undead.

The figure turned to her. He pulled his body back, as if taking in a deep breath. And as he threw his body forward, he let out a howl so terrifying that Amane's very core shattered. She quickly got up and ran down the street. She cried, huffing and puffing as she deigned to look back. But the figure did not move. She had to get home. But what if it was not safe at home? What if she lead it straight to her house where it will kill her and her mother? In the end, she kept on running to who knows where, but she kept running through the town. Past her house, past the library, towards the edge of town. She never realized that it had gotten dark. She never looked backed. She never knew that it was gone, or that it did not give chase.

She did not know it was right in front of her.

She stopped, tears streaming down her face as the figure that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere began to trudge towards her. "Wh…what are you…" she forced herself to say.

The rings clattered and chimed as the figure dragged the bottom of his spear along the concrete. Finally, it pointed its spear at her and lunged forward, aiming for her head. Amane closed her eyes, afraid of what fate was to come.

"Move."

She felt her body pushed backward. She opened her eyes to find long silver hair flowing in front of her. She fell on her buttock as she caught view of the person before her.

The person had just blocked the spear with the armlet on her right hand. She was tall and had long silver hair tied up in a ponytail. She wore a light blue kimono that was short in length, and you could see silver shorts underneath. Her sleeves were detached from the shoulders, held on by straps of cloth and moon-like clips. She wore long knee-high tabi coupled with blue geta that looked like high-heels. Her obi sash was of a thin transparent silver cloth. As she turned her head to Amane, the girl could make out a silver head ornament over her bangs, two clouds meeting a crescent moon. And her eyes were of a luminous silver. In fact, this girl, or woman, reminded Amane of a full silver moon. She was illuminating in the night sky like the very moon itself.

"Who…are you?"

"Don't speak," the girl hissed as she turned to the monster. "You've attracted a Yomi. I'm surprised you managed to outrun it for however long you could."

"A…Yomi?" At first, the name reminded Amane of her rude transfer classmate. But this Yomi had a different meaning; this Yomi was related to the Yomi, the land of the dead she had read in myth, the Yomi no Kuni. "Wait! This thing is a being from the dead?!"

"Shut up. He's coming." The girl stepped back as she kicked the spear off her arm. The Yomi, as it was called attacked again, rapidly stabbing forward at her. But she blocked and dodged every blow with speed and grace. She closed in and slammed her fist into the Yomi's gut. It sounded like a bone broke somewhere. The Yomi stepped back, writhing in pain. Then it was fine, as if the pain did not exist.

"N-Nothing happened!" Amane gasped.

"The undead do not feel pain," the girl replied. "They are monsters through and through. They must be vanquished." As she took a fighting stance, Amane noted the green magatama gem that hung around the woman's neck. "I'll take it out before it has the chance to hurt anyone."

"W-Wait!" Amane had remembered that the figure came from the shadows that engulfed a man. "Isn't that dangerous?! I think this thing was a person once!"

"You saw its transformation?" The girl looked at Amane and smirked. "That's right. These things were once human. But once a human becomes a Yomi, there's no turning back for them. They are as good as dead. They deserve nothing but a quick and painless death."

This girl who had protected and fought for her just now threw the word "death" around like it was nothing. Has she been fighting these things before? Have these things been in Seitenka-machi all this time? Has she killed the people that became these monsters? Has this girl…killed?

"Here it comes!" the girl exclaimed, but as she tried to press forward, she felt her back fist pulled against her will. She turned to find Amane holding her arm back. "What are you doing, you fool?!"

"I won't let you! Even…even if that is an undead monster, it is still human!" She looked up at the girl with much courage and anger. She wasn't crying like before. "I won't let you hurt another innocent person!"

"Idiot! These things aren't innocent! They're monsters! They are-"

"Cure Tsukuyomi!" a voice called out from the sky. "Look out!"

