Three Words Intertwin
Here is the second chapter of my 'BNA' and 'Ushio to Tora' crossover story. I hope you all enjoy it.
Chapter one: The wolf and the temple of the Aotsuki family
The sky grew dark as storm clouds slowly formed over the city of Tokyo. Outside of the city, a figure ran down the road as they tried to find shelter before the rain would start falling from the sky. The figure wore an old blue hooded cloak that hid their upper body and white pants that were torn in a few places. The figure's feet were bare of any foot wear as they sprinted down the sidewalk. The figure ran for about an hour before they spotted a large temple with an old storehouse that stood outside the temple's walls up ahead of them. The figure pushed their legs to go faster as they raced towards the temple. The figure quickly headed towards the old storehouse and quickly opened the door before ducking inside when the first drops of rain started to fall. The figure let out a sigh before they lowered the hood from their head to reveal their face. The figure turned out to be a sixteen year old she-wolf beastman with messy long hair that grew down to her shoulders. The eyes of the wolf were a silver grey with light blue riming around the edges of the she-wolf's irises. Her fur and hair were a seafoam blue while her muzzle, the tip of her ears and underside of her tail were a pure white. Underneath the cloak she wore a white long sleeved shirt with blue on the edge of her sleeves. This she-wolf was none other then Nariko, a young beastman that had once been a normal human girl. Nariko let out another sigh before she turned to look outside to watch the rain.
"That was a close one," muttered Nariko as she gazed out at the rain. "I really wasn't looking forward to getting drenched and smelling like a wet dog. But it looks like I'll be here for a while though."
True to her words, the rain began to fall harder outside as it hit the ground as water droplets turned the dirt turned to mud. Nariko watched as she leaned herself up against the doorframe.
"Still, I never thought that I would be happy to see this type of weather again," voiced Nariko as a small smile appeared on her face. "It's been a while since I last saw rain."
She continued to watch the rain for a few more minutes before the she-wolf turned away to look at what was inside the storehouse. Nariko raised an eyebrow when she saw many books, scrolls, old pots and other items cluttered around the place. Some of the items were either on shelves, while the rest laid on the floor of the storehouse.
"Man, this place sure is a mess," said Nariko as she walked a little further into the building. "Whoever owns this storehouse sure doesn't know how to keep things organized."
Nariko then used her canine nose to sniff the air before letting out a loud sneeze: "Not to mention that they haven't given this place a good dusting either."
Nariko gazed around at the clutter for a moment before taking a quick glance towards the storehouse door. After gazing out at the rain for a second, she finally came to her decision.
"Well...since I'm stuck here until the rain passes. I might as well see what kind of knowledge these old scrolls and books have in them."
With that, Nariko began to pick out random books and scrolls that laid on the floor or sat on the shelves. The young she-wolf then sat down on the floor and began to read a few of them them. Nariko was careful not to damage any of scrolls and books with her claws as she began to read the contents they held within their pages. Nariko learned that they all held ancient legends, which tell about demons and ghost that once roamed in ancient Japan. Among the books was one that told of a powerful demon that battled a samurai who wield a mighty spear. Nariko became interested as she read about how the samurai fought the demon for four days and four nights. Nariko then frowned when she got to the part about how the samurai pinned the demon to a large rock by stabbing the spear into the beast's shoulder. The spear was used to seal away the demon's power for five hundred years and the samurai, along with a few chosen people, built a temple around the demon to keep it locked away from the world.
"Kind of sounds like how I was kidnapped and locked away within the facility," muttered Nariko quietly to herself as a sad frown appeared on her face. "Still...even though that demon had been evil, the thought of it being sealed away for five hundred years sounds cruel. I don't know if I could ever survive that long without anyone to talk to for that length of time."
Nariko gently closed the book and placed it down on the floor before picking up another one. The book she picked up talks about the spear and the samurai who wielded it. In the first page of the book, it talks about how the samurai had decided to become a monk and take up to being the guardian of the temple that held the demon. The next page tells the spear and how it gives its wielder the strength and power of a beast to slay demons. It continues on to how the wielder of the spear devotes their life to hunting down monsters until the end of their days. Nariko frowned at the information she discovered about the spear before she gently closed the book.
"So there were items in ancient times that can give humans the power and strength of a beast, huh?" muttered Nariko as she placed the book down on the ground. "That sounds a little farfetched if you ask me."
The she-wolf then let out a yawn as exhaustion finally over came her. Nariko soon decided that she would sleep for a while before heading out again when the rain stopped. She took off her cloak before laying down on the floor as she used it as a makeshift blanket. Nariko curled herself into a tight ball as she tried to keep herself warm as much as possible. Which wasn't hard since the young beast-girl's fur was thick enough block the coldness that seeped from outside. Nariko let out a sigh as she closed her eyes and fell a sleep, but her senses were still on high for any danger that may come her way. This had become Nariko's routing ever since she had escaped from the facility. She had developed a high attuned sense of knowing when danger was nearby. It had developed over time when Nariko would travel through either the forests or the cities. Throughout her travels, Nariko was forced to keep herself hidden from beastmen hunters and from the men in black suits who searched her. Nariko softly snored as she slept on the floor of the storehouse, while the only sound she heard was the rain that fell outside.
Nariko didn't know how long she had slept, but she quickly became alert when she sensed someone standing at the entrance of the storehouse door. Nariko's eyes shot open before she leapt into a crouch and let out a loud snarl of warning towards the intruder. The person let out a startled yelp as they took a step back from the she-wolf's sudden action. Nariko stopped her snarling when she saw who the person was that stood at the door.
The person was actually a young woman that looked to be nineteen years old. The woman had short brown hair that grew down to her neck, brown eyes and fair skin. She was wearing a short sleeved green shirt with a cream colored jean vest over top, blue jeans and white sneakers.
Nariko stared at the woman, who stared back at her with a look of surprise upon her face. The woman's features then changed to determination as she took a step into the storehouse. Nariko watched the woman curiously as the adult slowly came closer to her before stopping two feet in front of the young she-wolf. The two were silent as they stared at each other for a moment before the woman finally spoke in a firm voice.
"W-who are you? And what are you doing here within this storehouse."
