Writers preface: I am writing this in all knowledge that I have only the briefest understanding of the entire Manga series as it is written. I have fallen in love with the characters of this series as all of you have and I want their dreams to come to fruition. This is set 20 years into the future from the point where the Anime' series left off and includes some of the writing of one of my favorite authors here and a continuation of his story. I may not bring his vision of the plot to greatness but it is my hopes and dreams for these people to have a truly happy life………….. Even if it is in my own mind.
One reader asked that I clarify the Chachamaru issue a little better. Please read "Child of mine" by Ambrant Arandel. This fine author was the one to inspire me.
Some of you may catch that I am using some names of people from other shows but I do this because I don't have a directory of Japanese names to draw from.
One last thing before chapter 9, I do not own anything about this wonderful series except my own mind
A Wing and a Prayer
Mist is not a stupid animal being a thousand year old dragon, but she had a very bad habit of not listening when she became enraged, and she knew it. She had had nearly 50 years though to calm down and think about what Evangeline had said back in that cave.
"Look at what you call "Mewing humans" and see what sort of destruction they can and have caused, and then remember that they are many and creatures, like you and I, are very few in comparison."
Mist was determined to catch the thief and destroy her but she did take the time to transform into a human form and do a little research. Her human form was that of a 14 year old girl with flame red locks that swirled down her back and a very shapely body. She despised this appearance because she looked and felt weak and fragile. But then again she was only a thousand years old give or take a few decades, a blink of the eye in the life of a dragon. Even with being so "young" she knew that there was truth to what Evangeline had said about the humans. She had seen the Middle Ages first hand, and watched from afar as the humans became more and more powerful. She slept through the First World War only to be awoken by the Second World War. The machines of the humans would rain down destruction on her land with near impunity. She moved to an isolated place in the Alps and took residence there to wait for the humans to kill themselves off. The problem was that the humans didn't look like they were going to do that any time within her long, long life span. She wanted to go out and make her way in this world, but as a dragon she would be hunted, and she knew it. Her other option was to go out as a human and try but her "age" was against her there too. Her only form was again that of a 14 year old girl. The only thing she could do was go to school. That was boring. She wanted to acquire riches and power but there it was again, her age.
Then this Vampire finds her, Well here is someone that she can while the years away with at least she thought at first then to have her steal the most precious thing she owned. The Scepter of Pope St. Gregory VII, The firebrand.
Mist vowed to find the thief and take back her treasure.
She had much planning to do before she could do that though. It seemed that the vampire was on an island nation called Japan and she had been there for quite some time now, nearly 40 years. She desided that she was going to need some money, as the humans called it, to get there. To that end she disgorged a portion of her treasure and proceeded to sell it in order to make an inconspicuous approach. This almost backfired immediately as no one would accept her jewels or gems in trade for what she wanted or needed. This would not do. After many tasty crooks she found one that would agree to her exchange. She wondered how such stupid creatures as humans ever came to be the dominant species of the planet.
She observed the young humans as best she could noting that she was dressed a bit out of date, having been sealed away for nearly 50 years, so she went on a shopping spree the likes of which would have made the young Paris Hilton blush. Then she went in search of the "nice" crook again to get the required paperwork to go to Japan. She had to cough up some more of her treasure but not as much this time as he knew not to kill the golden goose. Little did he know that she planned all along on coming back and smiling grandly for him some day, in her true form before she ate him and took back her treasure.
Her knowledge of today's world leapt ahead at frightening speed as she began to truly understand how crazy these humans were and how dangerous they could be.
With this understanding she desided that waging an open battle with Evangeline was out of the question in a populated area. She would have to draw out the vampire and get her in an isolated place to do the job. Her only problem was that she had no idea how she was going to do that, yet.
She arrived at the airport in San Francisco ahead of schedule and waited in the passenger lounge. She watched with mild interest as some Japanese boys were waiting around for the same flight. She noted that it seems that her "human" hormones were working overtime as one of them looked her way and smiled at her. The blush on her face was bright and immediate.
"What am I doing?" she said to herself. "They are just humans what possibly could I see in them?"
She looked back at the young man and he smiled at her again causing another blush to rise on her face. "This will not do." She mumbled to herself
The boy came over to her and introduced himself. "Hi, My name is Kazike Tatsumiya, I was noticing that you appear to be traveling alone. I hope that I'm not bothering you." he said after noting the blush on her cheeks.
"No I am not bothered, and yes I am traveling alone." She replied.
"Well so am I, where are you headed?" Kazike asked
"Mahora, a school, I have to meet someone there." She said starting to feel the blush creeping back up her cheeks.
To herself "Damn these human hormones, this body likes that human. Well he is polite."
She went on aloud, "My name is Mist, I am an old friend of Evangeline's."
The young man looked at her dubiously and said, "You know Evangeline?"
This frightened the dragon, "Yes, why?" she said cautiously
"She is one of my mothers friends and an old classmate of hers from when she went to Mahora Girls Academy." The Young man flashed with a big smile. "That's where I am going so if you would like I can escort you to the Academy."
"No that's all right, I wouldn't want to bother you, and besides I'm sure that your mother would like to see you." she said.
Not to worry, she's the commander of the SWAT team assigned to the Academy district. They don't get many calls now days so it is a pretty cushy job, and besides it will be almost midnight when we get there. So if you don't have any place to stay we can put you up in my sister's room until morning, when you can go in to the school to Evangeline's house."
Just then Mist's stomach growled loudly as she had not eaten all day. She flushed again and was getting annoyed with her body.
Kazike smiled and said "You sound hungry, let's get something to eat over there." He indicated a airport restaurant.