The girl called Cure Tsukuyomi turned her head behind her to find that the Yomi began to attack again, thrusting its spear forward. Quickly, she broke Amane's grip and pushed the two away from each other. The spear had grazed Cure Tsukuyomi's cheek as she fell back. Amane tumbled back a bit, and the box given to her by the shop keeper fell out of her bag.

The Yomi hunched forward and turned its head towards Amane and pounced at her.

"This isn't good!" Cure Tsukuyomi cursed. "Run!"

Amane panicked as the Yomi was in the air, spear ready. She saw her box lying a bit away from her, and she scrambled to go pick it up.

"I'm scared," she thought to herself aloud.

"I feel like I'm going to die…"

"Dad…if you are watching over me…please…save me!"

She reached out for the box. By instinct, she held the box ahead of her to take on the spear. As the spear made contact with the 天 on the box's cover, the gem inside radiated and exploded in an amber light. It had thrown the Yomi back as the gem floated onto Amane's palm, the box in shambles. She was in disbelief of what just happened; the store owner had given her this gem for free, and it had protected her. Was this…a special gem?

All of a sudden, the wooden splinters and pieces of the box rumbled and floated towards Amane. Along with the gem, they all glowed the same amber light. The gem placed itself onto Amane's wrist, where the wooden pieces converged around the gem and wrapped around her arm, turning into a golden bracelet with two bells under the wrist.

Cure Tsukuyomi had watched the whole thing, but she couldn't believe it. Instead, she cursed under her breath. "You damned old man…"

The Yomi moaned as it stood up, facing Amane once more. Amane looked down at her new bracelet, still unable to fathom the events that had unfolded before her this evening.

"Do it! Ring the bells!" Cure Tsukuyomi called out. "Signal the divine descension!"

"The…divine descension?" Amane looked down at her bracelet, and then at the bells. As if she understood what to do, she quickly stood up and held up her left arm to the sky. "N-Now what?!"

"Yell out, 'Pretty Cure! Divine Descend!" echoed the unseen voice from before.

"G-Got it!" Amane looked up at her wrist. "Pretty Cure! Divine Descend!" She shook her wrist, and the two bells that were held by a string jingled as they crashed against each other. They echoed into the night, resounding into the heavens. All of a sudden, Amane was engulfed in a bright and heavenly light. Her clothes were stripped, and she was bare. Her body was wrapped in a cloth around her chest and lower regions as a white kimono made from light formed over her. The tomoeri and the uraeri, the over and inner collars, were of a passionate red. Her kimono was cut short from the thigh, and over it was a red pleated skirt similar to that of a hakama, and white puffs underneath.

The light formed long white furisode-style sleeves over her forearms, tightening just above the elbow with red seems. The sodeguchi, the sleeve openings, were of a radiant gold, and a large red circle burned at the bulk of the swinging sleeves. Around her waist was a golden ribbon, tied into a cute ribbon in the front and fastened with an red circular jewel in the center. Her feet were given standard tabi two-toed socks with red zori sandals underneath. Finally, red magatama jewels hung from her ears as a golden ornament wrapped around her black hair, forming a red jewel in the middle as a pair of shide, zig-zag paper streamers, hung from both sides of her head. The bottom of her shoulder-length hair fanned out, and she opened her eyes. Her transformation was complete.

Cure Tsukuyomi was in disbelief of the events that had just transpired before her. There stood a once frightened girl into a being of light and magic. "No…not another one…who are you?!"

Amane turned to Cure Tsukuyomi and smiled gently. Her smile was a heavenly smile, pure and sincere. "You called yourself Cure Tsukuyomi, correct? The god of the moon, one of the three children of Izanagi-no-Mikoto."

She turned to the Yomi and pointed at him. "I am the Light of Heaven, descended to bring back the smiles of those who have lost their hearts!" She held her hands to her chest and closed her eyes, and then she spread them out in an inviting manner.

"Cure Amaterasu!"