Nariko gazed at up at the woman for a second before answering her: "I snuck in here to get out of the rain for a while. As for who I am, let's just say that I'm just a humanoid canine passing through."
"Are you a demon?" asked the woman in a tight voice.
Nariko's eyebrows raised up at that question before she burst out laughing, which caused the woman to look at the she-wolf in confusion. The woman then puffed out her cheeks in anger before she shouted at Nariko.
"What's so funny!?"
Nariko slowly calmed down as she wiped away a stray tear. Once she composed herself, Nariko finally spoke in a voice that was filled with amusement.
"I'm sorry, but the question you just asked me was kind of silly. But I can assure you that I'm not a demon, ghost or any other supernatural being. If I were, than I would have attacked you already instead of talking to you right now."
The woman expression changed to surprise before a blush appeared on her face. She then glanced down at the ground in embarrassment, while scratching the back of her head sheepishly.
"Oh...uh, right. You have a point there," muttered the woman quietly. "Sorry for jumping to conclusions."
"It's fine," said Nariko with a reassuring smile. "I would've probably ask the same question too if I encountered something strange within this storehouse as well."
The woman then looked down at Nariko with a soft smile appearing on her face before she asked another question.
"Then...would you mind telling me exactly what you are?"
Nariko let out a amused huff before answering: "I'm known as a beastman, a being that can shapeshift into a human and walk amongst them."
The woman looked at Nariko in wonderment before she took on a thoughtful expression.
"Beastmen...I think I've heard about them from my parents and my friends back when I attended middle school. Though I never really paid much attention to what they said about beastmen."
"They probably talked about how scary we beastmen look," said Nariko as she gathered up her cloak and stood up from the ground. "Though I can't really blame them. After all, people do think we're unnatural and that we would be better off dead."
The woman stared at Nariko in surprise before her face took on a sad expression.
"I'm guessing you've encountered those kinds of people, huh?" said the woman in a gentle voice as Nariko put on her cloak.
"You could say that, yeah" replied Nariko as she walked towards the door: "Yet that's just the way the world works. Humans always fear things what they don't understand."
"That's true," voiced the woman sadly to herself.
Nariko stepped outside to see that the rain clouds were gone and the sky was once again clear. She also noticed that the sun was slowly lowering over the western horizon, which told her that it was nearing sunset.
"Well, looks like it's about time I moved on," said Nariko as she walked out of the storehouse. "I need to find a place to sleep for tonight before it gets too dark."
The woman turned to stare at Nariko in concern before glancing down at the floor of the storehouse. After a moment of thinking, the woman finally came to a decision. She quickly ran out of the storehouse, while calling out to Nariko in the process.
"Wait a moment!"
Nariko stopped and turned to look back at the woman in surprise as the young adult came to stand in front of her. That gave the she-wolf a chance to see that the woman was an inch taller than her. The woman looked down at Nariko with a kind smile upon her face.
"If you'd like, you can stay here at the temple for the night," offered the woman. "I'm actually friends with the family who owns this temple. They have plenty of space, and I'm sure that you're eager to sleep in a comfortable bed after wandering around for so long."
Nariko stared up at the woman in surprise before smiling softly, then spoke to her in a gentle voice.
"That's a kind offer, but I'm afraid that I can't stay here. I'm sure the family of this temple wouldn't be too pleased with having a beastman staying in their home. Even if it's for one night."
"I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind," said the woman. "After all, we've had our fair share of seeing things that are stranger than you around here."
Nariko stared up at the woman curiously and was about to open her mouth to ask the young adult what she meant before a male voice suddenly shouted.
"Hey! Get away from Asako you monster!"
Nariko quickly turned and saw a man holding a wooden staff running towards her. The man lifted the staff up above his head and brought it down to hit the young she-wolf. Unfortunately, his staff missed its target as Nariko quickly leapt out of the way from the man's attack. She landed six feet away from the male adult as she stared at him in confusion and anger. The man quickly placed himself in front of the woman as he fiercely glared at Nariko in anger.
Nariko was able to get a good look at the man and saw that he was around the same age at the woman. He had disheveled short black hair, bush eyebrows, fair skin and grey eyes. The man wore a black sleeveless muscle shirt, tan sweat pants and white sneakers.
Nariko tensed when she sensed a strong killing intent coming from the man. She could tell by the man's body structure that he worked out a lot, and the she-wolf had a feeling that this man knew how to fight. Nariko stood in a defensive stance as the man glared at her, while he stood protectively in front of the woman.
'I can't really blame him,' thought Nariko quietly to herself. 'He just doesn't want his friend to get hurt. Also...I'm just a monster in his eyes, so he would attack me without hesitation.'
The man continued to glare at Nariko before the woman quickly ran out from behind him, and stood in front of the man with an angry expression upon her face.
"Wait a minute, Ushio!" shouted the woman. "You got it all wrong, this girl isn't a monster!"
The man, now known as Ushio, looked at the female in surprise before his face took on a serious expression. He then spoke in a harsh voice that startled the woman slightly.
"Don't be stupid, Asako! Of course that thing's a monster!"
The woman, Asako, stared at Ushio in surprise before a look of disbelief appeared on her face and she began to yell at him.
"Just what is your problem?"
"My problem is that you almost got close to being eaten by that youkai!"
Nariko growled in annoyance at what Ushio had just said, but she was also annoyed by how he was treating Asako with disrespect. The young she-wolf disliked people who don't show respect to others, especial men who think they're all hotshots. Nariko pulled back her lips as a growl emerged from her throat before she spoke in a low voice.
"You shouldn't be so harsh to your friend like that. She was only trying to explain the situation to you."
Ushio turned his eyes up to glare at Nariko again before he shouted at her: "Be quiet, monster!"
Nariko silver grey eyes stared straight into the man's grey eyes, which seemed to harden into steel. But despite that, Nariko wasn't intimidated by him for she had seen worst looks in her travels.
"You really are as stubborn as a mule, not to mention stupid," said Nariko as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up in anger. "I can tell that you're the type of person that jumps to conclusions without pausing to think first."