She smiled and thanked him allowed him to escort her to a table where they could watch the concourse and their terminal. They talked about stuff and ate. He helped her brush up a bit on her Japanese seeing as she had just learned it in her preparations for going to Japan. He said that she was very good for just learning the language to which she proceeded to blush again.
In that short time Mist was began to like this young man and started to wonder if there were more like him in this world. Then the dragon in her mind spoke "And what do you think that he will do when he finds out what you are?"
A cell phone chirped at Kazike's belt. He picked it off and opened it to find his mother looking at him. "Hi mom, I was just going to call you.
"How was your shooting match at the school in Los Angeles?" she asked.
"We took top honors and I had a perfect score on the "Hogan's Alley" portion of the match. Ah, hey mom, I would like you to meet someone, her name is Mist and she and I are traveling together. She is coming to Mahora to meet with Evangeline and seeing that we won't be getting there until very late I was hoping that we could put her up for the evening." He turned the phone to Mist.
"Hello Mist, pleased to meet you."
"I am pleased to meet you also Mrs. Tatsumiya. I don't want to put you out and I am sure that I'll be able to find something for the evening." Mist replied.
"Don't be silly. By the time you get here all the hotels will be packed with people coming into town for the festival. My daughter is living on the campus at the dorm so you may take her room." Mana said.
"Thank you very much." replied Mist
Kazike turned the phone back to himself and said his goodbyes.
"There, then that is settled, You are coming home with me tonight." Then he blushed realizing what it sounded like he said "I mean I would be delighted to escort you to my home so that you may rest after our flight."
Mist laughed genuinely and said, "It would be a pleasure to be escorted by you kind sir."
Kazike blushed harder and smiled.
The call for boarding got them going to the gantry. They each handed off their tickets and found they had seats next to one another.
Mist was a little worried as this was her very first time flying not under her own power. Kazike noticed and put his hand on hers as she gripped the arm rest and told her it would be ok. She noticeably relaxed after that and after takeoff realized that this was much faster than she could have made the flight. In fact her flight may have taken several days to accomplish. She began to wonder "Maybe there is something to these humans after all."
Some time during the flight she fell asleep and slumped onto the shoulder of Kazike. He asked for a blanket to cover her with and they both fell asleep under the blanket.
Mist dreamed what for her was an odd dream. She stood on the ground in all her glory with her wings outspread facing a man in strange armor with a sword slung on his belt and a rifle slung over his shoulder. He was carrying the mystical Dragon Slayer sword.
He said "I will be your partner for the rest of my days defending you from any that would cause you harm"
"Lift your visor sir knight and show me your face." The dragon said.
He lifted his visor and there was Kazike.
She started waking to find herself covered with a blanket and snuggled next to this boy. What was coming over her she wondered. I have been alive for a thousand years and in the space of a few hours this human is now my friend? Then she realized that she never really gotten to know a human before. I mostly just stole their livestock and fought them when I had to. What was going on, was it this human form? Did this mean that maybe she was wrong all these years?
As she examined her thoughts they were on final approach to Tokyo Airport and she looked out the window seeing the magnificent Mt Fuji with the sun glistening off the snow covered top.
She gently woke Kazike causing him to blush which made her blush as they both tried to find something interesting to look at.
After landing Kazike took her to the baggage claim area. They put their luggage with a delivery service. Their bags would delivered in the morning. With just a day pack in her hands he took her to the train station for the ride to Mahora.
He pointed out the things that he could from their seat on the fast moving train and as the sun was setting she felt happy to be with this human. She felt…..safe. That was it, why did he make her feel safe? "I'm a dragon, how can this small human make me feel safe?"
Her confusion was growing by the moment, but she still felt safe with him.
At the Mahora station there were few people around but the ones that were around at that hour were not all the nice ones.
A couple of acne ridden punks of about 18 came up to the couple and said "Hey little boy why don't you get lost, we'll take good care of your girlfriend."
Fire flashed in her eyes at the statement but before she could react Kazike had kicked one punk in the mouth and slammed the other to the ground screaming at him with his knee on the punks neck and his arm twisted in the air, "Take that back and apologize to her now or I'll rip your arm off and beat you to death with it!"
The punk terrified at the sudden brutality that had pounded him to the ground screamed that he was sorry and that he would never do it again.
Mist was surprised that a human could move that fast and with such strength. She held her hand to her mouth and asked Kazike to let them go.
The punks ran off glad to still be alive.
Mist looked at Kazike with renewed wonder and said, "I am glad you desided to escort me."
I'm sorry I didn't mean to get so violent with them but they made me so mad with their comments that I snapped. Please forgive me."
She shook her head in the negative, "You have nothing to be forgiven for. I am just glad you were able to handle them by yourself. I-I'm glad you weren't hurt." She then blushed.
She then took his arm and said, "Well which way to your home?"
"This way." as he lead her to the taxi stand.
He gave the driver the address, who smiled at what he thought was a very cute couple.
After the driver took off, Kazike opened the door for her and offered her a pair of slippers for in the house.
Mana came around the corner and welcomed him home with a motherly hug and then turned to Mist and bowed low to her. "I am honored to meet you Mist. I trust that my son was a gentleman during your trip?"
Mist bowed back to her and said "Your son is the first gentleman that I have met in a long time and I felt very safe with him at my side."
Mana smiled at that and said, "Then I have raised him well."
"Come then, let's get you settled in because I think you are going to have a busy day tomorrow." Mana winked at Mist who was mystified at the comment.
"Evangeline told me you were coming and to make you feel welcomed."
Mist face faulted at that and sweat dropped, "Th-th-th this was supposed to be a surprise" she cried.
"You must know by now that there is little that gets by Evangeline." was Mana's only comment as she led the dragon up the stairs to the room she had promised her.