Her words seemed to strike a nerve within Ushio as he stepped around Asako, and began to run towards Nariko with his weapon raised at the ready. Nariko stood her ground as she let him come closer before jumping up into the air. Ushio's staff struck the spot where Nariko had once been before he was caught off guard when the she-wolf girl landed on his back. Nariko then springboarded off Ushio's back and did a mid air flip before landing behind him.
"You missed~" teased Nariko with a smirk on her face.
Ushio turned to glare at Nariko before he swung his staff at her, but she easily dodged it by leaping backwards. She landed near the wall of the temple with a smirk still on her face.
"A little slow on the swing there," said Nariko in a mocking voice. "You getting on in years or something?"
Ushio let out an angry shout as he ran towards Nariko with his staff raised above his head. Nariko waited until the last second before jumping up into the air to dodge Ushio's attack. Her sudden dodge caught Ushio off guard and he wasn't able to stop himself as he found himself crashing into the wall. Nariko gracefully landed on the tiled roof of the temple's stone wall. The young she-wolf then crouched upon the wall as she stared down at Ushio, who had face planted into the walls surface.
'He really let's his anger blind him to not noticing his surrounding, huh?' thought Nariko quietly within her mind as an anime sweat drop appeared on the side of her head.
"Just what in the world is going on out here!" shouted a male voice from the temple gate.
Nariko turned towards the temple gate and saw a fifty two year old man walking out, along with a woman that looked to be in her late twenties. The man had long grey hair that grew down to his shoulders, tanned skin and grey eyes. He wore a brown Japanese jinbei outfit and on his feet were bamboo sandals.
The woman had long black hair that grew down to the middle of her back, hazel brown eyes and fair skin. She wore a blue outer kimono over top of a white kimono with a pink obi was wrapped around her waist, white socks and sandals.
The two new comers turned to see Ushio still face planted upon the stone wall. The woman gasped in surprise, while the man just looked confused about the display in front of him.
"Ushio...just what the hell are you doing?" questioned the old man.
Ushio peeled himself from off the wall and groaned out in pain in response before Asako walked over to the two older adults.
"Let's just say that Ushio let his temper get the best of him again," answered Asako with a deadpanned expression before she go serious. "He also decided to attack an innocent girl that wasn't doing any harm."
"That was not a girl!" exclaimed Ushio as he ran over to the group. "It was a monster that was trying to eat you!"
Nariko frowned at the older boy's stubbornness: 'Doesn't this guy know not to jump to conclusions?'
"Is that so?" said the older man with a frown. "Then where is this so called monster now?"
Nariko decided to make her presence known as she spoke up from where she was perched: "If you look up, you'll see a humanoid canine sitting on your temple wall."
The foursome all turned their eyes towards Nariko, who still remained crouched upon the wall. The woman and man blinked in surprise at seeing her, while Ushio glared up at Nariko in anger.
"Hey! Get down from there you monster!" ordered Ushio.
"Nope," replied Nariko as she turned her head away from him. "I'm not coming down just so you can have another shot at whacking me with that staff."
Ushio growled as he glared up at the young she-wolf: "You little-"
He was quickly cut off by Asako hitting him on the back of the head head. The older man and woman looked up at Nariko with intense gazes for a moment before the man spoke.
"You...aren't a youkai or any other supernatural being, are you?"
Nariko looked down at the older man as her expression changed from annoyed to respectful.
"No, I'm not," replied Nariko in a reassuring voice. "I'm actually an ordinary being who's just passing through. I'm sorry for intruding on your property, but I had to take shelter within your storehouse during a rain storm this afternoon."
The old man looked up at Nariko in surprise before frowning: "You took shelter within the storehouse?"
Nariko nodded her head at the man's question, while raising an eyebrow up in confusion when she saw his expression.
"But the door to the storehouse was supposed to be locked," said the man.
"Well it wasn't locked when I open it," spoke Nariko.
The old man frowned before a look of realization crossed over his face. His expression soon changed to anger as he turned his gaze onto Ushio, who seemed to tense for a moment before he looked sheepishly at the old man.
"Heh, heh...I guess I forgot to lock the door to the old storehouse this morning," admitted Ushio with a nervous smile upon his face.
An enraged expression came over the old man's face before he began to shout at Ushio: "You moron! How could you forget such a simple thing like locking up the storehouse?"
"I had other plans today!" exclaimed Ushio angrily.
"You could have paused for one moment to make sure that the storehouse was locked up! How could you be so dimwitted about not remembering to lock the door to the place that holds the Aotsuki clan's great treasures?"
"Treasures? That's what you call those dusty old scrolls, books and pottery? Who would want to steal stuff like that?"
An anime sweat drop appeared on the side of Nariko's head as she watched Ushio and the older man bicker with each other. Her attention was soon turned away from the two men when Asako suddenly waved a hand to catch the young she-wolf's attention. Asako quietly motioned with her right hand as she pointed towards the inside of the temple grounds. Nariko caught on to what Asako was trying to tell her before nodding her head with a smile. The young beast-girl jumped off the temple wall and quietly landed on the other side of the wall in a crouch. When she stood, Nariko was met with the older woman, who had quietly slipped away from the two bickering men a minute ago. The woman raised a finger up to her lips in a sign to be quiet with a smile on her face. Nariko nodded her head before she followed the woman across the temple grounds towards the house. Asako joined them as she walked beside Nariko before they came to the front door of the house. Once they stepped inside, the two woman took off their sandals and shoes. The older woman turned to look at Nariko, who still stood outside the entrance of the front door.
"There's no need to be shy," spoke the older woman in a kind voice. "Please, come right on in."
"Thank you for the offer ma'am," said Nariko as she gave the woman a polite smile before looking down at her feet, which were caked with dry mud. "But as you can see, my feet are a bit dirty and I don't want to track mud into your house."
"If that's the problem then wait here for a sec," spoke Asako as she turned to walk down the hallway. "I'll grab a bowl of water and a washcloth to help clean your feet."
Nariko watched Asako walked down the hallway before she turned into another room, which she guessed was the kitchen. She and the older woman waited for about a minute before Asako came back with bowl filled with water, along with a blue washcloth.
"Alright, sit yourself down on the floor and I'll help wash your feet," said Asako with a gentle smile.
"Thanks for the offer," spoke Nariko as she sat herself down on the wooden step. "But I can manage on my own."
"Well as long as your sure," said Asako as she sat down on the floor beside Nariko.
Asako placed the bowl down beside Nariko before handing the young she-wolf the washcloth. Nariko nodded her thanks as she took the washcloth from Asako and dunked it into the bowl of lukewarm water. She then got to work in cleaning her feet as the beast-girl thoroughly scrubbed the mud off, along with getting the mud out from between her toes. Nariko continued to clean her feet for a while before the sound of running feet was heard coming towards the front door. The three females looked up to see Ushio halting to a stop in front of the door's entrance before he glared at Asako in anger.
"You idiot!" shouted Ushio in a loud voice. "You can't just invite a monster into our house like that!"
Asako stood up from the floor as she came face-to-face with Ushio, while a furious expression appeared on her face.
"Lay off, Ushio!" yelled Asako as she placed her hands on her hips. "She hasn't done anything threatening, and she hasn't attacked me when we first met each other in the storehouse!"
"Asako is right, Ushio," spoke the black haired woman in a gentle voice. "Also, you shouldn't call this young girl a monster either."
Ushio looked at the older woman in surprise before the white haired man walked up behind him:
"You're mother is right, Ushio. This young wolf isn't a youkai or any other supernatural being for I sense no evil aura around her."
"Then what is she?" questioned Ushio with a frown.
Nariko gave Ushio a flat look before she spoke: "Does the word 'Beastman' mean anything to you?"
A blank look appeared on Ushio's face when Nariko said 'Beastman' and the she-wolf frowned at his expression. Everyone was silent for a moment before Ushio finally spoke.
"What's a beastman?" asked the young adult.
Nariko and Asako hung their heads as they let out groans of exasperation, while the older woman chuckled and the white haired man frowned at Ushio's stupidity.
'As expected,' thought Nariko as she mentally sighed to herself. 'He's both hotheaded and stupid.'
"Really, Ushio?" groaned Asako as she straightened up to glare at the young adult. "Don't you remember what our classmates said about beastmen back in middle school?"
Ushio frowned as he went into thought for a moment before answering Asako's question: "Honestly, I didn't really pay attention to what the others were talking about. I was too busy with drawing and other stuff."
Nariko let out a sigh before she decided to focus on scrubbing the mud and dirt off her feet. She blocked out the rest of the conversation as the young she-wolf finished cleaning her feet. Nariko flexed out her toes as she smiled at the feeling of her feet being free of the grime they've collected over the last few days. She placed the washcloth in the bowl with the water that was now a dirt brown. Nariko gathered up the bowl before she stood up from the wooden floor and turned to look at the older woman.
"I'll take this bowl to the kitchen," said Nariko.
"You don't have to do that," said the woman as she gently took the bowl from Nariko. "After all, you're a guest within our house. So you just hang up your cloak and make yourself at home."
"Well...if you're sure," spoke Nariko with a small smile.
The woman only nodded her head before she turned and walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. Nariko watched older adult leave before she unbuttoned the collar of her cloak. Asako, Ushio and the old man turned to see Nariko taking off her cloak before their eyes widened in shock. The reason for their shocked reaction was what they saw on Nariko's neck. Around the young she-wolf's neck was a bald patch where there was hardly any fur growing there. The most shocking sight about the bald patch are the burn marks that looked as if they were still healing. Nariko noticed the trio looking at her and the she-wolf's body tensed a little.
"Um...why are you staring at me like that?" asked Nariko in a tight voice.
Asako was the first one to speak as she stared at Nariko with a concerned expression upon her face.
"Y-your neck...what happened to your neck?"
Nariko's eyes widened slightly as realization came over her before she quickly raised her right hand up to her neck to cover the burn mark. She was hesitant to answer Asako's question, but soon plucked up her courage and spoke.
"It's...it's a long story."
"You can tell it to us after we treat it," spoke the white haired man before he turned his attention on Asako. "Asako, you and Ushio take our young guest to the living room. I'll go tell Sumako about the situation and to prepare the special medicine."
"Of course," said Asako with a nod before she walked over to Nariko and began to lead her down the hallway. "The living room's this way."
Nariko, with her cloak still held within her arms, walked down the hallway as she let Asako lead her to the living room. Ushio quickly followed after them after he took off his shoes and left them at the front door, along with his staff. The trio walked down the hallway in silence before coming to a modest Japanese style living room. Sitting in the middle of the room was a chabudai table. In one corner of the room stood a TV, while on the left and right of the room were two wooden dresser drawers. Standing near the TV and sitting on a small floor level shelf was a vase painted in white with blue designs on it. The shojin doors of the living room were open to reveal an open backyard.
Nariko looked around the room for a moment before Asako led her over to the table, where Ushio had sat himself down on the floor. Nariko lowered herself down to the floor, while placing her cloak down on the floor beside her. Asako sat down on the floor beside Nariko before speaking to the she-wolf in a kind voice.
"Ushio's mother shouldn't be too long in getting the medicine."
Nariko smiled before speaking: "Thanks, but my wound isn't that bad."
"Never the less, it should still be treated," said Asako in a firm voice.
Nariko was about to argue when Ushio sudden spoke up: "It's best to do what Asako says. She can be pretty stubborn when it comes to helping people. Not to mention that she can be really scary when someone get's on her bad side."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Ushio received a hard punch to the head from Asako, who had appeared behind him in a blink of an eye.
"Ow! What was that for?" shouted Ushio as he turned to glare up Asako.
"You are such a hypocrite!" exclaimed Asako as she angrily glared down at Ushio. "I may have a temper, but at least I know better than to jump to conclusions when it comes to attacking someone who isn't a monster!"
Ushio snapped his mouth shut at what Asako had just said before he turned to look at Nariko. The young she-wolf was staring at them with raised eyebrow and a light frown upon her face. Ushio turned his gaze away from Nariko and sheepishly gazed down at the top of the table, while scratching the back of his head awkwardly. After a minute of silence, Ushio finally spoke up in a low voice.
"Um...listen. I'm sorry that I...called you a monster when we first met. And I'm sorry for accusing you for trying to hurt Asako."
Nariko stared at Ushio for a long moment before smirking at him: "That must have been painful for you to say that. I'm guessing you're not the type of guy who easily admits that he's wrong, huh?"
Asako chuckled as Ushio blushed in embarrassment at what Nariko had said, while also frowning in anger. Nariko smiled as her tail wagged behind her before the she-wolf heard footsteps coming towards the living room. The trio turned towards the door and saw the man and woman coming into the living room. In the woman's hands, she held a small brown clay jar. Nariko's nose picked up the smell of herbs coming from the jar and she grew curious to what was inside it. The woman walked over to Nariko and sat down beside the young she-wolf. She placed the jar down on the floor before turning to look at Nariko with a gentle expression upon her face.
"Would you mind lifting your chin up a little so that I can see your neck better?" asked the woman in a soft voice.
Nariko hesitated for a second before she slowly lifted her head up to expose her neck to the older woman. Ushio's mother inspected the burn around Nariko's neck for a moment before turning her attention to the jar on the floor. She dipped her hand into the jar and scooped up a small portion of green goop before speaking.
"This medicine will help with healing your burn, but it might sting slightly so please bear with it for a moment."
Nariko nodded her head, while keeping her chin held up. The woman then began to apply the medicine to Nariko's burn and the young she-wolf's reaction was instant. Like the woman warned, the medicine stun at Nariko's wound, which caused her whole body to tense and her fur to puff out. Her tail also stiffened as it puffed up to look bigger, which gave Nariko a comical look to her on lookers. But the stinging was soon replaced by a cooling sensation and Nariko slowly began to relax again. After a minute, Ushio's mother finished applying the medicine before smiling at Nariko.
"There you go," said the woman. "Your wound should heal by tomorrow."
"T-thank you," stammered Nariko as she shyly smiled at the woman.
"Well, you certainly know how to stay still better than someone we know," spoked the old man as he glanced towards Ushio.
Ushio turned to glare at the old man and opened his mouth to say something before Nariko spoke up.
"Um...not to sound ungrateful or anything, but why exactly are you helping me? I mean...I don't even know your names and you don't know mine either."
"I guess it's only fair to tell you our names," spoke the old man with a smile. "My name is Shigure Aotsuki and I'm the chief priest of this temple"-he then gestured to the woman that was sitting beside Nariko-"The woman who is sitting beside you is my wife, Sumako."
The woman, Sumako, smiled as she gave Nariko a polite nod of greeting. Nariko returned the gesture with a nod of her own before the man continued on with his introduction.
"The numb-skull that's sitting across the table is my son, Ushio."
Ushio gave his father a glare as his cheeks puffed out in anger. Asako chuckled for a moment before she was the next one to speak to Nariko.
"I'm Asako Nakamura and I'm Ushio's girlfriend."
Nariko blinked in surprise when Asako said that she was Ushio's girlfriend before giving her a polite smile, while she secretly thought quietly to herself.
'Man...I pity her for having Ushio as a boyfriend. He's doesn't seem like he's her type, especially his stubborn attitude and stupidity.'
"Well it's nice to meet all of you. My name is Nariko and I'm just a wandering beastman that doesn't stay in one place for to long."
"That must get pretty lonely for you," said Asako with a sad smile on her face. "Don't you have any family or friends that are worried about you."
A sad frown appeared on Nariko's face before she answered in a low voice: "I...don't really have any family that would worry about me. As for friends...I had one that I left behind in my hometown because I didn't want to put her in danger."
"What do you mean by that, young wolf?" questioned Shigure with a frown upon his face.
"Well...My friend, Michiru, is actually a human girl," replied Nariko as her eyes softened when she spoke her friend's name. "She's not like most humans who despises beastmen and think of them as freaks of nature. She's actually a compassionate girl who really cares about others, whether they're human or beastmen. Michiru was the first human to ever show kindness to me and became my friend despite me being a beastmen."
"Sounds like you really care about her," spoke Sumako in a warm voice.
"She was like a sister to me," said Nariko with a smile upon her face.
"So...I'm guessing you left your hometown because the people there don't like beastmen, huh?" questioned Ushio with a raised eyebrow.
"No," answered Nariko with a shake of her head as her smile was replaced by an angry scowl. "I was actually kidnapped by a group of men wearing black suits. They drugged me and took me to this strange facility where they put me through strenuous tests that pushed me to my limits. I don't really remember how long I've been trapped in their facility, but while I was there those scientists forced me to wear a shock collar after I started growing violent around them."
Nariko's eyes narrowed as she remembered how the collar had been strapped tightly around her neck where she could barely breathe. Along with when the scientists would activate it to shock the young she-wolf with intense electricity. A low growl rose up within Nariko's throat as she clenched her hands into fists within her lap. She was brought out of her memory when Asako spoke to her in a sad voice.
"Is that how you got that burn mark around your neck?"
Nariko looked up to see Asako sitting beside her before looking down at her lap again: "Yeah."
Ushio was looking at Nariko with a sympathetic expression upon his face, while a fiery anger swirled within the depths of his soul. Sumako and Asako stared at sadly Nariko after hearing that she was forced to wear something that caused the she-wolf great pain. Shigure frowned as he thought over what Nariko had just said. He felt disgusted that humans would go so far as to put an electrical collar on Nariko like she was some kind of feral animal. Nariko continued to gazed down at her lap as the memories of what happened to her at the facility began to rise up again. But she was quickly brought out of them when the young she-wolf felt a gentle hand rest upon her left clenched fist. Nariko blinked in surprise before she turned to look up at the owner of the hand, and saw Sumako gazing at her with kind yet sad eyes.
"It must have been hard for you," spoke Sumako in a soft voice.
Nariko stared at the woman in front of her for a moment before a small smile appeared on her face. Nariko was about to open her mouth to speak when a loud growling sound came from her stomach. A blush formed underneath the she-wolf's furry cheeks at as she looked down at her stomach in embarrassment.
"Sound's like someone is hungry," spoked Asako with a chuckle.
"Never heard anyone's stomach growl that loud before," said Ushio with a surprised expression upon his face. "When did you last eat?"
Nariko hesitated for a moment before she answered Ushio's question: "Um...a week ago."
Ushio stared at Nariko in shock and disbelief before Sumako spoke with a smile: "Then why don't you join us for dinner tonight."
Nariko turned to look at Sumako in surprise before the she-wolf lifted her hands up in front of her: "Oh, no. I don't want to impose or anything."
"It's best that you accept my wife's offer," spoke Shigure with a smile on his face as Nariko looked at him. "Besides, it's hard to resist her cooking. Believe me, my son doesn't leave a single crumb behind. Even if it means being late for school during the mornings."
Ushio gave his father a glare before he spoke: "Well you would too, you stupid old man."
What happened next caused Nariko to stare in shock and surprise as Shigure hit Ushio in the face with his fist. Ushio retaliated by delivering a kick to his father's head. After that the two began to brawl as they punched and kicked each other, while exchanging insults in the process. Nariko turned to look at Sumako and saw a calm smile of amusement on her face. The young she-wolf then turned her gaze on Asako, who held an exasperated expression upon her face.
"Um...are they always like this?" asked Nariko as she pointed at Ushio and Shigure.
"For as long as I can remember," answered Asako in a low voice as she watched the two men fight each other.
"It's just their way of showing their affection towards each other," reassured Sumako with a light chuckle.
Nariko glanced at Sumako for a second before turning her attention back onto the two males, who continued to hit and punch each other.
'These two have a really strange relationship with each other,' thought Nariko as an anime sweat drop appeared on the back of her head.
"Well," spoke Sumako as she stood up from the floor. "I'll start making supper for tonight. Asako, would you mind helping me?"
"Sure," replied Asako with a smile as she stood up. "Anything is better than watching those two make complete fools out of themselves."
Nariko watched the two women leave the room before turning her attention back on the two males. Ushio and Shigure continued to fight each other for a few minutes before Shigure won by delivering a powerful kick to Ushio's head. The young she-wolf stared at Ushio as he rolled around on the floor, while groaning out in pain. Shigure huffed as he sat down on the floor again with a disappointed look upon his face.
"After all these years, you still have a long way to go in defeating me, you ungrateful brat."
"Shut up you old geezer!" shouted Ushio as he glared up at his father in anger.
Nariko decided to intervene before Ushio and Shigure got into another fight with each other. She cleared her throat to gain the two males' attention before she spoke.
"So...uh, what exactly do you do around here Mr. Aotsuki?" asked Nariko curiously.
"You don't have to go for the honorific," said Shigure with a smile. "You can just call me Shigure and as for what I do? You could say that I'm the head priest of this temple."
"That sounds like a big job," said Nariko as she gave Shigure a polite smile.
"Not really," spoke Ushio as he sat up from the floor. "Our temple doesn't get many visitors except for when we have festivals."
A fond smile appeared on Nariko's face when Ushio said the word 'Festival'. She couldn't help but reminisce about how she and the other kids of the orphanage would go to the festivals that would take place in their small town. There was one festival that Nariko always loved out of all of them. The Hanami festival, where she and the other orphans would sit under the cherry blossom trees and watch the flowers petals fall. Nariko would always feel a sense of peace whenever she sat underneath the blossoming trees.
"But our temple has a history that goes back five hundred years," said Shigure as his face took on a serious look.
Nariko's ears perked at what Shigure had just said, while Ushio let out a groan of exasperations as he leaned against the table.
"Here we go," grumbled Ushio quietly to himself.
Shigure ignored his son and got ready to tell Nariko the history of the temple, while the young she-wolf sat quietly as she stared at the older man intently.
"Long ago, in the time of ancient Japan, there was a great beast that rode on a storm cloud and wielded bolts of lighting," spoke Shigure as he gazed at Nariko with an intense seriousness within his eyes. "The beast terrorized many villagers from the oldest man to the tiniest baby. It left chaos in its wake and many fear this beast for its great strength."
'This is the story I've read in one of the books within the storehouse,' thought Nariko quietly to herself.
"But all things good and evil must meet their end. One day, a wandering samurai who brandished a mighty spear, appeared and challenged the great beast. It was a long and difficult battle that lasted for four days and four nights. Then, on the fifth day, the samurai defeated the monster by piercing the great spear into the monster's shoulder. The spear plunged so deep into the monster that it found the rock behind it and pinned the monster to the stone. It took all of the samurai's remaining strength to defeat the monster, which remained alive despite the spear piercing deep into its shoulder."
Nariko listened intently to Shigure's story, but she quickly noticed Ushio's expression as the young adult turned his attention away from his father. Despite the look of boredom on the young adults face, she noticed something else underneath it. The young she-wolf saw a look of sadness and longing upon Ushio's face. She became curious about that, but decided not to say anything until Shigure finished his story.
"Soon, the people built a temple around the trapped monster, and the wandering samurai retired to become a monk of the temple. He was tasked to watch over the monster trapped within the temple both day and night. That's how the Aotsuki bloodline came to be and throughout the generations, the Aotsuki clan has watched over this temple."
"I see," said Nariko with a nod of understanding. "So that's the reason the temple was built."
"Exactly," spoke Shigure with a nod. "And even if you can't see them, monsters are real and are living among us."
Ushio groaned as he gave his father a side glance before Nariko spoke and what she said surprised the two males.
"Well it all depends on what kind of monsters you're talking about. After all, monsters come in all shapes and forms, while keeping their true nature hidden from others."
Ushio and Shigure looked at Nariko, who had a serious expression upon her face. It was an expression that only an adult would ware when they have experienced something terrible within their life. Shigure's expression changed from a look of surprise to a hard expression as he stared intently at Nariko for a moment before he spoke.
"Please explain."
"Well...for me, a monster could be a person who has no heart and isn't kind to others," answered Nariko as she clenched her hands into fists within her lap. "They could be the type of monster that wants to hurt others for their own pleasure, and not care about what happens to their victims in the end. Another thing that could be described as a monster would be a being that enjoys killing innocent people just to satisfy their own pleasure."
Ushio stared at Nariko in amazement before a soft smile of sympathy appeared on his face: "I'm sure you're right about there being monsters among humans. But you know, there are also some kind humans out there in the world too."
"Yeah I know," said Nariko with a light frown upon her face as she turned her gaze towards the two males again. "But it's pretty hard to find those people out in the world these days."
"That's true," spoke Shigure with a nod of his head. "Yet those are not the type of monsters I'm talking about. The monsters that I speak of are creatures that you hear in ancient Japanese tales and myths. They are known as youkai, supernatural beings that are hidden to those who do not have the power to see them. They can take on many forms, so it's quiet hard for ordinary people to see them."
"I see," voiced Nariko as she nodded her head in understanding. "So the youkai are actually the monsters that you're talking about."
"Correct," said Shigure in a serious voice.
"Yeah, but they aren't real," spoke Ushio in a bored voice. "They're just myths that people made up in their stories."
Nariko glanced at Ushio with a raised eyebrow, while Shigure growled out in irritation as an anime blood vessel appeared on his forehead. The older male then hit Ushio on the head with his fist before shouting out in anger.
"You stupid brat! Why do always have to be so damn stubborn all the time?"
"Because your stories are old and boring like you, baldy!" exclaimed Ushio as he turned to glare at his father.
Nariko watched as the two males got into another brawl with each other, while throwing insults back and forth within the process. The young she-wolf let out a quiet sigh as a sweat drop appeared on the side of her head.
'I guess what people say is true: The apple never falls far from the tree,' thought Nariko quietly to herself before a soft smile appeared on her face. 'Still though, I can tell that this family is kind, despite these two butting heads with each other.'
Nariko continued to watch the two males fight each other for a few moments before she felt like she was being watched. The young she-wolf's body tensed slightly and she quickly became alert.
'Someone is here,' thought Nariko as her eyes narrowed slightly.
Nariko frowned as she silently started to look around the living room in hopes of finding out who was watching her. The young she-wolf swept her gaze around the room before she caught a glimpse of something crouched in the corner. Nariko's eyes narrowed slightly when she thought she saw a large shadow crouching there, but when she turned her head fully to look at it the shadow had disappeared.
'What was that?' thought Nariko quietly to herself.
"Nariko?"
At the call of her name, Nariko turned to look at Ushio, who was gazing at her with a curious expression upon his face. He was holding the front of his dad's shirt with Shigure doing the same as the older man looked at Nariko with a raised eyebrow.
"Is something wrong?" asked Ushio with concern laced in his voice.
"Oh...it's nothing," replied Nariko with a shake of her head as she gave Ushio a reassuring smile.
Ushio and Shigure didn't look like they believed her, but before they could say anything Asako appeared in the doorway.
"Supper is ready," announced Asako with a smile.
"Ah...thank you Asako," said Shigure as he let go of Ushio's shirt with his son doing the same.
"I guess I'd better go wash my hands before I join you all for supper," spoke Nariko as she stood up from the floor. "Do you have a bathroom that I can use for a minute?"
"Just turn left down the hall and you'll find the washroom on your right," answered Ushio with a smile.
Nariko nodded before she walked out of the living room and into the hallway. She did what Ushio instructed and turned left down the hall before she found the washroom. It was a small room that only had a toilet and a sink inside it. Nariko hesitated in stepping into the room before she gave her head a sharp shake.
'Get a grip on yourself,' thought Nariko as she reprimanded herself. 'This isn't like the cell that you've been trapped in back at the facility. It's just a room with a toilet and a sink. Just go in there and wash your hands, then head straight back to the living room.'
Once she firmly set those words in her mind, Nariko walked into the room and stood in front of the sink. She then proceeded to wash her hands as she turned on the tap and turned the water onto lukewarm. Nariko let the water run over her furry hands for a moment before grabbing a bar of soap from the dish that sat on the sink's counter. When she scrubbed the soap onto her hands, the sent of vanilla hit her nose and the she-wolf began to relax. Nariko washed her hands thoroughly before finally turning the tap off. She dried off her hands before looking up at the mirror to gaze at her reflection and frowned. Nariko had only ever seen her reflection once within the glass window surface of her cell, but she was never able to get a good look at her new face. Now that she was gazing into an actual mirror, Nariko was unsure about the canine face that was looking back at her.
Nariko turned her face left and right as she inspected ever angle of her face before lifting up her lips to bare her teeth. When she did, Nariko saw that her canines were longer and sharper than normal human teeth. The young she-wolf let out a sigh as she let her lips fall back down to cover her teeth again.
"No matter how long I've been in this body it still feels foreign to me," muttered Nariko as her eyebrows furrowed together. "And I still haven't figured out how to shapeshift back into my human form either."
Nariko then lifted her left hand up to gently touch the burn mark on her neck: "Though, probably having fur to cover this scar isn't so bad."
She soon turned away from the mirror and walked out of the washroom as she made her way back to the living room. Nariko only got about six steps down the hallway before stopping when she once again felt like she was being watched. She stood still for a moment before the young she-wolf quickly turned to look behind her. But like before, Nariko didn't see anyone or anything behind her. Nariko frowned as she stared at the spot where she had felt the presence before she turned, and headed back to the living room.
When she got back, Nariko saw that supper had already been set. On the table were wooden bowls filled with stew, plates that had salmon fillets and small bowls filled with fried rice.
The sight of real food caused Nariko to drool a bit before she quickly collected herself. She sat herself down on the floor beside Asako before following her and the Aotsuki family in thanking Sumako for the food. After that, they all started to eat together and Nariko couldn't hold back a moan of pleasure when she tasted the food.
'This is so good!' thought Nariko excitedly as her tail wagged happily behind her. 'It's been so long since I've tasted real food!'
"Looks like somebody was hungry," said Shigure with a chuckle.
"Well can you blame her?" questioned Ushio with a smirk. "After all, mom's cooking is the best."
"Hey, I helped out too you know!" exclaimed Asako with a pout.
"Now, now you two," spoke Sumako as she tried to placate the two young adults. "Let's not fight in front of our guest."
Asako huffed before she turned to look at Nariko with a smile as the young she-wolf took a sip of her stew broth before speaking to her.
"So what do you think of the food so far?"
Nariko lowered her bowl, swallowed then answered Asako's question with a smile: "It's great! This is the best supper I've had in a long time!"
"Well feel free to have as much as you like," said Sumako with a chuckle.
Nariko nodded before she started to eat again, but paused and frowned in anger when Ushio suddenly spoke up.
"Just make sure you don't eat too much or else you might change into a pig."
The she-wolf growled at the insult before she pointed her chopsticks at Ushio: "Ha! If you want to throw down fighting words, then I'd be happy to throw some back at you, Bushy Brow."
"What did you just call me!?" exclaimed Ushio as he glared at Nariko.
"You heard me, Bushy Brow!" shouted Nariko as she bared her teeth at the young adult.
"My eyebrows are not bush!" yelled Ushio in denial. "They're perfectly normal like everybody else's eyebrows!"
"Have you seen yourself in a mirror?" questioned Nariko with a deadpanned expression. "I suggest you take a good hard look at your reflection and really see what you're eyebrows look like."
"Shut up, you blue Furball!"
"Hothead!"
"Dog breath!"
"Dimwit!"
Asako, Sumako and Shigure watched in amusement as Nariko and Ushio traded insults with each other. Asako couldn't help but laugh quietly to herself as she was reminded how she and Ushio would argue with each other. It also reminded her of another who would argue with Ushio and get into fights with him all the time.
'It's been five and a half years now, and Ushio still hasn't gotten over the loss,' thought Asako as she sadly smiled to herself.
Supper soon ended for the family and night had just started to creep over the temple. The Aotsuki family invited Nariko to stay the night in their home, despite the young she-wolf gently declining their offer. Yet they were persistent and Nariko didn't have much choice when she realized how stubborn the family could be. Asako had headed back home with Ushio escorting her despite the young woman's protest, but Nariko could tell that Asako was happy to have Ushio walk her home. With the young she-wolf, Nariko had went to the bathhouse to wash the dirt out of her fur. Sumako had helped the young she-wolf by telling her where the bathhouse was, while giving Nariko clean pajamas to take with her. Nariko entered the change room of the bathhouse and set the pajamas in a basked upon the shelf. She then slowly began to take off her ragged clothing to reveal the rest of her furry body. When the young she-wolf had taken off her shirt, it revealed what it had hidden underneath.
On both of Nariko's upper arms were four pure white markings that looked like jagged claw marks, which ran diagonally across the blue fur. Nariko turned to look down at the markings upon her right upper arm with a frown. The markings had been one of strangest things that appeared on the young she-wolf's body when she had first transformed. Nariko disliked the markings for they felt unnatural on her fur.
'Almost as unnatural as a human changing into a beastman without knowing why or how,' thought Nariko ruefully to herself.
She then let out a sigh as she let her arm drop down to her side before she headed towards the shower. Nariko turned the water onto warm and began to soak her body under the spray. She did this for a while before turning the shower off and started to scrub soap into her fur. Once she finished scrubbing the soap onto her body, Nariko proceeded to lather her hair with a lavender scented shampoo. When she was was done, the young she-wolf turned the shower on again and started to rinse out the soap and suds. Nariko made sure to wash herself thoroughly before turning off the shower once again. After that, she slipped into the bath and sat there in the warm water with a smile of content upon her face.
'This feels great,' thought Nariko with a soft sigh. 'It's been a long time since I've taken a bath like this.'
Nariko let her thoughts wander as she silently sat within the warm water of the bathtub. A light frown appeared on Nariko's face as the young she-wolf thought about what she had told Asako and the Aotsuki family. She had told the family and Ushio's girlfriend the half truth about what had happened to her, yet not the whole truth. She sunk down into the bathtub with half of her face submerged into the water. Nariko's ears sadly dropped down as regret for not telling them the whole truth weighed down upon her.
'But what choice did I have?' thought Nariko as she quietly sat within the warm water. 'Even if I did tell them that I had once been human, I doubt that they would really believe me. Heck, I don't even have any proof to show them that I'm telling the truth. Also...I'm not really staying too long within their house either. It's just going to be for one night, then I need to head out again tomorrow after that.' Nariko sighed through her nose as she let her eyes closed shut for a moment. 'If I stay here too long, those men in black suites will come here and...'
Nariko quickly cut off that thought as she gritted her teeth tightly under water. She couldn't bear the thought of those men coming to the temple and hurting these kind people. Nariko knew that she would only be putting them in danger if she stayed at the temple for too long.
'I guess this is my fate,' mused Nariko sadly to herself. 'I was always meant to be alone.'
That thought stabbed deep within Nariko's heart as a single tear rolled down her right cheek. She sat in the bathtub for about an hour before she finally decided to get out. Once she was out, Nariko crouched down to stand on four legs and started to shake the water out of her fur. It took about a minute to shake off all of the water before she finally stood back up on her two feet. She dried herself off with a towel, then finally changed into the pajamas that Sumako had given her.
The pajamas were a bluish green with the top having long sleeves that went above Nariko's elbows, while the leggings of the pajama bottoms went down just below Nariko's knees.
It wasn't long before Nariko was sitting in the guestroom upon the futon, while hugging her knees against her chest. Ushio had came back a few hours ago after escorting Asako home and had taken Nariko to the guestroom. The room was large enough for two people to sleep in and had only a five drawer chest and a chabudai desk sitting near the window. She was staring out at the sky through the window that she had opened a moment ago after entering the room. A soft breeze blew into the room as Nariko gazed outside at the star filled sky. Like the rain, the young she-wolf was glad to finally be able to see the stars again. A soft smile graced Nariko's lips as she watched the stars sparkle like diamonds against the black sky. She sat like that for a while before she let out a tired yawn.
"Man...despite having that nap within the storehouse. I still feel drained after running none stop for two weeks," muttered Nariko quietly to herself.
She then decided that it was time to go to bed and began to crawl underneath the dark green bed cover. Nariko let out a soft sigh as her head hit the pillow before she fell asleep. That night, Nariko let her guard down as the thought of finally being able to rest peacefully without looking over her shoulder all the time settle over her. Unfortunately for Nariko, she was unaware of the danger that would greet her tomorrow morning.
To be continued